Course Content
Recent interest in unconventional gas resources has attracted several oil and gas explorers to sedimentary basins in Southern Quebec. The main target of this interest is the Middle Ordovician Utica Shale. Current knowledge of the area’s geology led industry to subdivide the Shale-gas potential into different plays. JUNEX subdivided it into five different plays: 1) medium- to deep-depth thermogenic Shale gas; 2) shallow- to medium-depth thermogenic Shale gas; 3) overthrusted Shale gas; 4) biogenic Shale gas; 5) Intra- Appalachians sub-basin Shale gas. To date, most operations have been performed in the medium-depth thermogenic Shale gas play (1000-2000 meters), located in the central part of the Saint Lawrence Lowlands. With OGIP estimates ranging from 25 to 350 Bcf per section, the play is definitely considered to be promising. However, other plays are also attractive and, over the past few years, JUNEX has worked intensively on the development of these new areas of exploration. They all have different potentials but also different economics and issues. Based on the exploration work realized by JUNEX over the past five years in Southern Quebec, the characteristics of the five plays, from a geological, geochemical, structural, and geophysical perspective, are reviewed. The five plays are described, based on the data available regarding the basin geology, shale mineralogy, organic-matter type, gas geochemistry, structural style, and infrastructure access. As a result, a new Shale gas potential map will be available for the Southern Quebec sedimentary basins.
Structure of the E-Symposium
Each e-symposium consists of one-hour live e-symposium, along with material for one full day of independent study. The live portion will be followed by a full day of independent study (not a live event). The one-hour live e-symposium can be accessed from any computer anywhere in the world using a high-speed internet connection. After the event is over, you will receive via email information about accessing the asynchronous segment (not live) which consists of your independent study materials, to be accessed and studied at any time. You will be able to email responses to the readings, along with your study question answers for CEU credit (if you sign up for the extended package).