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Session: Solid Earth Geophysics [Poster]

Type: Poster

Date: 10/13/2026

Time: 05:00 PM

Room: Keauhou I- II

Characterizing the spatiotemporal movement of faults is essential for optimizing unconventional reservoir development. While commonly monitored using surface-based seismic and geodetic methods, these observations often lack the resolution necessary to constrain fault structures or subtle deformation at depths. This study utilizes Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) in horizontal wellbores to overcome these limitations, providing meter-scale, in-situ measurements of both quasi-static strain and microseismicity. We demonstrate this capability through a comprehensive analysis of fault slip behavior recorded at the Austin Chalk and Eagle Ford Shale Laboratory (ACEFSL).

Specifically, we identify a feature originating 2000 ft from the injection stage that exhibits strike-slip movement for several hours post-stimulation. The associated microseismicity was captured by surface geophones (109 cataloged events) and downhole DAS (1049 STA/LTA detections) over a 4-hour window, with focal mechanisms delineating a rupture front propagating toward the monitor well 3 (Fig 1). By low-pass filtering the DAS strain rate below 0.5 Hz (Fig 2a) and integrating the signal across the fault plane, we quantified a cumulative slip of approximately 0.25 mm over a 1.5-hour window (Fig 2d). Our results reveal a clear temporal correlation between slow slip and microseismic events. However, the cumulative microseismic energy (Log RMS) and total slip measured by LF-DAS shows variability across similar features, suggesting complex partitioning between seismic and aseismic deformation across different fault segments.

To validate these observations, we also used 3D Displacement Discontinuity Method (DDM) modeling to simulate the LF-DAS response of a localized (20 m long, 5 m high) strike-slip fracture patch adjacent to the monitor well, yielding results consistent with field data. This geomechanical modeling was compared with point-source Coulomb failure stress change calculations, using catalog microseismic event location, magnitude and focal mechanism, to provide a comprehensive image of the fault slip evolution.

Presenting Author: Xiaoyu

Additional Authors

Xiaoyu Zhu

Presenting Author Corresponding Author

rz52@rice.edu

Rice University, Houston, Texas, United States

Julia Correa

juliacorrea@lbl.gov

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, United States

Ge Jin

gjin@mines.edu

Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado, United States

Stanislav Glubokovskih

stas.glubokovskikh@gmail.com

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, United States

Jonathan B Ajo-Franklin

ja62@rice.edu

Rice University, Houston, Texas, United States

Yuanyuan Ma

ym50@rice.edu

Rice University, Houston, Texas, United States

Yves Guglielmi

yguglielmi@lbl.gov

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, United States

Meng Cao

MengCao@lbl.gov

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, United States

Robert Bohn

rbohn@sm-energy.com

SM Energy, Houston, Texas, United States

Erich Kerr

ekerr@sm-energy.com

SM Energy, Houston, Texas, United States

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