AMBIENT RESERVOIR MONITORING (ARM)

Engineering & Ambient SeismicBefore, During & After

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MAP ACTIVE FRACTURE NETWORKS FROM QUIET TIME RECORDINGS

Ambient Reservoir Monitoring also identifies pre-existing faults and fractures and can predict ‘hits’ on adjacent wells. Assessing the effectiveness of frac’ing operations requires understanding of the fracture network created or activated by the stimulation, and how those fractures develop. ARM’s leading-edge ambient seismic method supplies this insight.

PREDICTION OF “HITS” ON ADJACENT EXISTING WELLS

By creating new permeability pathways and enhancing pre-existing ones, hydraulic fracturing (frac’ing) technology enables hydrocarbon extraction from formations that would otherwise be uneconomic. ARM’s ambient seismic monitoring before the frac, images natural fractures and faults to help customize stage-by-stage frac planning. The data reveals areas with high frac potential and areas of high frac hazard. Ambient seismic recording and analysis helps optimize production and minimize risk.

Image of ambient seismic data recorded after drilling of the lateral but before fracture stimulation. Natural fracture distribution and intensity are clearly identified allowing the operator and service company to customize the frac job design at the stage-level for more effective stimulation.

Formation breakdown occurs 20 minutes into Stage 3 pumping, with a fracture activated in a nearby well within a three-minute interval.

An Active Fracture Image sm (AFIsm) was computed using the data for the few minutes covering the time of formation breakdown.

Our innovative approach to ambient seismic provides direct imaging of acoustic activity in the subsurface, identifying areas or zones that are acoustically active due to natural fractures, hydraulic stimulation or production-related activities.

Ambient seismic images reveal induced fractures and stimulated natural fractures as complex surfaces and networks. These fracture volumes are not dots-in-a-box. Continuous imaging of total trace energy allows the fracture development to be mapped progressively over time. This type of frac monitoring images the effect of stimulation and shows the progression of fractures opened during the frac’ing process, providing completion engineers with the insight needed to guide drilling decisions and improve frac designs.

Our ‘Before, During and After’ approach allows you to discern the impact of both natural and induced fractures and to determine the cumulative affect they have on actual well productivity. Ambient Reservoir Monitoring results can be presented as 3D attribute volumes where Activity Volumes represent discrete volumes of acoustic activity and AFIsm are the fractures in the rocks.

IDENTIFY THE CUMULATIVE AFFECT OF NATURAL & INDUCED FRACTURES

Before: Ambient reservoir monitoring before the frac images natural fractures and faults. During: Ambient reservoir monitoring during the frac images the acoustically active volume during stimulation. After: Ambient reservoir monitoring post-frac reveals the active production volume.

Near-well fractures are either new fractures induced by the pumping, or pre-existing fractures or planes of weakness directly activated by the pumping.

Ambient reservoir monitoring images fracture propagation revealing the progression of fractures opened during the frac’ing process. An AFI sm shows activation time with early-in-stage activation times represented by warmer colors and late-in-stage activation times represented by cooler colors.

AVG

STAGE

123456789

10111213141516

LENGTH W (ft) LENGTH E (ft) TOTAL LENGTH (ft)HEIGHT ABOVE

WELL (ft)HEIGHT BELOW

WELL (ft)TOTAL HEIGHT (ft)

32575

325375325350325325425300300300325250425150306

12500

751500

125225125150125300275225350150150

45075

325450475350450550550450425600600475775300456

285135260285210160260310285235285260260235335235252

8939214289589114214439264164414439314489664589333

3751754755758002754757505504007007005757251000825586

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AMBIENT RESERVOIR MONITORING

CONTACT US

TOM FLEUREChief Executive Officertom@ambientreservoir.com+1 832.594.0529

ROSS PEEBLESChief Operating Officerross@ambientreservoir.com+1 281.844.0268

CHARLES SICKING, PHDChief Technology Officercharles@ambientreservoir.com+1 214.763.6711

TIM SCHIELDBusiness Developmenttim@ambientreservoir.com+1 303.887.1462

JAN VERMILYE, PHDFracture Imaging Geologist jan@ambientreservoir.com+1 832.461.9977

ALFRED LACAZETTE, PHDSenior Geological Advisoral@ambientreservoir.com+1 303.845.2125

Natural Fractures in the Permian Basin from ambient seismic data. Top: Map view of natural fractures - cumulative image from hours of data before drilling and completion. Bottom: Map view of active reservoir-scale fractures observed during 19 stages.