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Seismic prediction methods for evaluating in situ stress in tilted transversely isotropic and monoclinic media

Jun Cheng1 ,  Yaojie Chen2* ,  Zhensen Sun3
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1 Petroleum Development Center, Shengli Oilfield, Sinopec, Dongying, Shandong, China
2 Department of Geophysical Exploration, School of Geoscience and Technology, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
3 Nanhai East Petroleum Research Institute, Shenzhen Branch National Offshore Oil Corporation Ltd., Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
JSE 2025, 34(1), 60–80; https://doi.org/10.36922/JSE025190002
Submitted: 9 May 2025 | Revised: 1 August 2025 | Accepted: 1 August 2025 | Published: 15 August 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

The formation of tectonic fractures is primarily influenced by stress distribution during the tectonic period. Therefore, in situ stress plays a crucial role in predicting fracture development zones. It significantly impacts the effectiveness of fractures by determining the size, orientation, and distribution pattern of fractures, thereby affecting stimulation results. Existing seismic methods for in situ stress prediction utilize seismic data to estimate stress parameters and calculate the horizontal stress difference ratio or the orthorhombic horizontal stress difference ratio (DHSR). These methods are based on the horizontal transverse isotropy or the orthorhombic anisotropy medium models. However, shale formations are often subject to tectonic movements that can rotate the symmetry axis of a transversely isotropic medium, leading to the formation of a tilted transversely isotropic (TTI) medium or a monoclinic medium with an inclined symmetry plane. Based on the TTI and monoclinic medium assumptions, this paper proposes new formulas for calculating the DHSRs (tilted transverse isotropy DHSR and monoclinic DHSR). The formulas are further validated through sensitivity analyses. Finally, this study demonstrates the effectiveness of the in situ stress seismic prediction method, grounded in TTI, and monoclinic medium theory through model-based examples.

Keywords
In situ stress
Tilted transverse isotropy differential horizontal stress ratio
Monoclinic differential horizontal stress ratio
Funding
This research received no external funding.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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Journal of Seismic Exploration, Print ISSN: 0963-0651, Published by AccScience Publishing
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