Using seismic data to investigate the possibility of its relationship with the causes of oil and gas leakage in one fundamental oil fields of the south

Abstract

The goal of this study is to investigate foreshocks and earthquakes in one of National Iranian South Oil and to use seismic data in identification of causes of oil and gas leaks in the field and probability of connection. This field contains production oil, injection gas and effluent disposal wells .To do so, the earthquake catalog for International Institute of Seismology and Earthquake Engineering has been evaluated between 2000-2009 (prior to gas injection) and 2009-2019 (after gas and effluent injection). After applying magnitude cut-off threshold and eliminating associated earthquakes, important earthquake parameters were investigated in different time window. The study of intervals indicates the increase in earthquakes after initiating and increasing gas injection into the field. Massive planned injection gas and effluent disposal in the field and fault at proximity of leak location may be important factors in increasing earthquake and subsequently, damage of some production wells in a specific depth which has been led to fluid leakage to surface. It is also possible that all of the earthquakes have not been recorded due to insufficiency of seismic stations.