Fully coupled poromechanical back analysis of the pulse test by inverse method

In this paper, we investigate the pulse test, which is usually considered as efficient for measuring the permeability of weakly permeable porous media. The pulse is first analyzed and we show that it is a fully poromechanical coupled problem. Owing to those couplings, the problem is 2D‐axisymmetrical, rather than 1D as is usually considered to be the case. As a consequence, the 1D solutions, for example under constant mean stress hypothesis, although giving good approximates of permeability and storage coefficient, are not rigorous and an enhanced back analysis of the test requires 2D solutions. Therefore, no analytical solution exists, and the problem has to be solved using 2D‐axisymmetrical numerical modelings of the pulse test. The finite element method is considered in this paper. We then proceed to formulate the pulse test back analysis as a parameter identification problem, and we focus on intrinsic permeability, Biot coefficient, drained Young's modulus and reservoir compressibility levels. This parameter identification problem is solved by an inverse method consisting of the minimization of a cost‐functional, through a gradient‐based algorithm. This new method of interpretation of the pulse test is finally applied to laboratory tests on Meuse/Haute–Marne argillite and is shown to give encouraging results. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.