In situ stress field prediction based on seismic data in the Sijiazhuang mining area

Accurately predicting the 3D in situ stress field is critical in coal mining. We have proposed a workflow that is based on 3D seismic attributes to predict the in situ stress field of a coal mine located in Sijiazhuang, Shanxi, China. First, we interpreted the faults and folds within our study area. Then, we determine the directions and types of in situ stress by analyzing the interpreted faults and folds. Under the assumption that the process of strata deformation can be simulated by a thin-plate theory, we deduce the equations to compute in situ stress as a function of seismic curvature attribute and elastic parameters inverted from seismic data. We also proposed a stability factor that is based on the computed stress field. The results find that the in situ stress field within our study area is dominated by the compression stress along the northwest–southeast direction. Based on the proposed stability coefficient, we further predicted the zones that have abnormal rock mass stability.