Oil and gas developments in western Canada in 1987

Journal Article · Sat Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988 · AAPG Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5903634

Portigal, M H; Creed, R M; Hogg, J R; Hewitt, M D

Exploratory drilling in western Canada increased by 21% in 1987 whereas total drilling increased by 32%. The seismic crew count increased 4% to 671 crew-months, and land expenditures increased 166% to $793 million. No major plays broke during 1987 in western Canada. The 2 major plays resulting from 1986 activity - Caroline, Alberta, and Tableland, Saskatchewan - continued to expand in 1987. By year end at Caroline, industry drilled 14 wells, which included 6 Swan Hills gas wells, 3 uphole gas wells, 3 wells standing or suspended, and 2 dry holes. The reserves for this field now are 17 billion m/sup 3/ of sales gas, 32 million m/sup 3/ of condensate, and 20 million MT of sulfur. At Tableland and surrounding areas, industry has drilled 11 oil wells and 16 dry holes. No overall reserve figures have been published for this play. In Alberta, operators had their best exploratory oil success in the Cretaceous Second White Specks and in the Devonian Nisku, Leduc, Gilwood, and Keg River; the best exploratory gas success was in the Cretaceous Viking and Paddy, and Devonian Nisku and Leduc. In British Columbia, gas drilling was successful in the Cretaceous of the Deep Basin, as well as in the Mississippian Kiskatinaw and the Triassic Halfway. In Saskatchewan, both the shallow Cretaceous gas play and the deep Devonian Winnipegosis oil play continued to expand, whereas in Manitoba the main exploration target was the Mississippian carbonates and Bakken Formation. The Northwest Territories, Beaufort Sea, and Arctic Islands had a poor year, with only 4 exploratory wells drilled - all dry holes. 7 figs., 10 tabs.

• Research Organization: Unocal Canada Ltd., Calgary, Alberta
• OSTI ID: 5903634
• Journal Information: AAPG Bull.; (United States), Journal Name: AAPG Bull.; (United States) Vol. 72:10B; ISSN AABUD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
020300 -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
03 NATURAL GAS
030200 -- Natural Gas-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
030300 -- Natural Gas-- Drilling
Production
& Processing
ALBERTA
BRITISH COLUMBIA
CANADA
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
DRILLING
EXPLORATION
EXPLORATORY WELLS
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
INDUSTRY
MANITOBA
MESOZOIC ERA
MISSISSIPPIAN PERIOD
NATURAL GAS INDUSTRY
NATURAL GAS WELLS
NORTH AMERICA
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
OIL WELLS
PALEOZOIC ERA
PETROLEUM INDUSTRY
RESERVES
RESOURCES
SASKATCHEWAN
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SEISMIC SURVEYS
SURVEYS
TRIASSIC PERIOD
WELL DRILLING
WELLS