GeochainSlim™ for Microseismic –

Detecting events by the thousands!

7th Feb 2019

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Avalon Sciences has provided the downhole instrumentation for the seismic monitoring of hydraulic fracturing activities within the UK Bowland Shale formation. Over the duration of operations, nearly 40,000 microseismic events were detected on our low noise, high sensitivity Geochain Slim™ borehole seismic system.

The Geochain Slim™ system was deployed for a period of 3 months during initial pumping and monitoring phase in Q3/Q4 2018 within the Preston New Road (PNR) well, Lancashire, UK. The slim downhole system has been augmented with the latest ‘X-series’ gapless recording, high side indicator and ‘Quad’ three-component sensor packs, all delivering an optimised solution for detecting high frequency, low energy microseismic (ML <0) events. 

According to the operator, Cuadrilla Resources Ltd, a total of “…39,164 micro-seismic measurements were recorded by ultra-sensitive monitors during fracturing operations at PNR1 [Preston New Road] – the most intensive micro-seismic monitoring operations ever undertaken on a shale well”.

Link to Cuadrilla Resources Press Release Feb 2019.