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Geology of the Scimitar Lake Area

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Geology of the Scimitar Lake Area Preliminary Study of Birdbear Reservoirs in West-central Saskatchewan Chao Yang and Don Kent 1 Yang, C. and Kent, D. (2010): Preliminary study of Birdbear reservoirs in west-central Saskatchewan; in Summary of Investigations 2010, Volume 1, Saskatchewan Geological Survey, Sask. Ministry of Energy and Resources, Misc. Rep. 2010-4.1, Paper A-6, 12p. Abstract Although oil has been intermittently produced from the Birdbear Formation in west-central Saskatchewan since 1968, the recent application of horizontal technology has resulted in a sharp increase of average production from 6 m3/day in January 2008 to over 165 m3/day in December 2009. This success has sparked renewed interest in the Birdbear, resulting in re-evaluation of the formation’s potential as an oil resource for the province. In west-central Saskatchewan, Birdbear oil has been recovered along the subcrop of the Birdbear Formation (Tp. 38 and 39, Rge. 24W3 to 27W3) and in the area north of Kindersley (Tp. 30 to 32, Rge. 23W3 to 28W3). Core examination, thin-section studies, and log-to-core correlation of the Birdbear pay zones are being carried out to improve understanding of reservoir quality and trapping mechanisms. North-south– and west-east–trending cross sections have been constructed to correlate the upper and lower members of the Birdbear Formation. Keywords: Devonian, Birdbear, oil production, reservoir, stratigraphy, lithology, facies, structure, diagenesis, low resistivity, west-central Saskatchewan. 1. Introduction The Birdbear Formation (Figure 1) marks the last major phase of upper Devonian carbonate sedimentation in Saskatchewan. The upper portion of the Birdbear correlates with the Nisku Formation of the Alberta Basin. In Saskatchewan, hydrocarbons are produced from this formation in two widely separated areas, the southeast and west-central. Up to 2007, cumulative production of heavy oil from the Birdbear in the west-central area was only 26 x 103 m3, but this increased to 107 x 103 m3 to May 2010, largely due to utilization of horizontal drilling technology. Kent (1968) applied a two-fold subdivision to the Birdbear of west-central Saskatchewan. He identified a lower member largely made up of argillaceous carbonate, and an upper member composed of both non-argillaceous and argillaceous dolostones. In a detailed study of the upper Birdbear in the Kindersley area, Cisyk (1991) identified lithologies that he interpreted as representing marginal bank and inter-platform basin successions, the latter being the oil-bearing rocks. He also provided a detailed analysis of the diagenesis of the various facies. A detailed study of diagenesis in the Birdbear and Nisku formations of southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan was published by Whittaker and Mountjoy in 1996. The origin of oil in the Birdbear is not clear. It is possible that that oil has the same source as the Nisku of Alberta. Winterburn Group source rocks in central to southern Alberta, which have high total organic carbon contents (up to 15%) and contain Type I and Type II organic matter deposited in open marine to lagoonal paleoenvironments, are correlated to oil within the Nisku Formation of east-central Alberta and Camrose Member/Nisku Formation of southern Alberta (Fowler et al., 2001). Their relationship to the Birdbear oil in west-central Saskatchewan requires further investigation. This paper presents preliminary results of a study initiated to better understand Birdbear reservoirs in west-central Saskatchewan from Townships 30 to 40, Ranges 23W3 to 29W3 (Figure 2). The study is focused on stratigraphic correlation of units in the upper member and on reservoir characterization using geophysical well logs, well cores and samples, and thin sections. 1 D.M. Kent Consulting Ltd., 86 Metcalfe Road, Regina, SK S4V 0H8. Saskatchewan Geological Survey 1 Summary of Investigations 2010, Volume 1 ERA PERIOD EPOCH 2. Birdbear Formation Production History in West-central Bakken Three Saskatchewan Forks Big Valley Group The Upper Devonian Nisku Torquay Formation has been one of the Upper Birdbear major oil producers in Alberta Devonian for many years. In west-central Saskatchewan Saskatchewan, before 2007, only Group Duperow 11 wells had produced from the Birdbear Formation with a cumulative output of about 3 26 000 m of oil. By May 2010, Souris River Manitoba the number of wells with Group 1st Red Bed Birdbear production history had Dawson Bay increased to 37 with total oil DEVONIAN 2nd Red Bed 3 PALEOZOIC Prairie production of almost 107 000 m Middle Evaporite (Table 1). Production is derived Devonian Elk from two regions, the first Point Winnipegosis associated with the subcrop of Group the Birdbear Formation (Tp. 38 Ashern and 39, Rge. 24W3 to 27W3), and the second located north of Lower Kindersley (Tp. 30 to 32, Rge. Devonian 23W3 to 28W3) (Figure 2). Application of horizontal well drilling has increased yearly production from 1050 m3 in 2006 to 47 760 m3 in 2009 (Figure 3). Sandstone Evaporite Carbonate Red Bed Over the 24-month period from Figure 1 - Stratigraphy of Devonian strata in the study area. January 2008 to December 2009, the number of producing wells in the Birdbear rose from five to 18 (Figure 3), increasing the monthly production from 180 m3 to 5135 m3 (Figure 4). 