Predicting oil quality from sidewall cores using PFID, TEC, and NIR analytical techniques in sandstone reservoirs, Rio Del Rey Basin, Cameroon

The expense and uncertainty of obtaining fluid samples from MDT tools provide a strong incentive for an alternative method for assessing oil character. Sidewall cores, which are inexpensive and easy to obtain, contain sufficient oil for microanalyses that can provide indications of oil quality (degree of degradation), API gravity, and numerous additional characteristics, including sulfur content, acid number, and viscosity. The present study is concerned with the application of the micro-techniques PFID (pyrolysis-flame ionization detection), TEC (thermal extraction chromatography), and NIR (near infra-red spectroscopy) for the characterization of oil from sidewall cores taken from two exploration wells in the Rio Del Rey Basin of Cameroon in 1993.