Comparing Uncorrected and Corrected Bottom-hole Temperatures Using Published Correction Methods For the Onshore U.S. Gulf of Mexico

Release Date

2016

Publication Date

2020-03-04

Kinney, S.A., Pearson, O.N., 2016, Comparing Uncorrected and Corrected Bottom-hole Temperatures Using Published Correction Methods For the Onshore U.S. Gulf of Mexico: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F7K935QM.

Understanding subsurface thermal regimes is critical for petroleum systems analysis. The most common sources for subsurface temperatures in petroleum-producing basins are the bottom-hole temperatures (BHT) recorded while drilling wells. In basins with a long history of petroleum production, such as the onshore portion of the U.S. Gulf Coast Basin, temperature measurements from wells constitute a particularly dense spatial and stratigraphic dataset from which variations in the subsurface thermal regime can be identified and analyzed. However, a primary issue with using BHT measurements is that the readings record a combination of instrument housing, drilling fluid, and formation temperatures masking the 'true' formation temperature. Therefore, various methods to correct BHT measurements have been developed to reflect true formation temperatures.

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• Energy Resources Program
• USGS Data Release Products