Patent ID: 7127353
Filing Date: 2006-10-24
Classification: G01V

Abstract:
1. A method for imaging hydraulically linked fracture/fault fairways of a permeability field of a fluid reservoir, comprising: establishing a seismic emission tomography (SET) array operable to acquire seismic energy emission data, said array comprising a plurality of seismic energy sensors; acquiring first seismic energy emission data from said SET array; generating a first image of a volume associated with said array based on said first seismic energy emission data; changing a fluid pressure in an active well in said reservoir to create a fluid pressure wave, said fluid pressure wave causing failures to occur on fractures/faults within a permeability field associated with said well, said failures generating seismic energy emissions; acquiring second seismic energy emission data from said SET array, said second seismic energy emission data including data associated with said failures; generating a second image of said volume associated with said array; and analyzing said images to determine said hydraulically linked fracture/fault fairways of said permeability field of said fluid reservoir.