Name
Pore pressure as a predictive factor for seismicity in the regions of Alberta and British Columbia
Date & Time
Tuesday, May 9, 2023, 2:30 PM - 2:45 PM
Description
This paper focuses on the effects of sealing faults and associated lateral pore-pressure gradients on seismicity. The studied formation is the Montney across Alberta and British Columbia. The goal is to test the hypothesis that seismicity risk is elevated in areas of a high lateral gradient in pore pressure within the Montney Formation. We constructed a residual pore-pressure anomaly map by 1) compiling reliable measurements of pore pressure; 2) using kriging to grid the pore-pressure observations; 3) removing a regional trend that is representative of a transition from Deep Basin overpressure to normal pressure at the up-dip limit of the Montney; 4) computing the horizontal gradient anomaly. Initial Results indicate that earthquakes occur preferentially in areas of the high pore-pressure gradient. We also distinguished between natural and induced earthquakes to better understand the impact of ?P on different categories of earthquakes.
Location Name
Aspen
Full Address
Banff Park Lodge Resort Hotel & Conference Centre
201 Lynx St
Banff AB T1L 1K5
Canada
Abstract
This paper focuses on the effects of sealing faults and associated lateral pore-pressure gradients on seismicity. The studied formation is the Montney across Alberta and British Columbia. The goal is to test the hypothesis that seismicity risk is elevated in areas of a high lateral gradient in pore pressure within the Montney Formation. We constructed a residual pore-pressure anomaly map by 1) compiling reliable measurements of pore pressure; 2) using kriging to grid the pore-pressure observations; 3) removing a regional trend that is representative of a transition from Deep Basin overpressure to normal pressure at the up-dip limit of the Montney; 4) computing the horizontal gradient anomaly. Initial Results indicate that earthquakes occur preferentially in areas of the high pore-pressure gradient. We also distinguished between natural and induced earthquakes to better understand the impact of ?P on different categories of earthquakes.
Session Type
Breakout Session