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Reservoir Geomechanics

In situ stress and rock mechanics applied to reservoir processes!


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Mark D. Zoback"
Professor of Geophysics
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Week 1 Lecture 1
Course Overview
Why is Geomechanics Important?

Drilling and Reservoir Engineering


Compaction, Compaction Drive, Subsidence, Production-
Induced Faulting Prediction
Optimizing Drainage of Fractured Reservoirs
Hydraulic Propagation in Vertical & Deviated Wells
Wellbore Stability During Drilling (mud weights, drilling
directions)
Completion Engineering (long-term wellbore stability, sand
production prediction)
Well Placement (Azimuth and Deviation, Sidetracks)
Underbalanced Drilling to Formation Damage
Why is Geomechanics Important?

Reservoir Geology and Geophysics


Optimizing Drainage of Fractured Reservoirs

Pore Pressure Prediction

Understanding Shear Velocity Anisotropy

Fault Seal Integrity

Hydrocarbon Migration

Reservoir Compartmentalization
Why is Geomechanics Important?

Exploitation of Shale Gas/Tight Gas/Tight Oil


Properties of Ultra-Low Permeability Formations

How Formation Properties Affect Production

Optimizing Well Placement

Multi-Stage Hydraulic Fracturing

Importance of Fractures and Faults on Well Productivity

Interpretation of Microseismic Data

Simulating Production from Ultra-Low Permeability


Formations
Text for Class

Part I Basic Principles


Chapters 1-5

Part II Measuring Stress


Orientation and Magnitude
Chapters 6-9

Part III Applications


Chapters 10-12

5
Course Syllabus Part I - Basic Principles

Week 1
Lecture 1 Introduction and Course Overview
Lecture 2 Ch. 1 - The Tectonic Stress Field
HW-1 Calculating SV from density logs
Week 2
Lecture 3 - Ch. 2 - Pore Pressure at Depth
HW-2 Estimating pore pressure from porosity logs
Lecture 4 - Ch. 3 - Basic Constitutive Laws

Week 3
Lecture 5 - Ch. 4 - Rock Strength
HW-3 Estimating rock strength from geophysical logs
Lecture 6 - Ch. 4 - Fault Friction and Crustal Strength
HW 4 Calculating limits on crustal stress
Week 4
Lecture 7 - Ch. 5 - Faults and Fractures
HW 5 Analysis of fractures in image logs
6
Course Syllabus Part II In Situ Stress

Week 4
Lecture 8 - Ch. 6 - Stress Concentrations Around Vertical Wells

Week 5
Lecture 9 - Ch. 7 - Hydraulic Fracturing, Measuring Shmin, Limiting Frac
Height and Constraining Shmax
HW 6 Analysis of stress induced wellbore failures
Lecture 10 - Ch. 8 - Failure of Deviated Wells

Week 6
Lecture 11 - Ch. 9 - State of Stress in Sedimentary Basins
HW 7 Identification of critically-stressed faults

7
Course Syllabus Part III - Applications

Week 6
Lecture 12 - Ch. 10 - Wellbore Stability -1

Week 7
Lecture 13 - Ch. 10 - Wellbore Stability 2
Lecture 14 - Ch. 11 - Critically-Stressed Faults and Flow
HW 8 Development of a geomechanical model
Week 8
Lecture 15 - Ch. 11 - Fault Seal and Dynamic Hydrocarbon Migration
Lecture 16 - Ch. 12 - Effects of Depletion, Reservoir Stress Paths

Week 9
Lecture 17 - Ch. 12 - Compaction of Weak Sands and Shales and Subsidence

8
Course Syllabus Additional Topics

Week 9
Lecture 18 Geomechanics and Shale Gas/Tight Oil Production - 1

Week 10
Lecture 19 Geomechanics and Shale Gas/Tight Oil Production - 2
Lecture 20 - Geomechanics and Triggered Seismicity

9
Geomechanics Through the Life of a Field

Exploration Appraisal Development Harvest Abandonment


P
r Wellbore Stability
o Pore Pressure Prediction
d Fault Seal/Fracture Permeability

u Sand Production Prediction


c Compaction
t Casing Shear
i Subsidence
Coupled Reservoir Simulation
o
Fracture Stimulation/ Refrac
n Depletion

