Method for fracture activity monitoring and pressure wave resonance analysis for estimating geophysical parameters of hydraulic fractures using fracture waves

A method for characterizing a hydraulic fracturing of a subsurface formation, comprising:

• inducing a pressure change in a well drilled through the subsurface formation, the pressure change inducing Stoneley waves in the well;
• measuring at a location proximate to a wellhead at least one of pressure and a time derivative of pressure in the well for a selected length of time;
• and
• in a computer, determining at least one physical parameter and a change in the physical parameter with respect to time, of at least one fracture using the measured at least one of pressure and the time derivative of pressure.

A method for predicting characteristics of a hydraulic fracture in a subsurface formation, comprising:

• inducing a pressure change in a well drilled through the subsurface formation the pressure change inducing Stoneley waves in the well and measuring pressure;
• in a computer determining at least one of a physical parameter, a time derivative of the physical parameter, and a change in the physical parameter with respect to time of at least one fracture, using a measured at least one of pressure and the time derivative of pressure, and correlating the at least one of a physical parameter, and a time derivative, and a change in the physical parameter with respect to time, of at least one fracture with at least one of a lithological description of the subsurface formation, and at least one characteristic of the manner in which the hydraulic fracture was created;
• and
• in the computer predicting at least one of a physical parameter, a time derivative of the physical parameter, and a change in the physical parameter with respect to time, of at least one fracture, to be created in another part of the same subsurface formation, or another subsurface formation.