A High-impact Gas Discovery in a Maturing Basin
(Western Canada )
Marian J.
Warren
EnCana
Corporation,
EnCana’s 2001 gas
discovery at Ferrier, Alberta in the lower Mississippian Banff Formation was a
significant new pool discovery in a long-active, competitive part of a maturing
basin. Subsequent development of the pool has produced > 50 Bcf equivalent gas + condensate, at gross production rates
of up to 100 mmcfe/day. The
gas has been produced from dolomitized crinoidal grainstone reservoir,
with up to 30% porosity and several hundred mD to
several Darcies
permeability.
Most
drilling east of the foothills in western
We used a
regional, interdisciplinary exploration approach to high-grade the most
prospective play fairways. EnCana’s discovery, the
largest pool in this new play, was significantly down-dip from known wet porous
trends. Our strategy focussed on defining regional
stratigraphic, structural and diagenetic fairways, in
order to locate 3-D seismic surveys to best image the
AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90064©2006-2007 AAPG Distinguished Lecturers