Time for the Petro Ninja – Enlighten Geoscience Well of the Week to clear-up a common misconception! While it was a close second, the first Canadian horizontal multi-stage fractured well was not in the Cardium but in the Bakken in 2004. A bit of sleuthing indicates the honour goes to 191/01-23-008-09W2/00.
Now that the Bakken has been given its due, it gives us a chance to highlight the work done by one of our geologists, David Cronkwright, in his master’s thesis on the Viewfield Bakken. Very good piece of work. And the play has worked out pretty well too! Since joining Enlighten, Dave has applied to skills displayed in his graduate schoolwork to make important contributions to many of our regional studies.
While the play looks fairly consistent on a regional basis, detailed study illustrates the reservoir complexities that might stand in the way of maximizing recovery. Geology matters!
Reference
Cronkwright, D. (2017). Integrating Sedimentology, Sequence Stratigraphy and Mineralogy to Evaluate Controls on Hydrocarbon Accumulation and Production in the Bakken Formation of Southeast Saskatchewan (Masters thesis, University of Calgary).