■ Triassic and Paleozoic Gas in the Foothills of British Columbia
■ Triassic and Paleozoic Gas in the Foothills of British Columbia
■ Rock Creek Oil Discovery at Niton
■ Rock Creek Oil Discovery at Niton
CSPG OFFICE
#160,540 - 5th Avenue SW
Calgary,Alberta,Canada T2P 0M2
Tel:403-264-5610 Fax:403-264-5898
Web:www.cspg.org
Office hours:Monday to Friday,8:30am to 4:00pm
Business Manager:Tim Howard
Email:tim.howard@cspg.org
Office Manager:Deanna Watkins
Email:deanna.watkins@cspg.org
Communications Manager:Jaimè Croft Larsen
Email:jaime.croftlarsen@cspg.org
Conventions Manager:Lori Humphrey-Clements
Email:lori.humphreyclements@cspg.org
Corporate Relations Manager:Kim MacLean
Email:kim.maclean@cspg.org
EDITORS/AUTHORS
Please submit RESERVOIR articles to the CSPG office.Submission deadline is the 23rd day of the month,two months prior to issue date. (e.g.,January 23 for the March issue).
To publish an article,the CSPG requires digital copies of the document.Text should be in Microsoft Word format and illustrations should be in TIFF format at 300 dpi.For additional information on manuscript preparation,refer to the Guidelines for Authors published in the CSPG Bulletin or contact the editor.
COORDINATING EDITOR & OPERATIONS
Jaimè Croft Larsen
CSPG
Tel:403-264-5610
Fax:403-264-5898
Email:jaime.croftlarsen@cspg.org
TECHNICAL EDITOR
Ben McKenzie
Tarheel Exploration
Tel:403-277-4496
Email:bjmck@telusplanet.net
ADVERTISING
Kim MacLean
Corporate Relations,CSPG
Tel:403-264-5610,Ext 205
Email:kim.maclean@cspg.org
Advertising inquiries should be directed to Kim MacLean.The deadline to reserve advertising space is the 23rd day of the month, two months prior to issue date.All advertising artwork should be sent directly to Kim MacLean.
The RESERVOIR is published 11 times per year by the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists. This includes a combined issue for the months of July/August.
Advertisements,as well as inserts,mailed with the publication are paid advertisements.No endorsement or sponsorship by the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists is implied.
The CSPG Rock Shop is an attractive and affordable way to target the CSPG readership. Spaces are sold at business card sizes (3.5” wide by 2” high).To reserve space or for more information,please contact Kim MacLean at 403-264-5610,ext.205.
The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in part or in full without the consent of the publisher.
ARTICLES
FRONT COVER
Banff National Park, Alberta. Meadows in the Scarab/Egypt Lake area, Banff National Park. Sugarloaf Mountain in the center and southern end of Ball Range in the background. Photo by Vic Panei.
The wonder of the internet is that so much is available with the rightly worded query.For example,using the definition function in Google for the word Outreach led to the following entry from dictionary.com n.(outrch):
1) The act or process of reaching out 2) Extent or length of reach:the vast outreach of technology;the outreach of a forest fire from mountains to suburb.
3) A systematic attempt to provide services beyond conventional limits,as to particular segments of a community:an educational outreach to illiterate adults.
The CSPG’s influence extends beyond our membership by providing outreach services to the future geoscientists of Canada and to the general public.We do this for three reasons:to inform junior and senior high school students about petroleum geology and the benefits of a career in our industry; to educate the public about the role that petroleum geology and geologists play in securing Canada’s energy future;and to support geoscience students and faculty in Canada through an aggressive schedule of visiting lecturers,supporting the three interuniversity conferences,and providing scholarships and awards to graduate and undergraduate students across the nation.
The CSPG is growing well beyond our Calgary and Alberta historical roots,through the efforts of our volunteers and members across the country.We believe that we can do more.It is a common thread in many technical and general publications and newspapers about the shortage of skilled staff.Whether it be field roughnecks and wellsite geologists to office staff such as geoscientists,reservoir engineers,and technologists,we are tremendously short of people to further develop our current resources,without even the future resources required as production declines.Technology certainly holds some of the answers and solutions but we always need creative
people,as to paraphrase Wallace Pratt,“oil is found first in the mind”.
The CSPG and the CSPG Trust are working on plans to help fill our people pipeline,and to attract the inquisitive minds envisioned by Pratt.The CSPG recognizes the success of our programs such as the Visiting Lecturer program,where we had a joint presentation by the CSPG and the CSEG with John Hogg and Michael Enachescu visiting geoscience faculties across Canada.This is also the 29th Anniversary of the Student Industry Field Trip program.We now see graduates of SIFT through the industry,and we intend on keeping the program advancing.The SIFT program has come a long way from the original days when students were billeted with volunteer geological hosts for the duration of the program.We need your help to make these programs and other plans come to fruition.
We are moving forward with the “100 Jobs Proposal”,to develop additional entry level geologists.Claus Sitzler,a member of the CSPG Trust Board,has taken on this particular challenge,which seeks to prepare young geologists with a summer position in the industry,and provide some basic orientation for the program.The 100 Jobs program could be viewed as a SIFT - lite program,in that it directly deals with more students than the SIFT program can handle.We must be certain that our industry is willing to employ the students we attract.We have also started the “Kids in Science Program”,which is a cooperative junior high school education program with the Burgess Shale Foundation; the Canadian Society of Exploration Geophysicists (CSEG);and the Association of Professional Engineers,Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA).The KISP program aim is to inform students about the broad variety of exciting careers available in the petroleum industry.
The CSPG is beginning work on additional scholarships for Petroleum Geology studies, and would like to work with universities to increase the teaching of petroleum geology. The University of Calgary is offering a B.Sc.in Petroleum Geology,the first in Canada,and will be offering an M.Sc.degree program in Reservoir Characterization (a collaborative venture between the G&G and Engineering faculties).I am sure that other universities are also gearing up to deliver the students with the skills that our industry requires. Professor Grant Wach of Dalhousie
Energy Fund 5
ARC Energy Fund 5 brings the total private equity capital raised by ARC Financial Corp. since 1997 to Cdn$1.7 Billion. The ARC Energy Funds are focused exclusively on investment in the energy sector. Areas of investment include Canadian and international oil and gas exploration and production, non-conventional resource development including oil sands and heavy oil, oilfield services, select energy infrastructure and power development.
For further information please contact:
Kevin Brown
Chief Executive Officer & Director
Nancy Smith
Senior Vice-President & Director
Lauchlan Currie President & Director
Peter Tertzakian Chief Energy Economist & Director
(...Continued from Page 5)
THE CSPG GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES ITS CORPORATE MEMBERS:
THE CSPG GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES ITS CORPORATE MEMBERS:
ABU DHABI OIL CO., LTD. (JAPAN)
APACHE CANADA LTD.
BAKER ATLAS
BG CANADA EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION, INC.
BP CANADA ENERGY COMPANY
BURLINGTON RESOURCES CANADA LTD.
CANADIAN FOREST OIL LTD.
CONOCOPHILLIPS CANADA
CORE LABORATORIES CANADA LTD.
DEVON CANADA CORPORATION
DOMINION EXPLORATION CANADA LTD.
DUVERNAY OIL CORP.
geoLOGICsystems ltd.
GRIZZLY RESOURCES LTD.
HUNT OIL COMPANY OF CANADA, INC.
HUSKY ENERGY INC.
IHS
IMPERIAL OIL RESOURCES LIMITED
LARIO OIL & GAS COMPANY
MJ SYSTEMS
MURPHY OIL COMPANY LTD.
NCE RESOURCES GROUP INC.
NEXEN INC.
NORTHROCK RESOURCES LTD.
PENN WEST PETROLEUM LTD.
PETRO-CANADA OIL AND GAS
PETROCRAFT PRODUCTS LTD.
PRIMEWEST ENERGY TRUST
RPS ENERGY
SHELL CANADA LIMITED
SPROULE ASSOCIATES LIMITED
STARPOINT ENERGY LTD.
SUNCOR ENERGY INC.
TALISMAN ENERGY INC.
TOTAL E&P CANADA LIMITED
WEATHERFORD INTERNATIONAL
University commented at the April 18 technical luncheon on the declining resources available to University geoscience faculties across the country,and the aging infrastructure they have to deal with (twenty year old microscopes,ancient work stations), and appealed to fellow geoscientists to address the need by supporting the CSPG Trust,which in turn allows the CSPG Trust to support these worthwhile activities across Canada.
We have some aggressive plans.What we need is you.We need your time,your ideas,
and your financial support to reach out to the secure the future.The question you need to ask is “Where are the Geoscientists for the Future?”.Do you want to be passive about the future,or do you want to join with the CSPG and the CSPG Trust in developing our potential for the future? You can visit the CSPG website at www.cspg.org and locate the Trust page for more information,or to make a donation.If you have any questions, comments,or concerns,or especially to volunteer,please contact me.
David Middleton CSPG Outreach Director
CORPORATE MEMBERS AS OF APRIL 24, 2006
depths visions innovations that exceed
all
CONTOURING
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Isopachs
Volumetrics
Grid operations
New flexing options
CROSS SECTIONS
New Unassigned Tops
Digital and/or Raster
Geocolumn shading
Stratigraphic/Structural
Shade between crossover
Dipmeter data
MAPPING OPTIONS
Expanded GIS Functions
Bubble maps
Production charts
Log curves
Posted data
Highlighted Symbols
3D VISUALIZATION
Deviated wellbores
Digital logs
Grid surfaces
Tops, Shows and Perfs
Land grid overlay
Map images
PETRA® delivers the industry’s only easy-to-use and affordable integrated solution for today’s workflows. It provides multi-user access to large projects through geological, petrophysical and engineering analysis tools. The PetraSeis™ option extends PETRA® into 2D/3D seismic interpretation with practical tools such as RasterSeis™ Download a trial version at www.geoplus.com, or call us at 888-738-7265 (Houston: 713-862-9449 / Calgary: 403-264-9523) for more product information.
