Shale Gas Opportunities in Southern Ontario – an Update

Terry Carter, Ministry of Natural Resources, London, ONLee Fortner, Ministry of Natural Resources, London, ON

Catherine Béland-Otis, Ontario Geological Survey, Sudbury, ON

48th Annual OPI Conference and Trade Show Sarnia, Ontario

Acknowledgements

• Oil, Gas and Salt Resources Library• Staff of Petroleum Resources Centre, MNR• Tony Hamblin, GSC – Open File Report 5384

Regional Geological Setting and Shale Gas Plays

Potential gas shales in Ontario

Same plays as in NE U.S. and Quebec

Best potential in:– U. Devonian Kettle Point Fm (Antrim shale equivalent) – M. Devonian Marcellus Formation– U. Ordovician Blue Mountain Formation and

Collingwood shale (Utica equivalents)• Gas shows, no current production• Unexplored (only one shale gas exploratory well)• Large prospective areas

Subsurface Paleozoic

Stratigraphic Chart

De

t.

Oriskany

Mt. Simon

Cam

b.O

rdov

icia

nM

iddl

e

Crystalline Basement

Upp

er

Precambrian

Eau Claire TheresaPotsdam

Queenston

Georgian Bay - Blue MountainGeorgian Bay - Blue Mountain

Tren

ton Cobourg

Sherman Fall

Cobourg

Tren

ton Cobourg

Sherman Fall

Upp

er Queenston

Georgian Bay - Blue Mountain

Queenston

A-2 unitA-1 unit A unitA-1 unit A unit

G unitF unit

E unit

C unitB

Upp

er

Salin

a

Salin

a

G unitF unit

E unit

C unitBA-2 unit

Bass Islands - Bertie

Salin

a

G unitF unitE unitD unitC unitB unit

A-2 unitA-1 unit

Amherstburg

Dev

onia

nLo

wer Bois Blanc Bois Blanc Bois Blanc

Det

roit

Riv

er Lucas

AmherstburgDet

roit

Riv

er

Mid

dle

Lucas

Amherstburg

Hungry HollowArkona

Rockport QuarryBell

Ham

ilton

Widder

Dundee Dundee Dundee

Ham

ilton

Marcellus

Hungry Hollow

Arkona

London area Niagara Peninsula

Pt

Lam

b-to

n

Upp

er

SunburyBerea

Kettle Point

Age Windsor-Essex

BedfordKettle Point

Ipperwash

Bass Islands Bass Islands

Guelph

Cabot Head

GuelphEramosa Eramosa

Am

abel

Mid

dle

ReynalesA

mab

el

Goat Island

Rochester

Gasport

Eramosa

Lock

port

Goat IslandGasportDecew

RochesterIrondequoit

Thorold

Silu

rian

Low

er

Cat

arac

t

Cat

arac

t

Cat

arac

t

Cabot Head

Manitoulin

Wiarton

Guelph

Coboconk

Manitoulin

Whirlpool

Grimsby

Cabot HeadMan.

Whirlpool

Sherman FallKirkfield Kirkfield

Gull RiverShadow Lk

CoboconkGull RiverShadow Lake

ReynalesFossil HillB

lack

R

iver

Gull RiverShadow Lake

KirkfieldTren

ton

Bla

ck

Riv

er

Bla

ck

Riv

er

Coboconk

R.

Blue Mountain + Collingwood

Kettle Point

Marcellus

Clastics

Carbonates

Evaporites

Shales

Potential Gas Shales in Southern Ontario - outcrop

Michigan

Ontario

Lake Huron

Hamilton Group

Marcellus

Kettle Point

Georgian Bay

Lake Ontario

New York

Blue Mountain

Collingwood

Georgian Bay-Blue Mountain / Collingwood outcrop

Michigan

Ontario

Lake Huron

Georgian Bay

Lake Ontario

New York

Blue Mountain

Collingwood

• Collingwood

• Calcareous shale; average thickness 4 to 6 m, max 12 m

• TOC: 1 to 11%, marginally mature to mature

• Depth to top: outcrop - 175 m

• 25,000 km2

• Attempts to extract oil in 1860’s

• Blue Mountain Formation

• Unsubdivided Georgian Bay-Blue Mountain Formation in subsurface

• Non-calcareous shale approximately 75 m thick

• Lowermost 2 to 50 m is black organic-rich with up to 3 % TOC

• Depth to top: outcrop - 1000 m

• 70,000 km2

Blue Mountain / Collingwood (Utica)

