Seismic stimulation of oil reservoirs

Experimental studies of energy balance in low-field seismic stimulation of oil recovery show that producing formations can change their properties at the expense of internal energy activated by the applied seismic load. The suggested stimulation mechanism is based on the effect of low-amplitude waves on plastic strain in the formation as the latter becomes moved off its thermodynamic equilibrium by the production process. The suggested model explains many effects known from experiments which result from interplay of different physical processes.