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TECHNICAL LUNCHEONS
JUNE LUNCHEON
Bear Head LNG terminal update and fundamental changes in LNG Trade
SPEAKER
Dave Anderson Anadarko
11:30 am Tuesday,June 6,2006
TELUS CONVENTION CENTRE CALGARY, ALBERTA
Please note:
The cut-off date for ticket sales is 1:00 pm,Thursday,June 1st.
Ticket price is $28.00 + GST,
This presentation will provide background information concerning Anadarko’s Nova Scotia Bear Head LNG terminal project.The Bear Head project was purchased by Anadarko in August of 2004.Since that time, all of the major permits and approvals have been secured.Civil works began in October of 2004 and were essentially completed by December 2005.The concrete foundations for the initial two storage tanks were poured in December of 2005.Bear Head is one of only a few new LNG receiving terminals in North America currently under construction.
Long-lead items in short supply have been secured.In particular,carbon and 9% nickel steel required for the storage tanks have been ordered and are in the process of being delivered to the site.All of the major construction contracts have been let.
The presentation will include a description of the Bear Head facility and its key attributes. The project will include two 180,000 cubic meter storage tanks with a one Bcf/d sendout capacity.The deepwater jetty will be capable of accommodating the largest LNG tankers currently under consideration – 265,000 cubic meters.
With respect to changes in global LNG fundamentals,the presentation will address delays in critical supply projects,an Atlantic Basin supply-demand balance analysis,an analysis of recent U.S.LNG terminal capacity utilization,and a reflection of the world LNG pricing dynamics experienced during this past winter.
BIOGRAPHY
Dave has over 25 years of commercial experience in the petroleum industry.Dave graduated from Penn State University in 1979 with a Bachelors of Science degree.He joined Marathon Oil Company in their Findlay,Ohio corporate headquarters upon graduation from college.
ROCK
In the eight years at Marathon,Dave held various positions in the Audit and Natural Gas Divisions. Responsibilities at Marathon included spot and long-term gas sales,gas purchases,commercial aspects of gas processing,and commercial responsibilities related to major project work.
Dave joined Anadarko Petroleum Corporation in 1987 in the Gas Marketing Department.Over the years,he’s held numerous commercial positions and responsibilities.Dave has been responsible for short- and long-term sales contracts.He has also managed the commercial aspects of Anadarko’s extensive gas-gathering and gas-processing assets and has been responsible for numerous large project initiatives.
For the past ten years,Dave has been responsible for Anadarko’s international commercial development efforts.During this time,Dave has participated in negotiating production-sharing contracts,gas sales agreements,fiscal relief amendments,and various other commercial related activities.
Most recently,Dave’s responsibilities have included key roles in evaluating and implementing Anadarko’s initial involvement in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) business line.
SHOP
JUNE LUNCHEON
Royalty Trusts’ future in the Canadian oil and gas sector
SPEAKER
Paul Colburn CEO TriStar Oil & Gas Ltd.
11:30 am Tuesday,June 20,2006
TELUS CONVENTION CENTRE CALGARY, ALBERTA
Please note:The cut-off date for ticket sales is 1:00 pm,Thursday,June 15th.
Ticket price is $28.00 + GST
The mid 1980s and onward have seen a rapid rise in the number of oil and gas energy trusts operating in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin.An examination of the history of petroleum exploration and development in the WCSB,in light of Canadian business economics,will provide us with insight into the future of royalty trusts in the Canadian Oil and Gas sector.
North American equity capital markets for energy companies are very efficient at adapting to investor needs in the reality of the maturing Western Canada Sedimentary Basin.This thesis
Western Canada
Geological Edge Set
2006 Version
Now available for import into ACCUMAP, GEOSCOUT and other applications
1) Mississippian Subcrops and Devonian Reef Edges - AB, NE BC, NT and SK
will be supported,by reviewing the history of the Basin from its wildcatting days by multinational exploration companies to today’s maturing production and subsequent evolution to royalty trusts.
A review of the old paradigm where the immature Western Canada Sedimentary Basin was ruled by the multinationals for more than 60 years,ultimately giving rise to large independent oil and gas firms as the Basin continued to mature,will set the stage for the evolution into today’s current mix of large and small exploration and development companies and the rise of the royalty trusts.
We will examine this rise of the royalty trust model in the light of the new adaptation of the tax-efficient conventional oil and gas royalty trust,together with the new,high growth exploration startups.
On a macro-economic basis over the past few years investors have been experiencing the lowest interest rates in the last 50 years.In addition,after the incredible hyper-inflation of the late 1970s and early 80s,inflation has been beaten down to very low levels.Accordingly,as the baby-boomer population ages,investors are increasingly looking for better rates of return from fixed income yield products.
On this basis,as fixed income investors today look for yield product in a period of low interest rates,it is no surprise that higher yield trusts,including conventional oil and gas trusts, have evolved in Canada.Furthermore,given the particular tax legislation relating to royalty trusts in Canada,the energy trust structure is extremely tax efficient for the holders of trust units – particularly if units are held in the holders’ RRSP.
BIOGRAPHY
Paul Colburn is currently Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer ofTriStar Oil & Gas Limited.He also is on the board of six other oil and gas companies working the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin.A graduate of the University of Calgary,Mr.Colburn holds a Bachelor of Laws degree and a B.A.in Economics.
Paul started his business career as a corporate finance and oil and gas lawyer with Wascana Energy and Husky Oil Ltd.He later struck out on his own and founded Startech Energy Inc.where he held the position of Chief Executive Officer.Eight years later Startech was acquired by ARC Energy Trust.Paul then founded Crescent Point Energy Ltd., which he later converted to Cresent Point Energy Trust,and subsequently spun out Starpoint Energy Ltd.Paul then converted Starpoint to a Starpoint Energy Trust and in 2005 merged with Acclaim Energy Trust to create Canetic Resources Trust.After this business transaction,Paul started Tristar Oil & Gas limited.
Canadian International Petroleum Conference 2006
Hosted by the Petroleum Society of CIM
CIPC 2006,the Petroleum Society’s 57th Annual Technical Meeting,carries the theme,“Because Technology Changes Everything,”and will again be held at the Calgary Stampede Roundup Centre.
There will be over 150 relevant technical presentations - with topics ranging from Business Development and Risk Management,Drilling / Completions / Stimulation,Thermal Methods in Heavy Oil Recovery,and Well Test Analysis - along with four Special Interest Group sessions,two Graduate Student Presentation Competition sessions and up to 13 Tutorials.
CIPC 2006 will not only showcase leading exploration and development technologies, but will also put into practice the applications of these technologies for the over 1,000 participants anticipated to attend.A dedicated team of volunteers therefore encourages you to come and take advantage of Calgary’s famous western hospitality and plan to attend the petroleum industry’s premier technical conference,held in conjunction with the 2006 Global Petroleum Show at the Calgary Stampede Roundup Centre.
For something a little different this year, we’re planning a complimentary Conference mixer at the end of the first day (Tuesday,June 13),and all CIPC delegates are invited to join us immediately after the final session wraps up. This should be a great opportunity to do a bit of networking and to meet some of the authors.
To check out all the latest details, including registering online, please visit our conference Web site at http://www.petsoc.org.
Career Power.
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After all, investing in your career today will fuel tomorrow’s success.
To apply, please visit our website today and help us shape the future in the following challenge:
Geologists – Clastics, Structural, Tight Gas, CBM, Shale Gas and Insitu Heavy Oil
Shell is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from all qualified individuals.
www.shell.ca/careers
DIVISION TALKS
SEDIMENTOLOGY DIVISION
Cretaceous successions in the foothills of Alberta
CSPG Sedimentology Division field trip June 3 ,2006
TRIP LEADERS
Per Pedersen (Apache) and Karsten Nielsen (Neo Exploration)
The CSPG Sedimentology Division is hosting an informal one-day field trip to several outcrops of Cretaceous shelf, offshore,and shoreface siliciclastic deposits of the Colorado Group in the foothills in the Calgary vicinity.The field trip is a new initiative by the CSPG Sedimentology Division to further facilitate informal sharing of observations and knowledge and
to discuss sedimentary systems and their deposition,in this case,right on the rocks.
The outcrops we will visit represent various stages of the foreland basin marine clastic infill,each characterized by distinct marine facies.We will contrast and discuss the various interpretations of the depositional environments.We plan to examine Medicine Hat shelf sandstones at Ghost Dam,Cardium shoreface sandstones at Seebee,and Medicine Hat shelf sandstones and Virgelle shoreface sandstones on the Highwood River; however,plans depends on river levels.
There is no fee for the trip,participants are responsible for their own transporation. Bring your own lunch,snacks,and drinks
for a long day in the outdoors.Space is limited to 30 persons.Interested participants should email Karsten S. Nielsen (NeoExploration) at karsten. nielsen@neoexploration.com with the subject line “Sedimentology Division Fieldtrip Signup.” Please indicate in your email whether you can volunteer to be a driver or if you will require a ride.
Please visit www.cspgsedimentology.org website for more details.The deadline for registering is Friday,May 26,2006.
STRUCTURAL DIVISION
The Southern Alberta foothills and front ranges:A sampling of lessons from the past,and an outline of proposed GSC activities in the near future
SPEAKER
Glen Stockmal
Geological Survey of Canada (Calgary)
12:00 Noon
Thursday,June 8,2006
Petro-Canada
West Tower, room 17D (17th floor)
150 6th Avenue SW Calgary, Alberta
Research and exploration across the Foothills and Front Ranges of southern Alberta have provided us with a deep and fundamental understanding of the nature of thin-skinned thrust-and-fold belts,in addition to substantial energy resources.The Southern Canadian Rocky Mountains are often considered an “archetypal” thin-skinned belt,in large part due to the seminal publications of Bob Douglas,Clint Dahlstrom,Bert Bally,Ray Price, and many others.It is easy to take some of this knowledge for granted,and perhaps forget just how hard won it was.The first part of the presentation will briefly examine a handful of published examples and case studies,and
CSPG Structural Division workshop on lateral structural changes in thrust belts
The Structural Division of the CSPG will host an informal one-day workshop and one-day field trip on September 26 and 27,2006 in Kananaskis Country.The goal of the session is to discuss lateral variability in thrust belts.We view this as one of the ‘next frontiers’ in terms of our understanding of thrust belts, and feel that the time is right to gather a group of structural geologists to share ideas and data.
