Risk management of induced micro-seismicity caused by hydraulic fracturing through acoustic emission

摘要

To release the shale gas potential in China, hydraulic fracturing technologies play an important role. However, the latent technique risk deserves special attention. For example, the site-nearby micro-seismicity may have some relationship with the hydraulic fracturing. Nonetheless, the good news is that carbon dioxide stimulation can be used to displace hydraulic fracturing and obviate the potential earthquake risk. But the carbon dioxide methods are not economical nowadays, and hydraulic fracturing will continue to dominate. Through acoustic emission monitor, the reservoir characteristics and induced micro-seismicity magnitude and frequency will be collected and evaluated. Based on pre-existing project experience and numerical simulation, difference assessment standards about the hydraulic fracturing parameters are proposed to evaluate the micro-seismicity risk. Combined with other characteristics of rock property and fault location, this risk management can be used to guide the subsequent drilling and mining in practice.