Blue Mountain / Collingwood

Trenton

TOP: 804.3 m

BOTTOM: 850.6 m

Blue Mountain

Collingwood

Collingwood subcrop / outcrop

Churcher et al, 1991 OFR 5817

Georgian Bay-Blue Mountain Structure

C.I. = 50 m

Michigan

New York

Ontario

Lake Ontario

Lake Huron

Georgian Bay-Blue Mountain Isopach

C.I. = 50 m

Michigan

New York

Ontario

Lake Ontario

Lake Huron

C.I. = 50 m

New York

Ontario

Michigan

Georgian Bay-Blue Mountain Gas Shows

Lake Ontario

Lake Huron

Blue Mountain black shales

black shale

1000-1055 m

Obermajer, Fowler & Snowdon, 1999

Maturity Studies• Obermajer, Fowler & Snowdon, AAPG 1999

• Core, cuttings, outcrop

• Most samples are mature, in oil window

• Increase in maturity to southeast (Repetski et al, 2008)

• Lack of samples in southeast where shales are thickest – gas window?

Marcellus shale

Michigan

Ontario

Lake Huron

Hamilton Group

Marcellus

Lake Ontario

New York

Subsurface Paleozoic

Stratigraphic Chart

De

t.

Oriskany

Mt. Simon

Cam

b.O

rdov

icia

nM

iddl

e

Crystalline Basement

Upp

er

Precambrian

Eau Claire TheresaPotsdam

Queenston

Georgian Bay - Blue MountainGeorgian Bay - Blue Mountain

Tren

ton Cobourg

Sherman Fall

Cobourg

Tren

ton Cobourg

Sherman Fall

Upp

er Queenston

Georgian Bay - Blue Mountain

Queenston

A-2 unitA-1 unit A unitA-1 unit A unit

G unitF unit

E unit

C unitB

Upp

er

Salin

a

Salin

a

G unitF unit

E unit

C unitBA-2 unit

Bass Islands - Bertie

Salin

a

G unitF unitE unitD unitC unitB unit

A-2 unitA-1 unit

Amherstburg

Dev

onia

nLo

wer Bois Blanc Bois Blanc Bois Blanc

Det

roit

Riv

er Lucas

AmherstburgDet

roit

Riv

er

Mid

dle

Lucas

Amherstburg

Hungry HollowArkona

Rockport QuarryBell

Ham

ilton

Widder

Dundee Dundee Dundee

Ham

ilton

Marcellus

Hungry Hollow

Arkona

London area Niagara Peninsula

Pt

Lam

b-to

n

Upp

er

SunburyBerea

Kettle Point

Age Windsor-Essex

BedfordKettle Point

Ipperwash

Bass Islands Bass Islands

Guelph

Cabot Head

GuelphEramosa Eramosa

Am

abel

Mid

dle

ReynalesA

mab

el

Goat Island

Rochester

Gasport

Eramosa

Lock

port

Goat IslandGasportDecew

RochesterIrondequoit

Thorold

Silu

rian

Low

er

Cat

arac

t

Cat

arac

t

Cat

arac

t

Cabot Head

Manitoulin

Wiarton

Guelph

Coboconk

Manitoulin

Whirlpool

Grimsby

Cabot HeadMan.

Whirlpool

Sherman FallKirkfield Kirkfield

Gull RiverShadow Lk

CoboconkGull RiverShadow Lake

ReynalesFossil HillB

lack

R

iver

Gull RiverShadow Lake

KirkfieldTren

ton

Bla

ck

Riv

er

Bla

ck

Riv

er

Coboconk

R.

Blue Mountain + Collingwood

Kettle Point

Marcellus

Clastics

Carbonates

Evaporites

Shales

• No surface outcrop, subcrop beneath glacial drift

• Max 12 m thick beneath Lake Erie

• TOC: 1 to 11%

• Depth to top: subcrop to 225 m

• 4700 km2, mostly beneath Lake Erie

• Marginally mature

Marcellus Shale

Marcellus Formation

Dundee

TOP: 90.5 m

BOTTOM: 98.6 m

OGS 82-3, Yarmouth 3-9-I

No outcrop at surface

Marcellus

Marcellus shale subcrop

MichiganOntario

Lake Huron

Gas shows in Marcellus

Gas shows in Marcellus

Michigan

Lake Huron

Ontario

Michigan

Ontario

Lake Huron

Kettle Point

Lake Ontario

New York

Kettle Point Formation - outcrop

Subsurface Paleozoic

Stratigraphic Chart

De

t.