Topics for discussion may include:
• lateral ramps
• lateral thrust displacement transfer
• lateral terminations of thrust sheets
• thrust ‘swing-backs’ (in map view)
• transverse faults within thrust sheets
• inversion of pre-existing lateral structures
• changes in structural trends and their causes
• relationship of lateral changes to the temporal evolution of thrust structures
consider how each added to our present knowledge base,much of which is applicable to thrust belts world-wide.
The second part of the presentation will introduce a new Geological Survey of Canada activity in a proposed project within the GSC’s new Energy Program.The principal outputs of the project are new petroleum resource assessments,whereas among the key products of the southern Alberta activity are three 1:100,000 scale map-sheets and associated cross-sections,spanning the Eastern Cordillera from the Plains into the Front Ranges,and from the international border to the Bow River corridor.These digital compilation maps will be fully GIS-enabled,underlain in part by digital data acquired during previous GSC mapping activities.Critical to the success of this activity will be access to proprietary subsurface data to constrain regional crosssections,of which six are planned (two per map sheet).Database structures underlying GIS-enabled maps should ideally be constructed to answer particular questions. Knowing the types of questions that might be asked is clearly important in the database planning stages.
Therefore,within the context of what this area has taught us,and what it might continue to provide in terms of insights,we are looking for industry and university input and
guidance.In addition to possibly providing access to things like subsurface data,we are interested in hearing suggestions as to what the activity should emphasize,and how GISenabled maps might be used (to guide their development).This input will help to maximize the impact of these new products, and extend their useful lifetimes.
BIOGRAPHY
Glen Stockmal received a B.Sc.(Hons.) degree from the University of Manitoba in 1977,an M.Sc.from the University of Calgary in 1979, and a Ph.D.from Brown University in 1983. Following a post-doctoral fellowship at Dalhousie University,in 1985 he joined the Geological Survey of Canada in Dartmouth,N.S.In 1991, having endured a dozen years living out of sight of the Rockies,he transferred to the GSC’s Calgary office,where he has been involved in a variety of activities,including mapping in southern Alberta and northeastern B.C.
INFORMATION
Talks are free and do not require pre-registration. Please bring your lunch.Goodies and drinks are provided by HEF Petrophysical Consulting,and the room is provided by Petro-Canada.If you would like to be on the Structural Division e-mail list,or if you’d like to give a talk,please contact Jamie Jamison at (403) 269-3158 or jamie@hef.com.
• roles of lateral structures in forming structural traps for oil and gas accumulations
This event will be a true workshop,where discussion leaders will introduce topics and then lead a discussion with all participants. Volunteers are invited to lead discussion sessions.Participants with data examples of lateral structural changes are particularly encouraged.Ideas for field stops in the Kananaskis area are also welcome.
Interested participants should contact Elizabeth Atkinson (eatkinso@petrocanada.ca) or Jamie Jamison (jamie@ hef.com) to receive email updates,costs,and final agenda,by August 15.Participation is limited;preference will be given to discussion and field leaders and participants providing data,and otherwise first come first served.
2007 CALL FOR PHOTOS
JACK PORTERVIGNETTES OF CANADIAN PETROLEUM GEOLOGY
JOSEPH TYRRELL’S COMMENCEMENT TO HIS EXPLORATION TO PARTS UNKNOWN
0n June 6th,1892,Joseph Tyrrell and his assistant,Donaldson Dowling left Ottawa by railway for western Canada on the first stage of their respective routes to the starting points from where they would commence their studies.The region assigned to them was the south-central portion of the North West Territories,being bounded by the provisional districts of Athabasca on the west, Saskatchewan on the south,and Keewatin on the east.In 1898 the district of Athabasca was extended eastward,incorporating Tyrrell’s and Dowling’s area of exploration.Then,in 1905 the three provisional districts,named from north to south;Athabasca,Saskatchewan,and Assiniboia were combined to create the province of Saskatchewan;as were the district of Alberta and the western portion of Athabasca to create the province of Alberta.In the present provincial configurations,Tyrrell’s and Dowling’s investigations were essentially confined to northeastern Alberta and northern Saskatchewan lying approximately between north latitudes 55°and 60°and west longitudes 108°and 112.°The region was limited on the north by Lake Athabasca and Fond du Lac (Black or Stone Lake) and the Churchill (English or Missinipi) River on the south.To the west it was bounded by the Athabasca (Elk) River, including La Loche,Buffalo (Peter Pond),and Ile-a-la-Crosse Lakes.The eastern limits extended to Wollaston and Reindeer Lakes and the connecting Cochrane (Ice) River.The interior of this remote terrain,comprising some 35,000 square miles,had been virtually unexplored.The native density was low,with family bands of Woodland Cree and Chipewyan making infrequent hunting and trapping incursions into the region.
Between 1790 and 1805,several documented fur-trading posts,of less than five years duration,had been established along a northern canoe route,which coursed through the central portion of this remote region. Notably,Hudson’s Bay Company’s posts had been built on the east bank of Gwillim Lake,as well as another at the outpouring of Cree Lake into the upper reaches of Cree River. This post was known as Mowatt’s House.The North West Company’s post,named Indian Lake,had been established on the southwest edge of Cree Lake.To the northwest of Cree Lake,in the upper reaches of the Pipestone River,the latter being a tributary of the Cree
River,a post known as Dace’s House existed for a short period,which had been occupied by an independent fur-trader.It would appear from their respective locations that all,with the exception of the post on Gwillim Lake, were accessed by voyageurs and traders from the Lake Athabasca region by way of Fond du Lac River,Black Lake,and Cree River whereas the Gwillim Lake post was approached by the Churchill,Mudjatick (Caribou),and Gwillim Rivers.
During the late 18th century and culminating with the Hudson’s Bay Company’s union with the North West Company in 1821,competition involving these two companies,as well as independent traders from Montreal,in their quest for new beaver-rich hunting regions,had resulted in the establishment of over 600 posts in Western Canada.The vast majority of these posts were ephemeral and consequently undocumented.At the time of the union between the Hudson’s Bay Company and the North West Company,125 posts were active.After 1821,the Hudson’s Bay Company had eliminated 73 which they deemed to be unprofitable (1987,Moodie,D.Wayne et al;
Historical Atlas of Canada,ed.R.Cole Harris,vol. 1,Plate 62,pub.University of Toronto Press, Toronto).
While on a stopover in Winnipeg,Joseph Tyrrell and Donaldson Dowling visited C.C.Chapman, Commissioner of the Hudson’s Bay Company, in order to obtain letters of introduction to the managers of the Company’s trading posts that they intended to contact.The Commissioner also included directives to his post managers authorizing the furnishing,on account,of provisions and if necessary,equipment.After their arrival in Regina,Tyrrell had instructed Dowling to continue to Calgary where he was to board the Calgary and Edmonton Railway to its terminus in Edmonton.From there he was to travel some 90 miles along the EdmontonAthabasca trail to his starting point on the Athabasca River.While there,Dowling was to meet James Collins,the latter having delivered a single-masted sailboat from Selkirk,Manitoba. This vessel had been utilized by Tyrrell and Dowling during the previous two field seasons while mapping the geology of the coastline and (Continued on Page 18...)
(...Continued
islands of Lakes Winnipegosis and Winnipeg. Tyrrell had given their fishing smack a headscratching paleontologic name,Pterodactyl –not that their vessel was capable of pre-dating the feat of the Wright brothers.
From Athabasca Landing,Dowling was required by Tyrrell to survey the Athabasca River to its discharge into Lake Athabasca,including the river’s tributaries lying north of Fort McMurray. On arriving at the mouth of the Athabasca River,he was to continue his survey along its south shore to the lake’s eastern extremity, including the streams discharging into it. Dowling’s party was to arrive at the settlement of Fond du Lac,where they would be met by Tyrrell and his party not later than August 1st.
As for Joseph Tyrrell,his first stage of his summer’s survey was to attempt to reach Fond du Lac by a direct route north from Lac Ile-àla-Crosse to Black Lake.It would entail crossing a regional height of land separating the Hudson Bay watershed from the watershed of the Arctic Ocean.
Tyrrell,after detraining from the Canadian Pacific Railway at Regina,boarded the Qu’Appelle,Long Lake,and Saskatchewan Railway to its terminus at Prince Albert,the latter rail line having been completed the previous year.At Prince Albert,he hired a
CANADIAN SOCIETY OF PETROLEUM GEOLOGISTS CALL FOR NOMINATIONS 2007 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
In accordance with Article VI,subparagraph (a) of the By-Laws,the Nominating Committee hereby calls for Nominations to Stand for Election to the 2007 Executive Committee of the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists.
Nominations can be made in two ways:
1) Formal Nominations are to be made in writing,signed by at least twenty-five members in good standing and endorsed by the nominee who is consenting to stand for office.Candidates nominated in this fashion will automatically be added to the Nomination Slate.Nominations should be forwarded to the CSPG office by September 15,2006.The slate of candidates will be published in the November Reservoir and the election will take place on November 23,2006.
2) Informal Nominations can be made via email or letter;please confirm that the nominee is willing to stand for the office of choice and send to CSPG Office to the attention of the Past President.Candidates nominated in this fashion will be considered for addition to the Nomination Slate by the Nominations Committee.
The following vacancies exist for 2007:
• Vice President• Assistant Finance Director
• Assistant Program Director• Assistant Services Director
Successful candidates for the Directorships will serve two-year terms and the elected Vice President,a third one-year term as Past President.Interested parties should contact the office for details and general requirements of service on the Executive.
teamster with a light wagon and with his assistant,Herbert Porter,proceeded along the Prince Albert - Green Lake Trail,a distance of 120 miles,to its termination at the Hudson’s Bay’s depot,located at the southwest end of Green Lake.Here,Joseph Tyrrell met with a Mr. Gwillim with two Peterborough canoes.The latter had arrived several days earlier,having been previously instructed by Tyrrell to be the custodian of the canoes during their freighting from Ontario.Coincidentally,at the time of Tyrrell’s arrival,a Mr.Moberly,who was the officer in charge of the Company’s post at Ile-àla-Crosse,happened to be visiting the Company’s Green Lake depot to supervise the disposition of some of its inventory.
