Last updated: 24 January 2023
Powder River Basin – Multi-Client Study
The Powder River Basin (PRB) multi-client project was first initiated in 2022. The main objective of the study was to create one, field-wide equation of state (EOS) model for the entire PRB. Since then, more data has been incorporated into the model, resulting in a more robust thermodynamic description.
But what is a field-wide EOS model? In simple terms, you can think of it as a field-wide “PVT correlation” applicable for all fluids in a given basin (black oils | volatile oils | near-critical fluids | gas condensates | wet gases | dry gases). The model is tuned/adjusted to measured PVT laboratory data available in that particular basin and can be used to consistently predict PVT data such as saturation pressures, formation volume factors (FVF), solution GORs/CGRs, densities, compressibilities, and viscosities across a field. Here is some key information about the study.
Number of PVT Samples
In this study, PVT samples from 21 different well locations ranging from the separator to bottomhole fluid sampling were included in the EOS model development work. The production comes from Mowry, Niobrara, Shannon, Frontier, Turner, and Dakota formations, with separator GOR ranging from 190 to 17,700 scf/sep. bbl and API ranging from 36 to 51.
Experimental Overview
| Experiments | # |
| CCE | 21 |
| CVD | 4 |
| DLE | 17 |
| Separator test | 12 |
| Oil viscosity | 17 |
The table above summarizes PVT experiments performed on all samples.
Participating Companies
New companies are joining the study every single year.
- Camino Natural Resources
- Kimmeridge
- Anschutz
- Devon Energy
- Continental Resources
Unconventional Fluids Systems
Unconventional fluid systems demonstrate strong field-wide PVT consistency although the reservoir fluid (i.e. composition) varies significantly. Reservoir fluid differences are dominantly determined by thermal maturity, which is the main reason behind the consistent fluid characteristics over large areas. What this means in practice, is that we can use one fluid model (i.e. EOS model) for the entire field, but what changes from area-to-area/well-to-well is the GOR (i.e. composition). This has been one of the key findings in all our studies.
Which Unconventional Basins Have We Conducted This Type of Work?- United States
- Eagle Ford / Austin Chalk – Texas (Multi client)
- Permian (Midland & Delaware) – Texas & New Mexico (Multi client)
- Anadarko Basin (SCOOP/STACK/Merge) – Oklahoma (Multi client)
- Bakken – North Dakota (Multi client)
- Powder River – Wyoming & Montana (Multi client)
- Uinta Basin – Utah / Colorado (Multi client)
- Utica Basin – Pennsylvania (Single client)
- Arkoma Basin – Oklahoma (Single client)
- Canada
- Montney, Alberta & British Columbia (Multi client)
- Duvernay, Alberta (Multi client)
- Garrington, Alberta (Single client)
- Rest of the world
- Jafurah basin, Saudi Arabia (Single client)
- Vaca Muerta, Argentina (Single client)
Consortium Budget
The participation budget is 40,000 USD per company.
Want to know more? Send an e-mail to carlsen@whitson.com
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Curtis Hays Whitson
curtishays@whitson.com
Asia-Pacific
Kameshwar Singh
singh@whitson.com
Middle East
Ahmad Alavian
alavian@whitson.com
Americas
Mathias Lia Carlsen
carlsen@whitson.com
About whitson
whitson supports energy companies, oil services companies, investors and government organizations with expertise and expansive analysis within PVT, gas condensate reservoirs and gas-based EOR. Our coverage ranges from R&D based industry studies to detailed due diligence, transaction or court case projects. We help our clients find the best possible answers to complex questions and assist them in the successful decision-making on technical challenges. We do this through a continuous, transparent dialog with our clients – before, during and after our engagement. The company was founded by Dr. Curtis Hays Whitson in 1988 and is a Norwegian corporation located in Trondheim, Norway, with local presence in USA, Middle East, India and Indonesia.