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Companies and organizations around the world trust ESG Solutions to provide reliable, responsive service and accurate, decision-driving data through our advanced analytic packages. We have over 400 monitoring systems deployed worldwide and have processed over 5.2 million events since 2018.
Learn about our past work—and talk to us about how we can help you in the future.
Uncover our energy work.
The Significance of Bedding Planes to Hydraulic Fracturing and Production
It is not unusual for treatment wells stimulated under similar injection conditions to exhibit different levels of production—often inversely related to the number of events/activated fractures generated during the injection program. This study looks into potential causes of unanticipated results and questions whether traditional concepts about vertical fractures (as they relate to hydraulic fracture stimulation) should be re-evaluated for unconventional shale reservoirs.
Higher confidence in event location accuracy provides better information on which to base cost-related decisions
Increasing pressures, fluid concentrations and resulting fracture growth through the rock mass alter the geophysical characteristics of the reservoir during hydraulic fracture operations over time. This means that velocity models developed prior to the treatment no longer accurately reflect the characteristics of the reservoir. A study carried out in the Barnett shale in Texas shows how applying advanced processing techniques such as ESG’s proprietary Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) Analysis, improved accuracy by 42% to more precisely reflect geological structures.
Analysis of Vertical Breakout in a Diatomite Steaming Operation in California
Diatomite, a rock formation primarily comprising biogenic siliceous deposits of single-cell algae, has relatively low permeability. Hydraulic fracturing increases permeability and often is followed by thermal steaming to enhance recovery. This study explains how ESG monitored a steaming operation in the San Joaquin Valley in California by installing a permanent high-temperature, microseismic monitoring array in each of three vertical observation wells. Advanced analysis identified very different fracture behavior during contained and uncontained vertical fracture growth, leading to improved understanding of vertical breakout conditions.
Real-time Microseismic Monitoring for Nexen’s 143-Stage Multi-Well Horizontal Fracture Operation in the Horn River Basin
The Horn River basin in northeast British Columbia, Canada, is a relatively new gas-rich shale play and also one of the most substantial, with an estimated 500 tcf of gas, of which 20% could be recoverable. ESG carried out 24/7 real-time, microseismic monitoring of 143 fracture stages in eight wells over a 43-day period, capturing 144,057 microseismic events to deliver insights into fracture asymmetry, fracture azimuth and instances of vertical fracture growth that will be used to optimize future projects.
Understanding Vertical Fracture Growth in the Marcellus Shale using Advanced Microseismic Methods
The layered sedimentary nature of shale tends to restrict vertical fracture growth; however, the natural fracture networks within the Marcellus Shale introduce complexity in the geology that produces less predictable results. Find out how ESG applied advanced microseismic analysis of data from a multi-well hydraulic fracture stimulation to understand why fractures migrated vertically in one Marcellus well but were contained in another well on the same pad and discovered that greater vertical growth was associated with activation of natural joint sets rather than bedding planes.
Microseismic Monitoring of Northern Alberta Well Casing and Caprock Integrity During Cyclic Steam Stimulation
Cyclic Steam Stimulation (CCS), a common oil extraction method applied in heavy oil sands operations, relies on high temperatures and pressures that can cause well casing and caprock damage, resulting in unplanned downtime, reduced production levels and in some cases, environmental and safety risks. This summary explains how ESG used 3-component sensor arrays in monitoring wells and 24-bit digital Paladin™ data acquisition units at the well head to record microseismicity events around the well casing and caprock. This practical way of identifying potential well casing shear and cement cracking events alerts operators in real time to events that could compromise integrity.
Application of ESG’s Clustering Algorithm to Identify Faults and Fracture Networks that Influence Production
Microseismic monitoring has established that complex fracture networks develop as stimulations interact with pre-existing natural fractures. Using ESG’s clustering algorithms and other innovative analysis tools, it is possible to break down seemingly unconnected groupings of microseismic events into defined faults and fractures to identify underlying fracture networks. Find out how ESG reprocessed microseismic data from a vertical, 2-stage hydraulic fracture in the Montney formation in Alberta, Canada, using a 12-level vertical sensor array installed in an observation well 590 meters from the production well to explain production disparity.
Dig into our mining and geotechnical work.
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Utilizing distributed acoustic sensing for monitoring rock mass stress conditions in underground mining
Distributed fibre optic sensing (DFOS) technology is widely employed in the oil and gas industry for monitoring seismicity, strain and temperature during hydraulic fracturing of unconventional reservoirs. However, it is only in the early stages of application in the mining industry. ESG Solutions applied distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) technology to monitor rock mass stress conditions in an underground mine.
Latin American Mine Uses Microseismic to Mitigate Risks Related to Sublevel Caving
A Latin American mine changing from sublevel stoping to sublevel caving, applied microseismic technology to monitor the developing cave front to identify potential hazard areas. This summary explains how ESG installed a microseismic system comprising uniaxial and triaxial geophone sensors, Paladin® digital recorders and the Hyperion software suite to improve understanding of the seismic response to mining operations. The ability to view a three-dimensional image of caving front development in real time provided crucial information used by mine personnel to develop an air blast safety protocol, which soon after prevented crew injuries when a rock mass detached from the roof of the mine.
Microseismic Monitoring of a Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) Storage Site in South Korea
South Korea is using underground caverns and tunnels to stockpile liquid petroleum gas (LPG) to meet energy demands and recently constructed an LPG storage facility near butane storage caverns under Lake Namyang in the city of Pyongtaek. Read this study to find out how ESG gathered, processed and interpreted data gathered from 12 surface sensors installed at the site to identify any seismicity occurring near the storage facility and continues to provide LPG monitoring services to ensure storage integrity.
