Natural Gas in the Province of Alberta, Canada

The status of the natural gas industry in Alberta, Canada, is described withparticular reference to the current extent of natural gas reserves andpossibilities for additional development. Certain major fields are discussed asrepresentative of the types of gas accumulations within various broadgeographical divisions of the provinces. The estimation of the futureperformance of a gas reservoir is discussed as the basis for an estimate of thefuture availability of natural gas from presently known reserves. The futureavailability of the provincial reserves and the estimated future demand for gaswithin the province are described. Introduction This paper is a condensation of a detailed study of the natural gas reservesand the future availability of pipeline gas in the province of Alberta asprepared for Trans-Canada Pipe Lines Limited and presented in public hearingsat Edmonton and Calgary before the Petroleum and Natural Gas Conservation Boardof the Province of Alberta. The study began in October, 1950, and resulted inthe preparation of five volumes of data at the expenditure of more than 20,000man-hours. This paper is designed to afford a broad picture with detail limitedto a type example of both natural gas accumulation and future availability ofgas supply. The province of Alberta has an area of 255,285 square miles which, for sakeof comparison, is 8,359 square miles smaller than the state of Texas. Naturalgas was first discovered in 1883 at the now abandoned Alderson well locatedsome 20 miles southeast of the town of Princess. The first gas in commercialquantities was found at Medicine Hat in 1890. During the last 68 years, 187localities have been discovered which are capable of gas production, and 73 percent of these have been found since 1945. Sixty fields currently are producinggas, including 22 non-associated gas accumulations. Location of the oil and gas fields and prospects in the province of Albertais shown in Fig. 1, together with a list of the localities of measurable gas, Fig. 1A. The estimated total provincial gas reserve as of Jan. 1, 1952, for the 10'Fields estimated, is 11.7 trillion cu ft proved and probable, and for the 187known areas capable of production is in excess of 16 trillion cu ft on a totalproved, probable, and possible basis. Five fields (Pincher Creek, Leduc-Woodbend, Viking-Kinsella, Cessford and Medicine Hat) are estimated tohave recoverable reserves of more than one trillion cu ft each. A sixth field, Turner Valley, was initially in this group, but its reserves have been depletedsubstantially. Twenty-four fields, of which the above mentioned six fields area part, have estimated gas reserves (including the possible category) in excessof 100 billion cu ft. These 24 fields account for 79 per cent of the totalprovincial reserves. T.P. 3398