Method for determining discrete fracture networks from passive seismic signals and its application to subsurface reservoir simulation

Abstract

A method for mapping a fracture network that includes determining a source of at least one seismic event from features in recorded seismic signals exceeding a selected amplitude ('visible seismic event'). The signals are generated by a plurality of seismic receivers disposed proximate a volume of subsurface to be evaluated. The signals are electrical or optical and represent seismic amplitude. A source mechanism of the at least one visible seismic event is determined. A fracture size and orientation are determined from the source mechanism. Seismic events are determined from the signals from features less than the selected amplitude ('invisible seismic events') using a stacking procedure. A source mechanism for the invisible seismic events is determined by matched filtering. At least one fracture is defined from the invisible seismic events. A fracture network model is generated by combining the fracture determined from the visible seismic event with the fracture determined from the invisible seismic events.