Objectives The continuous exploitation of the Liaohe Delta oilfield has resulted in severe surface subsidence, impacting oil recovery rates, production operations, and posing threats to surface infrastructure and ecological environments. To ensure the safe exploitation of underground fluid resources and protect the regional environment, monitoring implementation is needed for this region.

Methods The method of small baseline subset interferometric synthetic aperture radar (SBAS-InSAR) technology with coherence information as weights was used to analyze the surface deformation. Using the fusion decomposition of synthetic aperture radar descending and ascending orbit results to extract both vertical and horizontal east-west deformation within the Shuguang oilfield area. Subsequently, a reservoir compaction-induced subsidence inversion model is applied to the Shuguang oilfield to simulate and interpret the observed subsidence phenomena, linking them to the underground fluid resource exploitation activities.

Results The results reveal significant ground subsidence throughout the Liaohe Delta region, particularly in the Shuguang oilfield and Huanxiling oilfield. The average line of sight subsidence rates reaching 158 mm/a and 73 mm/a, respectively. In the Shuguang oilfield, there is horizontal movement towards the subsidence center, with approximately equal magnitudes of movement on the east and west sides. The maximum horizontal movement rate is observed to be -62 mm/a (westward motion). Furthermore, the reservoir compaction and subsidence model based on Shuguang oilfield reservoir parameters effectively invert the maximum subsidence position at the center of the oilfield, with subsidence range and magnitude consistent with the InSAR observation results.

Conclusions The study concludes that continuous exploitation of oil has led to significant ground subsidence in the Liaohe Delta region, especially in Shuguang oilfield and Huanxiling oilfield, with clear patterns of subsidence and horizontal movement detected using SBAS-InSAR technology. The developed reservoir compaction-induced subsidence inversion model proves effective in simulating subsidence phenomena associated with oilfield operations. These findings underscore the importance of monitoring and managing subsidence risks to ensure the safe exploitation of underground resources and to protect regional ecological environments in the Liaohe Delta region.