Application and research progress of distributed optical fiber acoustic sensing monitoring for hydraulic fracturing

Abstract

Unconventional reservoir hydraulic fracturing technology has experienced significant progress; however, it has also faced enormous challenges. Distributed fiber-optic acoustic sensing technology (DAS), as the latest development of distributed fiber-optic sensing technology, has been applied to hydraulic fracture monitoring in shale and tight sandstone reservoirs in the United States in recent years. Based on the working principle of DAS technology, this paper summarizes the equipment composition and main installation types of a DAS system, and systematically summarizes and analyzes four types of DAS applications in hydraulic fracture monitoring. In addition, it presents a discussion of the technical principles of different applications, the latest application discoveries in oil fields, and related theoretical research progress. Four types of applications include wellbore activity monitoring, fracturing fluid profiling, microseismic monitoring, and strain monitoring. In addition, the limitations of various applications and related research topics are discussed. This paper provides a technical reference for the further understanding and application of DAS technology in the development of unconventional resources in China.