Analytical modelling of the three-dimensional stress field induced by fluid production and injection in reservoirs with displaced faults

Injection and production of fluids into/from the subsurface has been known to trigger earthquakes, referred to as induced seismicity. This seismicity may occur when anthropogenically caused changes in the in-situ stress conditions result in reactivation of pre-existing faults in the subsurface causing slip accompanied by sudden release of energy...

Inversion of coseismic deformation due to the 8th February 2016, Mw 4.2 earthquake at Los Humeros (Mexico) inferred from DInSAR

On the 8th of February 2016, a Mw 4.2 earthquake was detected inside the Los Humeros caldera, located in the eastern sector of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. The event occurred after a sharp increase in the injection rate at the Los Humeros Geothermal Field and it was recorded by the seismic monitoring network of the power plant. The...

Insights From Closed-Form Expressions for Injection- and Production-Induced Stresses in Displaced Faults

We consider fluid-induced seismicity and present closed-form expressions for the elastic displacements, strains, and stresses resulting from injection into or production from a reservoir with displaced faults. We apply classic inclusion theory to two-dimensional finite-width and infinite-width reservoir models. First, we simplify the fault model...

Application of Active Control System on the Seismic Response to Unreinforced Masonry Structure

The increase of the human-induced seismicity in the Groningen has increased the interest of all stakeholders to ensure the structural safety of all residents in the affected area. While there are already many conventional structural strengthening methods that are proposed and being implemented in the affected area, the study of a new innovative...

A multiscale experimental characterisation of Dutch unreinforced masonry buildings

In recent years, induced seismicity in the north of the Netherlands significantly increased. As a consequence, the seismic assessment of the built environment, which mainly consists of unreinforced masonry (URM) structures not designed for seismic loads, became of high relevance. Within this context, an extensive multiscale testing program has...

The Small Effect of Poroelastic Pressure Transients on Triggering of Production-Induced Earthquakes in the Groningen Natural Gas Field

Over the past decade, a steep increase in the number of seismic events has been observed in the Groningen gas field, the Netherlands. It is generally accepted that these are induced by compaction of the reservoir rock due to extensive depletion, causing a buildup of strain energy in faults that may be released seismically. We address the...

Marchenko method for monitoring induced seismicity with virtual receivers

The Marchenko method can be used to retrieve Green’s functions (including multiple scattering) between virtual sources in the subsurface and physical receivers at the surface or virtual receivers in the subsurface. Here we discuss a variant of the Marchenko method which retrieves the response between physical sources and virtual receivers in the...

A poro-elastic model for triggering of production-induced earthquakes in the Groningen natural gas field by abrupt changes in well rates

Over the past decade, a steep increase in the number of seismic events has been observed in the Groningen gas producing region of the Northern Netherlands. It is generally accepted that these are induced by compaction of the reservoir rock due to extensive field depletion, causing a buildup of strain energy which may be released seismically when...

Hypocentre estimation of induced earthquakes in Groningen

Induced earthquakes due to gas production have taken place in the province of Groningen in the northeast of The Netherlands since 1986. In the first years of seismicity, a sparse seismological network with large station distances from the seismogenic area in Groningen was used. The location of induced earthquakes was limited by the few and...