An integrated study of seismic anisotropy and the natural fracture system at the Conoco Borehole Test Facility, Kay County, Oklahoma

Abstract

A significant body of published work has developed establishing fracture‐related seismic anisotropy as an observable effect. To further the understanding of seismic birefringence techniques in characterizing natural fracture systems at depth, an integrated program of seismic and geologic measurements has been conducted at Conoco's Borehole Test Facility in Kay County, Oklahoma. Birefringence parameters inferred from the seismic data are consistent with a vertical fracture model of density 0.04 striking east‐northeast. That direction is subparallel to a fracture set mapped both on the surface and from subsurface data, to the in situ maximum horizontal stress, and to the inferred microfabric.