Mapping the Oil & Gas Potential of
Canada’s North
US-Canada Northern Oil & Gas
Research Forum
November 13-15, 2012
Anchorage, Alaska
Peter Hannigan
Natural Resources Canada
Geological Survey of Canada – Calgary
3303-33 Street N.W., Calgary
Peter.Hannigan@NRCan-RNCan.gc.ca
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Present GSC Program (1)
Geo-Mapping for Energy & Minerals (GEM)
 GEM Program was announced in 2008 Federal Budget
 GEM is aimed at improving geological mapping for
resource development, with a major focus on northern
Canada
 “The development of energy and mineral resources is the
primary source of economic growth in Canada’s North.
Exploration for new mineral resources is an inherently risky
but potentially rewarding economic activity… Publicly
available geoscience maps help companies target new
exploration activity to the areas of highest mineral
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potential.”
Present GSC Program (2)
GEM Implementation
 GEM-Energy: Main focus on better knowledge
of conventional resources in sedimentary basins.
 Will include unconventional resources if
development is likely
 Will include research on areas of greatest
Uranium potential
 May include small or shallow (“stranded”) gas
fields with potential as a local energy supply
 GEM-Minerals: Focused on areas of greatest
mineral potential
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Present GSC Program (3)
GEM-Energy Objectives
 Provide a detailed resource assessment for the
North for oil, gas, and uranium, supported by
maps that indicate major geological factors
controlling the distribution of these resources.
 Compile results into publicly available databases
that are released in a timely fashion.
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Present GSC Program (4)
GEM-Energy Projects






Yukon (includes Liard)
Mackenzie Delta & Corridor
Western Arctic Islands
Eastern Arctic Islands (includes Saglek Basin)
Hudson Bay & Foxe Basin
Uranium
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GEM Project Areas
Western
Arctic
Islands
YukonLiard
ThelonNunavut
Athabasca
Basin
Hudson
Bay-Foxe
Basin
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What’s next?
 The GEM program ends on March 31, 2013
 GEM-II or Son of GEM?
 GNES program
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New Energy Supply Program- GNES
Program Focus
 Geoscientific analyses & assessments of energy resources in Canada’s frontier basins

Characterization of sedimentary basins & their geological parameters
 Petroleum basin analysis (priority frontier basins; DFAIT-UNCLOS)
 Target Outcome?
 Geoscience research on frontier basin energy plays attracts exploration interest
 Activities
 Petroleum basin data synthesis and assessment; knowledge gaps; data acquisition
 Shale-hosted petroleum
 Target Outcome?
 Increased effectiveness in exploration/ development of shale petroleum projects
 Activities
 Best-practice, standardized methodology for resource assessment

Thematic studies to characterize shales as petroleum reservoirs & to develop geoscience
proxies for commercial success in shale reservoir
 Strengthening energy geoscience-policy interface
 Canadian Energy Geoscience Innovation Cluster
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Hudson
Bay Basin
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New Energy Supply Program- GNES
Program Focus
 Geoscientific analyses & assessments of energy resources in Canada’s frontier basins

Characterization of sedimentary basins & their geological parameters
 Petroleum basin analysis (priority frontier basins; DFAIT-UNCLOS)
 Target Outcome?
 Geoscience research on frontier basin energy plays attracts exploration interest
 Activities
 Petroleum basin data synthesis and assessment; knowledge gaps; data acquisition
 Shale-hosted petroleum
 Target Outcome?
 Increased effectiveness in exploration/ development of shale petroleum projects
 Activities
 Best-practice, standardized methodology for resource assessment

Thematic studies to characterize shales as petroleum reservoirs & to develop geoscience
proxies for commercial success in shale reservoir
 Strengthening energy geoscience-policy interface
 Canadian Energy Geoscience Innovation Cluster
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Mackenzie Corridor
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Major Discoveries
2004 Lac Maunoir
, 2003 Nogha
From Lemieux, 2007
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Petroleum Wells and Pipelines
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Petroleum Potential
37 conventional oil & gas exploration plays have been defined
25 in Interior Platform; 12 in Foreland Belt
30 have enough data for quantitative analysis
Interior Platform plays have total mean in-place potential of
600 * 109 m3 of gas (21 Tcf)
387 * 106 m3 of oil (2432 MMBO)
Foreland Belt plays have total mean in-place potential of
329 * 109 m3 of gas (12 Tcf)
375 * 106 m3 of oil (2359 MMBO)
Unconventional oil & gas have not been quantitatively analyzed.
However, multi-Tcf of recoverable resources have
been announced from initial testing and fracturing (Horn River)
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Mackenzie Corridor
Undiscovered Pool Sizes (Gas)
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Mackenzie Corridor
Undiscovered Pool Sizes (Oil)
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Exploration Plays
From Lemieux, 2007
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Petroleum Prospectivity Map
Very High
High
High to Moderate
Moderate
Low to Moderate
Low
Very Low
GSC Open File 7110 (in press)
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Thank you!
For further information:
Peter.Hannigan@NRCan-RNCan.gc.ca
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