Offshore Basins
Background
The BC offshore regions have been closed to drilling since 1972, following the imposition of moratoria by both the provincial and federal governments. These moratoria are now under review by the Province, which has commissioned a scientific review panel to examine whether offshore oil and gas resources can be extracted in a way that is scientifically sound and environmentally responsible. Several thousand kilometres of marine seismic surveys were recorded and 14 offshore wells were drilled prior to 1968 with no commercial success. Onshore, some exploration has occurred on Graham Island where 10 wells were drilled between 1913 and 1984, also without commercial success. In 1988 the Geological Survey of Canada recorded more than 1,000 km of marine seismic surveys. Resource assessment by the Geological Survey of Canada has estimated in-place oil and gas reserves at 1,560 million m3 (9.8 billion barrels) and 734 billion m
3 (25.9 TCF) for the Queen Charlotte Basin in six conceptual play types. The Tofino Assessment Region combines both the Winona and Tofino Basins. Potential for both basins is estimated at 266 billion m3 (9.4 TCF) of gas in-place in a single defined play type.
