HOUSTON – February 11, 2010 – MicroSeismic, Inc. (MSI), a leading geophysical service company providing 3-D passive seismic imaging for energy exploration and production, today announced that it has been awarded two contracts for Buried Array microseismic monitoring programs in the Haynesville and Marcellus Shale plays by Marathon Oil Corporation (NYSE: MRO).
MSI will install the Buried Arrays, each of which will cover a 20 square mile area to provide microseismic monitoring, mapping and analysis for hydraulic fracturing for Marathon’s field development program. This will enable them to monitor the primary, secondary and tertiary activity, in a variety of reservoir conditions, for their Haynesville and Marcellus wells.
The system applies MSI’s proprietary PSET<sup>®</sup> processing and analysis to the seismic data collected by MSI’s Buried Array as the reservoir undergoes fracture stimulation. The Buried Array is significantly less expensive to install and maintain than downhole operations and does not require the repetitive logistics that exist with downhole monitoring. An additional cost benefit with the utilization of a Buried Array is the advantage of not requiring dedicated monitoring wells, which are very expensive to drill.
“MicroSeismic is pleased to be able to work with Marathon to help them achieve their production goals in both the Haynesville and Marcellus shale plays,” said Peter Duncan, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of MicroSeismic.
The company is completing installation of more than 325 square miles or more than 208,000 acres of buried arrays in the Haynesville, Marcellus, and Bakken shale basins, consisting of more than 3,100 geophone channels.
“During the past 14 months MicroSeismic has implemented ten Buried Array programs and we have several more planned in the immediate future for these plays as well as other emerging shale plays in the US and Canada,” said Duncan. “MSI’s Buried Array service has proven to provide more accurate and comprehensive results when compared to down hole monitoring methods. It is a perfect solution for fields containing multiple wells. Our customers are realizing this and are choosing to deploy Buried Arrays in multiple shale plays where they are operating because they believe it provides them with a competitive advantage.”
MicroSeismic, Inc. has performed more than 200 microseismic monitoring and analysis projects to date for more than 60 domestic and international clients. The company is based in Houston, Texas with offices in Denver, Colorado and Calgary, Alberta. For more information visit: www.microseismic.com.
About MicroSeismic, Inc.
MicroSeismic, Inc. is the leading provider of passive seismic and microseismic data acquisition, analysis and interpretation to the global oil & gas industry. MicroSeismic’s technology and services enable E&P operators to better manage their reservoirs, increase their production rates and decrease their completion costs and risks.
About PSET
PSET<sup>®</sup>, Passive Seismic Emission Tomography, is a passive seismic monitoring, mapping and analysis process invented by MicroSeismic. PSET<sup>®</sup> utilizes a FracStar<sup>®</sup> array or a Buried Array of surface detectors to locate very low level acoustic energy emissions associated with hydrocarbon producing activities. Mapping of these energy fields can yield valuable information to optimize frac treatments and other processes.
