层状TI介质中微地震定位和各向异性速度结构同时反演

微地震监测被广泛应用于非常规油气资源的水力压裂作业、油藏描绘和水驱前缘监测工程中.微地震定位采用的初始速度模型一般是基于地震测井记录和射孔数据建立,该速度模型的不准确性易引起定位误差.为降低这种定位误差,本文发展了一种微地震定位和各向异性速度结构同时反演的方法.研究对象为1-D的层状TI介质,其中对称轴方向任意.利用改进的分区多步最短路径算法计算qP、qSV和qSH波的到达时间和射线路径,结合共轭梯度法求解带约束的阻尼最小二乘问题.数值模拟结果表明,该算法能同时进行各向异性速度结构模型（每层的Thomsen参数和界面深度）和微震震源参数（空间坐标和发震时刻）的反演,并且对随机噪声不敏感,有利于实际工程应用.

     

Comparison of migration‐based location and detection methods for microseismic events

Microseismic monitoring in the oil and gas industry commonly uses migration‐based methods to locate very weak microseismic events. The objective of this study is to compare the most popular migration‐based methods on a synthetic dataset that simulates a strike‐slip source mechanism event with a low signal‐to‐noise ratio recorded by surface receivers (vertical components). The results show the significance of accounting for the known source mechanism in the event detection and location procedures. For detection and location without such a correction, the ability to detect weak events is reduced. We show both numerically and theoretically that neglecting the source mechanism by using only absolute values of the amplitudes reduces noise suppression during stacking and, consequently, limits the possibility to retrieve weak microseismic events. On the other hand, even a simple correction to the data polarization used with otherwise ineffective methods can significantly improve detections and locations. A simple stacking of the data with a polarization correction provided clear event detection and location, but even better results were obtained for those data combined with methods that are based on semblance and cross‐correlation.     

基于异向波速模型的微震定位改进

针对波速分层的区域岩体,在异向波速模型的基础上,对垂向上的应力波按岩体波速值大小作分段区别,推导震源应力波走时关系式,建立分层速度定位目标函数,基于此提出一种由参数准备、层速度反演、微震定位三个模块组成的分层速度定位模型SV,并采用遗传算法进行优化求解.然后,对分层速度定位模型在已构建微震监测系统的白鹤滩水电站左岸岩质边坡进行验证.微震事件重定位结果表明,分层速度定位模型定位微震事件的最大、最小和平均偏离层内错动带程度指标较单一速度模型分别降低了57.17%、36.51%和57.35%,证明了定位模型在波速分层的区域岩体微震定位应用中比单一速度定位模型更加合理可靠.     

Approximate traveltime inversion in downhole microseismic monitoring

In downhole microseismic monitoring, accurate event location relies on the accuracy of the velocity model. The model can be estimated along with event locations. Anisotropic models are important to get accurate event locations. Taking anisotropy into account makes it possible to use additional data – two S-wave arrivals generated due to shear-wave splitting. However, anisotropic ray tracing requires iterative procedures for computing group velocities, which may become unstable around caustics. As a result, anisotropic kinematic inversion may become time consuming. In this paper, we explore the idea of using simplified ray tracing to locate events and estimate medium parameters. In the simplified ray-tracing algorithm, the group velocity is assumed to be equal to phase velocity in both magnitude and direction. This assumption makes the ray-tracing algorithm five times faster compared to ray tracing based on exact equations. We present a set of tests showing that given perforation-shot data, one can use inversion based on simplified ray-tracing even for moderate-to-strong anisotropic models. When there are no perforation shots, event-location errors may become too large for moderately anisotropic media.     

Back‐projection stacking of P‐ and S‐waves to determine location and focal mechanism of microseismic events recorded by a surface array

We present an automatic method of processing microseismic data acquired at the surface by a star‐like array. The back‐projection approach allows successive determination of the hypocenter position of each event and of its focal mechanisms. One‐component vertical geophone groups and three‐component accelerometers are employed to monitor both P‐ and S‐waves. Hypocenter coordinates are determined in a grid by back‐projection stacking of the short‐time‐average‐to‐long‐time‐average ratio of absolute amplitudes at vertical components and polarization norm derived from horizontal components of the P‐ and S‐waves, respectively. To make the location process more efficient, calculation is started with a coarse grid and zoomed to the optimum hypocenter using an oct‐tree algorithm. The focal mechanism is then determined by stacking the vertical component seismograms corrected for the theoretical P‐wave polarity of the focal mechanism. The mechanism is resolved in the coordinate space of strike, dip, and rake angles. The method is tested on 34 selected events of a dataset of hydraulic fracture monitoring of a shale gas play in North America. It was found that, by including S‐waves, the vertical accuracy of locations improved by a factor of two and is equal to approximately the horizontal location error. A twofold enhancement of horizontal location accuracy is achieved if a denser array of geophone groups is used instead of the sparse array of three‐component seismometers. The determined focal mechanisms are similar to those obtained by other methods applied to the same dataset.     

