Correcting Bottom-Hole Temperatures: A Look at the Permian Basin (Texas), Anadarko and Arkoma Basins (Oklahoma), and Williston Basin (North Dakota)

Abstract

Correcting bottom-hole temperatures recorded at disequilibrium conditions for use in heat flow determination remains a complex problem. We find that a single correction equation does not apply accurately to basins with different stratigraphic sections and different geological histories. We tested the Harrison correction, which was derived from the Arkoma and Anadarko basins, and the SMU correction, which is based on the AAPG BHT data, on BHT and equilibrium temperature profiles from the Williston Basin. We found that differences in litho-stratigraphy among these basins affect the correction and indicate that different basins require a separate correction scheme to achieve optimum results. The stratigraphy and geological history of the Williston Basin is a closer match with the Anadarko and Arkoma basins than with other basins used to calibrate the SMU corrections, such as the Permian basin. We attempted to quantify the best correction for a site using a method of integration between the best fit lines obtained from the data scatter plots and standard deviation which we tested on the data from the Williston Basin and the correction methods mentioned above. Integrating the curves for the uncorrected data and the Harrison correction yielded an area value of 42,932.42 degree meters with a standard deviation of 33.96 degrees Celsius. Integrating the curves for the uncorrected data and the SMU integration gave an area value of 56,910.37 degree meters and a standard deviation of 35.98 degrees Celsius. We have determined that the Harrison correction alone is the most accurate correction of the two for the Williston Basin since it yields both a smaller area between curves and a smaller standard deviation.