Triassic Gas Resources Of The Western Canada Sedimentary Basin Interior Plains

This study describes the petroleum geology of Triassic exploration plays; provides an assessment of remaining natural gas potential; gives an economic analysis using information from exploration results; and applies an investment decision methodology to estimate the quantity of economically recoverable resources. The study is largely confined to the Peace River Arch/Embayment area and excludes Foothills structural plays.

The first part of this paper describes the discovered gas resources of the major Carboniferous and Permian gas plays in flat-lying strata beneath the western Canadian interior plains. It includes information on the regional geological framework and stratigraphy as well as a prediction for undiscovered gas resources based on geological and statistical analysis. The second part uses selected information from part I and applies an investment decision methodology to estimate the quantity of economically recoverable resources under a set of assumptions pertaining to technology, costs, and future economic parameters.

This report documents an assessment of uppermost Cretaceous to Tertiary gas resources in the interior plains of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. The resources are described in terms of detailed geological play analysis and numerical assessment of undiscovered gas potential using a technique termed the discovery process model, which employs the volume and discovery sequence of individual pools or plays, within a natural population of pools or plays, to predict undiscovered potential. The analysis evaluated 12 mature and 2 immature established plays, and identified one conceptual play. The geology of the plays is outlined in a manner that can be used as a guide for exploration, and each play is designated by geological formation, reservoir, or trap type.