Montney Formation

Montney Formation
Montney Formation
Stratigraphic range: Anisian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Type	Geological formation
Underlies	Doig Formation, Fernie Group
Overlies	Belloy Formation
Area	130,000 square kilometres (50,190 sq mi)
Thickness	up to 280 metres (920 ft)
Lithology
Primary	Siltstone and shale
Other	Dolomitic siltstone, sandstone
Location
Coordinates	56°34′18″N 121°13′19″W / 56.57159°N 121.2219°W
Region	British Columbia, Alberta
Country	Canada
Type section
Named for	Montney, British Columbia
Named by	J.H. Armitage, 1962
	Montney Formation (Canada)

The Montney Formation is a stratigraphical unit of Lower Triassic age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin in British Columbia and Alberta.

It takes the name from the hamlet of Montney and was first described in Texaco's Buick Creek No. 7 well by J.H. Armitage in 1962.^[3] The well was drilled 41 kilometers (25 mi) north of Fort St. John, immediately east of the Alaska Highway.

Lithology

The formation is composed of siltstone and dark grey shale, with dolomitic siltstone in the base and fine grained sandstone towards the top.^[2] The facies is shaley in the north and west of the extent (Fort St. John), silty in the center (Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe areas) and becomes coarser (sandy) in western Alberta (Valleyview area).^[4]

Oil and gas production

The Montney Formation is a major shale gas and tight oil resource. A comprehensive joint study on the potential of the Montney Formation was completed by the National Energy Board, British Columbia Oil and Gas Commission and the Alberta Energy Regulator in 2013. This study found that the potential resources contained within the formation were 449 trillion cubic feet of marketable natural gas, 14,521 million barrels of marketable natural gas liquids (NGLs) and 1,125 million barrels of oil. This estimate makes it one of the largest known gas resources in the world and equivalent to 145 years of Canada's 2012 consumption.^[5]^[6]

Gas is produced from the Montney Formation in both British Columbia and Alberta. Major operators include Seven Generations Energy Ltd., Progress Energy Canada Ltd. (a subsidiary of Malaysia's (PETRONAS), Painted Pony Energy Ltd., Royal Dutch Shell plc, Encana Corporation, Murphy Oil Corporation, ARC Resources Ltd., and Advantage Oil & Gas Ltd.^[7]^[8] and oil is produced from the formation in Northern Alberta.^[4] Horizontal drilling and extensive fracturing process is necessary to have the fluid flow through the low permeability siltstone. Shale gas extraction emerged in the late 2000s in the distal facies of the formation's western extent.

Hydraulic fracturing in Canada

Massive hydraulic fracturing has been widely used in Alberta since the late 1970s.^[9]^: 1044 The method is currently used in development of the Cardium, Duvernay, Montney and Viking formations in Alberta, Bakken formation in Saskatchewan, Montney and Horn River formations in British Columbia.

Distribution

The Montney Formation reaches maximum thickness in the foothills of the northern Canadian Rockies at 280 meters (920 ft), and thins out towards the north up to the Fort Nelson area and towards the east to Peace River.

Relationship to other units

Montney Formation is unconformably overlain by Jurassic or Cretaceous beds such as the Doig Formation or Fernie Group and unconformably underlain by the Permian or Carboniferous strata such as the Belloy Formation.

References

^ "The lowdown on the Montney: Canada's next big energy bet has same high stakes as oilsands" 2 Nov 2016 CBC
^ ^a ^b Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units. "Montney Formation". Retrieved 2009-02-07.
^ Armitage, 1962; ASPG
^ ^a ^b "The Montney Play". Retrieved 2009-05-21.
^ "New Report Doubles Previous Estimates of Montney Formation Natural Gas Reserves in British Columbia and Alberta | Canadian Energy Perspectives". Archived from the original on 2015-10-16. Retrieved 2014-06-05.
^ "NEB – Frequently Asked Questions - an assessment of the unconventional petroleum resources in the Montney Formation, West-Central Alberta and East-Central British Columbia". 2018-09-13.
^ "Frac Fluid, Completion Technology Can Have Big Impact on Well Performance, Montney Study Finds | Daily Oil Bulletin". 31 March 2015.
^ "Talisman Sells Montney to Petronas for $1.4 Billion" 8 Nov 2013 Bloomberg
^ Cant, Douglas J.; Ethier, Valerie G. (August 1984), "Lithology-dependent diagenetic control of reservoir properties of conglomerates, Falher member, Elmworth Field, Alberta", Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, 68 (8)

