Subsurface deformation monitoring with InSAR and elastic inversion modeling in west Texas

Recent Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) observations depict centimeter-level surface uplift/ subsidence signals in west Texas that correlate spatially and temporally with increased fluid extraction and injection activities over the past decade. Linear subsidence features from InSAR data near the Pecos area, that align well with maximum horizontal stress orientations and recent clusters of seismic events, suggest fault motion is also associated with this deformation. In this study, we investigate the relationship between observed surface displacement and inferred subsurface fault slip and reservoir compaction/inflation by inversely solving a combined model of elastic dislocation (Okada, 1985, 1992) and poroelastic reservoir compaction/inflation model (Geertsma, 1973). Our geomechanical analysis coupled with InSAR observations are consistent with the idea that both fault slip and reservoir inflation/compaction are occurring associated with fluid injection and withdrawal in the Pecos area. Numerical results show that the linear surface displacement patterns can be accurately reproduced using clusters of finite slip on multiple elastic dislocations in the subsurface, but also matching the broader areal subsidence and uplift signals requires the addition of poroelastic subsurface inflation and depletion. The inverted areal reservoir pressure distribution correlates well with known injection and withdrawal operations in the area. The best-fit surface deformation locates most fault slips patches at depths of 1-3 km, which is shallower than most reported earthquakes in this area. The difference in the estimation of depth suggests there could be aseismic fault slippages.

Automated summary

Recent InSAR observations in west Texas have revealed centimeter-level surface uplift/subsidence, which is spatially and temporally correlated with increased fluid extraction and injection activities. This study explores the relationship between observed surface displacement and subsurface fault slip and reservoir compaction/inflation using geomechanical analysis and InSAR observations.