Belly River Formation of Western Alberta, Canada: Anatomy of an Emerging Deep Basin Oil Play

Peter E. Putnam

The Campanian Belly River Formation of western Alberta appears to form a largely bypassed deep basin type of oil play. In this setting hydrocarbons are found in lenticular fluvial reservoirs located upon folds or intersected by northwest-striking thrust faults and northeast-striking fractures.

In the western fold and thrust belt, primary porosity is preserved within relatively thick and widespread grain-supported conglomerates. To the east, secondary porosity predominates in sandy lithofacies, and the best developed porosity is found proximal to fractures which enhanced fluid migration and grain dissolution.

To the west, the unit exhibits progressive underpressuring, which reflects postorogenic sediment stripping combined with westward ground-water flow. A manifestation of the hydrodynamic regime is that many wells appear to have damaged Belly River zones because historically most exploration has been focused on deeper targets which require heavier mud weights. This style of hydrocarbon accumulation in the Belly River zone appears to cover several thousand square kilometers.

The prior emphasis on deeper targets has also inhibited seismic delineation of Belly River reservoirs. Seismic acquisition must be designed to account for the relatively shallow depth and complex geometry of potential targets. Shear wave data appear to be a promising source of information in locating the distribution of reservoirs relative to fractures.

The structural, depositional, diagenetic, and hydrodynamic development of the Belly River in western Alberta is similar to other clastic wedges formed during Laramide orogenic events. Thus, hydrocarbon accumulations may be anticipated in these other areas as well.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #91022©1989 AAPG Annual Convention, April 23-26, 1989, San Antonio, Texas.