Geomechanical Model
Time
Components of a Geomechanical Model

Principal Stresses at Depth


Sv Overburden
SHmax Maximum horizontal
Sv principal stress
Shmin Minimum horizontal
principal stress

Additional Components of a
Geomechanical Model
UCS
Pp Pore Pressure
Pp
UCS Rock Strength (from logs)
Fractures and Faults (from Image
Shmin Logs, Seismic, etc.)
SHmax
11
Course Syllabus Part I - Basic Principles

Week 1
Lecture 1 Introduction and Course Overview
Lecture 2 Ch. 1 - The Tectonic Stress Field
HW-1 Calculating SV from density logs
Week 2
Lecture 3 - Ch. 2 - Pore Pressure at Depth
HW-2 Estimating pore pressure from porosity logs
Lecture 4 - Ch. 3 - Basic Constitutive Laws

Week 3
Lecture 5 - Ch. 4 - Rock Strength
HW-3 Estimating rock strength from geophysical logs
Lecture 6 - Ch. 4 - Fault Friction and Crustal Strength
HW 4 Calculating limits on crustal stress
Week 4
Lecture 7 - Ch. 5 - Faults and Fractures
HW 5 Analysis of fractures in image logs
12
Anderson Classification of Relative Stress Magnitudes

Sv
Normal

Shmin
SHmax
Tectonic regimes are
defined in terms of the
a. Sv > SHmax > Shmin
Sv relationship between
Strike-Slip
the vertical stress (Sv)
and two mutually
SHmax perpendicular
Shmin
horizontal stresses
b. SHmax > Sv > Shmin
Sv (SHmax and Shmin)
Reverse

SHmax
Shmin
c. SHmax > Shmin > Sv
Range of Stress Magnitudes at Depth

Hydrostatic Pp

Figure 1.4 a,b,c pg.13


Course Syllabus Part I - Basic Principles

Week 1
Lecture 1 Introduction and Course Overview
Lecture 2 Ch. 1 - The Tectonic Stress Field
HW-1 Calculating SV from density logs
Week 2
Lecture 3 - Ch. 2 - Pore Pressure at Depth
HW-2 Estimating pore pressure from porosity logs
Lecture 4 - Ch. 3 - Basic Constitutive Laws

Week 3
Lecture 5 - Ch. 4 - Rock Strength
HW-3 Estimating rock strength from geophysical logs
Lecture 6 - Ch. 4 - Fault Friction and Crustal Strength
HW 4 Calculating limits on crustal stress
Week 4
Lecture 7 - Ch. 5 - Faults and Fractures
HW 5 Analysis of fractures in image logs
16
Variations in Pore Pressure Within Compartments,
Each With ~Hydrostatic Gradients

Figure 2.4 pg.32


Range of Stress Magnitudes at Depth

Overpressure at Depth

Figure 1.4 d,e,f pg.13


Course Syllabus Part I - Basic Principles

Week 1
Lecture 1 Introduction and Course Overview
Lecture 2 Ch. 1 - The Tectonic Stress Field
HW-1 Calculating SV from density logs
Week 2
Lecture 3 - Ch. 2 - Pore Pressure at Depth
HW-2 Estimating pore pressure from porosity logs
Lecture 4 - Ch. 3 - Basic Constitutive Laws

Week 3
Lecture 5 - Ch. 4 - Rock Strength
HW-3 Estimating rock strength from geophysical logs
Lecture 6 - Ch. 4 - Fault Friction and Crustal Strength
HW 4 Calculating limits on crustal stress
Week 4
Lecture 7 - Ch. 5 - Faults and Fractures
HW 5 Analysis of fractures in image logs
19
Laboratory Testing

Stress (MPa)

Figure 3.2 pg.58


Constitutive Laws

Figure 3.1 a,b pg.57


Constitutive Laws

Figure 3.1 c,d pg.57


Course Syllabus Part I - Basic Principles

Week 1
Lecture 1 Introduction and Course Overview
Lecture 2 Ch. 1 - The Tectonic Stress Field
HW-1 Calculating SV from density logs
Week 2
Lecture 3 - Ch. 2 - Pore Pressure at Depth
HW-2 Estimating pore pressure from porosity logs
Lecture 4 - Ch. 3 - Basic Constitutive Laws

