You are on page 1of 1

Integration of Active and Passive Seismic Data for Monitoring CO 2 Storage In Coal

Youli Quan and Jerry M. Harris


Geophysics Department, Stanford University

Proposed Seismic Methods for Coal Bed CO2 Storage Monitoring

Introduction
Coal is one of the possible geological storages for CO2 sequestration. The injection
process of CO2 can cause changes in many properties of the coal bed, for example,
the state of stress and seismic velocities. The purpose of this subproject is to develop
monitoring strategies for CO2 storage in coal using those property changes due to
the injection.
Active and passive seismic data are combined for monitoring CO2 storage in coal.
Active seismic data include 3-D surface surveys and vertical seismic profiling (VSP).
Passive seismic data are microseismic events induced by the change in stress and
pore pressure associated with fluid injection. Different data are sensitive to different
property changes caused by CO2 injection. Surface seismic data show the reflectivity
changes. VSP tomography gives detailed velocity models that show the pressure and
saturation changes associated with CO2 injection. Microseismic locations indicate the
fluid front. Joint passive and active seismic tomography and imaging provide more
reliable monitoring with low cost. This is a way to maximize the use of field instrument and data.
In the case of enhanced coal bed methane (ECBM), CO2 replaces CH4 in coal. In this
multi-component case, the CO2 injected may not cause detectable velocity changes;
the passive seismic monitoring should be an effective method because it detects the
fluid front instead of the seismic velocity changes.

3-D Numerical Simulation

Seismic Arrays for Active Monitoring

Finite difference method is used to simulate the wave field for different observation configurations and different time-lapse models.

Use surface array(s) and a linear vertical array to collect 3-D surface reflection
data and VSP data with control sources. Three different surface arrays are proposed.

Stanford CEES computer clusters are used for this heavy computing task. It takes 50 days CPU time for 5 time-lapse models, 300
sources, 360x360x270 grid size, and 1700 time steps.

Under the condition that each configuration has a fixed number of detectors

Seismic Monitoring with Active & Passive Data


3-D numerical
simulation of
active & passive
seismic data

Dynamic aperture
considerations

Dynamic travel
time inversion
with sparse data

Improve passive seismic locations


using detailed velocity model
Feature-enhanced inversion.
Location map of microseismics as
initial model

The simulated seismic data are then imaged using Kirchhoff migration.
Circular array simulation

Containment
assessment

Future tasks

Grid array
(a) Model

(a) Model

(c) Amplitude difference of two


time-lapse source gathers

(d) Time slice view. The diffraction


pattern indicates the leakage
along the fault.

Depth slices of 3D migration using synthetic data computed for grid array, linear array, and circular array

Summary
A circular array can be used to collect 3-D seismic
data. This geometry has the maximum coverage for
the same number of detectors.

Locate the sources of those micro seismic events


and map the fault and fracture structures

Passive seismic monitoring may be useful for CO 2


storage in coal, especially for multi-component case
when the velocity changes might be undetectable.

Passive seismic reflectivity imaging


Active monitoring and passive monitoring detect
different features caused by the injection. The
integration of them should provide more reliable
results.

High resolution 3D surface seismic surveys


Vertical seismic profiling and Cross well profiling
Seam waves
Passive seismic monitoring for safety decisions

Dynamic inversion is one of the approaches to


integrating different types of data collected at
different time.
Reflection image of passive
seismics in a thermal field.

Albright et al.,1994

Circular array

CO2 front change from time 1 to time 2

(b) Slice view of the model

Continuously monitor injection pressure front


by listening to the sound (or microearthquakes)
caused by fluid injection

Existing Applications of Coal Seismology

Cross array

(a) Model. Two 3D time lapse seismic surveys


are simulated using finite difference method.

Passive seismic data reflectivity imaging

Passive Seismic Monitoring

Relatively shallow
Fracturing induced by stress changes
Multi-component adsorption of CH4 and CO2
Little seismic velocity change due to replacement of CH4 by CO2
Low density
Low seismic velocity
High seismic attenuation
High seismic anisotropy

CO2 injected

Active seismic data reflectivity imaging

Compared with deep aquifer and gas/oil reservoir storages, coal beds have some
special features related to in-situ monitoring.

Cross array simulation

Three surface source/receiver arrays for 3D seismic data acquisition. The shaded area shows the
reflection coverage. The circular array has maximum coverage for the same number of detectors.

(b) A common source gather

Proper ties of Coal for CO 2 Seismic Monitoring

A simple time-lapse simulation with circular array

Injection well & vertical array

Finished tasks
On-going tasks

Circular array

Cross array

Grid array

Fehler et al.,2001

(b) A depth slice of 3D image cube. It is the


difference of depth migration cubes corresponding to two time-lapse surveys.

References
Albright, J., J. Dangerfield, S. Johnstad, B. Cassel, J. Deflandre, R. Witheres, 1994, Seismic
surveillance for monitoring reservoir changes, Oilfield Review
Bollinger, G. A., 1989, Microearthquake activity associated with underground coalmining in Buchanan County, VA, Pure & Applied Geophys, vol 129
Fehler, M., A. Jupe, H. Asanuma, 2001, More than cloud: New techniques for characterizing reservoir structure using induced seismicity, The Leading Edge
House, N., B. Fuller, J. Shemeta & M. Sterling, 2004, Integration of surface seismic, 3D
VSP, and microseismic hydraulic fracture mapping to improve gas production in a
tight complex reservoir, SEG Expanded Abstracts, 414
Maxwell, S. C. & Urbancic T. I., 2001, The role of passive microseismic monitoring in the
instrumented oil field, The Leading Edge
Maxwell, S. C., D. J. White, H. Fabriol, 2004, Passive seismic imaging of CO2 sequestration at Weyburn, SET Expanded Abstracts, 568
Jones, R, W. Wason, 2004, PS3 - Making of the most of microseismic monitoring, Offshore Engineer
Wilson, S., R. Jones., W. Wason, D. Raymer & P. Jaques, 2005, Passive seismic makes
sense for 4D reservoir monitoring, First Break.

You might also like