Founded in 2003, MicroSeismic’s mission was to bring passive seismic technology to the oilfield. What started as a predominately frac-monitoring business has since expanded into a variety of passive seismic services, including the monitoring of CO2 sequestration. MSI anticipates that monitoring of CO2 sequestration projects will become an increasingly important task, as the world undertakes the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions to meet mid-century goals without compromising energy security. Conventional 2D and 3D seismic imaging does not address the dynamic changes in the reservoir and its caprock during injection of CO2. MicroSeismic takes passive seismic a step further with CO2SeQure passive seismic monitoring prior to, during, and after injection, ensuring the CO2 stays in the reservoir permanently.

Through CO2SeQure monitoring, MicroSeismic images and monitors reservoir conditions before, during, and after injection achieving one of the most important elements of a CCUS project: monitoring, measuring, and verifying (MMV) sequestered CO2. To comply with their EPA-approved MMV plans, CCUS operators must confirm the injected CO2 is staying within the target formation, verify caprock integrity, and ensure that no hazardous seismicity is induced by the injection. These MMV protocols are required to qualify tax credits associated with CO2 sequestration, and to establish social license for the safe and environmentally friendly operation of the injection project.

BuriedArray® is the apparatus used by MicroSeismic for monitoring CCUS projects. This cost-effective method is custom designed for each project to ensure accurate measurements of passive seismic events. BuriedArray® technology comprises multilevel, multicomponent geophones cemented in shallow boreholes. Telecommunication devices are installed at each project site to collect and transfer data to a facility where it is processed and analyzed in real-time. These autonomous devices are powered by wind and solar, with battery backup.

To establish an accurate baseline ambient microseismicity, a BuriedArray® is installed prior to injection. Once injection starts, passive seismic data is continuously transmitted for analysis and detection of any events that might reveal a compromised reservoir at the injection site. MicroSeismic has implemented a “stoplight system” using passive seismic, which will automatically notify an operator when events surpassing certain critical levels of magnitude, frequency, or location are identified.

Additionally, the array can be used for surface 3D monitor surveys with a high-density source effort to mitigate the sparse receiver grid. This provides a more consistent 4D data set as well as cost reductions compared to traditional 3D acquisition. 

With nearly two decades of experience and U.S. Department of Energy funding, MicroSeismic has developed, and will continue to develop state-of-the-art monitoring technology for the growing CCUS industry.