Shale Gas

• Background
• Activity Maps
• Studies

Background 

Shale gas is natural gas produced from the fractures, pore spaces, and physical matrix of shales. Shales are the most commonly occurring type of sedimentary rock in northeast British Columbia and are theoretically suited to shale gas production. With the commercial success of several shale gas plays in the United States, British Columbia’s shales are now being recognized as potential reservoirs.

The B.C. government is interested in developing a better understanding of this shale gas potential. To determine this potential, the B.C. government contracted CBM Solutions to develop the “Gas Shale Potential of Devonian Strata, Northeastern British Columbia” study. This study focused on the shale gas potential in the Liard Plateau and Basin, and Prophet Trough in northeast British Columbia, and western extensions of the Peace River Arch/Embayment in east central British Columbia.

Activity Maps

• Updated April 2012 -2012 March Horn River Basin-Land Sale Map
• Updated April 2012 - 2012 March Horn River Basin-Activity Map
• Updated May 2012 - 2012 April Montney Activity Map NEW
• Updated May 2011 - 2011 April Liard Activity
• Updated January 2010 - Horizontal Well Data - Horn River Basin
• Updated January 2010 - Vertical Well Data - Horn River Basin
• Cretaceous Shale Gas Activity in Northeast British Columbia (  8.6 MB)

Studies

( 12 MB)

Ultimate Potential for Unconventional Natural Gas in Northeastern British Columbia’s Horn River Basin
A new joint report by the National Energy Board and British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines is the first publicly released probability based resource assessment of the Canadian shale basin. ( 4MB)

Summary of Shale Gas Activity in Northeast B.C. 2008/09 

Petroleum Geology Open File 2009-01