Fortunately,he was able to apprise Moberly of the nature and geographic extent of his intended exploration,as well as delivering to him directives from Commissioner Chapman.
On June 21st,Joseph Tyrrell commenced his initial track survey by canoe from the south end of Green Lake up its elongate configuration to its northern limits.Here,it is drained by the short Green Lake River,which,in turn discharges into the Beaver River.His survey continued down Beaver River to its mouth at Ile-à-la-Crosse Lake.This entire traverse, covering an approximate distance of 100 miles, was devoid of bedrock exposures with the exception of two locations.Tyrrell,applying the American stratigraphic terminology used for differentiating the Cretaceous strata occurring in the Upper Missouri River valley,cites the presence of:“typical Niobrara shale (Second Speckled Shale) containing large numbers of Foraminifera (Globigerina),” that he observed on the west bank of Green Lake,just to the north of the trail skirting the lake’s west shore. He inferred that since the occurrence of these Cretaceous shale fragments were positioned standing on edge and near the water’s edge,that they represent talus detached from their former in situ position comprising the valley wall.The second location,an authentic bedrock exposure was examined by Tyrrell some six miles below Grand Rapid and a short distance above the mouth of Doré River,the latter being a westflowing tributary of the Beaver River.He describes cliffs of:“well bedded,soft sandstone, probably of Dakota age,rises to a height of 90 feet on the west bank.” Tyrrell makes no mention of the presence of bitumen associated with this sand occurrence.
After arriving at the mouth of the Beaver River, Tyrrell’s party proceeded west across a five-mile stretch of Lac Ile-à-la-Crosse to reach the settlement of Ile-à-la-Crosse,consisting of a Hudson’s Bay post,Roman Catholic Mission, Residential School,and a small native community. The settlement is situated on a prominent sand peninsula located near the southwest corner of
the lake.It is reputed,that Ile-à-la-Crosse’s name was derived from the Chipewyan game of lacrosse,first observed by Canadian fur-traders from Montreal and their Iroquois canoe paddlers,The game was being played on the sandy beach of Lacrosse Island,located two-andone-quarter miles offshore from the site of Ile-àla-Crosse settlement.An alternative derivation of the lake’s name is that the game of lacrosse was introduced by the visiting Iroquois natives (1980,Russel,E.T.,:What’s in a Name – The Story Behind Saskatchewan Place Names,3rd edn., pub.Western Producer Prairie Books, Saskatoon,Sask.,p.147).
Thomas Frobisher,an independent fur pedlar from Montreal founded the first trading post at Ile-à-la-Crosse,having wintered there in 1776. He,along with his two brothers,Joseph and Benjamin,and Simon McTavish were the principals in the formation of the initial North West Company which was organized during the winter of 1783.William Linklater of the Hudson’s Bay Company had built an adjacent post to that of the North West Company in 1799 (Ibid.:1939,Morton,Arthur S.– pp.327, 453).The Roman Catholic Mission was founded in Ile-à-1a-Crosse in 1846.
The only bedrock exposure reported by Joseph Tyrrell in the environs of Lac Ile-à-la-Crosse was revealed five-and-one-half miles north of the
Hudson’s Bay Company’s post.The flat-lying outcrop was located near the southwest shore of Aubichon Arn.This northwest-trending broad channel,immediately north of Ile-à-la-Crosse, decreases in width after 17 miles to form Deep River,the watercourse leading to Methye (La Loche) Portage.Tyrrell’s description of the exposure is of a:“light-yellow,brownweathering,friable sandstone,horizontally bedded,but often shows clear false bedding.It contains many small nodules of ironstone, mixed with sandy clay shale.It contains many fragmentary remains of plants,now entirely carbonized.” He further states:“it represents some of the lower layers of the Dakota sandstone.” Once again,he makes no mention of this Lower Cretaceous sand hosting bitumen.
During his short stay at Ile-à-la-Crosse,Joseph Tyrrell engaged a métis,Pierre Girard as a guide and two Chipewyan natives,Ithingo and Heddery,as canoemen.On June 29th,1892,he and his survey crew,including their equipment and provisions,left the settlement of Ile-à-laCrosse with Tyrrell stating to:”push northward in canoes from there through the unknown country.” After proceeding some 37 miles along the lake’s west shore,his party arrived at its northern terminus.Here,a narrow expression of the Churchill River,one-and-one-half miles in length,conjoins with Shagwenaw Lake.The (Continued on Page 36...)
CSPG AWARDS – HONORARY MEMBERSHIP
Clayton H.Riddell
The CSPG welcomes Mr.Clayton H.Riddell into Honorary Membership recognizing his varied and significant contributions to the geological community,the oil and gas industry,and our society.
Clay Riddell has been involved actively in the oil and gas industry for 47 years.As a graduate of the University of Manitoba with a B.Sc.in Geology,Clay began his career as an exploration geologist with The Standard Oil Company of California in 1959.By 1969 the entrepreneurial spirit in Clay took over and he left Chevron to start his own business,C.H.Riddell Geological Consultants Ltd.He incorporated Paramount Oil & Gas Ltd.,a private oil and gas company in 1971 and in 1978 it became the basis of a new public company, Paramount Resources Ltd.
Clay recognized the shallow gas potential of the Devonian in northeastern Alberta and mapped the subcrop edges of at least five different internal reservoir members within the Grosmont Formation,as well as the Nisku Formation equivalent subcrop edge and the Leduc Formation.At the same time,Clay pioneered a second shallow gas play in northeastern Alberta. This involved the discovery of gas in the Cretaceous clastics of the McMurray and Wabiskaw formations along the Devonian salt collapse edge.
Mapping the plays is one thing,but translating the ideas into a billion-dollar enterprise is something very different.In 2003,after over 20 years of successful exploration and development on the Northeast Alberta shallow gas trends,Clay and Paramount successfully created a new public entity,Paramount Energy Trust,by transferring the original Northeast Alberta
assets into an oil and gas royalty trust structure and thereby providing a taxefficient income stream for shareholders. Again in 2005,Clay and Paramount spun out another new public entity,Trilogy Energy Trust.Clay has always had the business prowess to turn ideas into value and that genuinely sets him apart.
While successfully building essentially three intermediate-sized energy companies,Clay has also made time to be involved in industry activities serving as President of the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists (CSPG) in 1987.He served several years on the Canadian Geoscience Council.In addition,he has served two terms as a Governor of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) from 1992 to 1995 and from 1998 to 2001,including serving as the Chairman in 1993.Clay is also known for his philanthropy and he recently made a major gift to his alma mater,The University of Manitoba.
Honours and awards extended to Mr. Riddell include an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Manitoba,the Stanley Slipper Gold Medal from CSPG,the J.C.Sproule award from the Canadian Institute of Mining,Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM),and the Outstanding Explorer award from the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG),as well as business awards recognizing his entrepreneurial success. The faculty of Environment,Earth,and Resources at the University of Manitoba has been recently renamed the Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment,Earth,and Sciences.
In recognizing Mr.Clayton H.Riddell’s numerous and significant accomplishments we welcome him as a Honorary Member of the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists.
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CSPG AWARDS – HONORARY MEMBERSHIP
Dr.Donald Williams
The CSPG welcomes Dr.Gordon Donald Williams into Honorary Membership recognizing his 50-year career in teaching and administration in academia and his many contributions to the energy industry.
Dr.Williams received his B.Sc.(General Science) in 1955 from Brandon College, Brandon,Manitoba.After a few years of toiling for California Standard (now Chevron Canada Resources) and PanAmerican Petroleum (now Amoco Canada),Gordon returned to academia and was awarded his Ph.D.in 1960 from the University of Alberta. His thesis,entitled “The Mannville Group, Central Alberta”,was supervised by Drs. Robert E.Folinsbee and Charles R.Stelck. Gordon subsequently published an influential paper based on the results of his thesis work.He was also the lead author of the Upper Cretaceous chapter in the renowned Geological History of Western Canada Atlas, published in 1964,by CSPG.
After his Ph.D.,Gordon rejoined Amoco in Calgary and then returned to the Department of Geology at the University of Alberta where he developed and taught undergraduate and graduate courses in Subsurface Methods,Geology of Petroleum, Coal Geology,Stratigraphy,Engineering Geology,Historical and Physical Geology, and Geological Communication.His 25-year teaching career was spent mainly at the University of Alberta,but included two years at the University of Queensland in Australia. He was an influential teacher and mentor, supervising numerous graduate theses.Many of his former students have gone on to be leaders in the petroleum industry,both in Canada and Australia.
Gordon left the University of Alberta in 1985 and went back to “the patch” as District Geologist for Suncor Energy.
His love of teaching soon led him to become Vice President and Partner of the Canadian Petroleum Training Institute.Following this, he joined Mount Royal College in 1990 and served as Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology from 1990 to 1995.
In 1979,Gordon formed Summus Resource Evaluations Limited to offer domestic and international consulting and training to the petroleum industry.This work has taken him around the globe,and he has taught and consulted in Southeast Asia,Africa,South America,the Caribbean,Australia,England and the United States.Not surprisingly, Gordon has maintained contact with the academic community and is currently a sessional instructor in the Petroleum Land Management program in the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary.
Gordon has spent a great deal of time serving the profession in many capacities.He has been the president of both the CSPG and the Edmonton Geological Society and has served as an Acting Board Member of
the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board.Some of his most important contributions to the profession have been through his work with APEGGA and the Canadian Council of Professional Geoscientists.He served six years as a member of Council and two years as Second Vice President of APEGGA.He chaired the Canadian Geoscience Council Professional Registration Committee and the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers Geoscience Implementation Task Force.Gordon is currently a Past-President, and a Past-Chair of the Board of Directors, Canadian Council of Professional Geoscientists.