Oriskany

Mt. Simon

Cam

b.O

rdov

icia

nM

iddl

e

Crystalline Basement

Upp

er

Precambrian

Eau Claire TheresaPotsdam

Queenston

Georgian Bay - Blue MountainGeorgian Bay - Blue Mountain

Tren

ton Cobourg

Sherman Fall

Cobourg

Tren

ton Cobourg

Sherman Fall

Upp

er Queenston

Georgian Bay - Blue Mountain

Queenston

A-2 unitA-1 unit A unitA-1 unit A unit

G unitF unit

E unit

C unitB

Upp

er

Salin

a

Salin

a

G unitF unit

E unit

C unitBA-2 unit

Bass Islands - Bertie

Salin

a

G unitF unitE unitD unitC unitB unit

A-2 unitA-1 unit

Amherstburg

Dev

onia

nLo

wer Bois Blanc Bois Blanc Bois Blanc

Det

roit

Riv

er Lucas

AmherstburgDet

roit

Riv

er

Mid

dle

Lucas

Amherstburg

Hungry HollowArkona

Rockport QuarryBell

Ham

ilton

Widder

Dundee Dundee Dundee

Ham

ilton

Marcellus

Hungry Hollow

Arkona

London area Niagara Peninsula

Pt

Lam

b-to

n

Upp

er

SunburyBerea

Kettle Point

Age Windsor-Essex

BedfordKettle Point

Ipperwash

Bass Islands Bass Islands

Guelph

Cabot Head

GuelphEramosa Eramosa

Am

abel

Mid

dle

ReynalesA

mab

el

Goat Island

Rochester

Gasport

Eramosa

Lock

port

Goat IslandGasportDecew

RochesterIrondequoit

Thorold

Silu

rian

Low

er

Cat

arac

t

Cat

arac

t

Cat

arac

t

Cabot Head

Manitoulin

Wiarton

Guelph

Coboconk

Manitoulin

Whirlpool

Grimsby

Cabot HeadMan.

Whirlpool

Sherman FallKirkfield Kirkfield

Gull RiverShadow Lk

CoboconkGull RiverShadow Lake

ReynalesFossil HillB

lack

R

iver

Gull RiverShadow Lake

KirkfieldTren

ton

Bla

ck

Riv

er

Bla

ck

Riv

er

Coboconk

R.

Blue Mountain + Collingwood

Kettle Point

Marcellus

Clastics

Carbonates

Evaporites

Shales

• Subcrop beneath glacial drift – only 3 outcrops

• Max 105 m thick, average 28 m

• TOC: 3 to 15%

• Depth to top: outcrop to 143 m

• 9500 km2, 50% beneath Lake Erie

• Thermally immature

• Numerous gas shows in petroleum wells and water wells

• Production in late 1800’s near Ridgetown for street lighting

• One exploratory well: OSN Gore of Chatham, Chatham 7-16-IV in 2006 – reported as plugged & abandoned with gas show

Kettle Point Formation

Kettle Point Formation

OGS 82-2 Chatham

Hamilton Group

Kettle Point

Kettle Point Isopach

C.I. = 20 m

Michigan

New York

Ontario

Lake Huron

Gas Shows in Kettle Point

OntarioMichigan

New York

Lake Huron

Gas Shows in Hamilton Group

OntarioMichigan

New York

Lake Huron

Hamilton Group Subcrop

Gas Shows in Drift

OntarioMichigan

New York

Lake Huron

Gas Shows in Water Wells

OntarioMichigan

New York

Lake Huron

SURFACE SEDIMENTS

SHALE

SALTY WATER IN SANDSTONE

SHALE

OIL/GAS

FRESH WATER

SURFACE C ASING

Top of bedrock

Gas in “contact aquifer”

DRIFT

Kettle Point

Natural Gas in Groundwater “Contact Aquifer”

All Gas Shows associated with Kettle Point

New York

Ontario

Gas shows in Hamilton Gp.

Gas shows in water wells

Gas shows in Kettle Point

Gas shows in drift

Michigan

Lake Huron

Biogenic or Thermogenic ?

• No direct evidence for any of the Ontario shales

• Natural gas in drift and bedrock over prospective shales is associated with fresh water and may be biogenic

• Shallow, low temperature• Antrim shale in Michigan is at least in part

biogenic• Best potential for thermogenic gas may be in

the deeper thermally mature Blue Mountain / Collingwood shales

Summary

• Shale gas potential in Kettle Point, Marcellus, and Blue Mountain / Collingwood formations

• Large prospective areas• Thermally immature to mature• Favourable depths and thicknesses • Natural gas shows reported – large number in Kettle