Week 3
Lecture 5 - Ch. 4 - Rock Strength
HW-3 Estimating rock strength from geophysical logs
Lecture 6 - Ch. 4 - Fault Friction and Crustal Strength
HW 4 Calculating limits on crustal stress
Week 4
Lecture 7 - Ch. 5 - Faults and Fractures
HW 5 Analysis of fractures in image logs
23
Module 1
Compressive Strength
Strength Criterion
Strength Anisotropy

Module 2
Shear Enhanced Compaction
Strength from Logs, HW 3

Module 3
Tensile Strength
Hydraulic Fracture Propagation
Vertical Growth of Hydraulic
Fractures
Course Syllabus Part I - Basic Principles

Week 1
Lecture 1 Introduction and Course Overview
Lecture 2 Ch. 1 - The Tectonic Stress Field
HW-1 Calculating SV from density logs
Week 2
Lecture 3 - Ch. 2 - Pore Pressure at Depth
HW-2 Estimating pore pressure from porosity logs
Lecture 4 - Ch. 3 - Basic Constitutive Laws

Week 3
Lecture 5 - Ch. 4 - Rock Strength
HW-3 Estimating rock strength from geophysical logs
Lecture 6 - Ch. 4 - Fault Friction and Crustal Strength
HW 4 Calculating limits on crustal stress
Week 4
Lecture 7 - Ch. 5 - Faults and Fractures
HW 5 Analysis of fractures in image logs
25
Limits on Stress Magnitudes
Hydrostatic P
p

Critical S
Hmax

Critical S
hmin
Critical S
Hmax

S v Pp
= 3.1
Sh min Pp
SHmax Pp
S v Pp = 3.1
Sh min = + Pp Sh min Pp
3.1
Sh min 0.6S v (
SHmax = 3.1 Sh min Pp + Pp ) SHmax Pp
= 3.1
S v Pp

( )
SHmax = 3.1 S v Pp + Pp
Course Syllabus Part I - Basic Principles

Week 1
Lecture 1 Introduction and Course Overview
Lecture 2 Ch. 1 - The Tectonic Stress Field
HW-1 Calculating SV from density logs
Week 2
Lecture 3 - Ch. 2 - Pore Pressure at Depth
HW-2 Estimating pore pressure from porosity logs
Lecture 4 - Ch. 3 - Basic Constitutive Laws

Week 3
Lecture 5 - Ch. 4 - Rock Strength
HW-3 Estimating rock strength from geophysical logs
Lecture 6 - Ch. 4 - Fault Friction and Crustal Strength
HW 4 Calculating limits on crustal stress
Week 4
Lecture 7 - Ch. 5 - Faults and Fractures
HW 5 Analysis of fractures in image logs
27
Stress Regimes and Active Fault Systems

Sv Shmin SHmax
Normal

b
Shmin
SHmax shmin

Sv > SHmax > Shmin Normal sv


a.
Sv Shmin SHmax
Strike-Slip

X
SHmax
Shmin
b. SHmax > Sv > Shmin Strike-slip

Reverse Sv Shmin SHmax

sHmax
SHmax
Shmin sv
c. SHmax > Shmin > Sv Reverse

Map View Cross-section Stereonet


Course Syllabus Part II In Situ Stress

Week 4
Lecture 8 - Ch. 6 - Stress Concentrations Around Vertical Wells

Week 5
Lecture 9 - Ch. 7 - Hydraulic Fracturing, Measuring Shmin, Limiting Frac
Height and Constraining Shmax
HW 6 Analysis of stress induced wellbore failures
Lecture 10 - Ch. 8 - Failure of Deviated Wells

Week 6
Lecture 11 - Ch. 9 - State of Stress in Sedimentary Basins
HW 7 Identification of critically-stressed faults

29
Stress Concentration Around a Vertical Well
Compressional and Tensile Wellbore Failure

Well A

UBI Well A FMI Well B


Course Syllabus Part II In Situ Stress

Week 4
Lecture 8 - Ch. 6 - Stress Concentrations Around Vertical Wells

Week 5
Lecture 9 - Ch. 7 - Hydraulic Fracturing, Measuring Shmin, Limiting Frac
Height and Constraining Shmax
HW 6 Analysis of stress induced wellbore failures
Lecture 10 - Ch. 8 - Failure of Deviated Wells

