The Potential of Grosmont Carbonates and the Path for Realizing It.

Jen Russel-Houston and Jian-Yang Yuan jrussel-houston@osumcorp.com

Thanks:Osum Grosmont TeamPetrel Robertson (Cornelius Rott)TerraWRXLaricina Grosmont Team

Photo: Madison Group, Mission Canyon Fm.

Key Message

1. The Grosmont Formation carbonate rocks host a giant bitumen reservoir.

2. Modern insitu technologies for mapping and exploiting sandstone bitumen reservoirs are applicable to carbonate reservoirs.

3. Models suggest that SAGD/solvent will be commercially viable at Saleski.

Presentation Outline

• Ancient History– Devonian Carbonate Platform

– Early Dolomitization

– Jurassic – Cretaceous Karstification

– Cretaceous – Tertiary Oil emplacement

• Recent History – 1970s 80s Pilots (Buffalo Creek)

– 2006-10; land rush, delineation wells,

seismic, reservoir simulation.

• The Future– Osum/Laricina SAGD and Solvent Pilot

Photo: Madison Group, Mission Canyon Fm.

Grosmont Formation:

Estimated 406 Billion Barrels OIIPERCB, ST98 report 2010.

Devonian Reefs

Devonian Reefs

Blakey, R. 2010. http://www2.nau.edu/rcb7/globaltext2.html

Late Devonian (360 Ma)Grosmont Platform and Devonian Reef Trends from wells.

Cutler, 1983

Bahamas Platform, photographic image from outer space by NASA

Stratigraphy

Grosmont Formation: Estimated 406 Billion Barrels OIIPERCB, ST98 report 2010.

A

A’

Grosm

ont

Devonian Reefs

After Buschkuehle et al. 2007 and Cutler, 1983

A A’

Saleski Area Base Map

149 gross sections (109 net sections)

Osum/Laricina Grosmont Pilot-SAGD/solvent-horizontal wells drilled from surface

Wabiskaw shale caprock

Cutler, 1983

Depositional Model: shallow carbonate platform

Diagenetic Model: reflux dolomitization, solution enhancement, and stratiform brecciation

After Buschkuehle et al. 2007 and Machel and Huebscher, 2001Hopkins and Barrett, 2009

Stratiform brecciation

T

P

Grosmont A, Argillaceous limemudstone and

stromatoporoid + amphipora floatstone

I

Grosmont A, Argillaceous limemudstone and

stromatoporoid + amphipora floatstoneGrosmont B,Argillaceous limemudstone

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PI

Grosmont B,Argillaceous limemudstone

T

PI

Grosmont B,Stromatoporoid + amphipora floatstoneNodular limemudstone

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PI

Grosmont B,Nodular limemudstoneGrosmont C,Argillaceous dolomudstone

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PI

Grosmont C,Argillaceous dolomudstoneNodular limemudstone (rare)Basal Seal

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PI

Grosmont C,Argillaceous massive dolomudstoneVuggy dolomudstoneProduction zone

Ф = 0.12So = 0.51Sw =0.171- Sw = 0.83

Ф = 0.14So = 0.74Sw =0.081-Sw = 0.92

Ф = 0.21So = 0.82Sw =0.041-Sw = 0.96

T

PI

Grosmont C,Argillaceous massive dolomudstoneVuggy dolomudstone

Vuggy dolomudstone, Grosmont C, facies 4, 00/07-08-085-18W4,347.00 m. Plain-polarized light. Pore space in centre (stained with blue epoxy) represents a vug filled with bitumen that was removed during thin section preparation.

Grosmont C,Vuggy dolomudstoneInjection well location

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PI

Grosmont C,Vuggy dolomudstone

Vuggy dolomudstone, Grosmont C, facies 4, 00/07-08-085-18W4,342.90 m. Plain-polarized light. Pore space in lower left corner (stained with blue epoxy) represents part of a vug. subhedral, euhedral, finely to medium crystalline.

Grosmont C,Sucrosic dolomudstoneLaminated to massive dolomudstone

Ф = 0.31So = 0.94Sw =0.021-Sw = 0.98

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PI

Grosmont C,Laminated to massive dolomudstone

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PI

Grosmont D,Argillaceous dolomudstoneBrecciated and laminated dolomudstone

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PI

AA/13-09-086-18W4, 249.40 m., Grosmont D, facies 6, Brecciated dolomudstone ("dolofudge"), Plain-polarized light. Uncleaned sample. Note extensive solution porosity and chaotic arrangement of anhedral dolomite in the matrix.

AA/13-09-086-18W4, 249.40 m., Grosmont D, facies 6, Brecciated dolomudstone ("dolofudge"), Plain-polarized light. Uncleaned sample. Note extensive solution porosity and chaotic arrangement of anhedral dolomite in the matrix.

