Petroleum resource potential of the northern mainland of Canada (Mackenzie Corridor)
Authors: Hannigan P K , Morrow D W , MacLean B C 
Published: August 2011

The Proterozoic and Phanerozoic sedimentary successions of the northern mainland of Canada comprise the northern extension of the prolific Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. The study area extending northward from the provincial-territorial boundary to, but not
including, the Mackenzie Delta/Beaufort region is also referred as the Mackenzie Corridor because it encompasses the Mackenzie River drainage system. Two major geological provinces occur in the Mackenzie Corridor project area. Relatively undeformed sedimentary strata constitute the Interior Platform
geological province to the east. This Province is bounded to the west by folded and thrusted strata of the eastern Cordillera forming the Northern Foreland Belt. Although regional stratigraphy with potential reservoir and source rocks are common between the two provinces, depositional settings and
trap-types vary considerably reflecting the need for unique exploration play definitions.
Although exploration has had a long and partially successful history in the region, there has been no comprehensive assessment of conventional petroleum potential. In this study, a total of 37 conventional petroleum exploration plays have been defined. Most conventional plays are defined on the
basis of potential reservoir. There also exists substantial potential for unconventional shale gas and a smaller potential for tight gas and coalbed methane. Thirty of 37 conventional plays had sufficient exploration and/or production data or good play analogues to formulate full quantitative
analyses. Most of these plays have both oil and natural gas potential. The fact that some conventional plays and all of the unconventional resource plays were not quantitatively analyzed in this report because of insufficient data suggests that the total petroleum resource estimate presented herein
is conservative.
Since exploration play definition is dependent on classifying prospects with respect to their unique petroleum system, many defined plays especially located in southern Northwest Territories and Yukon also extend into northern British Columbia and Alberta. It is necessary, therefore, to describe oil
and gas potential according to proper geologically-defined play definition accompanied by appropriately reduced potential within the study area of the northern mainland in Northwest Territories and eastern Yukon.
The probabilistic assessment of total oil and gas potential (produced and remaining) for all sedimentary strata in the "geologically-defined" Mackenzie Corridor or northern mainland of Canada is 1053*106 m3 (6624 MMbbls) of oil and 2189*109 m3 (77 Tcf) of gas (mean volumes). Although
discovered reserves are substantial in the Mackenzie Corridor region (308*106 m3 (1936 MMbbls) of oil and 886*109 m3 (31 Tcf) of gas), resource potential is significant as exemplified by the prediction of 8 oil pools greater in volume than 15.9*106 m3 (100 MMbbls) and 11 gas pool sizes
greater than 7.1*109 m3 (250 Bcf) remain to be discovered. Total mean potential in the study area north of the provincial-territorial boundary is 761.6*106 m3 (4790 MMbbls) of oil and 928.7*109 m3 (32.8 Tcf) of gas.