Estimation of poroelastic parameters from seismograms using Biot theory

TL;DR

This paper develops a full waveform inversion method based on Biot theory to estimate poroelastic parameters from seismic data in layered media, demonstrating the potential to recover key properties like porosity and fluid parameters.

Contribution

It introduces a new inversion approach using Biot theory and sensitivity analysis for layered porous media, enabling more accurate parameter estimation from seismic waveforms.

Findings

Porosity and consolidation are highly sensitive parameters.

Permeability has limited influence on seismic response.

Synthetic tests show successful reconstruction of key parameters.

Abstract

We investigate the possibility to extract information contained in seismic waveforms propagating in fluid-filled porous media by developing and using a full waveform inversion procedure valid for layered structures. To reach this objective, we first solve the forward problem by implementing the Biot theory in a reflectivity-type simulation program. We then study the sensitivity of the seismic response of stratified media to the poroelastic parameters. Our numerical tests indicate that the porosity and consolidation parameter are the most sensitive parameters in forward and inverse modeling, whereas the permeability has only a very limited influence on the seismic response. Next, the analytical expressions of the sensitivity operators are introduced in a generalized least-square inversion algorithm based on an iterative modeling of the seismic waveforms. The application of this inversion procedure to synthetic data shows that the porosity as well as the fluid and solid parameters can be correctly reconstructed as long as the other parameters are well known. However, the strong seismic coupling between some of the model parameters makes it difficult to fully characterize the medium by a multi-parameter inversion scheme. One solution to circumvent this difficulty is to combine several model parameters according to rock physics laws to invert for composite parameters. Another possibility is to invert the seismic data for the perturbations of the medium properties, such as those resulting from a gas injection.