Gordon has been previously recognized for his significant contributions,and his awards include APEGGA’s L.C.Charlesworth Professional Service Award,GAC’s J.Willis Ambrose Medal and CSPG’s President’s Award.It is with great pleasure that we welcome Dr.Gordon Donald Williams as an Honorary Member of the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists.
CSPG AWARDS – GRADUATE THESIS AWARDS – BEST
Lori Meyer
The winner of the 2005 M.Sc.thesis award is Lori Meyer.Her thesis,entitled Internal Architecture of an Ancient,Deep-water, Passive Margin Turbidite System,Upper Kaza Group,Windermere Supergroup,British Columbia,was co-supervised by Dr.G.M. Ross and Dr.C.Riediger at the University of Calgary.Lori also received valuable guidance from Dr.J.P.Zonneveld (GSC-Calgary) and Dr.R.W.C.Arnott (University of Ottawa). Financial support for this study was provided by the Windermere Consortium (Anadarko Canada,Canadian Natural Resources,Devon Canada,Encana Corporation,Nexen and Shell),NSERC Research and Development Grant,and a 2003 AAPG Grant-in-Aid.
Prior to completing her M.Sc.,Lori received her B.Sc.Honors at the University of Alberta in 1999.After a year of travelling through Africa,southeast Asia,and Australia,Lori joined Advantage Energy (2000-2002).When an opportunity to study deep-water sedimentology and stratigraphy was presented,Lori could not turn down the chance to spend 50+ consecutive days mapping and camping in the Cariboo Mountains! Since completing her M.Sc.thesis, Lori has been employed at Imperial Oil Resources in Calgary where she has worked a variety of development projects in both the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin and the Arctic/Beaufort Basin.
Lori’s thesis included mapping and interpreting an unconfined,sand-rich,basinfloor submarine fan deposit in the Neoproterozoic Upper Kaza Group of the Windermere Supergroup at Castle Creek, British Columbia (Figure 1).Subglacial exposure at Castle Creek made this an excellent outcrop for determining lateral bed correlations without having to reconstruct or extrapolate correlations
Figure 1.Aerial photograph of the Castle Creek study area,Cariboo Mountains,east-central B.C.,Canada.The enclosed area shows the location of the Upper Kaza Group mapped (1:600 scale) in this study.
between measured sections that are significant distances apart.Detailed sedimentology and stratigraphy identified three stratigraphic regions in the Castle Creek study area that are interpreted as a prograding basin-floor fan depositional setting with evidence of lateral shifts (axis to off-axis) in sedimentation (Figure 2).
Lori’s work was the first detailed stratigraphic study of deep-water deposits in the Upper Kaza Group at Castle Creek and provides an outcrop analogue that can be used to simulate,compare with,and provide realistic reservoir parameters for modern deep-water petroleum reservoirs.
Figure 2.Schematic diagram showing relative changes in sandstone geometries,sediment bypass and sediment accumulation between the three stratigraphic regions (oriented oblique to paleoflow) in the Upper Kaza study area:(A) Shallow,vertically stacked channelized lobe sandstone,(B) aggradational sandstone geometry overlain by an erosive surface,denoted by the triangles and (C) off-axis location of deposition in comparison to the depositional setting described for (A) and (B),respectively.
CSPG AWARDS – M.SC. HONOURABLE MENTION
Cameron N.Toews
The 2005 recipient of an honourbale mention in the M.Sc.Category is Cameron N.Toews.His thesis,entitled “Sedimentology and Stratigraphic Architecture of the Bakken Formation (Devonian-Mississippian), West-Central Saskatchewan.” was supervised by Dr.Katherine Bergman at the University of Regina.
Cameron graduated from the University of Manitoba with a B.Sc.(Honours) in Geology in 1998.His undergraduate thesis work examined Ordovician bryozoan bioherms and was supervised by Dr. Robert Elias and Dr.Graham Young. Following two summers at Poco
Petroleums Ltd.and Star Oil and Gas Ltd., he began his M.Sc.program at the University of Regina.Cameron began at Nexen Inc.in late 2001;his project areas have included west-central Saskatchewan heavy oil properties,Athabasca in situ oil sands leases,and currently,Nexen’s Yemen Masila block.
Cameron’s thesis project was proposed and generously funded by Nexen Inc.to examine the stratigraphic architecture and depositional history of the Bakken Formation in west-central Saskatchewan. Based on detailed sedimentologic description of over 200 cores,the study identified a framework containing six depositional units that was applied to over 2,000 wells,creating a high-resolution sequence stratigraphic model.
Regionally,the Late Devonian to Early Mississippian (Fammenian-Tournaisian) Bakken Formation is a relatively thin, predominantly siliciclastic marine deposit consisting of black shale upper and lower members,with a mudstone,siltstone, sandstone,and carbonate middle member. In west-central Saskatchewan,the middle Bakken member consists of 4 depositional units,all of which record deposition and
accumulation in relatively shallow carbonate and siliciclastic marine to deltaic environments (Figure 1).The predominant reservoir unit is spatially distributed as linear sandstone accumulations that are separated by intervening thins and is reflective of deposition,migration,and abandonment of tidally-influenced shelf sand ridges similar to modern examples in the North Sea.Four,transgressiveregressive,relative sea-level cycles are interpreted to have influenced deposition of the Bakken Formation in west-central Saskatchewan,with at least two cycles related to alternating,glacial-interglacial events that occurred in the Southern Hemisphere during the Late Devonian.
This depositional model for the linear sandstone accumulations of the Bakken Formation in west-central Saskatchewan is a rare subsurface example of tidallyinfluenced shelf sand ridges and a template that predicts reservoir geometries and heterogeneities that impact secondary and tertiary heavy oil recovery methods.
Figure 1.Generalized cartoon showing the stratigraphic architecture of the Bakken Formation in west-central Saskatchewan.SB/TSE - amalgamated sequence boundary and transgressive surface of erosion.
CSPG AWARDS – PRESIDENT’S AWARD
The CSPG President’s Award is our Society’s highest service award and is generally bestowed on one or more individuals for the critical role they have played in staging a hallmark event in a given year.In 2005 that hallmark event,the product of many years of diligent preparation and volunteer time,was the AAPG Annual Convention held this past June in Calgary,and hosted by the CSPG.
And what an event it was! The convention had over 7,200 registrants,4,300 of these from outside Canada,plus an incredible technical program consisting of over 900 presentations, supplemented by dozens of field trips and short courses.The convention reaped a profit of some $1.05 Mm (Cdn).The scale of the enterprise dwarfed anything Calgary has ever seen in terms of geoscience conventions.The twenty-six person convention committee undertook a Herculean task and executed it to perfection.All committee members are to be thanked profusely for their efforts,but it was John and Marty’s thoughtful recruiting, inspiration,and guidance of that committee that is being especially acknowledged by this award.
Thus in recognition of the outstanding leadership of the local organizing committee for this convention provided by the Convention General Chair and Vice General Chair,the CSPG is very proud to give the President’s Award for 2005 to John Hogg and Marty Hewitt.
John Hogg
John is a native of Hamilton Ontario and graduated from McMaster with an honours B.Sc.in 1981.
Upon graduation,John moved to Calgary, Alberta to his first job in the oil patch with Gulf Canada Resources Ltd.,one of the original seven sisters.John was very fortunate in the early eighties to work high-risk exploration as a new hire geologist at Gulf. For his first three years John worked in the high arctic,Sverdrup Basin,in the Canadian Queen Elizabeth Islands,north of 80°.By the end of his third year he had proposed two locations for drilling off the ice islands on the Arctic Ocean.
In 1984,John decided to move to gain expertise in other offshore basins of Canada. Working for Husky Oil Operations Ltd. allowed John his first look at the exciting world of Atlantic Canada exploration.During his four years at Husky,John drilled or was involved with the drilling of about a dozen
wells on the Scotian Shelf including two significant discoveries.
John subsequently joined Petro-Canada where he worked the Jeanne D’arc Basin as a Senior Geologist.In 1997 he was hired by PanCanadian to be their Exploration Manager for Atlantic Canada,where he was involved with the 1 Tcf Jurassic Deep Panuke discovery.Most recently John joined Burlington Resources (now ConocoPhillips) where he is General Manager of New Ventures and Frontiers.
John’s contributions to CSPG over the past 25 years have been significant.He was general chair of the 1996 Pools Convention,he has served as your Society’s President in 2003, and is currently on the Board of Directors of the CSPG Trust.He has been recognized with numerous awards including the President’s Award in 1996 and the CSPG Best Paper Award in 2001.
Marty Hewitt
Marty earned his B.Sc.(Hons.) in Geology from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario Canada in 1982.After graduation, Marty joined Petro-Canada and worked for four years exploring for and developing oil and gas in northern Alberta and northeastern British Columbia.In 1986,Marty was transferred to Petro-Canada’s Frontier Exploration Group where he worked for the next 14 years,primarily in the Jeanne d’Arc Basin offshore Newfoundland in a variety of exploration and development roles,notably on the Hibernia and Terra Nova development projects.During this period,Marty completed a two-year assignment in Petro-Canada’s Frontier and International strategic planning group.Marty ended his career at PetroCanada working on the company’s assets in the North Sea.While at Petro-Canada,Marty completed his MBA degree at the University of Calgary in 1991.
In 2000,Marty moved to PanCanadian,now EnCana,joining the Gulf of Mexico exploration team.The team participated in several discoveries in the deepwater Gulf,most notably the Tahiti discovery with Chevron in 2002.In 2003,Marty became the Team Lead for the Gulf of Mexico development team.In 2004, Marty left the Gulf to manage EnCana’s exploration assets in Alaska.
Marty is currently Group Lead of Long Term Development for EnCana’s CO2 miscible flood in Weyburn,Saskatchewan responsible for a multidisciplinary team charged with characterizing this complex reservoir and optimizing recovery from this 1.4 billion barrel giant field.
Marty is an active volunteer with both the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists (CSPG),where he currently serves as Finance Director and is the co-recipient of the 2006 President’s Award and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), where he is a 2006 recipient of the Distinguished Service Award.
