New Technique Estimates Proppant Placement in Stimulated Fractures
HOUSTON, TEXAS – June 4, 2013 – MicroSeismic, Inc. (MicroSeismic) announced today that is has introduced the Productive-SRV™ (Productive-Stimulated Reservoir Volume). The multiple patents pending technology introduces a novel method to estimate how much of the stimulated fracture remains open through proppant placement. Productive-SRV incorporates three microseismically derived calculations to estimate target zone productivity; a magnitude calibrated Discrete Fracture Network (DFN), the Propped Fracture Estimation and the Fat Fracture™ Drainage Estimation. The combination of these techniques can be used to estimate 90-day cumulative production.
“Hydraulic fracturing has been effective at stimulating fractures in the subsurface for more than 60 years,” said Michael Thornton, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer, MicroSeismic. “However, increasing hydrocarbon recovery requires those fractures to stay open. The overburden pressure of 10,000 feet of rock will quickly close a fracture if it is not wedged open with proppant. Productive-SRV helps our clients quickly determine which completion techniques are most effective by estimating the effects of proppant placement at optimum well spacing.”
Productive-SRV is determined from integrating microseismic data with known treatment parameters and near wellbore geology and geomechanics. By estimating the volume of fractures that are likely proppant filled, on a per stage basis, a more constrained area of stimulation is determined, providing a more accurate correlation to early production.
Productive-SRV is to be included as part of the standard surface, near surface and downhole microseismic services provided by MicroSeismic.
MicroSeismic, Inc. is an oilfield services company providing real-time monitoring and mapping of hydraulic fracture operations in unconventional oil and gas plays in twelve countries and every major shale play in North America. Founded in 2003, MicroSeismic is the pioneer in monitoring microseismic activity utilizing surface and near-surface arrays. The company helps oil and gas companies understand how the reservoir responds to stimulation and its impact on customer economics.
For more information visit: www.microseismic.com
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