--> Abstract: Reservoir Geology of Abbey/Lacadena Milk River Equivalent Gas Field, Saskatchewan, by Brad Ford, Bill Gatenby, and Michael Staniland; #90039 (2005)

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Reservoir Geology of Abbey/Lacadena Milk River Equivalent Gas Field, Saskatchewan

Brad Ford1, Bill Gatenby1, and Michael Staniland2
1 Husky Energy, Calgary, AB
2 Encana, Calgary, AB

Abbey/Lacadena is a new Milk River equivalent (MRE) gas field in southern Saskatchewan. Development began in 2001 with some 1000 wells drilled to date. Production of biogenic methane is relatively stable at 118 mmcf/d. Cumulative production is 74 bcf with estimates of ultimate recoverable reserves for the entire field well in excess of 250 bcf.

A “distal” shelf setting is proposed for the MRE in the field and a storm-current origin for the very thin silt/sand beds that characterize the main 30 m productive interval. This main “pay” zone consists of hundreds of centimeter-scale permeable beds. Other “sandy” intervals in the MRE are almost completely burrow-homogenized and have limited production potential. New cores cut by Husky allow refinement of depositional model and discrimination of low-quality thin beds deposited from suspension in storm-induced currents (below storm wave base) from high quality thin beds deposited from combined flow currents (above storm wave base).

The field is situated on a broad domal structure with a closed area of more than 650 square miles and “vertical closure” of no more than 30 m. Water:gas ratio increases down the flanks of the structure and an apparent economic limit can be drawn at about +350 m.

Completions consist of multiple small fracs located within the established higher quality reservoir interval. Typical initial rates range from 500 mcf/d to 100 mcf/d and decrease systematically from southwest to northeast (at comparable elevations), probably due to an increasing proportion of low-quality thin beds.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90039©2005 AAPG Calgary, Alberta, June 16-19, 2005