BIOGRAPHY
John Richard Hogg
General Chairman AAPG 2005 Calgary
John Richard Hogg was born to Christine and Melvin in Hamilton,Ontario,Canada on October 30,1958. Growing up in a blue collar “steel town”,in the early 1960s was a good place to learn about rocks.As a youngster he was intrigued by both the many fossils he found on the Niagara escarpment,which divides the north and south parts of the city of Hamilton.
In high school John concentrated on math,sciences, and music.While excelling in the natural sciences he also had an intense passion for music and played guitar,saxophone,and base trombone as well as singing in the high school choir.John also enjoyed sports and was a member of the tennis and badminton teams and participated on the track and field team throwing javelin,discus,and shot put.
John Hogg
Marty Hewitt
John’s first indications of leadership appeared in high school where he was elected the Student-President of the Music Department and in his senior year learned defeat when he finished second in the race for Student Council President of his High School.
Entering McMaster University,John planned to become a chemist.In his first year his elective was a year-long course in geology and by the end of 1977 he knew that his career path would be rocky (pun intended).By his senior year John was dedicated to the field of geology and once again served in a volunteer role as the elected President of the McMaster University undergraduate Geology Club.
After graduation in 1981,John moved to Calgary, Alberta to his first job in the oil patch with Gulf Canada Resources Ltd.,one of the original seven sisters.John was very fortunate in the early eighties to work high-risk exploration as a new hire geologist at Gulf.For his first three years John worked in the high arctic,Sverdrup Basin,in the Canadian Queen Elizabeth Islands,north of 80°.During this time John also married Amy Arnold.Amy had graduated from college and was starting work at a local hospital in the medical laboratory field.John spent those years mastering stratigraphy,sedimentology and,petroleum exploration.By the end of his third year he had proposed two locations for drilling off the ice islands on the Arctic Ocean.Both wells were drilled,one sub-economic and one dry.
In 1984,John decided to move to gain expertise in other offshore basins of Canada.Working for Husky Oil Operations Ltd.allowed John his first look at the exciting world of Atlantic Canada exploration. During his four years at Husky,John drilled or was involved with the drilling of about a dozen wells on the Scotian Shelf including two significant discoveries.During this time John was also starting to volunteer his time with his local society,the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists.While John was at Husky,in 1986,he was elected for his first term on the House of Delegates and continues to be a member of the House.
John decided to leave Husky Oil in 1988 to work offshore on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland for Petro-Canada.As a Senior Geologist,John was instrumental in the establishment of new exploration trends in the Jeanne d’Arc Basin.In 1996 John was General Chairman of a CSPG Annual Convention that raised $300,000,the first CSPG conference to break that financial barrier.
In 1997 John joined PanCanadian Energy where he is currently Exploration Manager of Atlantic Canada Exploration.In late 1998,John was involved in the most significant discovery of his exploration career while drilling a Jurassic carbonate bank underneath a depleted light gravity oil field.The discovery,Deep Panuke,has now been delineated and is estimated to contain recoverable reserves in excess of 1 trillion cubic feet.John has been actively involved in increasing PanCanadian’s asset base in Atlantic Canada and today PanCanadian is one of the leading exploration players on Canada’s Atlantic Margin.
(Continued on Page 36...)
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After the merger of PanCanadian with AEC to form EnCana,John continued to work in Atlantic Canada as the Vice President of Atlantic Canada and Greenland Exploration with a wonderful group of explorationist and engineers.In late 2004,John move to work as a Manger of New Ventures in southern Alberta exploring for unconventional resources until his departure from EnCana in the summer of 2005.John joined Burlington Resources and was manager of New Ventures within the WCSB responsible for exploring for new conventional and unconventional resources with a team of 25 geoscientists and engineers.
The purchase of Burlington by ConocoPhillips in the spring of 2006 has brought John full circle and he is now responsible for ConocoPhillips Canada’s New Ventures and Canadian Frontier assets including the far north and Atlantic Canada.
John’s contributions to the CSPG over the past 25 years have been significant and he has been recognized with numerous awards including the CSPG Best Paper Award in 2001,at the Rock the Foundations Conference and now his second President’s award this year shared with his best friend Marty Hewitt,who was the General Vice Chairman of the conference.
John has now chaired two CSPG conventions, Pools ‘96 and the AAPG 2005 meeting.His past service has included President of the CSPG in 2003 and is currently a member of the CSPG Trust board of Directors.
Today,John,Amy,their daughter Sarah and son Logan live in Calgary and enjoy spending time in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and traveling to warm destinations during the winter months.
BIOGRAPHY
Marty Hewitt
Group Lead - Long Term Development
Weyburn Business Unit
EnCana Oil & Gas Partnership,Calgary,Alberta
Marty earned his B.Sc.(Hons.) in Geology from McMaster University in Hamilton,Ontario Canada in 1982.After graduation,Marty joined PetroCanada and worked for four years exploring for and developing oil and gas in northern Alberta and northeastern British Columbia.In 1986,Marty was transferred to Petro-Canada’s Frontier Exploration Group where he worked for the next 14 years, primarily in the Jeanne d’Arc Basin offshore Newfoundland in a variety of exploration and development roles,notably on the Hibernia and Terra Nova development projects.During this period,Marty completed a two-year assignment in Petro-Canada’s Frontier and International strategic planning group.Marty ended his career at PetroCanada working on the company’s assets in the North Sea.While at Petro-Canada,Marty completed his MBA degree at the University of Calgary in 1991.
In 2000,Marty moved to PanCanadian,now EnCana,joining the Gulf of Mexico exploration team.The team participated in several discoveries in the deepwater Gulf,most notably the Tahiti discovery with Chevron in 2002.In 2003,Marty became the Team Lead for the Gulf of Mexico development team.In 2004,Marty left the Gulf to manage EnCana’s exploration assets in Alaska.
Marty is currently Group Lead of Long Term Development for EnCana’s CO2 miscible flood in Weyburn,Saskatchewan responsible for a multidisciplinary team charged with characterizing this complex reservoir and optimizing recovery from this 1.4 billion barrel giant field.
Marty is an active volunteer with both the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists (CSPG), where he currently serves as Finance Director and is the co-recipient of the 2006 President’s Award and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG),where he is a 2006 recipient of the Distinguished Service Award.
(...Continued from Page 19)
continuation of the east-flowing Churchill River from the outlet of this lake reaches its confluence with the south-flowing Mudjatick River within a distance of 11 miles.Tyrrell’s party arrived at this place on the evening of the same day as their departure from Ileà-la-Crosse.During the day’s traverse,Tyrrell reported that he observed no rocks in place.
The Mudjatick River is the most westerly of four main tributaries which enter the Churchill River from the north.Of the remaining three – Haultain, Foster,and Reindeer – only the latter,being the most easterly,had previously been surveyed.
Apart from the knowledge gained from Chipewyan and Cree hunters who had made hunting and trapping incursions into the regions drained by these rivers;their exploration had yet to be undertaken by those of European ancestry,who considered the vast region to be unknown country.
The first recorded utterance of the Mudjatick River was made by Midshipman Robert Hood who was one of the four naval officers who accompanied Lieutenant (later Sir John) Franklin of the Royal Navy on his first overland expedition of 1819-22 to the Arctic shores in search of a Northwest Passage.Midshipman Hood made the following entry,dated June 27,1820,in his journal,as Franklin’s expedition ascended the Churchill River at its confluence with the southflowing Mudjatick River;“We passed one portage,and the confluence of a river (Mudjatick) said to afford,by other rivers beyond a height of land,a shorter but more difficult route to the Athapescow (Athabasca) Lake than that which is generally pursued” (1974,:To the Arctic by Canoe 1819-1821 - The Journal and Paintings of Robert Hood - Midshipman with Franklin, ed.C.Stuart Houston,The Arctic Institute of North America,pub.McGi11 - Queen’s University Press, Montreal and London,p.112).
To be continued...
CSPG OUTREACH – ADVANCES IN EARTH SCIENCES RESEARCH CONFERENCE
BY MARC LAFLAMME AND SUZANNE BOYLE
The fifth Advances in Earth Sciences Research Conference (AESRC) was held for the first time at Queen’s University in Kingston,Ontario,on March 2nd and 3rd 2006.AESRC gathered earth scientists from Queen’s,McGill,University of Toronto, Carlton,University of Ottawa,and Princeton,fostering inter-university communication and collaboration between students.Four topical sessions spanning the entire range of the geosciences allowed for a unique interaction between faculty, graduate,and undergraduate students,and showcased multidisciplinary keynote addresses by world-leading faculty of Queen’s University.Drs Heather Jamieson, Kurt Kyser,Laurent Godin,and Jean Hutchinson introduced delegates to the
environmental impact of mine waste,the geochemistry involved with the production of in-situ dolomite,innovative perspectives on the formation of the Himalayan Mountains,and geotechnical aspects of studying landslides,while a lunchtime guest lecture by Dr.Bruce Hart of McGill,as part of the CSPG special lecture tour,brought new perspectives to the search for petroleum reservoirs.
Over 40 student delegates presented their research,with Larry Mackey (Queen’s U.), and Mark D.Smith (Ottawa U.) winning the CSPG student awards for best overall poster and oral presentation respectively.In addition,Sarah Hirschorn (U.of Toronto), Martha Mussa-Caleca (Queen’s U.),Ramon
Gonzalez-Mieres (Princeton),and Kathy Kalenchuk (Queen’s U.) were awarded best presentation for their respective fields.The overwhelming success of the conference would not have been possible without the generous donations of our sponsors:Esso Imperial Oil,Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists,Water and Earth Science Associates Ltd (WESA),Nexen Inc.,Ottawa Carleton Geosciences Centre,Malroz Environmental Sciences & Engineers, Geostatic,O’Connor Associates,and the Canadian Geosciences Council.
RENAME THE JOINT CONVENTION CONTEST
To find a new name for the Joint Conventions of the CSPG,CSEG and CWLS, the societies are asking that name suggestions to be e-mailed to contest@cspg.org by June 16,2006.Please include your contact information with your submission.
The top 5 names will be selected and voted on through a link on each society’s website. Voting will be tabulated by August 31,2006 and the new name will be used for all future joint conventions.
The winning submission will be awarded a new 30GB Apple iPod.
