Oil-Oil Correlation

Oil-oil correlation assess the degree of similarity between different oil samples, whether these be test samples (DST, MDT, FMT etc) or hydrocarbons extracted from strained reservoir and carrier bed samples (core or ditch cuttings).

In essence, correlation can be either blined or informed. A blind correlation will simply look at the degree of similarity, either by visual inspection or statistical analysis but pays little attention to the underlying geological or geochemical processes that may be effecting the correlation.

For example, the two gas chromatograms shown to the left are clearly different and as such the interpretation of a poor correlation would be reasonable. However, it is more the understanding as to why these two samples are different than merely the fact that they are, that will further our understanding of the petroleum system(s) in operation. This in turn will help to reduce the overall exploration risk.