Exploration Potential of the Mackenzie Delta

By

J.M. Bever (Petro-Canada)

The Mackenzie Delta/Beaufort Sea is located in the far, northwestern corner of Canada and has been the site of oil and gas exploration for over 30 years. This region, from recently reported estimates, has a discovered gas resource of 8.8 TCF and “yet to be found” resource of 21.1 TCF.

Since 1999, the onshore area of the Mackenzie Delta and prospective areas of the offshore Beaufort Sea has been almost completely acquired by exploration companies in two crown land sales and an Inuvialuit Regional lease sale. This most recent surge of industry activity has over 8 players with work commitments in excess of $650. MM. This large commitment will probably result in more than 20 exploratory wells being drilled within the next five years. The targets of the wells will vary, but the challenges of the north are the same. The difficulties of cold temperature and working in a remote area are being met. New exploration approaches will include regional 3-D seismic and improved drilling technologies.

The overall goal of exploration is to prove substantial new gas reserves to make a north to south pipeline a reality and have natural gas moving out of the Delta before the end of the decade. 

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90008©2002 AAPG Pacific Section/SPE Western Region Joint Conference of Geoscientists and Petroleum Engineers, Anchorage, Alaska, May 18–23, 2002.