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Bulletin 2005-15
June 23, 2005
2004 ALBERTA COALBED METHANE ACTIVITY SUMMARY AND WELL LOCATIONS
This bulletin provides a summary of coalbed methane (CBM) activity and CBM well locations for Alberta at December 31 2004.
CBM Activity Summary
At December 31, 2004, there were a total of 3575 CBM wells in Alberta. This CBM well count includes all wells completed in coals, plus any well licensed for CBM that was finished drilling by that date. About 70 per cent (2506) of the total CBM wells were added in 2004, which includes both new well locations and previously drilled conventional wells recompleted in coals during 2004.
Only 1735 of the 3575 CBM wells had produced or were producing by December 31, 2004. 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 755 million cubic metres (106 m3) at December 31, 2004. Production volumes from only coals were derived by subtracting the production from other gas zones (i.e., non-coal production) from the total production volumes reported for all CBM wells. In 2004, 600 106 m3 of gas was produced from only coals, representing less than 0.5 per cent of Alberta's total gas production for the year.
The table below provides CBM well counts and gas and water production volumes by coal zone/formation at December 31, 2004.
Table 1 CBM well counts and gas and water production volumes
|
Coal zone/formation |
Total wells |
Wells with production |
Cumulative gas production from only coals (106 m3) |
Cumulative water production from only coals (103 m3) |
|
Horseshoe Canyon & Belly River |
3240 |
1560 |
657 |
62* |
|
Mannville |
240 |
127 |
79 |
548 |
|
Ardley |
58 |
32 |
19 |
21 |
|
Kootenay |
37 |
16 |
<1 |
<1 |
|
Total |
3575 |
1735 |
755 |
631 |
* - Most wells produced little or no water; 3 wells account for 24 X 103 m3 of the reported cumulative water production.
Over 90 per cent of Alberta's CBM wells are completed in the generally dry Horseshoe Canyon and Belly River coals. About 7 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 2 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, sorted by unique well identifier, at December 31 2004, are available on the EUB web site at the links below:
Additional well completion, test, and production information for a well location listed in Tables 1 or 2 may be obtained from EUB Information Services at (403) 297-8190. For further information about this bulletin, please contact Curtis Evans at (403) 297-8386.
<original signed by>
W. A. Warren, P.Eng.
Executive Manager
Board Projects
