GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA COMMISSION GEOLOGIQUE DU CANADA Podruski, J.A., Barc Canadz , I GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA PAPER 87-26 CONVENTIONAL OIL RESOURCES OF WESTERN CANADA (LIGHT AND MEDIUM) PART I: RESOURCE ENDOWMENT Podruski, J.A., Barclay, J.E., Hamblin, A.P., Lee, P.J., Osadetz, K.G., Procter, R.M., and Taylor, G.C. PART II: ECONOMIC ANALYSIS Conn, R.F., and Christie, J.A. @Minister of Supply and Services Canada 1987 Available in Canada through authorized book store agents and other book stores or by mail from Canadian Government Publishing Centre Supply and Services Canada Hull, Quebec, Canada KIA OS9 and from Geological Survey of Canada 601 Booth Street Ottawa, Canada KIA OE8 and Institute of Sedimentary and Petroleum Geology Geological Survey of Canada 3303 - 33rd Street, N.W. Calgary, Alberta T2L 2A7 A deposit copy of this publication is also available for reference in public libraries across Canada Cat. No. M44-87126E Canada: $10.00 ISBN 0-660-1 2650-8 Other Countries: $1 2.00 Price subject to change without notice Scientific Editor P. Fitzgerald-Moore Production manager L. Mac Lachlan Layout and artwork supervised by I. W. Thomson W. P. Vermette Typesetting supervised by P. L. Greener Cartography and Word Processing units Institute of Sedimentary and Petroleum Geology Authors' addresses Podruski, /.A,, Barclay, j.E., Hamblin, A.P., Lee, P.]., Osadetz, K.C., Procter, R.M., and Taylor, C.C. Institute of Sedimentary and Petroleum Geology 3303 - 33rd Street, N.W., Calgary, Alberta T2L 2A7 Conn, R.F., and Christie, ).A. Petroleum Resources Branch Energy, Mines and Resources 580 Booth Street, Ottawa, Ontario KIA 0E4 Cette publication est aussi disponible en francais PREFACE The major oil discovery at Leduc in 1947 led to the develop La decouverte majeure de petrole faite A Leduc en 1947 a men6 h I'essor ment of a vital Canadian petroleum industry. Conventional d'une industrie petroliere Canadienne tres prospere. Le petrole conven- oil from the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin has been tionnel du bassin sedimentaire de I'Ouest canadien a toujours constitue the mainstay of the nation's oil supply ever since. However, depuis la principale source des approvisionnements en petrole du pays. conventional oil reserves are being depleted and there is Toutefois, les reserves de pbtrole conventionnel s16puisent et il est a need to systematically estimate both the amount of un- necessaire d'estimer de maniere systematique les quantites de petrole discovered oil likely to remain in the basin and the non decouvert que renferme vraisemblablement encore le bassin ainsi economic conditions under which it may be found and que les conditions economiques dans lesquelles ce petrole peut &tre developed. decouvert et exploit&. Part I of this paper presents estimates of remaining conven- La partie I de la presente etude fournit I'estimation des ressources non tional light and medium oil potential prepared in 1986 by decouvertes de petrole conventionnel Ieger et moyen, telle que preparee the Geological Survey of Canada. It is a comprehensive en 1986 par la Commission geologique du Canada. II s'agit d'une analyse analysis of the resource endowment of the region based exhaustive des ressources de la region basee sur une analyse geologi- upon extensive geological, technical and statistical analysis que, technique et statistique des zones actuelles de production ainsi que of both present production areas and regions still to be ful- des regions non encore parfaitement explorees. Ces renseignements sont ly explored. This information is used to develop an estimate utilises pour etablir une estimation des ressources futures, exprimee en of future resources expressed in terms of probability. termes de probabilites. Part II is an economic analysis coordinated by the Energy La partie II est une analyse economique supervisee par le Secteur des Commodities Sector of the Department of Energy, Mines ressources energetiques du ministere de I'Energie, des Mines et des and Resources Canada. It takes the information from Part I Ressources du Canada. A partir des renseignements fournis dans la par- and determines the relationship between the wellhead price tie I, cette analyse ktablit la relation entre le prix du petrole en t&te de of oil and the long-term profitability of the undiscovered puits et la rentabilite a long terme des ressources non decouvertes en resources under a set of technical, cost and fiscal fonction d'un ensemble d'hypotheses sur les mkthodes, les coots et la assumptions. fiscalite. Assessments of the oil and gas resources of each of the ma- L'evaluation des ressources petrolieres et gazieres de chacun des prin- jor sedimentary basins of Canada are prepared on a regular cipaux bassins sedirnentaires du Canada est preparee sur une base basis by the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources regulitre par le ministilre de I'Energie, des Mines et des Ressources du Canada. These assessments provide timely objective Canada. Ces evaluations fournissent des analyses opportunes et objec- analyses of Canada's oil and gas resources and form a basis tives des ressources petrolieres et gazieres du Canada et constituent le for future supply planning. It is hoped that the information fondement de la planification des approvisionnements futurs. II est a provided in this study will not only identify opportunities esperer que les renseignements fournis dans la presente etude permet- for exploration and development in western Canada con- tront non seulement de reconnaitre les possibilites d'exploration et de ventional resources, but also contribute to the complex mise en valeur des ressources conventionnelles de I'Ouest canadien, science of resource appraisal. The report will be of special mais qu'ils contribueront de plus au perfectionnement de la science com- interest to anyone who wants an overview of the geological plexe de I'evaluation des ressources. Ce rapport presentera un intkr&t basis for the exploration plays and a synopsis of their particulier pour quiconque desire obtenir une vue d'ensemble de la resources. geologie des zones petrolieres et un resume de leurs ressources. OTTAWA, July 1987 R.A. Price OTTAWA, juillet 1987 R.A. Price Assistant Deputy Minister Sous-ministre adjoint Geological Survey of Canada Commission geologique du Canada R.G. Skinner R.G. Skinner Assistant Deputy Minister Sous-ministre adjoint Energy Commodities Sector Secteur des ressources energetiques CONTENTS ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................................................................... SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................................................... PART I: RESOURCE ENDOWMENT INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................... RESOURCE ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE ......................................................................................... GEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK ....................................................................................................................... BASIN DEVELOPMENT .................................................................................................................................................... CAMBRIAN. ORDOVICIAN AND SILURIAN SYSTEMS ....................................................... DEPOSITIONAL STYLE ..................... .............................................................................................................................. DISTRIBUTION ........................ ................................................................................................................................ PETROLEUM GEOLOGY .................................................................................................................................................. EXPLORATION PLAYS ...................................................................................................................................................... CONCEPTUAL PLAYS ............................................................................................................................................... ESTABLISHED PLAYS ................................................................................................................................................ DEVONIAN SYSTEM ............................................................................................................................................ DEPOSITIONAL STYLE ..................................................................................................................................................... CARBONATE UNITS - RESERVOIRS ...................... ....................................................................................... BASIN UNITS - SOURCE AND SEAL ROCKS ...................................................................................................... DISTRIBUTION ........................... ................................................................................................................................ PETROLEUM OCCURRENCE ............................................................................................................................................ PETROLEUM EXPLORATION DISTRICTS ........................................................................................................................