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Resource evaluation procedures have evolved along distinct paths,
involving a variety of statistical, geochemical, and geological
approaches because of different types of data and various assumptions that have driven their development. Many methods have been
developed so far, but only those methods that have been published
and have signifi cantly infl uenced subsequent development of evaluation procedures are discussed here. The purpose of this chapter is to
present an overview of the principles of these methods and identify the
direction of future research in this area. Methods discussed include the
following:
Geological approach
•
—volumetric yield by analogy, basin classifi cation
Geochemical approach
•
—petroleum systems, burial and thermal history
Statistical approach
•
(methods that were not discussed in previous chapters are discussed here)
Finite population methods
•
—Arps and Roberts’, Bickel’s,
Kaufman’s anchored, and Chen and Sinding–Larsen’s geoanchored
7
Other Assessment Methods—An Overview
“Would you tell me please which way I ought to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said
the Cat.
—Lewis Carroll