An Assessment of Coalbed Methane Exploration Projects in Canada
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.J. McDougall VEY OF CANADA .C. Anderson, and W A COALBED METHANE N ASSESSMENT OF COALBED METHANE F.M. Dawson, D.L. Marchioni, GSC BULLETIN 549 2000 EXPLORATION PROJECTS IN CANADA T.C. Anderson, and W.J. McDougall 2000 BULLETIN 549 ENT OF TION PROJECTS IN CANADA s e ll re tu a GEOLOGICAL SUR n s e rc a u d o a s s n e a R C EXPLORA s e .M. Dawson, D.L. Marchioni, T rc F u AN ASSESSM o s e R l a d ra a n tu a a C N GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA BULLETIN 549 AN ASSESSMENT OF COALBED METHANE EXPLORATION PROJECTS IN CANADA F.M. Dawson, D.L. Marchioni, T.C. Anderson, and W.J. McDougall 2000 ©Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2000 Catalogue No. M42-549E ISBN No. 0-660-17871-0 Available in Canada from Geological Survey of Canada offices: 601 Booth Street Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0E8 3303-33rd Street N.W. Calgary, Alberta T2L 2A7 101-605 Robson Street Vancouver, B.C. V6B 5J3 A deposit copy of this publicaton is available for reference in public libraries across Canada Price subject to change without notice Cover Illustration Drilling for coalbed methane, northeast British Columbia (photo courtesy of D.L. Marchioni) Critical reviewers P. Hannigan K.G. Osadetz Authors’ addresses F.M. Dawson Suncor Energy Inc. 112 Fourth Ave. S.W. Calgary, Alberta T2P 0H3 D.L. Marchioni and T.C. Anderson Petro-Logic Services Limited 234 - 10A St. NW Calgary, Alberta T2N 1W6 W.J. McDougall Geological Survey of Canada (Calgary) 3303-33rd Street N.W. Calgary, Alberta T2L 2A7 Manuscript submitted: 1999/02 Approved for publication: 1999/12 CONTENTS 1 Abstract 1Résumé 1Summary 2Sommaire 5 Introduction 5 Methodology 6 Theoretical gas content analysis 6 Geological parameters 6Coal rank 6 Coal composition 6 Coal quality 7 Seam thickness 7 Reservoir thermal history and saturation 7 Depth of reservoir 7 Reservoir permeability 8 Water mitigation 8 British Columbia coastal region 8 Tsable River project 11 Nanaimo coalfield 12 British Columbia foothills and mountains 12 Southeast region 12 Mobil/Chevron Fernie Basin project 18 Gulf Canada Resources Fernie Basin project 21 Saskoil Fernie Basin project 33 Fording Coal project 39 Norcen Elk Valley project 47 Northeast region 47 Phillips Petroleum Flatbed project 60 Alberta foothills and mountains 60 Southwest region 60 Canadian Hunter project 68 Algas Coleman project 72 Algas Sullivan project 75 Saskoil, Turner Valley 79 Algas Canmore project 83 Central region 83 Northridge Exploration Ltd. 85 Shell Ram River 88 Northwest region 88 Conoco Canada project 93 Mobil Oil Canada/Chevron Canada project 97 Mobil Oil Canada/Smoky River coal 99 Alberta Plains 99 PanCanadian Ewing Lake project 104 PanCanadian Plains project 112 Gulf Canada Fenn/Big Valley project 116 Enron Twining project 121 Lionheart Consortium project 124 Alberta Energy Company Plains project 128 Gulf Gilby/Sylvan Lake project 131 PetroCanada Gilby project 135 PetroCanada Redwater project 140 Amoco Canada Plains project 146 Norcen Plains project 165 Wascana Energy Brazeau project 172 BHP Petroleum Pembina project 179 BHP Petroleum Peco project 181 BHP Petroleum Pine Creek project 189 BHP Petroleum Embarras project 195 Alberta Energy Company Columbia project 200 Canadian Hunter Red Rock project 200 Alberta Energy Company Karr project 205 Nova Scotia 207 Exploration Assessment 207 Exploration effectiveness 207 Restricted basins 208 Shallow Alberta foreland basin 208 Deep Alberta foreland basin 208 Foothills and mountain regions 209 Southeast British Columbia and southwest Alberta 209 Central and northern Alberta 209 Northeast British Columbia 210 Summary of geological parameters 210 Exploration opportunities 211 Restricted basins 211 Comox Basin 212 Stellarton and Cumberland basins 212 Shallow foreland basin deposits 213 Deep foreland basin deposits 214 Foothills and mountain structural deposits 215 Mist Mountain Formation 215 Gates Formation 216 Conclusions 216 Restricted basins 216 Shallow foreland basins 217 Deep foreland basins 217 Foothills and mountain regions 217 References Figures 9 1. General location map of the Tsable River and Nanaimo River coalfields 10 2. General stratigraphic column of coal-bearing strata in the Tsable River area 11 3. As-received and normalized gas content versus depth, Tsable River area 13 4. General location map of the Mobil/Chevron Elk Valley exploration boreholes 14 5. Stratigraphic section of the Mist Mountain Formation intersected in the a-65-E borehole 17 6. Normalized gas content versus depth of intersection for all coal samples, wellbore a-65-E 17 7. Gas content (as measured) versus ash content for all coal samples, wellbore a-65-E 19 8. General location map of Gulf Lornel boreholes a-72-c and c-12-L 21 9. Stratigraphic section of the Gulf Lornel c-12-L borehole 23 10. Normalized gas content versus depth of intersection, Gulf Fernie c-12-L