Laboratory acoustic emission test with a brittle shale cap-rock

The integrity of cap-rock is a critical issue for both injection and production operations and we need to make sure that any induced alteration in the subsurface is within acceptable range. For such a purpose, micro-seismic is a useful technique. However, it is not always the case that we can record events, as shown in the current study. Therefore, it is recommended to perform extensive laboratory-based AE tests with different lithology and all possible stress conditions (path, rate, etc.). From such datasets and experiences, we can have better and confident ideas of how to interpret acquired field-scale micro-seismic data by linking to geomechanical behaviors of cap-rock.