[cbcnov1016-1] "The lowdown on the Montney: Canada's next big energy bet has same high stakes as oilsands" 2 Nov 2016 CBC

[lexicon-2] Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units. "Montney Formation". Retrieved 2009-02-07.

[3] Armitage, 1962; ASPG

[chinook-4] "The Montney Play". Retrieved 2009-05-21.

[5] "New Report Doubles Previous Estimates of Montney Formation Natural Gas Reserves in British Columbia and Alberta | Canadian Energy Perspectives". Archived from the original on 2015-10-16. Retrieved 2014-06-05.

[6] "NEB – Frequently Asked Questions - an assessment of the unconventional petroleum resources in the Montney Formation, West-Central Alberta and East-Central British Columbia". 2018-09-13.

[7] "Frac Fluid, Completion Technology Can Have Big Impact on Well Performance, Montney Study Finds | Daily Oil Bulletin". 31 March 2015.

[bbg8nov-8] "Talisman Sells Montney to Petronas for $1.4 Billion" 8 Nov 2013 Bloomberg

[9] Cant, Douglas J.; Ethier, Valerie G. (August 1984), "Lithology-dependent diagenetic control of reservoir properties of conglomerates, Falher member, Elmworth Field, Alberta", Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, 68 (8)

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v t e Western Canada Sedimentary Basin
Hydrocarbon history	Oil sands and heavy oil Frontier exploration and development Natural gas liquids Natural gas
Depositional regions	Southern Alberta Central Alberta Northwestern Alberta Plains South-central Canadian Rockies foothills North-east Plains North-central foothills Liard River Fort Nelson Northern Rocky Mountains Fort St. John Saskatchewan Western Manitoba
Northwest plains	Paskapoo FM Scollard FM Wapiti GRP Smoky GRP Puskwaskau FM Badheart FM Muskiki FM Cardium FM Kaskapau FM Pouce Coupe MBR Doe Creek MBR Dunvegan FM Fort St. John GRP Shaftesbury FM Peace River FM Spirit River FM Bullhead GRP Bluesky FM Gething FM Cadomin FM Nikanassin FM Fernie GRP Rock Creek MBR Poker Chip Shale Nordegg MBR Schooler Creek GRP Baldonnel FM Charlie Lake FM Halfway FM Doig FM Montney FM Belloy FM Stoddart GRP Taylor Flat FM Kiskatinaw FM Golata FM Rundle GRP Debolt FM Shunda FM Pekisko FM Banff FM Exshaw FM Wabamun FM Trout River FM Kakisa FM Redknife FM Jean Marie MBR Woodbend GRP Irteton FM Fort Simpson FM Leduc FM Duvernay FM Cooking Lake FM Beaverhill Lake GRP Waterways FM Swan Hills FM Fort Vermilion FM Elk Point GRP Watt Mountain FM Gillwood MBR Presqu’ile FM Sulphur Point FM Pine Point FM Muskeg FM Zama MBR Black Shale Keg River FM Rainbow MBR Chinchaga FM Cold Lake FM Ernestina FM Basal Red Beds Granite Wash Canadian Shield

v t e Shale gas
Geological formations	Antrim Barnett Conasauga Duvernay Eagle Ford Fayetteville Haynesville Horn River Marcellus Montney Muskwa New Albany Utica
By country	Canada China Romania United Kingdom United States List of countries by recoverable shale gas
Protests	Frack Off Balcombe drilling protest 2012–14 Romanian protests against shale gas