Shelburne Sub-Basin Play Fairway Analysis Update

Shelburn Photo

Shortly after the Scotian Shelf and Slope Play Fairway Analysis (PFA) was released in 2011, Shell Canada acquired six exploration parcels in the Shelburne Subbasin and collected approximately 10,850 square kilometers of wide azimuth 3D seismic data. Two exploration wells were drilled in 2016 and 2017: Cheshire L-97 and Monterey Jack E-93. These were the first exploration wells on Nova Scotia’s deep water margin since 2004. However, the wells did not encounter the targeted reservoirs or an Upper Jurassic source rock. 

Using the new 3D seismic data along with other datasets from Shell’s Cheshire and Monterey Jack wells, OERA and the Nova Scotia Department of Energy and Mines (NSDEM) commissioned Beicip-Franlab and Applied Petroleum Technologies Canada Ltd. to reassess the 2011 PFA in light of Shell’s well results and update our understanding of the Shelburne Subbasin petroleum system.  This work, with support from the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (CNSOBP), characterized the sedimentary rock types and their distribution from the Triassic to the present day, reassessed source rock and reservoir distribution, and remapped salt movement and distribution for each stratigraphic sequence. New play concepts were developed for detailed assessment. Subsequent work scheduled for 2020 will include new seismic interpretations and gross depositional environment mapping and modeling.  This work will include the BP acreage once seismic and well data are released from confidentiality in March 2020.

Team

Principal Investigators: Beicip-Franlab, APT (Canada) Ltd. and Weston Stratigraphic with inputs provided by N. Morrison and H. Chen (NSDEM). Additional support was provided by M. Deptuck and K. Kendall, Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (CNSOBP).

Date
November 2018 – June 2019