Comparison to Other Basins (more...)
The potential oil and gas reserves in the Queen Charlotte Basin compare
quite favorably with other major petroleum producing basins in North
America. However, it must be remembered that all estimates for the BC
offshore are still highly speculative.
| Region |
Oil (Bbl) |
Gas (Tcf) |
| Queen Charlotte Basin |
10 |
26 |
| Cook Inlet, Alaska |
2 |
10 |
| Offshore California |
11 |
19 |
| Jeanne D'Arc Basin, NF |
5 |
13 |
| Scotian Shelf, NS |
1 |
18 |
| Cook Inlet (Alaska) |
- oil was first found offshore in 1963 and production
has been ongoing ever since
|
|
- extraction from the Cook Inlet was at its peak in 1970 when
it was producing 230,000 barrels of oil per day
|
| |
- in 2000, production was down to 30,000 barrels per day |
| |
- there are many similarities between Cook Inlet and the Queen Charlotte
Basin including the geography, the existence of commercial fisheries,
the tourism industries, environmental concerns and First Nations interests |
| |
- there are also geological similarities such as the time of oil
formation (Late Tertiary) and the types of hydrocarbon traps |
| |
- looking at the way social, environmental and geological issues
were handled in Cook Inlet could help establish procedures in BC
if exploration were to go ahead in the Queen Charlotte Basin
|
| California |
- the area has a similar recent tectonic history and structural
characteristics to the Queen Charlotte Basin |
| |
- California has experienced several major earthquakes, however it
is encouraging to note that none of these have caused real damage
or interruption to offshore drilling or structures |
| |
- the seismic activity that causes these earthquakes is also the
same process that creates the folds and faults that form the structures
which trap the hydrocarbon, both in California and the Queen Charlotte
Basin
|
| Canada's East Coast |
- any offshore oil and gas exploration in BC would rely on experience
gained from operations on the east coast (Hibernia, Sable Island,
Terra Nova, etc.)
|
Further Details
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