Week 6
Lecture 11 - Ch. 9 - State of Stress in Sedimentary Basins
HW 7 Identification of critically-stressed faults

32
Drilling Induced Tensile Wall Fractures

FMI FMS
Visund Field Orientations
Regional Stress Field in the Timor Sea
Complex Stress Field in the Elk Hills Field
Horizontal Principal Stress Measurement Methods

Stress Orientation
Stress-induced wellbore breakouts (Ch. 6)
Stress-induced tensile wall fractures (Ch. 6)
Hydraulic fracture orientations (Ch. 6)
Earthquake focal plane mechanisms (Ch. 5)
Shear velocity anisotropy (Ch. 8)

Relative Stress Magnitude


Earthquake focal plane mechanisms (Ch. 5)

Absolute Stress Magnitude


Hydraulic fracturing/Leak-off tests (Ch. 7)
Modeling stress-induced wellbore breakouts (Ch. 7, 8)
Modeling stress-induced tensile wall fractures (Ch. 7, 8)
Modeling breakout rotations due to slip on faults (Ch. 7)
Horizontal Principal Stress Measurement Methods

Stress Orientation
Stress-induced wellbore breakouts (Ch. 6)
Stress-induced tensile wall fractures (Ch. 6)
Hydraulic fracture orientations (Ch. 6)
Earthquake focal plane mechanisms (Ch. 5)
Whyvelocity
Shear do we use these
anisotropy (Ch. techniques?
8)
1. Model is developed using data from
Relativeformations
Stress Magnitude
of interest
Earthquake focal plane mechanisms (Ch. 5)
1. Every well that is drilled tests the model
Absolute2. They
Stress work!
Magnitude
Hydraulic fracturing/Leak-off tests (Ch. 7)
Modeling stress-induced wellbore breakouts (Ch. 7, 8)
Modeling stress-induced tensile wall fractures (Ch. 7, 8)
Modeling breakout rotations due to slip on faults (Ch. 7)
Obtaining a Comprehensive Geomechanical Model

Parameter Data
z0

Vertical stress Sv (z0 ) = r g dz


Least principal 0
stress Shmin ! LOT, XLOT, minifrac
Max. Horizontal
Stress SHmax magnitude ! modeling
wellbore failures
Stress
Orientation Orientation of Wellbore failures
Pore pressure Pp ! Measure, sonic, seismic
Rock Strength Lab, Logs, Modeling well failure
Faults/Bedding Wellbore Imaging
Planes
Course Syllabus Part II In Situ Stress

Week 4
Lecture 8 - Ch. 6 - Stress Concentrations Around Vertical Wells

Week 5
Lecture 9 - Ch. 7 - Hydraulic Fracturing, Measuring Shmin, Limiting Frac
Height and Constraining Shmax
HW 6 Analysis of stress induced wellbore failures
Lecture 10 - Ch. 8 - Failure of Deviated Wells

Week 6
Lecture 11 - Ch. 9 - State of Stress in Sedimentary Basins
HW 7 Identification of critically-stressed faults

40
Wellbore Wall Stresses for Arbitrary Trajectories
Course Syllabus Part II In Situ Stress

Week 4
Lecture 8 - Ch. 6 - Stress Concentrations Around Vertical Wells

Week 5
Lecture 9 - Ch. 7 - Hydraulic Fracturing, Measuring Shmin, Limiting Frac
Height and Constraining Shmax
HW 6 Analysis of stress induced wellbore failures
Lecture 10 - Ch. 8 - Failure of Deviated Wells

Week 6
Lecture 11 - Ch. 9 - State of Stress in Sedimentary Basins
HW 7 Identification of critically-stressed faults

42
Generalized World Stress Map
180 270 0 90 180

70 70

35 35

0 0

SHmax in
-35 compressional
-35
domain
SHmax and Shmin
in strike-slip
domain
Shmin in
extensional
domain

180 270 0 90 180


9-2

M.L. Zoback (1992) and subsequent papers


Course Syllabus Part III - Applications

Week 6
Lecture 12 - Ch. 10 - Wellbore Stability -1

Week 7
Lecture 13 - Ch. 10 - Wellbore Stability 2
Lecture 14 - Ch. 11 - Critically-Stressed Faults and Flow
HW 8 Development of a geomechanical model
Week 8
Lecture 15 - Ch. 11 - Fault Seal and Dynamic Hydrocarbon Migration
Lecture 16 - Ch. 12 - Effects of Depletion, Reservoir Stress Paths

