Wave propagation in fluid-saturated media: waveform and spectral analysis

Abstract

SUMMARY A new numerical approach to the solution of waves propagating in a fluid-saturated medium, using Biot’s theory as a foundation, has important implications for oil reservoir management and earthquake prediction. A numerical scheme is developed using an exponential transformation that explicitly treats the petrophysical and fluid properties of the medium within the framework of a generalized model. The scheme accounts for wave dissipation and velocity modifications. The numerical solution is used to perform numerical experiments to study the dynamic behaviour of waves in a fluid-saturated medium at well-logging frequencies (15 kHz). The results from the numerical experiments indicate that the degree of saturation by a high-viscosity fluid (HVF) such as oil, the temperature and the porosity of a medium strongly influence the spectral power distribution, frequency content and the velocity of waves propagating through the medium. An increase in HVF saturation causes enhanced attenuation of the low-frequency components, and increases the seismic velocity. An increase in porosity, however, enriches the low-frequency components and decreases the seismic velocity. A spectral quantification procedure is suggested and used to obtain information about the petrophysical and fluid properties of the medium from the spectral characteristics of the transmitted waveform. The procedure involves segmentation of the energy or power distribution of the transmitted waveforms into specified energy bands. The energy or power in these bands is then estimated. The extracted quantification variables are found to have strong correlations with the degree of HVF saturation, and the temperature and the porosity of the medium.