Reconciling the Long‐Term Relationship Between Reservoir Pore Pressure Depletion and Compaction in the Groningen Region. Issue 6 (29th June 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Smith, Jonathan D.; Avouac, Jean‐Philippe; White, Robert S.; Copley, Alex; Gualandi, Adriano; Bourne, Stephen
• Is Part Of: Journal of geophysical research. Volume 124:Issue 6(2019)
• Page Start: 6165
• Page End: 6178
• Publication Date: 2019-06-29
• Subjects: geodetics -- induced seismicity -- Groningen -- pressure depletion -- poroelastic -- microseismicity; Geomagnetism -- Periodicals; Geochemistry -- Periodicals; Geophysics -- Periodicals; Earth sciences -- Periodicals; 551.1
• DOI: 10.1029/2018JB016801
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2169-9313

Abstract

Abstract: The Groningen gas reservoir, situated in the northeast of the Netherlands is western Europe's largest gas reservoir. Due to gas production measurable subsidence and seismicity has been detected across this region, attributed to the deformations induced by reservoir pore pressure depletion. We investigate the surface displacement history using a principal component analysis‐based inversion method to combine a diverse set of optical leveling, interferometric synthetic aperture radar, and Global Positioning System data to better constrain reservoir compaction and subsidence history. The generated compaction model is then used in combination with prior pressure depletion models to determine a reservoir uniaxial compressibility. The best fitting model of uniaxial compressibility is time independent but spatially variable. The absence of evidence for any significant time delay between changes in depletion and compaction rates supports an instantaneous poroelastic reservoir response. The absence of nonlinear yielding at the largest compaction strains suggests that anelastic deformations are a minor part of reservoir compaction. Key Points: Seismicity is located within the reservoir levels Variations and changes in gas extraction are not manifested in subsidence data Pressure depletion within reservoir levels is modeled using geodetic inversion