This paper seeks to overcome the shortcomings of the previously published correlation work on light oil viscosity which is commonly used in the oil industry. Viscosity was obtained from PFT data on about one hundred oil samples, which were collected from one of Africa's major oil producers-Libya. The samples were mostly collected and analyzed by Core Lab. Inc. They cover more fields and larger areas than some previously published reports. Correlations were established for these as yet unpublished viscosity data of crude oils in Libya.
Equations were developed using multiple-regression analysis to predict oil viscosity at atmospheric pressure (dead-oil viscosity), at saturation pressure, and above and below the saturation pressure.
The developed correlations are a function of easily-obtainable data, such as stock-tank oil gravity, reservoir pressure, and temperature. They have been found to adequately fit a random selection of light crudes available in the literature and to be more practical and accurate than other available techniques. They may be applied to other geographical areas with light crudes such as the Middle East, the North Sea, and some parts of North and South America.