Geophysical Technology Department

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Hydraulic fracture diagnostics using microseismic techniques: We are developing a diagnostic system for evaluating the effectiveness of hydraulic fracturing on stimulating natural gas production. This work includes both hardware and software development with extensive field testing at government and industry sites. The emphasis is on detecting and measuring very small seismic events that occur during hydraulic fracturing in order to map the fracture geometry; tiltmeter data are also being examined for diagnostic applications.

Three-dimensional inversion techniques for electromagnetic data: A suite of 2-and 3-D inversion codes for various types of electromagnetic data has been developed and implemented on various platforms, including massively parallel computers. These algorithms are applicable to a variety of problems, such as environmental monitoring, enhanced oil recovery, mining, and defense-related applications.

Ground-Based Nuclear Event Monitoring project support: Sandia provides automated data processing and analysis for treaty verification applications using seismic, infrasound, hydroacoustic, and radionuclide data. The Geophysical Technology Department provides seismological expertise for applications to seismic data processing and analysis for detection and identification of possible nuclear explosions and their discrimination from earthquakes and industrial explosions.

Magnetostrictive seismic source for environmental applications: We have developed a small, light, high-frequency downhole seismic source based on a magnetostrictive actuator. The source is only 4" in diameter and weighs only 50 pounds, but can emit energy detectable over borehole separations of hundreds of feet with frequencies up to 2000Hz.

Single-well seismic imaging: hardware and modeling: Borehole hardware enabling the mating of an orbital downhole source with a 3-component receiver in the same well is near completion. We are using a Sandia-developed 3D elastic finite difference synthetic seismogram code to model complex geometries expected for single well experiments near salt dome flanks.

Thermal monitoring techniques for groundwater flow measurement: The in situ permeable flow sensor, a device for measuring the full 3D flow vector in saturated soils, has been developed, tested, and commercialized by a startup technology firm, HydroTechnics, Inc. The flow sensors were used in several Sandia experiments at DOE facilities at Hanford, Savannah River, and the Weeks Island Strategic Petroleum Reserve site. A similar instrument for measuring gas flow in the vadose (unsaturated) zone has also been developed for environmental monitoring.

Underground structures characterization: The ability to locate and characterize underground structures and facilities is largely dependent on geophysical data and interpretation. We are collecting and analyzing unique seismic data sets for developing methods to locate continuous energy sources in real earth situations. We are also using computational simulation to model underground voids in the presence of seismic wavefields.

Technology for independent oil producers: DOE's Natural Gas and Oil Technology Partnership is committed to help solve production problems of the nation's independent oil producers, who typically do not have the resource available to fund large-scale research & development for improved oil recovery. Current projects include the Downhole Dynamometer Database and developing a hydraulic model of sucker rod pumps.

Smart geomembranes for monitoring landfill subsidence: Incorporation of fiber-optic strain sensors into landfill liners is improving our capability to monitor subsidence in landfills. A field demonstration occurred during the summer of 1997.

Characterization of natural fractures for reservoir evaluation: Because natural fractures control much of the permeability in tight rock formation, we are working to understand natural fracture systems in a variety of environments and use that information for better reservoir characterization and modeling. Extensive field work has led to the development of a substantial data base and experience in natural fracture occurrence and the relationship to the stress state of the rock.

Page Owner: Greg Elbring

Last modified: February 04, 2004

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