Preserving sensor vector fidelity using automated multicomponent receiver-azimuth detection

Jeff P. Grossman and Rodney Couzens

…Abstract P-S converted-wave energy is recorded mainly on the two lateral components of the receiver. Conventional processing of converted-wave energy includes rotation of these laterally polarized data measurements into radial and transverse coordinates. To do this properly, knowledge of the in-situ receiver orientation is essential. However, substantial errors in the…

Presidential Column

…Lately there has been a lot of BAD press regarding various pipelines, their routes and their leaks. Among the pipeline companies, Enbridge Inc has been the target of much of the chagrin after suffering two big leaks on its U.S. network in the last two years, prompting senior American officials…

Executive Column

…The future of CSEG Educational Services – where to now? In my last executive message (March 2012), I outlined the educational services provided by the CSEG – the monthly technical luncheons, Lunchbox Geophysics, the MicroSeismic User Group, Doodletrain (which will expand to offer convention courses in May 2013), the CSEG…

CAGC Column

…It is topical to talk about elections once again. As I write this the Quebec election is weeks away, the US Presidential election following within a couple of months. Finally, of some note to our industry will be the BC election in the Spring of 2013. Over the past year…

Science Break: The Antikythera Mechanism

…This month’s topic is one that I have been eager to present – it contains almost everything that makes archaeology a fascinating discipline. Occasionally an archaeological discovery is made that completely changes accepted wisdom. The Antikythera mechanism, as it is known, has done this. Doubly fascinating is that although an…

CSEG Foundation Outreach

…Summary of the Canadian Geophysical Union (CGU) 2012 in Banff, Alberta, Canada The 2012 Joint CGU (Canadian Geophysical Union) and CWRA (Canadian Water Resources Association) Spring Meeting took place in Banff, AB, on June 6-8th. There were over 550 attendees, with many undergraduate and graduate students from universities across Canada,…

Graziella Kirtland Grech

An Interview with Graziella Kirtland Grech

…Graziella, please tell us about your educational background and work experience. I have a B.Sc. in Physics and Computer Science and an M.Sc. in Geophysics, both from the University of Malta. After graduating, I started working as a geophysicist at the Oil Exploration Department for the Maltese government, but I…

Tracing the Industry

…I am writing this column in August as the RECORDER committee is doing it’s best to get each issue to you at the beginning of the month. Kelly and I attended the Canmore Folk Festival again this year. We were pleased to run into some people from our community. Kathy…

Grapevine

…Happy October! Golf season is over (well, until a freakishly warm bout in February when the courses decide to open) and we’re all back to the grind, although the SEG Convention is right around the corner down in Vegas, and play, er work, potential is there. 2012 Junior Geophysicists Forum…

Through the Eyes of a Student

…With summer coming to a close, the anticipation of returning to university is ever apparent. I have spent the past four months working on a very interesting project here at TAQA and the knowledge and experience I have gained is something I will appreciate for the rest of my days.…

Introduction to the Microseismic – Applications and Case Studies Focus Articles

Shawn C. Maxwell

…Over the last several years, microseismic monitoring has evolved into the primary geophysical imaging method for hydraulic fracturing of unconventional reservoirs. Interest in the technology has also rapidly grown, and we are fortunate that Calgary has become a “hotbed” for technological development. The number and quality of microseismic presentations at…

Microseismic Monitoring of Ball Drops During Hydraulic Fracturing Using Sliding Sleeves

Shawn C. Maxwell and Richard Parker

…Introduction A relatively new method of completing horizontal wells has recently emerged and is quickly gaining popularity. Unlike conventional well construction using a cemented liner and a series of perforations to create different frac stages along its length, openhole completions using multiple, mechanicallyactivated, sliding-sleeve fracports is increasing commonplace (e.g., Seale…

Methods to Calibrate Low-Amplitude Surface Monitoring Microseismic Results via Integration of Geology, Production Data, and Reservoir Simulation

Sherilyn Williams-Stroud, Chet Ozgen and Randal L. Billingsley

…Summary An array of geophones on the surface above the reservoir was used to map hydraulic fractures by locating microseismic events in order to estimate the effectiveness of the stimulation. In general, hydraulic fracture orientations can be inferred from the geometry of the events when microseismicity forms linear or planar…

Do Hydraulic Fractures Induce Events Large Enough to be Felt on Surface?

Adam M. Baig, Ted Urbancic, and Gisela Viegas

…Introduction Hydraulic fracturing is known to generate seismic events, with magnitudes that typically range up to magnitude M0. The presence of these events has been widely exploited and interpreted in terms of fracture geometries and efficiency of stimulations. However, the reported magnitude ranges are dependent on the instrumentation used to…

Cardium Microseismic West Central Alberta: A Case History

John L. J. Duhault

…Abstract In 2010, Petrobakken Energy acquired several companies with resource play potential in the Cardium formation in West Central Alberta. After the first year of encouraging results the company set out to further evaluate these properties in 2011 and drilled an additional 120 wells into the Cardium. Multistage hydraulic fracture…

An introduction to this special section: Seismic acquisition

R. Malcolm Lansley

…This section on seismic acquisition is based on the papers that were presented under the Data Acquisition Session at the CSEG GeoConvention 2012: Vision in May, 2012. Of the five papers that were presented, the authors of three agreed to publish their material in a more complete format in The…

Tooney Fink

An Interview with Tooney Fink

…Tooney, please tell us about your educational background and your work experience? I grew up on my family's ranch/farm near Merritt, B.C., and then attended University at UBC, graduating with a B.Sc. in combined honours Geology and Geophysics in 1974. I was so green that it still embarrasses me when…

The Hussar low-frequency experiment

G.F. Margrave, L. Mewhort, T. Phillips, M. Hall, M.B. Bertram, D.C. Lawton, K. Innanen, K.W. Hall, K.Bertram

…Summary In early September of 2011, CREWES (Consortium for Research in Elastic-Wave Exploration Seismology) collaborated with Husky Energy, Geokinetics, and INOVA, to conduct a seismic experiment designed to study the initiation and recording of very low frequency seismic reflections. The motivation was to collect a dataset that will be useful…

BroadSeis: Enhancing interpretation and inversion with broadband marine seismic

R. Soubaras, R. Dowle, and R. Sablon

…Introduction BroadSeis™ variable-depth streamer acquisition is a CGGVeritas solution for broadband marine seismic which uses a proprietary cable shape and a novel deghosting technique to remove the receiver ghost and extends the usable primary bandwidth up to six octaves. This solution benefits from towing streamers at depths of up to…

The Benefits of Receiver Infill Stations: A Technical Case Study

Keith Millis and Andrea Crook

…Introduction Seismic acquisition is frequently being conducted in areas with extensive infrastructure as well as numerous environmental restrictions. Although some restrictions to seismic acquisition affect both sources and receivers, receivers are generally unencumbered due to their relatively small environmental footprint and ease of deployment. Accordingly, receiver infill stations can be…