ResearchPassive seismic imaging of co2 sequestration at WeyburnThis paper describes a passive seismic imaging case study to track gas movement during CO2 injection in the Weyburn Field, Saskatchewan, Canada. The project is part of a multi-disciplinary investigation of CO2 sequestration. A monitoring array of 8 triaxial geophones was permanently deployed in an abandoned well, to monitor induced seismicity in the field. Integrated reservoir surveillance of a heavy oil field at Peace River CanadaSince 1979 Shell Canada has operated the Peace River heavy oil field in the province of Northern Alberta. In 2002 Shell Canada started an extensive and ambitious reservoir-surveillance programme with the aim to improve the understanding of dynamic behaviour of the reservoir produced by cyclic steam stimulation. Repeated seismic time-lapse, continuous microseismic and surface tilt meter data have been acquired since late 2002, and this surveillance is continuing to date. Microseismic and time-lapse seismic monitoring of a heavy oil extraction process at Peace River CanaPeace River is Shell Canada’s in situ heavy oil production operation in northwestern Alberta, with estimated bitumen in place of 7 billion barrels. The current production strategy is to use multi-lateral horizontal wells to steam the bitumen saturated sand reservoir and to then use the same horizontal wells to produce the mobilized bitumen. Simultaneous inversion of velocity and passive microseismic event locationsPassive microseismic monitoring of cyclically steamed production wells has been gaining popularity as a potential tool for optimizing drilling by delineating lateral and vertical steam migration within the reservoir. The initial challenge with passive monitoring was to create robust systems capable of permanently recording data with semi-automated triggering thresholds and remote data transfer capabilities for further data processing. Using multi-well microseismicity to identify fracture types associated- with hydraulic fracture stimulationBP deployed microseismic monitoring arrays in two observation wells in a Rocky Mountain tight gas province for the purpose of mapping hydraulic fractures in a nearby lateral. Engineering Seismology Group (ESG) collaborated with BP to conduct an advanced re-analysis of the large data set obtained from the dual-well microseismic monitoring program. Overview of Seismic Monitoring in MinesNow, over the last 20 years, there have been great advances in the monitoring of mining-induced seismicity. The goal of this presentation is to give an overview of some of these advances, and to show how seismic monitoring can be used in a practical manner. ESG Solutions, Kingston, ON Using Seismic Data for Rockburst Re-entry ProtocolIn many underground mines, seismic monitoring is simply used to identify a spatial distribution of seismic activity due to local rock mass failure or large events, and this information is then used to identify potential safety hazards to workers and mine openings. In the last few years, many mines in Canada have used microseismic data to enhance an established protocol for re-entry into seismically active areas following large rockburst events. Microseismic Monitoring of a Controlled CollapseSeveral decades of faulty exploitation of salt through solution mining at Ocnele Mari (Romania) led to the creation of world’s largest artificial underground cavern containing several millions of cubic meters of brine. The presence of this amount of brine above a densely inhabited area created a huge hazard for personal property and human life. Characterization of the Caving Front at Ridgeway MineHigh accuracy microseismic monitoring (2-4 m location error) offers a reliable evaluation of the position of the caving front associated with cave mining operations at Ridgeway Gold Mine. These estimates are employed to validate the results derived from direct geotechnical measurements.
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