canister samples 23 11. Measured gas content versus ash content for all coal samples, Gulf Fernie c-12-L 24 12. General location map of Saskoil's KPP90-1 to KPP90-4 exploration wells 26 13. Detailed stratigraphic section of the KPP90-1 borehole 27 14. Detailed stratigraphic section of the KPP90-2 borehole 28 15. Detailed stratigraphic section of the KPP90-3 borehole 29 16. Detailed stratigraphic section of the KPP90-4 borehole 32 17. Normalized gas content versus depth of intersection, KPP90-1 and KPP90-2 canister samples 32 18. Measured gas content versus ash content, KPP90-1 and KPP90-2 canister samples 34 19. Location map of the Fording Coal Limited coalbed methane exploration borehole 35 20. Detailed stratigraphic column of the Mist Mountain Formation for the Fording Coal Limited coalbed methane exploration borehole 37 21. Gas content (as measured) versus depth of intersection, Fording coal samples 37 22. Normalized gas content versus depth of intersection, Fording coal samples 38 23. Gas content (as measured) versus ash content, Fording coal samples 40 24. General location map of the Norcen Elk Valley exploration area 42 25. Detailed stratigraphic section of the Mist Mountain Formation in the Elk Valley Syncline exploration area 43 26. Normalized gas content versus depth of intersection, Elk Valley coal samples 43 27. Measured gas content versus ash content for all Elk Valley samples 45 28. Comparison of measured gas content to adsorption isotherm values of Elk Valley samples 45 29. Adsorption isotherm for Seam 10, Elk Valley, illustrating measured and normalized gas curves 47 30. Schematic diagram of Alexander Creek Syncline illustrating regions of possible permeability enhancement 48 31. General location map for the Phillips Flatbed exploration area 50 32. Detailed stratigraphic section of the Phillips d-93-B/93-I-15 borehole 51 33. Detailed stratigraphic section of the Phillips d-17-G/93-I-15 borehole 52 34. Detailed stratigraphic section of the Phillips a-21-F/93-I-15 borehole 53 35. Detailed stratigraphic section of the Phillips d-64-B/93-I-15 borehole 56 36. Normalized gas content versus depth of intersection by seam designation, Phillips Flatbed exploration area 56 37. Measured gas content versus mineral matter by seam designation, Phillips Flatbed exploration area 57 38. Measured gas content versus theoretical gas content by seam designation, Phillips Flatbed exploration area 57 39. Measured gas content versus theoretical gas content by borehole, Phillips Flatbed exploration area 59 40. Adsorption isotherm for seams A to D on an equilibrium moisture basis and as measured gas content versus pressure gradient (depth x 10.179) for borehole a-21-F 59 41. Normalized gas content and adsorption isotherm values for seams A to D on an ash-free equilibrium moisture basis versus pressure gradient (depth x 10.179) for borehole a-21-F 61 42. General location map of the Canadian Hunter Coleman exploration boreholes, Can Hunter Coleman Nos. 1, 2, and 3 62 43. Detailed stratigraphic section of coal intersections for the Can Hunter No. 1 borehole 63 44. Detailed stratigraphic section of coal intersections for the Can Hunter No. 2 borehole 64 45. Detailed stratigraphic section of coal intersections for the Can Hunter No. 3 borehole 65 46. As measured gas content versus depth of intersection, Can Hunter Nos. 2 and 3 65 47. Normalized gas content versus depth of intersection, Can Hunter Nos. 2 and 3 66 48. As measured gas content versus ash content for Can Hunter Nos. 2 and 3 66 49. As measured gas content versus degree of fracture development 69 50. General location map of the Algas Resources Coleman exploration borehole 71 51. Detailed stratigraphic section of the Algas Coleman borehole 73 52. General location map of the Algas Sullivan Creek exploration borehole 74 53. Detailed stratigraphic section of the Mist Mountain Formation in the Sullivan Creek borehole 76 54. General location map of the Saskoil Turner Valley exploration borehole 77 55. Detailed stratigraphic section of the Mist Mountain Formation coal measures intersected in the Saskoil Turner Valley borehole 80 56. General location map of the Algas Resources Canmore exploration boreholes, Algas Canmore Nos. 1 to 3 and Riverside Nos. 1 and 2 81 57. Detailed composite stratigraphic section of the Mist Mountain Formation coal measures encountered in the Canmore region 84 58. General location map of the Northridge Exploration Ltd. borehole 86 59. Detailed stratigraphic section of the Mannville coal zone for the Northridge Exploration Ltd. Caroline borehole 87 60. General location map of the Shell Ram River exploration borehole 89 61. Detailed stratigraphic section of the Grande Cache member of the Gates Formation for the Shell Ram borehole 90 62. General location map of the Conoco Hanlan exploration borehole 92 63. Detailed stratigraphic section of the upper Coalspur Formation illustrating the Val D'Or, Arbour, Silkstone and Mynheer coal zones for the Conoco Hanlan boreholes 93 64.