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NATURAL GAS IN THE ARCTIC ISLANDS: DISCOVERED RESERVES AND FUTURE POTENTIAL
Author(s) -
Waylett D. C.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
journal of petroleum geology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.725
H-Index - 42
eISSN - 1747-5457
pISSN - 0141-6421
DOI - 10.1111/j.1747-5457.1979.tb00617.x
Subject(s) - sverdrup , geology , geosyncline , devonian , paleontology , arctic , structural basin , paleozoic , oceanography
The Canadian Arctic Islands are underlain by the Cambrian‐Devonian Franklinian geosyncline, which is exposed in several areas, including the Parry islands fold belt, a part of the Paleozoic Arctic fold belt; and by the Mississippian‐Tertiary Sverdrup successor basin. Since 1969, one oilfield has been found in the Parry Islands fold belt and seven gasfields have been found in the Sverdrup basin. Only the gasfields are considered here. A total of 12.0 Tcf of proved and probable marketable gas reserves has been established in Early Jurassic and Triassic sandstones of the Sverdrup basin. These are mainly in structural traps, although some stratigraphic trapping has been established. Two of the fields–Hecla and Drake Point–are giants. Most of the gas reserves are in the Early Jurassic Borden Island Formation. Prospects for the future, largely offshore, are considered to be very good.