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Investigating the Influence of Extraction on Seismicity in Areas of Injection Induced Seismicity

Description: 

Over the past decade, there have been a wide variety of cases in the Central and Eastern United States where fluid injection has clearly induced seismicity, both from wastewater disposal wells and from hydraulic fracturing activities. Upon review of detailed operational records, when made available, there have been direct correlations between the timing of injection and the seismicity rate, albeit with a time delay that provides information about forcing mechanisms. However, there have also been some intriguing sequences that provide clues about other aspects of the operational process having influence on seismicity. We will explore several cases in Eastern Ohio where operational activities are less prevalent than other places in the mid-continent (e.g. Oklahoma and Texas), which enables more subtle influences to be diagnosed. In particular, we will highlight cases where it appears that variations in the rate of hydrocarbon extraction also have an influence on the seismicity rate. This relationship appears to occur during both the initial flowback process and in later periods of temporary shut-in. These findings suggest that strategies to mitigate induced seismic events need to consider not only completion and disposal activities, but also operational practices during production.

Session: Advances in Characterizing Seismic Hazard and Forecasting Risk in Hydrocarbon Systems

Type: Oral

Date: 4/18/2023

Presentation Time: 03:00 PM (local time)

Presenting Author: Michael R. Brudzinski

Student Presenter: No

Invited Presentation: 

Authors