Point formation• Gas is there - Can it be commercially recovered?• Research project initiated by Ontario Geological Survey

in 2009 – Catherine Béland-Otis

Ontario Bedrock Geology

LakeHuron

Lake Erie

Lake Ontario

0 50 100 km

/84° 82° 80° 78° 76°

46°

84° 82° 80° 78°

42° 42°

44° 44°

46°

Algonquin Arch

Algo

nqui

n Ar

ch

Find

lay

Findlay Frontenac Arch

Frontenac ArchArchMichiganBasinAppalachianBasinChathamSagChathamSag

BEDROCK GEOLOGY

Precambrian

Lower Devonian

Middle and Low Silurian

Middle Devonian

Middle Ordovician

Upper Devonian

Upper Ordovician

Upper Silurian

All Gas shows associated with Kettle Point

Michigan

Ontario

Lake Erie

Lake Huron

Gas shows in Hamilton Gp.

Gas shows in water wells

Gas shows in Kettle Point

Gas shows in drift

Blue Mountain / Collingwood Stratigraphy

Ord

ovic

ian

Mid

dle

Up

per

Tre

nto

n

Cobourg

Sherman Fall

Queenston

Georgian Bay - Blue Mountain

Coboconk

Kirkfield

Bla

ck

Riv

er

Gull RiverShadow Lake

Outcrop TermsSubsurface Terms

QueenstonGeorgian Bay

Gull RiverShadow Lake

Sim

co

e

Bobcaygeon

Lindsay (+ Collingwood)

Verulam

Blue Mountain

Upp

er

Stratigraphy

De

t.

Amherstburg

Dev

onia

n

Det

roit

Riv

er Lucas

AmherstburgDet

roit

Riv

er

Mid

dle

Lucas

Amherstburg

Hungry HollowArkona

Rockport QuarryBell

Ham

ilton

Widder

Dundee Dundee Dundee

Ham

ilton

Marcellus

Hungry Hollow

Arkona

London area Niagara Peninsula

Pt

Lam

b-to

n

Upp

er

SunburyBerea

Kettle Point

Age Windsor-Essex

BedfordKettle Point

Ipperwash

R

.D

et.

Amherstburg

Dev

onia

n

Det

roit

Riv

er Lucas

AmherstburgDet

roit

Riv

er

Mid

dle

Lucas

Amherstburg

Hungry HollowArkona

Rockport QuarryBell

Ham

ilton

Widder

Dundee Dundee Dundee

Ham

ilton

Marcellus

Hungry Hollow

Arkona

London area Niagara Peninsula

Pt

Lam

b-to

n

Upp

er

SunburyBerea

Kettle Point

Age Windsor-Essex

BedfordKettle Point

Ipperwash

Lucas

Amherstburg

Hungry HollowArkona

Rockport QuarryBell

Ham

ilton

Widder

Dundee Dundee Dundee

Ham

ilton

Marcellus

Hungry Hollow

Arkona

London area Niagara Peninsula

Pt

Lam

b-to

n

Upp

er

SunburyBerea

Kettle Point

Age Windsor-Essex

BedfordKettle Point

Ipperwash

R

.

Stratigraphy

De

t.

Amherstburg

Dev

onia

n

Det

roit

Riv

er Lucas

AmherstburgDet

roit

Riv

er

Mid

dle

Lucas

Amherstburg

Hungry HollowArkona

Rockport QuarryBell

Ham

ilton

Widder

Dundee Dundee Dundee

Ham

ilton

Marcellus

Hungry Hollow

Arkona

London area Niagara Peninsula

Pt

Lam

b-to

n

Upp

er

SunburyBerea

Kettle Point

Age Windsor-Essex

BedfordKettle Point

Ipperwash

R

.D

et.

Amherstburg

Dev

onia

n

Det

roit

Riv

er Lucas

AmherstburgDet

roit

Riv

er

Mid

dle

Lucas

Amherstburg

Hungry HollowArkona

Rockport QuarryBell

Ham

ilton

Widder

Dundee Dundee Dundee

Ham

ilton

Marcellus

Hungry Hollow

Arkona

London area Niagara Peninsula

Pt

Lam

b-to

n

Upp

er

SunburyBerea

Kettle Point

Age Windsor-Essex

BedfordKettle Point

Ipperwash

Lucas

Amherstburg

Hungry HollowArkona

Rockport QuarryBell

Ham

ilton

Widder

Dundee Dundee Dundee

Ham

ilton

Marcellus

Hungry Hollow

Arkona

London area Niagara Peninsula

Pt

Lam

b-to

n

Upp

er

SunburyBerea

Kettle Point

Age Windsor-Essex

BedfordKettle Point

Ipperwash

R

.

Stratigraphic Correlations