Department of Geophysical Imaging

Microseismicity

Hydraulic fracturing is widely used in petroleum industry to enhance shale or tight gas extraction. Injected stimulation fluids break the rocks around the borehole drilled inside the target formation. Fractures being opened became a seismic sources which can be located and analyzed as usual earthquakes of very low magnitudes with a help of nearby seismic instruments.
Accurately located microseismic events provide a valuable insight into stimulation performance analysis.