An acoustic system and method for monitoring a hydrocarbon reservoir.
Wellbore tube wave energy may be created by natural or ambient sources or
tube waves may be excited intentionally. Wellbore tube wave energy is
converted to seismic body wave energy at minor borehole obstructions or
irregularities. Each obstruction or discontinuity position along the
borehole has an associated unique waveform source coda that may be
measured for processing the body waves radiated into the earth formation
surrounding the well bore. A plurality of sensors detects the radiated
seismic energy after the seismic body wave energy has transited
intervening earth formations. The system may be employed for permanent
monitoring of mineral resources and resource management. Measurements of
reservoir characteristics may be acquired at many different times over the
productive life of a reservoir. A time-lapse profile may be created that
is representative of the temporal and areal changes in the petrophysical
characteristics and mineral content or distribution of the intervening
earth formation.
