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In this second of our 2-part series looking at the last 12 months of drilling across the WCSB, we’ll be looking at activity from a geographical perspective. (In case you missed it, here’s a link to part one: Operator Spotlight.) To better understand where the industry is focusing investment and development efforts, we look at the nearly 6,000 wells spudded since June 2022 regionally, to find key trends and noteworthy insights. We ask:
Figure 1: Distribution of the nearly 6,000 wells drilled across the 14 regions of the WCSB
Click a region to highlight the wells drilled on the map.
Based on the visual representation provided, it becomes evident that the Athabasca/Cold Lake region boasts the highest number of wells drilled, totaling an impressive 1014 wells over the past 12 months. Following closely behind is the Fort McMurray region, which has witnessed the drilling of 714 wells.
Figure 2: Annual well counts in each region
Figure 3 – Historical trends in regional drilling activity
These 2 visuals help us see changes in how the distribution of regional drilling has changed over the last 5 years.
Over the past year, Athabasca emerged as the leader in drilling activities, with an impressive 463 wells drilled. Following closely behind is Fort McMurray, which recorded 333 wells drilled, securing a strong second position. Meanwhile, Grand Prairie secured the third spot with a notable 233 wells drilled. However, when we zoom out to a broader timeframe, an interesting picture emerges. Since 2018, Fort McMurray has consistently held the top position for the most wells drilled, closely trailed by Sask Area II.
Figure 4 – The 5 most active months for ‘Number of Wells Spudded
The 5 most active months for ‘Number of Wells Spudded’, and a regional breakdown of wells in each of those months.
This section provides valuable insights into the optimal drilling periods throughout the year. It reveals that February experiences the highest level of drilling activity, closely followed by January. As we move into the latter half of the year, September and October emerge as the third and fourth most active months for drilling operations, respectively.
Figure 5 – Regional Breakdown of Drilling Depths
Measuring the number of wells drilled in a region gives one perspective of drilling activity. When considering the depth & complexity of those wells, we draw a very different picture when looking at where drilling is most active.
In terms of both well count and metres drilled, Athabasca/Cold Lake region is far and above the most heavily targeted. Looking closer however, the regional rankings do shift dramatically when comparing regional well counts (Figure 1).
For example, Fort McMurray was the 2nd most drilled in terms of well count, but 8th for metres drilled. Inversely, (and somewhat expected, given the zones targeted and horizontal reach) we see that Peace River/Slave Lake ranks 2nd in metres drilled, but ranked 6th in well count.
Figure 6 – The average depth in metres
The average depth in metres (measured, not TVD) for each region among all wells drilled in the last year.
Emphasizing the results above in Figure 5, these results help draw out the ‘drilling profiles’ of various regions across the WCSB. Highlighted here, are the top regions for deepest well depth on average: Grande Prairie, Central Alberta, and Foothills.
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Grande Prairie, Central Alberta, and Foothills represent the most high– profile plays in WCSB today, in terms of capital spending, and drilling advancement/technology.
As companies continue to invest and innovate in the drilling space, these reports help illustrate successes in their ability to:
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