This bulletin provides a summary of coalbed methane (CBM) activity and CBM well locations for Alberta at December 31, 2005.
CBM Activity Summary
At December 31, 2005, there were a total of 7764 CBM wells in Alberta . This CBM well count includes all wells completed in coals, plus any wells licensed for CBM that were finished drilling by that date. About 54 per cent (4189) of the total CBM wells were added in 2005, which includes both new well locations and previously drilled conventional wells recompleted in coals during 2005.
Only 5419 of the 7764 CBM wells had produced or were producing by December 31, 2005. CBM wells may produce from only coals or from coals and other gas zones. The EUB estimates the total cumulative gas production from only coals to be 2089 million cubic metres (106m3 ) at December 31, 2005 (see EUB report ST98-2006: Alberta’s Energy Reserves 2005 and Supply and Demand Outlook 2006-2015 ).
The table below provides CBM well counts by coal zone/formation at December 31, 2005.
CBM wells at December 31, 2005
|
Coal zone/ formation |
Total wells |
|
Horseshoe Canyon & Belly River |
7377 |
|
Mannville |
288 |
|
Ardley |
62 |
|
Kootenay |
37 |
|
Total |
7764 |
Over 95 per cent of Alberta's CBM wells are completed in the generally dry Horseshoe Canyon and Belly River coals. About 4 per cent of the CBM wells are completed in Mannville coals, which may produce significant volumes of saline water (greater than 4000 parts per million of dissolved solids). Less than 1 per cent of the CBM wells are completed in Ardley coals, where water production volumes are variable and may be nonsaline. Less than 1 per cent of the CBM wells were drilled to test production from Kootenay coals, which generally produced at small water volumes.
The Horseshoe Canyon/Belly River continues to be the main CBM target. The Mannville continues to be actively tested to evaluate production. The Ardley and Kootenay have seen limited testing and little, if any, production presently is occurring from these coals.
CBM Well Lists
Tables listing CBM wells in Alberta at December 31, 2005, are available on the EUB Web site at http://www.ercb.ca/docs/documents/bulletins/Bulletin-2006-33-CBMWellListDec31_2005.xls. Additional well completion, test, and production information for well locations listed in these tables may be obtained from EUB Info rmation Services at (403) 297-8190. The summary of production listed in ST98-2006 is not an arithmetic total of the production from well records, as commingling ratios are accounted for in ST98-2006 . See ST98-2006 for further explanation.
For further information about this bulletin, please contact Curtis Evans at (403) 297-8386.
<original signed by>
Cal Hill
Executive Manager
Resources Branch
