Discovery process models are used to predict drilling success rates and field sizes for a developing basin. The earliest attempts at these predictions relied either on historical data (objective models) or on the development team's "feel" for the basin (subjective models). Recently models have been developed which are more rigorous than these earlier models. However, these models have not found general usage because they are not applicable during the early life of the basin and because they are highly data intensive. A new model has been developed which is based on these newer models but which is applicable during the entire life of the basin and which is more flexible in its data requirements. The model is applied to both a mature and an immature horizon in the Greater Green River Basin.

Keywords:
oil and gas, drilling effort, pool size distribution, pool size, basin, resource in place estimate, developmental well, upstream oil & gas, subjective data, discovery
Subjects:
Drilling Operations, Reservoir Characterization, Reserves Evaluation, Information Management and Systems, Exploration, development, structural geology, Geologic modeling, Estimates of resource in place
Copyright 1986, Society of Petroleum Engineers
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