Petroleum reservoirs are usually described as porous fluid-saturated media. Seismic wave attenuation in such media can be described using Biot theory.

The values of attenuation at seismic frequencies obtained from calculations using Biot theory are much lower than those predicted by experimental data. Such discrepancies are typically explained by the presence of fractures, a second fluid, second rock inclusions, layered structure, etc., in otherwise homogeneous isotropic porous media saturated with fluid.

Some of the most popular models of porous, fluid-saturated media modified by the introduction of different kinds of heterogeneities are described in this paper. Seismic attenuation values calculated using such models with heterogeneities are closer to the values observed in experimental data. However, those heterogeneities introduce new medium parameters necessary in order to describe the modified model mathematically. Those parameters are difficult or impossible to estimate in practical applications.

The proposed method of attenuation estimation at seismic frequencies is based on asymptotic analysis initially introduced by Silin and Goloshubin (2010). Such asymptotic analysis gives a simplified solution to Biot media. It allows calculation of attenuation at low frequencies in porous fluid-saturated media without involving many medium parameters which are difficult or impossible to estimate. An analysis of attenuation will be performed using a thinly-layered reservoir model which was obtained using the petrophysical data from a real petroleum reservoir.