Microseismic Monitoring of Open Stoping Operations at the World’s Largest Gold Mine
The ore geometry in the Big Gossan deposit, part of the Grasberg mine complex in Indonesia, dictates that the ore be selectively mined using an open stoping method, which requires the development of drifts on various levels, with stopes blasted from the top. The ore is mined from the bottom of each stope in a sequence that maintains geotechnical stability, after which, the stopes are backfilled with a paste consisting of mill tailings and cement. This study explains how ESG is providing microseismic monitoring to provide continual, 3D-coverage of mine seismicity. The microseismic data allow rock mechanics engineers and the mine design team to understand how the rock mass is responding to mining induced stress redistributions to minimize downtime and improve safety.
Use of a variable velocity model improves accuracy of microseismic analysis for caving applications
High resolution microseismic monitoring has proven to be one of the most effective ways to understand cave growth, track cave front progression over time, and improve cave management. This summary explains how ESG developed a 3D ray-tracing algorithm to account for voids created during caving operations and identify significant heterogeneous geology with different properties and wave velocities in and around the mining zone. The 3D ray-tracing model was applied to microseismic data collected using a 57-channel ESG monitoring system installed at the New Gold New Afton block caving operation near Kamloops, British Columbia, where it delivered ~50% reduction in microseismic event location errors.
Microseismic Monitoring of underground coal mining in Anhui Province, China
Work carried out in China’s Zhuang Zi and Wan Fang Gun coal mines demonstrates the successful deployment of microseismic monitoring equipment approved by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) for environments that pose an ignition risk. This study explains how an array of uniaxial geophones was distributed throughout hard rock layers surrounding the longwall panels in each mine at depths ranging from 570 to 725 meters. The arrays monitored seismicity in regions surrounding the coal seams, measuring the size, location and frequency of seismic events ahead of the longwall face to manage the occurrence of coal gas outbursts. The same technology allowed monitoring of seismic activity associated with the roof collapse in previously mined areas, providing information on stress distribution and creation of the failure to better control the process.
Rockburst Re-entry Protocol at Deep Underground Nickel Mine in Sudbury, Ontario
ESG has deployed its proprietary SeisWatch™ large event monitoring software to help the Creighton mine in Sudbury, Ontario, monitor parameters following a rockburst event or large production blast to isolate areas of safety concern for mine workers. Read this study to find out how mine owners leveraged data from microseismic monitoring to implement protocols for evacuating areas prior to a rockburst and safely re-entering afterwards to mitigate risks to for mine workers and maintain an exemplary safety record in a mine that has been active for more than 100 years.
Spark new ideas with our electromagnetic work.
Subsurface Electromagnetic Frac & Flowback Response to Natural and Induced Fracture Networks
Deep Imaging® surface electromagnetic arrays were set up over the heel portion of a well as part of an effort to optimize completion efficiency within the Utica-Point Pleasant Formation in the Appalachian Basin by measuring frac water injection from the wellbore and early cleanup responses. This report explains how ESG collected data on two adjacent wellbores from a single pad to ascertain how regional stresses and natural fractures were influencing completion and production behavior.
Hydraulic Fracture Flowback Monitoring in the Permian Basin
An operator in the Permian Basin wanted to identify changes in an unconventional reservoir and map those changes to potential future production. The ESG solution was to use large-scale, surface-based, multi-receiver Controlled-Source Electromagnetics (CSEM) technology. Read this study to find out how applying CSEM to map frac fluid during flowback after a three-well hydraulic fracture stimulation over the course of 13 days led to an improved understanding of large- and small-scale changes within the reservoir to allow the operator to
STACK Fracture Mapping Diagnostic Tools
A thorough knowledge of stimulated fracture geometry and well spacing early in the field development process for unconventional reservoirs can drastically improve the project’s net present value, especially when developing stacked intervals. This study explains how ESG applied multiple diagnostic technologies on one well in a five-well program in the Anadarko Basin to improve understanding of fracture geometry, generate treatment strategy recommendations, and optimize well placement to improve economics.
Using Fluid Tracking to Survive Fracturing Hazards in the Anadarko Basin
Thief zones, stress shadowing, and fracture-driven interference are among the many problems that can arise when an unconventional well is stimulated, and it can be difficult to find the appropriate mitigation strategy. ESG demonstrated that a novel application of Controlled-Source Electromagnetics (CSEM) can help monitor and image hydraulic fracturing operations. Using CSEM in two separate well operations in the Anadarko Basin, ESG analyzed completion designs and examined the effectiveness of the fracture treatment. This summary explains how the information enabled by ESG technologies helped the operator realize completion cost savings over a multi-well development program.
Electromagnetics Identify Effects of Geologic Controls During Zipper Frac Operations
An operator in the Anadarko Basin wanted a better understanding of the interaction between frac operations and a local fault zone at depth. This study explains how ESG deployed Controlled-Source Electromagnetics (CSEM) to monitor and image 27 frac stages in a three-well horizontal zipper frac operation. Processing the resulting data using proprietary software generated imagery that showed the lateral extent of the fluid, fracture azimuth, and reservoir heterogeneities. By using these findings, the operator’s engineers were able to develop procedures to avoid the fault to optimize stage spacing, well spacing, and well production.