SUMMARYMicroseismic monitoring and mapping of induced hydraulic fractures (frac) is an important tool in unconventional oil and gas exploitation. It is a key technology for completion evaluation which allows for continuous improved frac design, frac effectiveness, and ultimate resources recovery estimation and development. Formation evaluation tools provide accurate measurements of the target formation's petrophysical and mechanical properties proximal to the borehole only, distal to the borehole though, Microseismic monitoring can be a useful tool to monitor the formation's response to the frac. Shale response to hydraulic stimulation can be estimated mainly by the local density and pattern of hypocentres. Linear trends of microseismic event and their associated focal mechanisms may highlight the reactivation of faults due to hydraulic stimulation, while the location of events outside the target formation may suggest a need for future Improvements to the completion/ stimulation plan, and in some cases, restimulation. However, errors in the hypocentre locations may convert clear trends into "fuzzy" clouds, hampering our understanding of how the simulation interacted with the formation. The accuracy of hypocentral coordinates of micro-earthquakes is critical for understanding and proper planning for the hydraulic stimulation jobs of a shale play.

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Unconventional resources have gained prominence after their potential to produce hydrocarbons has been proved. Production from these resources became economically feasible as a result of combining horizontal drilling and multi-stage hydraulic fracturing reservoir stimulation along laterals targeting tight rocks with favorable petrophysical qualities. The extraction of hydrocarbons from these source rocks requires a step by step process starting with basin mapping, drilling coupled with geosteering, adequate cementing of the lateral in the wellbore and hydraulic fracturing completion. Each of these steps has key ingredients that need to be understood for a successful tight reservoir well.

SUMMARYWith the increasing demand for more oil and gas, the exploration for unconventional reservoirs has been escalating in Saudi Arabia over the past few years. This new step in exploration is requiring new technologies, equipment, computers capabilities and expertise. Seismic acquisition and processing play a major role in the exploration of unconventional reservoirs. For this study, we will be discussing the impact of different acquisition design/efforts and processing flows of two surveys, acquired independently, on interpretation over a basin in Saudi Arabia. The first survey was a sparse 3D survey, acquired in 2002, initially intended for conventional exploration. The second survey was acquired in 2013 with wide azimuth and broadband acquisition design for the purpose of unconventional exploration.