(In the case of duplicate names entered in the contest, preference will be given by the order of submission)
CSPG OUTREACH – STUDENT CONFERENCE
MCGILL UNIVERSITY INTERDISCIPLINARY GRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
Graduate students from the Faculty of Science at McGill University hosted the 3rd Annual Interdisciplinary Graduate Research Symposium on March 16th and 17th,2006 in Montreal,Quebec.The theme of this year’s conference was “Scientific Approaches to Complex Natural Systems”. This symposium provided a forum for student researchers to:
• Enrich their research by exchanging ideas with contemporary researchers from different scientific backgrounds
• Improve communication skills
• Give and receive valuable feedback on research efforts and presentation formats
• Develop professional contacts with researchers and industry personnel
BY ERIN CRERAR, CSPG OUTREACH COMMITTEE
The CSPG was pleased to sponsor the 1st place prize for best oral presentation, awarded to Anneli Jokela,Deptartment of Biology,Redpath Museum,McGill University. Jeff Lukasik (Petro-Canada) attended on behalf of the CSPG in conjunction with the CSPG University Outreach Lecture Tour.
In addition to his lecture,Jeff participated as a judge in this conference and presented the Oral Presentation awards to students.On behalf of the CSPG,I would like to congratulate the student-organizers at McGill University on a successful symposium and thank Jeff for his participation!
Jeff Lukasik (CSPG) presenting 1st place oral presentation award to student Anneli Jokela,Department of Biology, Redpath Museum,McGill University.
From Left to Right:Lydia Bourouiba (Honourable mention;Dept of Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences,McGill),Marc Laflamme (4th place; Dept of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering,Queen’s University),Taissa Replansky (3rd place;Dept of Biology,McGill),Anneli Jokela (1st place;Dept of Biology,Redpath Museum,McGill),Sarah Wilson (2nd place; Dept of Biology,Redpath Museum,McGill),and Jeff Lukasik (Petro-Canada/CSPG).
TRIASSIC AND PALEOZOIC GAS IN THE FOOTHILLS OF BC
This article is reprinted with permission from Canadian Discovery’s CEO map series.For information on products offered by CDL,please visit www.canadian discovery.com or call 269-3644.
ABSTRACT
A high-priced land sale is the result of recent exploration success in this underexplored portion of the British Columbia Foothills.Triassic Pardonet/ Baldonnel reservoirs are the traditional producers in this play,but recent significant success in deeper Paleozoic exploration is adding to land values in a region where considerable on-trend acreage remains unleased.
PROSPECT NAME: Boulder, NE British Columbia 93-O-9
OPERATORS OF NOTE: Talisman Energy,Burlington Resources Canada,and BP Canada
PLAY: Triassic and Paleozoic Foothills Gas
PRODUCTION OF NOTE: Talisman’s Brazion b-58-E/93-P-5 development well was open hole-completed at around 4,000m in Pennsylvanian Taylor Flat/Lower Permian Belcourt formations,and has flowed a phenomenal 23.6 bcf at an average 59.5 mmcf/d since December 2004.
RECENT ACTIVITY
On December 14,2005,agents paid almost $18.6 million or $3,447 to $3,567/ha,for three P&NG licenses totalling 5,268 ha,all rights,in the Boulder area of the northeastern British Columbia Foothills.With much open Crown remaining available in this prolific gas region,competition for land is likely high.The new sales lands are undrilled, and their surroundings are almost equally devoid of wells.The nearest attempt at production is a 629-m open hole (2,196m to 2,656m,apparently without stimulation) 1996/97 Jurassic/ Triassic completion at Talisman NFW c85-E/93-O-9;that well was plugged back after six months without any production reported.There is also Outpost c-32F/93-O-9,a Triassic test drilled in 1967/68 by Husky Oil.That well only produced 20.3 mmcf of gas from perforations between 2,874m and 3,024m,after stimulation,in the Triassic
during March 1969,before being suspended (see Activity map).
No exploration well licences were issued in the greater region during the 4Q 2005.During the first three quarters of 2005,only one exploratory well was licensed.On September 1,2005,Talisman (licensee) and Burlington licensed d-21-D/93-O-9 to the northwest of the Boulder Field and on trend with regional production,about five km from the subject lands.That well is planned to drill to 4,670m, into an unspecified formation.The d-21-D location offsets a suspended,possible multizone Triassic NFW drilled by Shell Canada in 1988/89 to 4,395m at d-30-C/93-O-9.The d21-D well also offsets a cluster of six,1998/99 deviated development Triassic tests drilled by Burlington (A,B,D-30-C;b-29-C),all with about the same orientation;all but one of these are abandoned.The track that is not abandoned is deemed a potential Baldonnel gas well.The new d-21-D could be targeting Triassic as well as Paleozoic gas.
During 1Q 2006 to February 10,only one exploratory well has been licensed.Talisman (licensee) and Burlington are partners in a deviated exploration location at a-70-J/93-O-8 licensed in early January to an unspecified formation at 5,792m.That deep well is situated within the limits of the Boulder Field (139 bcf
Boulder Activity (base map generated with IHS Energy AccuMap)
of gas from Upper Triassic Pardonet/Baldonnel A&B pools since 1996/97) and will be deeper than the ~2,525m offsetting “Pardonet/ Baldonnel” production in NFW b-70-J/93-O8.That slightly deviated producer was drilled by Shell Canada in 1987/88 and is now operated by Burlington.The b-70-J well was completed (including stimulation) in 1996 in the Baldonnel,and has flowed at an IP of ~ 1.0 mmcf/d for a total of 2.1 bcf from that reservoir.The new exploratory a-70-J will also offset deviated Outpost Talisman Burlington c51-K/93-O-8 rig released in August 2005 after drilling to an unspecified formation at 4,870m. The new a-70-J drilling is likely targeting Paleozoic gas.
OTHER SURROUNDING DEEPER WELLS AND LEASE HOLDERS
Very little drilling offsets the subject lands let alone deeper Paleozoic penetration (see Activity map).Of note is a 1959 Triad BP Pennsylvanian Taylor Flat Formation test at a15-A/93-O-10.That 3,309m test penetrated a heavily faulted Paleozoic/Triassic section which tested gas-cut mud between 2,890m and 2,966m.
Other than offsetting Talisman and Burlington
land holdings and much open Crown,BP Canada is shown as holding six contiguous 293ha leases immediately adjacent to the December 14 parcels.That 1,758-ha block,all P&NG,expired in August 2005 but its six leases are listed as continued.These lands are undrilled except for a 1963 shallow abandoned Hunt Oil Cretaceous test at b-74-D/93-O-9.
EXPLORATION BACKGROUND
Exploration and exploitation in the Rocky Mountain Foothills region of northeastern British Columbia has traditionally focussed on the shallower Triassic and Cretaceous reservoirs,with gas trapped in imbricated faulting and thrusting.The area of the subject lands is situated in the natural and truly frontier northwestern extension of a prolific section of that play type called Monkman by major operator Talisman.Monkman,where drilling has occurred since the 1960s,includes major fields such as Ojay,Grizzly,Bullmoose, Sukunka,and Boulder.Principal targets have been Triassic gas,mostly from Pardonet and Baldonnel formations;the Charlie Lake Formation contributes minor gas volumes. More recently,Talisman made significant deeper gas discoveries in the Paleozoic,
(Continued on Page 46...)
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For more information, visit www.ir.gov.sk.ca or call (306) 787-2562.
SASKATCHEWAN DISCOVER US
Triassic to Paleozoic Disturbed Belt (modified from Barss
CSPG 17th Annual Mixed Golf Tournament
FORMAT:
Friday, August 25, 2006 D’Arcy Ranch Golf Club
Modified Texas Scramble, shotgun start at 8:00am. Teams will be assigned according to handicap or average score. This is a fun tournament open to both men and women. Registration includes continental breakfast, dinner, green fees, power carts and many draw prizes. Priority will be given to CSPG members until August 4th, 2006.
REGISTRATION FORM (Please print) (On=Line forms now available at www.cspg.org)
Address (Company preferred) with postal code: ___________________________________________________________________
Work phone: _____________________ Home Phone: _____________________ email:
CSPG Member? Yes No
Club Handicap or average 18 hole score: ____________________
Primary Business (please check one of the following): Oil and Gas Consulting Service company Can you help out with scoring etc. on the day of the tournament? Yes No
One guest allowed per CSPG Member: Guest’s Name: __________________________________________________________
CSPG Member? Yes No
FEES:
Club Handicap or average 18 hole score: ____________________
Guests are welcome to join us for dinner after the tournament is over; the fees are as follows:
Registration for dinner only (Includes GST): Dinner only: $25.00 (Includes GST)
FEES TOTAL: _______________
Entry must be accompanied by the full fee and completed Waiver form. The Mixed Golf Waiver Form can be downloaded from http://www.cspg.org/events/events-social-golf.cfm. Registration will be accepted on a first-come first-served basis with priority given to CSPG members until August 4, 2006. Registration deadline is August 16, 2006. A $10 handling fee will be assessed against refunds, with no refunds for cancellations after 5:00 pm August 21. Send cheques payable to the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists, Attn: 2006 CSPG Mixed Golf Tournament to the following address or fill out the Credit Card form below and mail or fax to:
CSPG Mixed Golf Tournament
c/o David Middleton
Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists 160, 540 5 Avenue S.W., Calgary, AB T2P 0M2
VISA M/C Card #: ______________________________________ Expiry #: ___________
Name of cardholder: ____________________________________________________________________ Signature: ____________________________________________________________________________
ROCK CREEK OIL DISCOVERY AT NITON
BY ERIN CRERAR, CSPG OUTREACH COMMITTEE
This article is reprinted with permission from Canadian Discovery’s CEO map series.For information on products offered by CDL,please visit www.canadiandiscovery.com or call 269-3644.
ABSTRACT
The most significant new non-Devonian oil discovery in the Western Canada released this quarter was made by junior Diamond Tree Energy at Niton.Outpost 11-35-5412W5 went on stream in December 2004, logging an impressive IP of 583 bopd from the Middle Jurassic Rock Creek sand.More drilling success quickly followed.
