Interpreting micro-seismic results in unconventional plays

 

Micro-seismic monitoring is a widely used and often trusted technique for monitoring completions and at the same time its results are often misinterpreted or misunderstood.  By better understanding the error in event locations a more constructive interpretation of results is possible.  Three different comparisons exploring real world precision in micro-seismic event locations will be presented.  These three independent comparisons reveal a very similar pattern in micro-seismic error that should be considered when interpreting results.  In addition, a previously published example where micro-seismic results have been strongly correlated with surface seismic attributes will be covered.  With a better understanding of both the precision in event locations and potential applications both the geophysicist and engineer are much better equipped to fully realize the potential of micro-seismic data.