Paper: PVT - COMPARISON OF ESTIMATED TO MEASURED FLUID PROPERTIES

A successful approach to oil and gas reservoir development requires knowledge of reservoir fluid
properties. It is therefore essential to determine the fluid's Pressure-Volume-Temperature (PVT)
behavior in order to obtain the necessary parameters for proper reservoir management as well as satisfy
regulatory classification requirements. Experience has demonstrated that PVT data obtained in a
laboratory is the preferred approach to fluid property description. When laboratory data are not available, correlations or equation of state computations are often used to estimate reservoir fluid behavior. Correlations are approximations to specific regional properties, and untuned equation of state calculations can produce erroneous results. Using case histories, we compare the inherent limitations in the calculated approach to PVT data derived from laboratory studies, and re-acquaint reservoir engineers with field sampling procedures, laboratory testing, and data analyses.