Greater Sierra (oil field)

Greater Sierra (also called Helmet Area) is a large oil and gas field in northeastern British Columbia, Canada.

Greater Sierra
(Sierra-Yoyo-Helmet-Desan)
Location of Greater Sierra in British Columbia
CountryCanada
RegionBritish Columbia
Offshore/onshoreonshore
Coordinates58°50′N 121°25′W
OperatorsEnCana, Devon, Petrocanada, Husky, CNRL
Field history
Start of production2000s
Production
Producing formationsJean Marie, Muskwa, Horn River Formation

It is located east and north from the town of Fort Nelson, extending to the Alberta and Northwest Territories borders (150 and 130km respectively).

Drilling rig in the Sierra Oil Field

Drilling activity takes place largely during the winter months, when the otherwise soft muskeg and boreal forest can be crossed on winter roads. Infrastructure is funded by a combination of private and public funds.[1]

Major projects tap in the large gas reservoirs hosted in Mississippian and Devonian limestones such as the Jean Marie Member of the Redknife Formation.[2]

Recent projects extract gas from the Muskwa Formation and Horn River Formation. Horizontal drilling and fracturing techniques are used to extract the gas from the low permeability shales.[3]

Due to the large extent, the field is served by several airstrips (Helmet Airport, Fort Nelson/Mobil Sierra Airport, Fort Nelson Airport).

Companies

Companies with large interests in the area include Devon Energy, Encana Corporation, Canadian Natural Resources and Petro-Canada.

See also

References

  1. Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources of British Comumbia. "Sierra-Yoyo-Desan Road". Archived from the original on 2009-04-25. Retrieved 2009-02-13.
  2. EnCana. "Operations in Greater Sierra". Archived from the original on 2009-02-06. Retrieved 2009-02-13.
  3. "The Horn River Basin". Retrieved 2010-03-15.
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