Page 32: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Dec/Jan 2015)

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Geology & Geophysics

Painting a moving picture

Heather Saucier investigates over a period of months they detected a of Houston-based MicroSeismic, Inc. swarm of small earthquakes that occurred “However, when used offshore, it does how microseismic monitoring as hydrocarbons were pumped from the allow you to accelerate your response to is being used for monitoring subsea reservoir. As a result, the reservoir whatever is going on in the subsurface.” began subsiding and the platform along So, where there was once a dearth of ? eld conditions in real time and with it. data, the offshore is now facing what helping to build better models.

Today, microseismic monitoring is some are calling an “information explo- much more pervasive in the offshore sion.” In response, it’s scurrying to build industry – not only to diagnose problems better models so that operators can ne of the ? rst times micro- after the fact, but to monitor reservoirs understand in real time the goings-on seismic monitoring was used in real time for compaction and ? uid in their reservoirs. As better models are

O offshore was in the mid-1990s, movement. built, operators can make decisions more quickly, ultimately realizing higher prof- “A lot of the reason microseismic mon- when the deck of a platform in the and also predict how it may continue to its during an economic downturn. itoring was ? rst developed for onshore Eko? sk Field in the North Sea began respond – many operators are using the use is because people wanted to see the sinking – its surface slowly dropping technology to maximize hydrocarbon

A glimpse – by sound – into the earth results and appreciate what it means toward sea level for unknown reasons. recovery, Duncan says.

Realizing that microseismic monitoring at a lower price point and lower risk Used mostly onshore at the time for “When faults move during the course can paint a moving picture of how a res- before spending big bucks offshore,” says cost reasons, microseismic sensing of production, they can offset a reservoir ervoir is responding during production Peter Duncan, co-chairman and founder devices were adapted for the water, and and form compartments. If hydrocarbons

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