Effectiveness of microseismic monitoring for optimizing hydraulic fracturing in California

Abstract

Hydraulic fracturing has fundamentally changed the oil and gas industry in the past 10 years. Bakersfield, California provides a unique case study because steam injection, a type of hydraulic fracturing, has been used there for more than 60 years. Seven companies, varying in size and strategy, use steam injection in California. Some of these companies use microseismic monitoring technologies to maximize production from hydrocarbon reservoirs. In this study, the effectiveness of microseismic monitoring to maximize production in California is explored. This is accomplished by comparing trends in oil and gas production volumes with each company's use of microseismic monitoring. This project found that operators that use microseismic most extensively have not achieved a competitive advantage over other operators. This means that substantial investments in monitoring research, installation and data interpretation have not paid off and may not be worthwhile. This result should help companies improve their current projects and shape future investment decisions.