What is the Montney Shale?

The Montney is located in northeast British Columbia and northwest Alberta. The Montney Formation consists mostly of siltstones and dark grey shales. The lower is a dark grey dolimitic siltstone, interbedded with shales. The upper section is a light brown, blocky siltstone with interlaminated fine grained sands. To the east traces of glauconite are observed and the sand content increases.

One of the most popular Canadian unconventional plays, the Montney Shale formation is another member of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.  The Montney Shale gas basin is found primarily in northeast British Columbia (B.C).  Horizontal development began in 2005 and with the help of multi-stage fracture technology, the true potential of the Montney Shale was realized.

Continued exploration has pushed the play boundaries to the north and west. 

Due to its high siltstone content, hydraulic fracturing is necessary to access the reservoirs and extract liquids. The Montney play is a neighbor to the Doig formation, another popular Canadian target.

Why the Montney Shale

• Estimated total resource of 900 Tcfe1 gas in place
• Repeatability and scalability
• Proximity to west coast creates export options to Asian markets
• Low breakeven costs, high rates of return and short payback period
• Low population density and limited environmental footprint

How does the Montney Shale Compare to Other US Plays

 

Click here to see Montney Shale Operators Acreage

Montney Shale Pipeline Map