Prolific Devonian reefs found in western Canada

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1967 · World Pet.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6491614

Rowland, L O

The most provocative and exciting reef discovery play in the history of oil and gas in western Canada is accelerating in the vast wildernes region of northwestern Alberta in the vicinity of Rainbow Lake and Zama Lake. Rainbow structural character is extremely complex. Drilling to date, along with the enormous volumes of seismic shooting, has made it clear that the oil- and gas-bearing structures are very small pinnacle reefs. They are enormously thick when found and so far are uncannily easy to find by drilling, but too small to be pinpointed on a seismic record. The success ratio so far has been nothing short of miraculous when it is considered that the pools which have been completely drilled out occupy as little as 400 acres. Official government reserve estimates based on data released so far are of around one billion bbl of oil in place for the main Rainbow Field's 3 largest pools. Pay zone thicknesses in the better wells run to as much as 435 ft in the initial discovery, and up to 388 ft in the larger ''B'' pool. The reef is prolific, with very high vertical permeability indicating an effective gravity segregation drive which may justify a 60% primary recovery factor.

• OSTI ID: 6491614
• Journal Information: World Pet.; (United States), Journal Name: World Pet.; (United States) Vol. 38:1; ISSN WOPTA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200 -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
CANADA
DEVONIAN PERIOD
DRILLING
ENERGY SOURCES
EXPLORATION
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GAS INJECTION
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
NORTH AMERICA
PALEOZOIC ERA
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
PRODUCTION
REEFS
RESERVES
RESOURCES