Week 9
Lecture 17 - Ch. 12 - Compaction of Weak Sands and Shales and Subsidence

44
Exploration Success Targeting Critically-Stressed
Faults in Damage Zones

Hennings et al (2011)
Geomechanical Wellbore Characterization
Wellbores Intersecting Fault Damage Zones
j
d

j
a

h
Well a b c d e f g h i j k R2
Well Performance (bcf/d) 0.35 0.13 0.04 0.36 0.07 0.12 0.12 0.09 0.01 1.0 1.0

Well/Reservoir Contact Length, m 345 550 560 930 180 420 240 400 50 197 778

Critically-Stressed m=0.5 214 254 204 323 280 350 156 279 16 607 0.67
Critically-Stressed m=0.6 91 77 56 140 32 117 37 63 2 379 0.93
Critically-Stressed m=0.7 10 3 2 12 0 0 0 0 0 153 0.9

k j
1.0

0.8
Maximum Open-Hole Flow
Well Performance, bcf/day

0.6
R2=0.93

d
0.4 a

0.2 g
e b
f
h
i
c
0
0 100 200 300 400

Number of Critically-Stressed Faults


Course Syllabus Part III - Applications

Week 6
Lecture 12 - Ch. 10 - Wellbore Stability -1

Week 7
Lecture 13 - Ch. 10 - Wellbore Stability 2
Lecture 14 - Ch. 11 - Critically-Stressed Faults and Flow
HW 8 Development of a geomechanical model
Week 8
Lecture 15 - Ch. 11 - Fault Seal and Dynamic Hydrocarbon Migration
Lecture 16 - Ch. 12 - Effects of Depletion, Reservoir Stress Paths

Week 9
Lecture 17 - Ch. 12 - Compaction of Weak Sands and Shales and Subsidence

50
Depletion in Gulf of Mexico Field X
Depletion in Gulf of Mexico Field X

90

80

70

60
S3
S3
Pp (psi)

50
Pp
Pp
40

30

20

10

Jul-98
Feb-82

Jan-93

Jan-04
Nov-84

Aug-87

May-90

Oct-95

Apr-01
Compaction Drive

Elliptical reservoir at 16300 ft


depth with single well at centre
Reservoir dimensions 6300 x
3150 x 70 ft, grid 50 x 50 x 1
Average permeability 350
md, !init 30%
Oil flow, little/no water influx, no
injection
IP 10 MSTB/d, min. BHP -
1000 psi, Econ. Limit 100
STB/d
Ran for maximum time of 8000
days
Compaction Drive

Simulation Result - Recovery


30

Compaction drive
25
Cum. Oil, MMSTB

20
Compaction drive with
permeability change

15

10

5
Elastic strain only
(Constant compressibility)
0
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000
days
National Geographic, October 2004
Oil and gas fields are pervasive
through the region of high rates
of land loss.

Land Loss 1932-2050

Land Gain 1932-2050


Geertsma Model
For a circular reservoir, surface displacements are:

u (r ,0) = 2C (1 )pHR e D J (R )J (r )d
z m 0 1 0

ur (r ,0) = 2Cm (1 )pHR e D J1 (R )J1 (r )d
0

Assuming R>>H, total


reduction in reservoir
height:
H
H = Cm (z )p(z )dz
0
Study Area: LaFourche Parish
Leeville Subsidence
Course Syllabus Additional Topics

Week 9
Lecture 18 Geomechanics and Shale Gas/Tight Oil Production - 1

Week 10
Lecture 19 Geomechanics and Shale Gas/Tight Oil Production - 2
Lecture 20 - Geomechanics and Triggered Seismicity

62
Current Shale Gas/Tight Oil Research Projects
Eagle Ford Shale Pore Structure
Shale Permeability is a Million Times
Smaller Than Conventional Reservoir

50mm

10 mm 64

500 nm
Multi-Stage Hydraulic Fracturing
S
Hmax

Dan Moos et al.