PROSPECT NAME: Niton,Alberta T54,R12W5
OPERATORS OF NOTE:Diamond Tree Energy,Eastshore Energy
PLAY: Jurassic Rock Creek Oil
PRODUCTION OF NOTE: Diamond Tree’s significant production at Outpost 1135-54-12W5,with an IP of 583 bopd (plus substantial solution gas),has sparked a flurry of successful local exploratory and development drilling,and some expensive land acquisition.
RECENT ACTIVITY
The most significant new non-Devonian oil
discovery released in Western Canada in the last quarter of 2005 was made by junior Diamond Tree Energy at Niton.Outpost 1135-54-12W5 was drilled in August 2004 and went on stream in December that same year. Based on the first 2,100 hours (~3 months equivalent) of production,that well flowed at an impressive initial production (IP) of 583
bopd from the Middle Jurassic Rock Creek Member (Fernie Formation) - see log segments.To December 2005,11-35 has flowed over 71,000 barrels of oil and 86 mmcf of gas, albeit producing on a full-month basis only since September 2005.In that month,the discovery well flowed on average 599 bopd,a substantial proportion of the company’s 2,116 boe/d total average production for the first nine months of 2005.Land on which this significant discovery was made was purchased by Diamond Tree on April 7,2004,as a onesection lease,for $364/ha (P&NG to base Nordegg).
Diamond Tree Energy is a Calgarybased junior oil and gas explorer and developer focused on long-life, liquids-rich natural gas production. Initially formed in April 2001 as private Diamond Tree Resources, the company executed a reverse takeover of Wise Wood Corporation in December 2004, when it consolidated and changed its name to Diamond Tree Energy.The company’s assets are concentrated mostly in Alberta,but Diamond Tree is expanding west into northeastern British Columbia and further north into Peace River Arch country. Diamond Tree has another section of land under its own name adjacent to the 11-35 discovery.Section 2-55-12W5 graphically
(Continued on Page 44...)
Niton Rock Creek Activity (base map generated with IHS Energy AccuMap)
from Page
shows the scale of land price increases that can result from a major discovery.Diamond Tree acquired P&NG to base of Rock Creek in the SW quarter in January 2000 for $157/ha,and SE quarter in June of that year for $127/ha.In contrast,at the November 2, 2005 sale,the company paid $3,959/ha and $6,577/ha for all P&NG in the NW and NE quarters,respectively (no demonstrated prospectivity below the Rock Creek in the area).
Diamond Tree licensed and drilled one other Jurassic test in the area in 2004,on a section purchased by Golden Eagle Energy for $632/ha in April 2004.Outpost 11-27-5412W5 was dry.In 2005,the company licensed five Nordegg development and one Outpost surrounding the 11-35 discovery,resulting to date in at least three flowing gassy oil wells. Some production details are still confidential, but the reservoir is likely Rock Creek.Most notable is Outpost 1-2-55-12W5/2 which has flowed over 86,000 barrels of oil since June 2005.The company’s plans for 2006 include two locations.
Another Calgary-based junior oil and gas operator active in the environs of the 11-35 discovery is Eastshore Energy.The company, which started operations following an initial public offering in June 2003,plans to grow through the drill bit.Eastshore is focused on long-life,high-pressure liquids-rich sweet gas and light oil in west-central Alberta. Eastshore licensed one Jurassic test near the Diamond Tree discovery in 2004; development 13-34 came up dry.But three Jurassic locations licensed and drilled on the
same section during the latter half of 2005 are now pumping gassy oil.The producing reservoir is not identified,but is very likely to be the Rock Creek (1985 Talisman 6-34 Nordegg test briefly produced minor Rock Creek oil in 1990 before being abandoned). Section 34 was purchased by Antelope Land (P&NG to base Nordegg) in April 2004 for $872/ha.Eastshore’s plans for 2006 at Niton have not been fully finalized,but it appears that four to six wells are planned.
In January 2006,Eastshore announced an important light crude discovery at Niton.That well has nine metres of pay and flow was reported to have stabilized at over 300 boe/d (light oil plus solution gas) in March 2006.The company has not revealed the precise location nor the interval of its discovery.
Both Eastshore and Diamond Tree are applying for Good Production Practice (GPP) for their oil wells at Niton.If the EUB does not grant
GPP to Diamond Tree,the company could implement a secondary recovery scheme to boost rates,reserves,and reserves life.
ROCK CREEK SANDS PLAY
The Niton Field is an important multi-zone oil and gas producer.The new Rock Creek discovery (Rock Creek W) and its follow-up drilling are located at the southern edge of, by far,the largest single pool in the field,the Basal Quartz A & Rock Creek F,which has produced 10.4 million barrels of 37º API oil and 322 bcf of gas since 1965.Production in the field is largely from the Lower Cretaceous Basal Quartz Formation and Rock Creek,with some oil and gas from the Upper Cretaceous Cardium Formation.
The Niton Rock Creek reservoirs are a small part of an important,largely stratigraphic play involving Rock Creek sands surrounded and sealed by shales (see Play map segment). Drape over underlying basement structures and drape over deeper Devonian reefs and bank margins may provide additional trapping.The Rock Creek Member is unconformably underlain by the Middle Poker Chip shales (Fernie Formation) and unconformably overlain by the Upper Fernie Grey Bed shales,which in turn are unconformably overlain by Lower Cretaceous strata.Often the JurassicCretaceous unconformity is indistinguishable on logs.Use of core and palynology or detailed facies analysis may assist in differentiating the Jurassic from Cretaceous sediments.The Rock Creek Member consists of a heterogeneous package of sandstones, coquinas,shales,and mudstones deposited on a shallow marine shelf.Reservoirs are dominantly sandy coquinas,coquinoid sandstones,or quartz arenites.
There is evidently much room for new, stacked hydrocarbon discoveries at Niton and elsewhere in the extensive Rock Creek Sands play area.
Rock Creek Sands Play (source:Strategy 2005)
Rock Creek Sands Central Alberta (source:Strategy 2005) (...Continued
43)
2006 CSPG CSEG CWLS CONVENTION – THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS!
Thank you to all the volunteers on the Organizing Committee who made the 2006 CSPG CSEG CWLS Joint Convention a success!
General Co-Chair (CSPG)
Mark Cooper EnCana Corporation
General Co-Chair (CSEG)
Kevin Marsh
GEO-X
General Co-Chair (CWLS)
Roy Benteau
EOG Resources
Finance Chair
Darren Aldridge
Baker Atlas
Technical Prog.Co-Chair (CSPG)
Kirk Osadetz
Geological Survey of Canada
Technical Prog.Co-Chair (CSEG)
Satinder Chopra
Arcis Corporation
Technical Prog.Co-Chair (CWLS)
Allan Pickel
Suncor
Field Trips (CSPG)
Dave Kisilevsky
Petrel Robertson
(...Continued from Page 41)
specifically in Upper Mississippian/ Pennsylvanian Stoddart Group to Permian Ishbel Group rocks.The Mississippian Debolt Formation (Rundle Group) could also be prospective,but no production has yet been reported from that zone.The first deep discovery was announced by Talisman in July 2002 at a-79-J/93-P-4 at Sukunka.That well, which is nearly 60 km southeast of the subject lands,initially flowed sour gas at 8.0 to 12.0 mmcf/d from the Pennsylvanian Taylor Flat Formation.The discovery well is still flowing at 3.5 mmcf/d (December 2005),having cumulated 5.4 bcf from perforations between 3,984m and 4,418m.More Taylor Flat success followed,including notably the Talisman Brazion b-58-E/93-P-5 development well
Short Courses (CSPG)
Elizabeth O’Neill
Samson Canada
Short Courses (CWLS)
Brian Glover
Petro Canada
Posters (CSPG)
Greg Cave
Samson Canada Ltd
Darren Singleton
Posters (CSEG)
Joanne Lanteigne
Paradigm
Posters (CWLS)
Burnie Cossette
IHS Energy
Core Conference
Jim E.Barclay
Burlington Resources Canada
Pauline Chung
Burlington Resources Canada
Judging & Awards (CSEG)
Dieter Nordgaard
Apoterra
Sponsorship Chair
Mike Seifert
RECON Petrotechnologies Ltd
Exhibits Chair
Matt Earle Arcis Corporation
located closest to the subject lands.In that well,a 3,986m to 4,083m open hole completion in Taylor Flat / Lower Permian Belcourt Formation has flowed a phenomenal 23.6 bcf at an average 59.5 mmcf/d since December 2004.
STACKED DISTURBED BELT RESERVOIRS
Stacked or imbricated Laramide thrust sheets,producing mostly from Upper Triassic Baldonnel/Pardonet formations,form a very productive play centred on the Sukunka/Bullmoose region and expanding northwestward into the Boulder area. Tectonic fracturing has enhanced the dolomitized reservoirs.
More recent,but expanding into the same geographic region is the deeper,Paleozoic
Exhibits Committee
Nolan Moore
Trivision Geosystems Ltd.
Jim Fleming Western Diazo
Carly Frank EnCana Corporation
Tracy Schuart EnCana Corporation
Vlad Iglesias WELLTEC CANADA INC
Vic Urban Arcis Corporation
Publications & Communications Chair
Corey Hooge
Pioneer Natural Resources
Marketing & Publicity
Jeannette Watson Schulmberger - Petrel
Special Events
Andrea Reiserer geoLOGIC systems ltd.
Volunteer Coordinator
Glenn Karlen EnCana
Volunteer Coordinator (Info Desk)
Marilyn Neary Enerplus Resources Fund
component of the foothills thrust-and-fold play type which,thus far,has resulted in discoveries in Taylor Flat carbonates (the Lower Permian Belcourt carbonates are mentioned as being productive in at least one well,b-58-E/93-P-5 - see above).Paleozoic reservoirs are also enhanced by fracturing.
This deeper play is expensive to pursue,at 4,000 to 6,500m,but the potential rewards are very significant as shown by the b-58-E completion.Modern 3D seismic,better completion methods and knowledge acquired through drilling help in reducing the risk in this geologically complex region. Deeper Mississippian strata such as the Debolt may eventually also prove to be productive.
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