Abstract: The application of SET for the imaging and analysis of seismic energy emission induced during production of fluid resources from their reservoirs allows 4 dimensional measurements of the components of the permeability field of the reservoir. The seismic energy emission associated with the permeability field is identified by its spatial and temporal location with respect to a well or plurality of wells in which fluid pressure is being changed. Changing fluid pressure causes seismicity to rapidly migrate outward from the points of fluid pressure change and will alter the characteristics of the seismic energy emission. Monitoring the changes in seismic energy emission in response to pressure changes in the active well and altering the values of the processing parameters permits measurement of components of the permeability tensor. The placement of subsequent infill, development and injection wells may be selected based on the analysis.

Abstract: An invention for the filtering, sorting and analysis of microseismicity induced during production of fluid resources from their reservoirs which allows direct 4 dimensional measurements of all or many of the components of the permeability field as well as other petrophysical rock properties important to reservoir analysis and monitoring. The seismicity associated with the permeability field is identified by its spatial and temporal location in two general conoidal volumes, symmetrically disposed about the injection point in any well being used for this purpose (FIG. 1). The cone axes are parallel to the maximum compressive stress directions of the ambient stress field. Increasing fluid pressure causes seismicity to rapidly migrate outward from the injection points (FIG. 2). The seismicity moves at rates that are order of magnitudes greater than that of D'arcyian flow and covering distances measured in kilometers.