US 12,461,267 B2
Fracture detection using distributed optical fiber sensing
Peter Dawson, Elstree (GB); Veronique Mahue, Elstree (GB); Vu Nguyen, Elstree (GB); Pete Richter, Elstree (GB); and Yinghui Wu, Elstree (GB)
Assigned to Silixa Ltd., Elstree (GB)
Filed by Silixa Ltd., Elstree (GB)
Filed on Aug. 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/820,894.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/235,181, filed on Aug. 20, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0054654 A1, Feb. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. G01V 1/50 (2006.01); E21B 49/00 (2006.01); G01V 1/22 (2006.01); G01V 1/52 (2006.01)
CPC G01V 1/50 (2013.01) [E21B 49/00 (2013.01); G01V 1/226 (2013.01); G01V 1/52 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of detecting acoustic energy generated by a poroelastic effect of fractures in an area or structure to be monitored, the method comprising:
receiving distributed acoustic sensor (DAS) data from an optical fiber distributed acoustic sensor having a sensing fiber deployed in a vicinity of the area or structure;
processing the DAS data to obtain a set of strain rate data;
iteratively processing the strain rate data to detect a set of first features and a set of second features, wherein detection of a first feature and a second feature at a same sensing region along the sensing fiber is indicative of a fracture hit at a first location, wherein the fracture hit is an interaction between a fracture and another structure in the vicinity of the area or structure to be monitored; and
outputting data indicative of one or more detected fracture hits for use in monitoring the area or structure.