Grosmont D Outcrop Analogue

Montana Belt Creek

Madison Group, Mission Canyon Fm.

-Greater than 10 meters thick-Paleosol with evidence of salt dissolution at the base.-Bedding still preserved within Intraformational breccia.-Correlatable along 15 km Belt Creek Valley.

Grosmont D, FA6, brecciated and laminated facies~ 12 m thick.

1

23

4

5Madison Group, Lodgepole Fm.

•20 – 40 m thick carbonate mudstone to grainstone parasequence sets.

•Correlatable along the Belt Creek Valley ~ 15 km.

Grosmont D,Brecciated and laminated dolomudstoneLaminated to massive dolomudstone

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PI

Dolomudstone, Grosmont D, facies 6, 00/07-08-085-18W4, 318.60 m. Plain-polarized light.

In the highly porous part of this field of view, dolomite rhombs have been affected by intense leaching resulting in extremely high inter- and intracrystalline porosity

Grosmont D,Laminated to massive dolomudstone

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PI

Grosmont D,Laminated to massive dolomudstone

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PI

Grosmont ATop Structure

• Dips gently to the southwest.• Top of reservoir at 260-300 m TVD• Continuous reservoir (Grosmont C +D)

Grosmont C+DNet Pay (DPOR > 12%, Sw core < 50%)

Presentation Outline

• Ancient History– Devonian Carbonate Platform

– Early Dolomitization

– Jurassic – Cretaceous Karstification

– Cretaceous – Tertiary Oil emplacement

• Recent History – 1970s 80s Pilots (Buffalo Creek)

– 2006-10; land rush, delineation wells,

seismic, reservoir simulation.

• The Future– Osum/Laricina SAGD and Solvent Pilot

Photo: Madison Group, Mission Canyon Fm.

Grosmont Formation

First drilled in 1949 100/13-17-67-23W4

Described in 1952 by Helen Belyea.

By-passed pay: hydrocarbon saturated rock that is unrecognized, uneconomic or technically not able to be produced at the time of discovery.

Early Thermal Pilots• Vertical Wells• CSS, Steam drive, in situ

combustionIssues:• Karst Zones• Poor Seismic• Immature science,

– High pressure, low quality steam

• Operational issues– Fuel supply issues– Boiler reliability– Sediment handling– Inability to dispose of

produced fluids.

Little Belt Mountains, Mission Canyon Fm. with cavern-fill breccias with clay from Kibbey Fm.

Roadside Madison Group, Mission Canyon Fm.

Subvertical fractures connect horizonally- oriented (bedding plane) dissolution enhanced high perm zones.

0.1 Derror

1 D

Lost core

Buffalo Creek Simulation

Grosmont 2010• 3D seismic • Computer simulation of old

pilots • Micro-resistivity Image log

data• Modern laboratory tests

(NMR, CAT scan)– Recovery factors 30-60%– Solvent can increase the RF

and the rate.– Vugs, fractures, and matrix all

contribute

Grosmont 2010• 3D seismic • Computer simulation of old

pilots • Micro-resistivity Image log data • Modern laboratory tests (NMR,

CAT scan)• Experience in thermal

development of clastic reservoirs with bitumen (not heavy oil).

– Horizontal drilling– Advancements in well completions

(liners, pumps) – SAGD, and more CSS

experience.

Grosmont 2010• 3D seismic • Computer simulation of old

pilots • Micro-resistivity Image log

data • Modern laboratory tests

(NMR, CAT scan)• Experience in thermal

development of clastic reservoirs with bitumen (not heavy oil).

• Value of Bitumen

WTI, annualized, inflation adjusted by CPI; after 2000 reduced, before 2000 inflated

Early Grosmont Pilots

Grosmont 2010• 3D seismic • Computer simulation of old

pilots • Micro-resistivity Image log

data • Modern laboratory tests

(NMR, CAT scan)• Experience in thermal

development of clastic reservoirs with bitumen (not heavy oil).

• Value of Bitumen• Accessibility of the Grosmont

Belyea, H.R. 1952. Notes on the Devonian system of the north-central plains of Alberta Geol. Survey Canada, Paper 52. p. 27-66.

Buschkuehle, B. E., Hein, F. J., Grobe, M. 2007. An overview of the geology of the Upper Devonian Grosmont carbonate bitumen deposit, northern Alberta, Canada. Natural Resources Research, vol. 1, no. 1. p. 3-15.

Cutler, W. G. 1983. Stratigraphy and sedimentology of the Upper Devonian Grosmont Formation, Alberta, Canada: Can. Petroleum Geology Bulletin., vol. 31, no. 4, p. 282-325.

Machel, H. G. and Huebscher, H. 2000. The Devonian heavy oil reservoir in Alberta, Canada. Zentralblatt für Geologie und Paläontologie. Teil I. Vol 1/2. p. 55-84.