全干涉成像的微地震定位方法研究

基于偏移成像的微地震定位方法由于可避免走时拾取误差以及可实现自动化定位等优点被广泛应用.绕射叠加方法将能量沿走时曲线聚焦到空间网格点上,进行成像时需要搜索发震时刻.干涉成像方法利用互相关提取的走时差信息可避免搜索发震时刻,但定位结果受数据信噪比的影响较大.为了进一步提高干涉成像法的定位精度,本文提出一种同时使用互相关和自相关道集的全干涉成像方法,增加的自相关道集提取的S-P走时差可降低震源-检波器方向的定位误差,提高定位精度.单井监测的理论测试和实际数据的研究结果表明,全干涉成像的定位精度高于仅使用互相关道集的干涉成像方法,同时计算效率高于绕射叠加方法.

     

Mining-induced microseismic event location errors: Accuracy and precision of two location systems

The accuracy and precision of microseismic event locations were measured, analyzed, and compared for two types of location systems: anolog and digital. In the first system, relative times of first arrival were estimated from analog signals using automated hardware circuitry; station positions were estimated from mine map coordinates; and event locations were determined using the BLD (Blake, Leighton, and Duvall) direct solution method. In the second system, arrival times were manually measured during interactive displays of digital waveforms; station coordinates were surveyed; and the SW-GBM (Salamon and Wiebols; Godson, Bridges, and McKavanagh) direct basis function was used to solve for locations. Both systems assume constant isotropic seismic velocity of slightly different signals data sets, calibration blast signals with known source site and origin time, and microseismic event signals, were recorded by each location system employing the same array of high-frequency (5 kHz) accelerometers with 150 m maximum dimension. The calibration blast tests indicated a location precision of ±2 m and accuracy of ±10 m for the analog system. Location precision and accuracy for the digital system measured ±1 m and ±8 m, respectively. Numerical experiments were used to assess the contributions of errors in velocity, arrival times, and station positions on the location accuracy and precision for each system. Measured and estimated errors appropriate to each system for microseismic events were simulated in computing source locations for comparison with exact synthetic event locations. Discrepancy vectors between exact locations and locations calculated with known data errors averaged 7.7 and 1.4 m for the analog and digital systems, respectively. These averages are probably more representative of the location precision of microseismic events, since the calibration blast tests produce impulsive seismic arrivals resulting in smaller arrival-time pick errors in the analog system. For both systems, location accuracy is limited by inadequate modeling of the velocity structure. Consequently, when isotropic velocity models are used in the travel-time inversions, the increased effort expended with the digital location system does not, for the particular systems studied, result in increased accuracy.     

3D waveform inversion of downhole microseismic data for transversely isotropic media

3D anisotropic waveform inversion could provide high-resolution velocity models and improved event locations for microseismic surveys. Here we extend our previously developed 2D inversion methodology for microseismic borehole data to 3D transversely isotropic media with a vertical symmetry axis. This extension allows us to invert multicomponent data recorded in multiple boreholes and properly account for vertical and lateral heterogeneity. Synthetic examples illustrate the performance of the algorithm for layer-cake and ‘hydraulically fractured’ (i.e. containing anomalies that simulate hydraulic fractures) models. In both cases, waveform inversion is able to reconstruct the areas which are sufficiently illuminated for the employed source-receiver geometry. In addition, we evaluate the sensitivity of the algorithm to errors in the source locations and to band-limited noise in the input displacements. We also present initial inversion results for a microseismic data set acquired during hydraulic fracturing in a shale reservoir.     

