MicroSeismic, Inc. cares immensely about the environment in which our employees live and work. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive and effective Health, Safety and Environmental Management System that meets and/or exceeds regulatory requirements and foster working habits that will protect the environment.
Our Commitment
MicroSeismic is committed to protecting the environment in all phases or our operations. This commitment is incorporated into our activities through the following directives:
- MSI will adhere to the environmental guidelines and comply with applicable laws and regulations in all areas of operation.
- Provide workers with the training necessary to understand their obligations and ensure compliance with applicable regulations.
- Integrate protective measures into the planning process to prevent or mitigate impact upon the environment, as well as public health and safety, such as:
- Dispose of trash in appropriate containers.
- Use recycling facilities when available.
- Institute waste reduction when possible
- Minimize the consequences of adverse environmental events by ensuring prompt and effective responses through training, pre-planning and emergency response.
- MicroSeismic and its workers will conduct their business with the objective to prevent contaminating, destroying, altering or strewing refuse within the environment.
- MicroSeismic will take all reasonable steps to prevent damage of equipment and materials which may result in impact to the environment.
- Any environmental damage caused by MicroSeismic within its operation of business will be rectified in a timely and efficient manner.
- MicroSeismic will assess its business as to the environmental impacts associated with its operations. Prior to commencing any job, each task will be evaluated for potential negative impact.
MicroSeismic recognizes the importance of the involvement and commitment of management and the responsibility of all its workers and contractors to be accountable for carrying out this commitment.
FracStar Landowner Information
MicroSeismic Does:
- Professionally design surface arrays and distribute sensors
- Rapidly deploy temporary cables (about the same diameter as an extension cord) with sensors
- Listen for vibrations caused by well stimulation
- Produce professional images of how rocks break in a reservoir
- Monitor well stimulation to help clients make informed decisions
MicroSeismic Does Not:
- Use traditional, active monitoring with heavy vibrator trucks
- Use heavy machinery or explosives
- Drill additional wells
- Record reservoir data used to interpret reservoir structures or properties
- Permanently install sensors for FracStar® designs
- Create unnecessary noise – our recording equipment works best in quiet settings
Impact on Property
Surface-based, passive monitoring is the environmentally conscious method for monitoring well treatments. Unlike other monitoring techniques, passive monitoring does not require the drilling of additional wells or the use of heavy recording equipment.
- Data recorded is not used to identify hydrocarbons or depositional structures under properties
- Our employees’ top priority is protecting the land and ensuring environmental sustainability
- Monitoring well stimulations results in a safer, more efficient extraction process
Crew and Equipment
MicroSeismic’s surface-based monitoring equipment is installed by professional field operations crews who strive to leave no trace.
- Dedicated crews of 12-15 highly skilled professionals rapidly deploy and retrieve cabled sensors
- Requires permitting only for the surface
- Professional surface arrays designed to distribute sensors with minimal intrusion on property
- Monitoring equipment requires little interference with existing structures on property
How Our Equipment Works
- Sensors are attached to cables that run several thousand feet per line
- Cables and sensors are laid out in approximately 10-12 lines (varies by design)
- Sensors are similar to stethoscopes; they are placed on the surface to listen to the rock breaking during well stimulations
BuriedArray Landowner Information
Permitting:
- The BuriedArray requires short or long-term surface permitting but not mineral permitting
MicroSeismic Does:
- Permanently install sensors for BuriedArray® monitoring
- Listen for sound waves caused by well stimulation
- Produce detailed images of how the reservoir fractures during stimulation
- Monitor well stimulation to help clients make better decisions about stimulation parameters
MicroSeismic Does Not:
- Utilize traditional, active imaging techniques with heavy vibrator trucks or explosives
- Drill deep wells for oil and gas exploration
- Record data used to interpret reservoir structures or properties
- Create unnecessary noise – our recording equipment works best in quiet settings
Impact On Your Property:
- Sub-surface permanent arrays are designed to distribute sensors with minimal intrusion on property
- Monitoring equipment causes no interference with existing structures on property
- The footprint of a BuriedArray station is no larger than 10 square feet
- Interaction with the equipment on your property can vary between continuous and discontinuous monitoring as described in the above images
How Our Equipment Works:
- MicroSeismic’s BuriedArray permanent data acquisition system utilizes permanent arrays of geophone strings installed in shallow wellbores.
- First, a portable drill is used to drill a small, shallow hole at each station
- Next, sensors are cemented 100-300 feet below the surface
- Sensors are similar to microphones; they are placed below the subsurface to listen to the rock breaking during well stimulations
- Approximately 3 to 6 stations per square mile are laid out on the property by 2 to 4 highly skilled professionals (varies by design). Station location is flexible and done to minimize intrusion.
Frequently Asked Questions
FracStar Configurations
What type of damage can I expect to my land after MicroSeismic has completed a job?
MicroSeismic crews and equipment leave behind only a minimal footprint once a project is complete. No long term effects are incurred.
What kind of energy sources or explosives does MicroSeismic use during monitoring?
Unlike conventional seismic operations, MSI does not use explosives, or Vibroseis methods for an energy source. Microseismic is listening for the rocks in the reservoir to break and fail under the pressure created by the fracture job on the surface. MicroSeismic uses only the energy of the fractures themselves.
How do I make sure that operators are telling the truth when they say their hydraulic fracturing has not contaminated my water wells?
Microseismic data can clearly pinpoint what’s happening below the surface by mapping where the fractures are going. Using microseismic, operators can demonstrate that the fractures stay thousands of feet below the surface, so it is not possible for the process to contaminate water tables. Microseismic data can be used by operators (drillers), regulators, courts and legislators to prove that a well is not being affected by a hydraulic fracture operation, helping defend against allegations of contamination.
BuriedArray Configurations
What type of permitting is required?
The BuriedArray requires short or long-term surface permitting but not mineral permitting.
What does BuriedArray entail?
When setting up your BuriedAray, Microseismic will permanently install sensors for BuriedArray® monitoring, listen for sound waves caused by well stimulation, produce detailed images of how the reservoir fractures during stimulation and monitor well stimulation to help clients make better decisions about stimulation parameters.
MicroSeismic will not utilize traditional, active imaging techniques with heavy vibrator trucks or explosives, drill deep wells for oil and gas exploration, record data used to interpret reservoir structures or properties or create unnecessary noise – our recording equipment works best in quiet settings.
What type of interaction with the equipment will I have on my property?
Interaction with the equipment on your property will vary depending on if you require continuous or discontinuous monitoring. During continuous monitoring, surface stations include fixed recording equipment for extended periods of monitoring time. During discontinuous monitoring, surface recording equipment is installed for short periods when wells are being stimulated and monitored.
For more information on our Operations, please contact MicroSeismic.