ABSTRACT

Rock-Eval/TOC analysis of cutting samples, taken at 10 m intervals from over 20 wells in the Jeanne d'Arc Basin, defines three zones with significant hydrocarbon source potential. These are the upper part of the Voyager Formation (Callovian-Oxfordian), the Egret Member (Kimmeridgian) of the Rankin Formation, and the upper part of the Jeanne d'Arc Formation (Tithonian). Of these, the Egret Member of the Rankin Formation has the greatest potential. Oil-source rock studies have indicated that with the exception of one restricted area, the Egret Member is the sole source of the Jeanne d'Arc Basin oil.

Combining geological and geochemical data for the Egret Member source interval enables a quantitative evaluation of the oil that could be generated within the Jeanne d'Arc Basin. To characterize the source rock and obtain parametric data for the calculations, isopachs and geochemical maps were constructed. Two different methods were used to calculate the potential oil yield of the Egret Member, a geochemical mass balance method and a more direct technique employing Hydrogen Index values. Both of these provided similar results. Allowing for expulsion, migration and trapping inefficiencies, our calculations indicate that the current best estimate of discovered recoverable oil reserves (195.2 million cubic metres, or 1.2 billion barrels) may represent as little as 10 per cent of the ultimate recoverable Jeanne d'Arc Basin potential. This figure does not allow for contributions from other source intervals.

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