水力压裂对速度场及微地震定位的影响

水力压裂是页岩气开发过程中的核心增产技术,微地震则广泛用于压裂分析、水驱前缘监测和储层描述.微地震反演过程中,用于反演的速度模型往往基于测井、地震或标定炮资料构建,忽略了压裂过程中裂缝及孔隙流体压力变化对地层速度的影响.本文首先基于物质守恒、渗流理论和断裂力学模拟三维水力压裂过程,得到地下裂缝发育特征和孔隙压力分布.继而根据Coates-Schoenberg方法和裂缝柔量参数计算裂缝和孔隙压力对速度场的影响,得到压裂过程中的实时速度模型.最后利用三维射线追踪方法正演微地震走时和方位信息,并采用常规微地震定位方法反演震源位置及进行误差分析.数值模拟结果表明,检波器空间分布影响定位精度,常规方法的定位误差随射线路径在压裂带中传播距离增加而变大,且不同压裂阶段的多点反演法与单点极化法精度相当.     

Imaging pre‐existing natural fractures using microseismic data

In hydraulic fracturing treatments, locating not only hydraulic fractures but also any pre‐existing natural fractures and faults in a subsurface reservoir is very important. Hydraulic fractures can be tracked by locating microseismic events, but to identify the locations of natural fractures, an additional technique is required. In this paper, we present a method to image pre‐existing fractures and faults near a borehole with virtual reverse vertical seismic profiling data or virtual single‐well profiling data (limited to seismic reflection data) created from microseismic monitoring using seismic interferometry. The virtual source data contain reflections from natural fractures and faults, and these features can be imaged by applying migration to the virtual source data. However, the imaging zone of fractures in the proposed method is strongly dependent on the geographic extent of the microseismic events and the location and direction of the fracture. To verify our method, we produced virtual reverse vertical seismic profiling and single‐well profiling data from synthetic microseismic data and compared them with data from real sources in the same relative position as the virtual sources. The results show that the reflection travel times from the fractures in the virtual source data agree well with travel times in the real‐source data. By applying pre‐stack depth migration to the virtual source data, images of the natural fractures were obtained with accurate locations. However, the migrated section of the single‐well profiling data with both real and virtual sources contained spurious fracture images on the opposite side of the borehole. In the case of virtual single‐well profiling data, we could produce correct migration images of fractures by adopting directional redatuming for which the occurrence region of microseismic events is divided into several subdivisions, and fractures located only on the opposite side of the borehole are imaged for each subdivision.     

Piecewise‐continuous velocity inversion

We suggest a new method to determine the piecewise‐continuous vertical distribution of instantaneous velocities within sediment layers, using different order time‐domain effective velocities on their top and bottom points. We demonstrate our method using a synthetic model that consists of different compacted sediment layers characterized by monotonously increasing velocity, combined with hard rock layers, such as salt or basalt, characterized by constant fast velocities, and low velocity layers, such as gas pockets. We first show that, by using only the root‐mean‐square velocities and the corresponding vertical travel times (computed from the original instantaneous velocity in depth) as input for a Dix‐type inversion, many different vertical distributions of the instantaneous velocities can be obtained (inverted). Some geological constraints, such as limiting the values of the inverted vertical velocity gradients, should be applied in order to obtain more geologically plausible velocity profiles. In order to limit the non‐uniqueness of the inverted velocities, additional information should be added. We have derived three different inversion solutions that yield the correct instantaneous velocity, avoiding any a priori geological constraints. The additional data at the interface points contain either the average velocities (or depths) or the fourth‐order average velocities, or both. Practically, average velocities can be obtained from nearby wells, whereas the fourth‐order average velocity can be estimated from the quartic moveout term during velocity analysis. Along with the three different types of input, we consider two types of vertical velocity models within each interval: distribution with a constant velocity gradient and an exponential asymptotically bounded velocity model, which is in particular important for modelling thick layers. It has been shown that, in the case of thin intervals, both models lead to similar results. The method allows us to establish the instantaneous velocities at the top and bottom interfaces, where the velocity profile inside the intervals is given by either the linear or the exponential asymptotically bounded velocity models. Since the velocity parameters of each interval are independently inverted, discontinuities of the instantaneous velocity at the interfaces occur naturally. The improved accuracy of the inverted instantaneous velocities is particularly important for accurate time‐to‐depth conversion.     

