Microseismic Monitoring and Geomechanical Modelling of CO2 - bris

Preface
‘Research is not an end in itself: to communicate results, methodologies and theories is so fundamental
that publishing has become an integral part of the research process. Global human progress is intrinsically
linked not only to the advancement of knowledge but also to the diffusion of knowledge. The
dissemination of recently-acquired knowledge among stakeholders is also crucial to attract interest and,
let’s face it, funding. Likewise, academic researchers have a responsibility towards their sponsors and
funding bodies to show the results of their research activities and their contribution to the advancement
of the particular topics they are working on. The publication of new scientific findings is based on a
peer-review process so others may comment on our work and positively contribute to the quality of the
publications. As it happens, for better or worse, publication is often considered a metric of performance.
Thus it is useful nowadays, when starting a research project, to set up a publication strategy.
Furthermore, the writing and submission of scientific papers is a valuable skill and an integral part of
academic training.’
R. Ramalho, 2010
I have written a number of peer-reviewed journal articles and expanded abstracts during the course
of my Ph.D. Often, theses that have produced a number of publications are written in the form of
an introduction and conclusion bolted onto the front and back of the publications printed verbatim.
However, I feel that this format often produces unnecessary repetition, and spoils the flow of a thesis
as a coherent document. Additionally, the brevity required in many journals (particularly industry
focused ones) means that a thesis is often a good place to expand at length on interesting details that
might only be touched on briefly in an academic paper. Therefore I have not followed this format. The
first chapters of this thesis introduce the datasets on which I have worked, while the latter chapters
sequentially outline a workflow that can be followed to interpret the data. In the final research chapter
I apply this workflow to the Weyburn data already introduced. As such, the typical format where
each chapter equals one paper is not appropriate. The papers and expanded abstracts that have
followed from this research are listed below, and elements of them can be found throughout the thesis.
I recommend that the busier reader consult these papers for an overview before turning to this thesis
for a fuller account of my research.
Journal Articles
1. J.P. Verdon & J-M. Kendall, 2011. Detection of multiple fracture sets using observations of
shear-wave splitting in microseismic data. Geophysical Prospecting, accepted.
2. D.J. White, M. Meadows, S. Cole, A. Ramirez, Y. Hao, S. Carle, A. Duxbury, C. Samson, J-M.
Kendall, J.P. Verdon, B. Dietker, T. Urbancic, J. Johnson & I. Morozov, 2011. Geophysical
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