Reservoir Induced Seismicity

King-Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, P.O.Box:1946, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia, Telephone: (966) (03) 860-1661  Fax : (966)(250) 860-2595

• Earthquake Types
  • Volcanic Earthquakes
  • Reservoir-triggered quakes
• Humans induce seismicity due to Water Migration in Dam
  • Koyna Dam, India (M6.3, 1967)
  • Triggered earthquakes at Koyna (1967-2000)
• Some characteristics of reservoir triggered seismicity
• Global Map of Induced Seismicity
  • The Romashkino Oil Field of Russia

• Review Fundamental Concepts
  • Foreshock-Mainshock-Earthquake Swarm
  • Seismicity Rate-Seismic Cycle
• First Creative Study on Induced Seismicity: Carder, 1945
• Examples: Reservoir Seismicity
  •  Miranda Reservoir: Event rate versus water level
  • Kremasta "Kariba" Dam, Greece (M=6.2, 1965)
• Monticello Dam, South Carolina 
  •  Monticello: Filling vs. Seismicity Monticello seismicity concentrated under reservoir
• Water Height (m) and  Seismicity Rate
• Cause of Reservoir Seismicity

• Triggered Earthquakes (Simpson, 1986)
• Earthquakes triggered by fluid extraction (Segall, 1989)
• Mechanism of Triggered-Seismicity
  • Laws of Effective Stress (Bell and Nur, 1978)
  • Byerlee's Law for Rock Friction
• Global-Oil Reserves
• Global Examples for Seismicity in Oil-Gas Fields
  • The May 7, 2001 Earthquake in the Ekofisk Oil Field Area, North Sea  (Journal of Geophysical Research -2005)
  • Earthquakes and Hydrocarbon Production Area, British Columbia (Canadian Journal of Exploration Geophysics, 1994)
  • Deep injection and Closely Monitored Induced Seismicity at Paradox Valley, Colorado- (Mmax=4.3) (BSSA,2005)
  •  Microseismicity of Valhall Oil Area in Norway (Pageoph, 2002)
  • The 1993 M4.7 Kuwait earthquake: Induced by the burning of the oil fields?, (Kuwait Journal of Science and Eng., 2002)

• Induced Seismicity in Gas Field
  • Carthage Gas Field, East Texas: Mapping Event Rate
  • Example 2: Interrelationship between Seismicity and Gas Injection in Talco area.
• Induced Seismicity in Geothermal Area
  • Soultz Geothermal Site
  •  The Geysers, California
• Mining and Seismicity
• Nuclear Tests
  • Nuclear Test in India- 05/11/98
  • Nuclear Test in Korea - 10/09/2006
    • Interview by Paul G.Richards, Nuclear Arms Seismologist
  • Russian Nuclear Explosion
• Global Seismographic Network for Nuclear Test