Scientists from St. Petersburg University and the China University of Petroleum (Beijing) have developed a new method for analysing geophysical data that makes it possible to determine the direction of microcracks in rocks located deep below the Earth’s surface. The innovation will facilitate drilling wells for hydrocarbon production along these cracks, thereby dramatically increasing the efficiency of recovery in highly depleted fields. The results of the study have been published in the Proceedings of the International Field Exploration and Development Conference 2023. Seismic exploration is the only method that currently makes it possible to look inside the Earth to a depth of up to 15 km without drilling, and to obtain detailed three-dimensional images of geological layers. “We proposed, and provided justification for, a special method for analysing seismic data to determine the azimuth of natural cracks.

Source: Economic Times May 20, 2024 12:13 UTC