Improvements on particle swarm optimization algorithm for velocity calibration in microseismic monitoring

In this paper,we apply particle swarm optimization(PSO),an artificial intelligence technique,to velocity calibration in microseismic monitoring.We ran simulations with four 1-D layered velocity models and three different initial model ranges.The results using the basic PSO algorithm were reliable and accurate for simple models,but unsuccessful for complex models.We propose the staged shrinkage strategy(SSS) for the PSO algorithm.The SSS-PSO algorithm produced robust inversion results and had a fast convergence rate.We investigated the effects of PSO's velocity clamping factor in terms of the algorithm reliability and computational efficiency.The velocity clamping factor had little impact on the reliability and efficiency of basic PSO,whereas it had a large effect on the efficiency of SSS-PSO.Reassuringly,SSS-PSO exhibits marginal reliability fluctuations,which suggests that it can be confidently implemented.     

利用地脉动信息约束沉积层区域台站下方速度结构反演

利用接收函数和地震面波频散联合反演台站下方速度结构,已成为一种常用技术.联合反演结果能同时匹配两个不同数据集合,使得解的非唯一性在一定程度上得到了有效抑制.然而对于现有地震台站分布,短周期面波由于受多种因素的影响,可以获得的有效频散资料较少,层析成像的横向分辨率较低,难以反映台站附近局部介质真实的频散特性,而且这些面波...     

Feasibility of joint 1D velocity model and event location inversion by the Neighbourhood algorithm

Using a set of synthetic P‐ and S‐wave onsets, computed in a 1D medium model from sources that mimic a distribution of microseismic events induced by hydrofrac treatment to a monitoring geophone array(s), we test the possibility to invert back jointly the model and events location. We use the Neighbourhood algorithm for data inversion to account for non‐linear effects of velocity model and grid search for event location. The velocity model used is composed of homogeneous layers, derived from sonic logging. Results for the case of one and two monitoring wells are compared. These results show that the velocity model can be obtained in the case of two monitoring wells, if they have optimal relative position. The use of one monitoring well fails due to the trade‐off between the velocity model and event locations.     

Stability of source mechanisms inverted from P‐wave amplitude microseismic monitoring data acquired at the surface

We study the stability of source mechanisms inverted from data acquired at surface and near‐surface monitoring arrays. The study is focused on P‐wave data acquired on vertical components, as this is the most common type of acquisition. We apply ray modelling on three models: a fully homogeneous isotropic model, a laterally homogeneous isotropic model and a laterally homogeneous anisotropic model to simulate three commonly used models in inversion. We use geometries of real arrays, one consisting in surface receivers and one consisting in ‘buried’ geophones at the near‐surface. Stability was tested for two of the frequently observed source mechanisms: strike‐slip and dip‐slip and was evaluated by comparing the parameters of correct and inverted mechanisms. We assume these double‐couple source mechanisms and use quantitatively the inversion allowing non‐double‐couple components to measure stability of the inversion. To test the robustness we inverted synthetic amplitudes computed for a laterally homogeneous isotropic model and contaminated with noise using a fully homogeneous model in the inversion. Analogously amplitudes computed in a laterally homogeneous anisotropic model were inverted in all three models. We show that a star‐like surface acquisition array provides very stable inversion up to a very high level of noise in data. Furthermore, we reveal that strike‐slip inversion is more stable than dip‐slip inversion for the receiver geometries considered here. We show that noise and an incorrect velocity model may result in narrow bands of source mechanisms in Hudson's plots.     

密度和速度随机分布共网格模型的重力与地震联合反演

针对重力与地震联合反演存在的问题,结合已有的研究成果,本文研究实现了速度和密度随机分布共网格单元模型的建模技术,以适应密度和速度剧烈变化的复杂模型及联合反演的计算要求.重力正演利用了该网格的二度半体模型,并进一步改进了地震走时的二维射线追踪计算方法,以适用于速度随机分布的网格介质.结合改进的模拟退火算法,实现了这种共网格条件下的重力与地震资料的同步联合反演.模型试验证明了重力与地震联合反演可以准确确定复杂物性界面的密度和速度结构,适用于物性界面不完全一致和物性变化剧烈的复杂模型,并且联合反演结果要优于单独的重力反演.带先验信息约束下的实际资料的联合反演,进一步证明了该方法的适用性和效果,可提高反演精度并减少多解性.     

