Stochastic joint inversion of 2D seismic and seismoelectric signals in linear poroelastic materials: A numerical investigation

International audienceThe interpretation of seismoelectrical signals is a difficult task because coseismic and seismoelectric converted signals are recorded simultaneously and the seismoelectric conversions are typically several orders of magnitude smaller than the coseismic electrical signals. The seismic and seismoelectric signals are modeled using a finite-element code with perfectly matched layer boundary conditions assuming a linear poroelastic body. We present a stochastic joint inversion of the seismic and seismoelectrical data based on the adaptive Metropolis algorithm, to obtain the posterior probability density functions of the material properties of each geologic unit. This includes the permeability, porosity, electrical conductivity, bulk modulus of the dry porous frame, bulk modulus of the fluid, bulk modulus of the solid phase, and shear modulus of the formations. A test of this approach is performed with a synthetic model comprising two horizontal layers and a reservoir partially saturated with oil, which is embedded in the second layer. The result of the joint inversion shows that we can invert the permeability of the reservoir and its mechanical properties. ©2010 Society of Exploration Geophysicist