3. Stratigraphy, Lithology, and Facies In west-central Saskatchewan, the Frasnian Birdbear Formation is conformable with the underlying Duperow Formation and overlying Torquay Formation (Figure 1) except near the northern margin of the area where it is truncated by the sub-Mesozoic unconformity and overlain by the Lower Cretaceous Mannville Group. The Birdbear Formation is divisible into a lower member of argillaceous carbonate and an upper member containing both non- argillaceous and argillaceous dolostones (Kent, 1968). The lower member represents a single shoaling-upward sequence consisting of a basal argillaceous open marine to subtidal dolomitized mudstone unit, and an upper subtidal to intertidal argillaceous dolomitized wackestone unit. Argillaceous content generally decreases upwards. The boundary between the lower to upper members can be recognized best on the gamma-ray log where it is placed at the contact between an interval of higher gamma radiation below and one of lower gamma radiation above. In core, the contact is commonly placed at the colour change from mainly grey to beige and grey, and the increasing amount and variety of the fossil debris. This boundary is indicated in the log and core correlation of reference well Rife et al Eureka 131/14-02-032-23W3 (Figure 5) and logs of Nuvista Macklin 111/12-04-039-27W3 well (Figure 6). Regional structural cross sections of the Birdbear Formation incorporating the boundary between the lower and upper members are presented in Figures 7 and 8. In this study, the upper member of the Birdbear Formation in west-central Saskatchewan is subdivided into two informal units based on log analysis and core examination of Rife et al Eureka 131/14-02-032-23W3 well: a basal open marine sequence and an upper restricted marine sequence (Figure 5). These units are recognizable on geophysical well logs and can, therefore, be correlated across the study area (Figures 7 and 8). Unit 1 conformably overlies the lower Birdbear member. It is an open-marine subtidal to intertidal sequence composed of two fine crystalline dolomitized wackestone intervals separated by a laminated argillaceous dolostones. The lithology seen in core is easily correlated to gamma-ray log, as shown in the reference well of Rife et al Eureka 131/14-02-032-23W3 well (Figure 5). Saskatchewan Geological Survey 2 Summary of Investigations 2010, Volume 1 R28 R27 R26 R25 R24 R23W3 T40 T40 Unity 14 N T39 Core T39 Macklin T38 T38 T37 T37 21 T36 T36 T35 T35 Saskatchewan Lloydminster T34 Kerrobert T34 T33 T33 Saskatoon Kindersley T32 Core E T32 W Regina B' A' Swift Current Weyburn T31 T31 S kilometres 0 5 10 15 T30 T30 0 5 10 Birdbear subcrop (Marsh et al., 2011) miles R28 R27 R26 R25 R24 R23W3 Figure 2 - Map illustrating the location of the study area, wells with Birdbear oil production (green dots), and the location of the two cores referred to in this paper; note that in Township 39, Range 27W3, 19 wells have produced from the Birdbear. Also shown is the location of the Birdbear subcrop edge and north-south and west-east cross sections shown in Figures 7 and 8. The lower interval (Unit 1A) contains light beige to green-grey very fine crystalline dolostone in the lower part and dolomitized fine crystalline wackestone with light grey, very fine crystalline dolostone interbeds in the upper part. Diversified fauna, including brachiopods, corals, crinoids and algae, are observed in matrix-supported wackestone proportions. Some are partially dissolved, forming moldic porosity (Figure 9A). Dissolution vugs and fractures are well developed in the upper part. Average porosity, based on core analysis, is around 9% with variable maximum permeability values ranging from 1 to 1820 md. Oil staining is observed. The middle interval (Unit 1B) contains beige to grey laminated argillaceous very fine crystalline dolostone. Faunal diversity is limited. Brachiopods are observed to be concentrated along bedding plane (Figure 9B). This interval has higher porosity than unit 1A (averaging around 13%) and very low permeability (around 39 md). Saskatchewan Geological Survey 3 Summary of Investigations 2010, Volume 1 Table 1 - Production data for wells in west-central area in Saskatchewan that have produced oil from the Birdbear (to
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