Unconventional gas potential of the lower triassic montney formation, west-central Alberta and northeastern British Columbia

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The Montney Formation in northeastern British Columbia and north-central Alberta is one of western Canada's most lucrative unconventional hydrocarbon plays. Thick (up to 350 metres thick) and aerially extensive (over five million Ha), the Montney contains estimated in-place reserves of 100 to 800 TCF (5.67-42.48 million m3). Hydrocarbons are stored within organic-rich siltstone intervals with TOCs ranging up to 4%. This play has expanded rapidly over the past five years; however, research reports that provide predictive stratigraphic and sedimentologic models are sparse. To date, published research on the Montney Formation has focused primarily on conventional reservoir intervals such as the Montney turbidite interval in west-central Alberta and shoreface clastic and bioclastic units. The detailed stratigraphy, and the nature and distribution of porosity and permeability within the Montney remain poorly understood. This proposal aims to address these interrelated knowledge gaps. Better stratigraphic and sedimentological models are critical for defining reservoir units, reservoir correlations and properties important to reservoir quality such as grain size and syndepositional cements. Analyses of early and burial diagenesis are necessary for predictions of reservoir properties, including porosity, permeability and water saturation, and for better interpretation of well logs. The research proposed here will develop integrated models for the Montney, using a number of data types. Stratigraphic and sedimentological models will be based on core studies, well logs, and chemostratigraphic analysis. A variety of petrographic and geochemical techniques will be combined with porosity and permeability measurements at different scales to develop predictive diagenetic models required to fully understand the heterogeneous nature of the Montney and develop predictive models to identify sweet spots in this thick, laterally extensive unit.