SPE 145849

Horizontal Drilling and Multi-Stage


Slick-Water Hydraulic Fracturing
Induces Microearthquakes (M ~ -1 to M~ -3)
To Create a Permeable Fracture Network
We Need to Dramatically Improve Recovery Factors

Dry Gas ~25%


Petroleum Liquids ~ 5%
Course Syllabus Additional Topics

Week 9
Lecture 18 Geomechanics and Shale Gas/Tight Oil Production - 1

Week 10
Lecture 19 Geomechanics and Shale Gas/Tight Oil Production - 2
Lecture 20 - Geomechanics and Triggered Seismicity

67
Recent Publications

Physical properties of shale reservoir rocks


Sone, H and Zoback, M.D. (2013), Mechanical properties of shale-gas reservoir
rocksPart 1: Static and dynamic elastic properties and anisotropy, Geophysics,
v. 78, no. 5, D381-D392, 10.1190/GEO2013-0050.1

Sone, H and Zoback, M.D. (2013), Mechanical properties of shale-gas reservoir


rocksPart 2: Ductile creep, brittle strength, and their relation to the elastic
modulus, Geophysics, v. 78, no. 5, D393-D402, 10.1190/GEO2013-0051.1

Why slow slip occurs


Kohli, A. H. and M.D. Zoback (2013), Frictional properties of shale reservoir
rocks, Journal of Geophysical Research, Solid Earth, v. 118, 1-17, doi: 10.1002/
jgrb. 50346

Zoback, M.D., A. Kohli, I. Das and M. McClure, The importance of slow slip on
faults during hydraulic fracturing of a shale gas reservoirs, SPE 155476, SPE
Americas Unconventional Resources Conference held in Pittsburgh, PA, USA 5-7
June, 2012
Recent Publications

Fluid transport/adsorption in nanoscale pores


Heller, R., J. Vermylen and M.D. Zoback (2013), Experimental Investigation of
Matrix Permeability of Gas Shales, AAPG Bull., in press.

Heller, R. and Zoback, M.D. (2013), Adsorption of Methane and Carbon Dioxide
on Gas Shale and Pure Mineral Samples, The Jour. of Unconventional Oil and
Gas Res., in review.

Viscoplasticity in clay-rich reservoirs


Sone, H. and M.D. Zoback (2013), Viscoplastic Deformation of Shale Gas
Reservoir
Rocks and Its Long-Term Effects on the In-Situ State of Stress, Intl. Jour. Rock
Mech.,
in review.

Sone, H and M.D. Zoback (2013), Viscous Relaxation Model for Predicting Least
Principal Stress Magnitudes in Sedimentary Rocks, Jour. Petrol. Sci. Eng., in
review.
Recent Publications
.

Discrete Fracture Network Modeling in Unconventional Reservoirs


Johri, M. and M.D. Zoback, M.D. (2013), The Evolution of Stimulated Reservoir
Volume During Hydraulic Stimulation of Shale Gas Formations, URTec 1575434,
Unconventional Resources Technology Conference in Denver, CO, U.S.A., 12-14
August 2013

Case Studies
Yang, Y. and Zoback, M.D., The Role of Preexisting Fractures and Faults During
Multi-Stage Hydraulic Fracturing in the Bakken Formation, Interpretation, in press
Course Syllabus Additional Topics

Week 9
Lecture 18 Geomechanics and Shale Gas/Tight Oil Production - 1

Week 10
Lecture 19 Geomechanics and Shale Gas/Tight Oil Production - 2
Lecture 20 - Geomechanics and Triggered Seismicity

71
An Increase in Intraplate Seismicity

Prague, OK
Prague, OK*
3 M5+ Eqs
Nov., 2011
Nov. 2011 M 5.7

Zoback (2012)
Ellsworth (2013)
About 150,000 Class II EPA Injection Wells Operating in the US
Why the Increase in Seismicity?
Managing Triggered
Seismicity

EARTH April, 2012


Earthquakes Spreading Out Along an Active Fault

Hurd and Zoback (2012)

Horton (2012)
Seismicity Triggered by Injection

Guy Arkansas
Earthquake Swarm

- Avoid Injection into Potentially Active Faults


- Limit Injection Rates (Pressure) Increases
- Monitor Seismicity (As Appropriate)
- Assess Risk
- Be Prepared to Abandon Some Injection Wells

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