Petroleum Resource Assessment, Paleozoic successions of the St. Lawrence Platform and Appalachians of eastern Canada

Abstract

The Cambrian-Permian successions in eastern Canada belong to three tectonostratigraphic domains, 1) the autochthonous St. Lawrence Platform, underlain by Cambrian to Devonian (?) rocks which extends from southern Quebec to western Newfoundland, 2) the Appalachians formed by Cambrian to Devonian rocks lying south and east of the St. Lawrence Platform and extending to the Atlantic Ocean, and 3) autochthonous Carboniferous to Permian rocks located offshore in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and in the onshore surrounding areas. Each succession contains unique source rock and reservoir units and specific trap types. Even though all of the basins contain producing or discovered hydrocarbon fields, there has been no recent evaluation of their ultimate oil and gas resource potential. A total of 15 conventional petroleum plays and 3 unconventional gas plays have been recognized in Paleozoic strata. Two conventional plays are recognized in Quaternary sediments. Of the 15 conventional Paleozoic plays, 6 have sufficient exploration and/or production data or good analogues to formulate a full quantitative assessment. Of these 6 plays, 4 are assessed for oil and gas potential, 1 for oil potential, and 1 for gas potential. Given the fact that a large number of conventional and all of the unconventional plays cannot be quantitatively assessed, the total resource presented herein is a minimum potential as evidence for hydrocarbon charge is compelling in most of the qualitatively assessed plays. The assessed plays of the eastern Canada Paleozoic basins have a cumulative median (P50%) in-place potential of 1170*109 m3 (41 Tcf) of natural gas and 403*106 m3 (2.5 BBO) of oil. The Carboniferous Maritimes Basin accounts for about 95% (1109*109 m3 or 39 Tcf) and 60% (235*106 m3 or 1.5 BBO) of the total gas and oil resource potential, respectively. The assessment results provide important new insights into the energy resource endowment of Paleozoic basins in eastern Canada. In particular, the assessment results indicate Carboniferous basins have a large gas resource potential, much higher than previously estimated. Moreover, the preliminary estimates from the industry (not quantitatively evaluated in this report) of the shale gas potential in the Ordovician succession alone, is assumed to be over 40 Tcf. Our sincere thanks to Jim Dixon who reviewed the initial draft and made very useful comments and suggestions for improvement.

Tracking low-temperature tectonism of the St. Lawrence Platform and Humber Zone, southern Quebec Appalachians, through apatite and zircon (U–Th)/He thermochronology

“…In the southwestern section of the SLP, the lowest most sedimentary unit (Potsdam Group) was sampled since it should reflect the most complete history of the region. These Potsdam Group samples in the southwest 5 have the highest degree of thermal maturation, with %Ro values >3.5 , and may record increased burial as a result of westward sedimentation from the Acadian orogeny as is debated in the literature Lavoie et al 2009). One sample from the Beekmantown/ Theresa formations was also sampled from this area.…”

“…Previous vitrinite reflectance studies Yang and Hesse 1993) have resolved the degree of thermal maturation yet the timing of the thermal maximum is not well understood. Two possible scenarios exist for the timing of the thermal maximum in the SLP (Lavoie et al 2009): i) during the late Ordovician as a result of the Taconic Orogeny or ii) during the late Devonian as a result of the Acadian Orogeny. Determining the timing of burial and heating of this basin can allow for a better understanding of the shallow crustal processes that may have permitted the generation and entrapment of oil and gas.…”

A preliminary assessment of carbon storage suitability in deep underground geological formations of New Brunswick, Canada

“…Other Monteagle cores have open fractures and faults. On PEI, the Spring Valley well indicates porosities of 12-20% in sandstone at 1.0-1.3 km depth (Lavoie et al 2009). Th e nearby Irishtown well has slightly lower logcalculated porosities.…”

“…3) by St. Peter and MacIntosh (2005) and Lavoie et al (2009). Data only exist for the northeastern third of the Matapédia Basin Complex and most surface rocks are thermally overmature.…”

Monitoring the Earthquake Activity in an Area with Shale Gas Potential in Southeastern New Brunswick, Canada

“…The Maritimes basin has numerous potential and proven hydrocarbon systems (Lavoie et al, 2009;Dietrich et al, 2011). In 1859, one of North America's first oil wells was drilled just outside Moncton, near the village of Dover (St. Peter and Johnson, 2009).…”