Convolutional neural networks for automated microseismic detection in downhole distributed acoustic sensing data and comparison to a surface geophone array

Distributed acoustic sensing is a growing technology that enables affordable downhole recording of strain wavefields from microseismic events with spatial sampling down to ∼1 m. Exploiting this high spatial information density motivates different detection approaches than typically used for downhole geophones. A new machine learning method using convolutional neural networks is described that operates on the full strain wavefield. The method is tested using data recorded in a horizontal observation well during hydraulic fracturing in the Eagle Ford Shale, Texas, and the results are compared to a surface geophone array that simultaneously recorded microseismic activity. The neural network was trained using synthetic microseismic events injected into real ambient noise, and it was applied to detect events in the remaining data. There were 535 detections found and no false positives. In general, the signal-to-noise ratio of events recorded by distributed acoustic sensing was lower than the surface array and 368 of 933 surface array events were found. Despite this, 167 new events were found in distributed acoustic sensing data that had no detected counterpart in the surface array. These differences can be attributed to the different detection threshold that depends on both magnitude and distance to the optical fibre. As distributed acoustic sensing data quality continues to improve, neural networks offer many advantages for automated, real-time microseismic event detection, including low computational cost, minimal data pre-processing, low false trigger rates and continuous performance improvement as more training data are acquired.     

基于波形相似特征的微地震事件初至拾取及全局校正

微地震事件初至拾取是井下微地震监测数据处理的关键步骤之一.初至误差的存在会使微地震震源定位结果产生较大偏差,进而影响后续的压裂裂缝解释.通常初至拾取过程对所有的微地震事件选择相同的特征函数并采用一致的拾取参数进行统一处理,然而当事件的能量、震源机制、传播路径以及背景噪声等存在明显差异时,所得初至拾取结果差别显著.为了提高微地震事件初至拾取标准一致性,本文提出基于波形相似特征的初至拾取及全局校正方法.该方法首先利用互相关函数对每个事件内的各道记录进行时差校正,得到初始初至信息并形成叠加道,再对所有事件的叠加道进行全局互相关得到事件间初至相对校正量,最终初至结果可以通过各个事件的初始初至信息与其相对校正量相加得到.方法将所有微地震事件初至结果作为一个整体处理,从而能够克服常规方法初至拾取标准一致性差的缺陷.实际资料处理结果表明,相比于常规方法,该方法可以有效提高事件初至拾取和定位结果的一致性.     

页岩气储层水平井压裂分布式光纤邻井微振动监测及震源位置成像

水力压裂是进行非常规油气储层改造,提高单井产量的必备技术.为了实现安全、高效压裂,通常使用地震检波器进行微地震监测和压裂效果评估.一般情况下,井中检波器数量较少且采集方位角较窄,难以获得准确的微地震震源位置,导致无法准确评估储层改造情况.通过将光纤永置式布设于页岩气储层水平井的套管外,我们实现了基于水平井光纤分布式声波传感（Distributed Acoustic Sensing,DAS）的全井段、宽方位、高密度水力压裂过程微振动实时监测,并进一步使用震源扫描算法对监测到的微地震有效事件进行震源位置成像.合成数据算例表明,与常规检波器技术相比,DAS技术具有以下两点优势：（1）DAS技术实现了水平井全井段监测,显著增加了监测数据的采集方位角,可以有效提升震源位置成像的空间分辨率;（2）DAS技术显著增加了监测数据的空间采样密度,可以有效提高低信噪比监测数据的震源位置成像精度.昭通页岩气储层水力压裂监测数据算例进一步验证了DAS技术的有效性,表明了宽方位、高密度的DAS数据可以获得高分辨率的震源位置成像结果,有助于提高储层改造效果评估的准确性.

     

电阻率和速度随机分布的MT与地震联合反演

在已有研究成果的基础上,为了适应物性参数剧烈变化的复杂模型并满足联合反演的要求,开发了速度和电阻率随机分布共网格单元模型的建模技术.基于这种统一的物性随机分布的网格介质模型,利用有限元方法和改进的射线追踪法分别正演计算大地电磁场和地震走时,结合改进的模拟退火算法,研究实现了电阻率和速度随机分布条件下的大地电磁与地震资料的同步联合反演.对物性界面不完全一致和物性变化剧烈的带地形复杂模型的试验,表明了该方法在精细反演复杂电阻率和速度结构方面的效果,克服了以往研究局限于简单模型的不足.对地震资料品质差的地区开展的实际资料联合反演,表明了方法的适用性,先验信息约束下的联合反演提高了反演精度.