Cardium Formation

Cardium Formation Stratigraphic range: Turonian to Coniacian PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Photomicrograph of drill cuttings from Cardium Formation sandstone.
Type	Geological formation
Unit of	Alberta Group, Colorado Group, Smoky Group
Sub-units	Sturrock Member, Leyland Member, Cardinal Member, Kiska Member, Moosehound Member, Ram Member.
Underlies	Wapiabi Formation
Overlies	Blackstone Formation, Kaskapau Formation
Thickness	22 metres (70 ft) to 109 metres (360 ft)[1]
Lithology
Primary	Sandstone
Other	Shale
Location
Coordinates	51°08′28″N 114°59′40″W / 51.14101°N 114.99446°W / 51.14101; -114.99446 (Cardium Formation)Coordinates: 51°08′28″N 114°59′40″W / 51.14101°N 114.99446°W / 51.14101; -114.99446 (Cardium Formation)
Region	Western Alberta, and northeastern British Columbia
Country	Canada
Type section
Named for	Cardium shells
Named by	James Hector, 1895[2]

The Cardium Formation is a stratigraphic unit of Late Cretaceous age in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. It takes the name from the fossilized Cockle (Cardiidae) shells that it contains, and it was first described along the Bow River banks by James Hector in 1895.^[2] It is present throughout western Alberta and in northeastern British Columbia, and it is a major source of petroleum and natural gas.^[3]

Lithology

The Cardium Formation is composed primarily of beds of massive, fine-grained to conglomeratic sandstone, which are separated by thick layers of shale. The formation is subdivided into the following members from top to base:

• Sturrock Member (sandstone)
• Leyland Member (shale)
• Cardinal Member (sandstone)
• Kiska Member (shale)
• Moosehound Member (shale)
• Ram Member (sandstone)

In central Alberta, the formation is divided into the Pembina River Member and Cardium Zone.

Distribution

The Cardium Formation was deposited during the Turonian and Coniacian stages of the Late Cretaceous along the western edge of the Alberta Foreland Basin.^[3] It extends northward from the Canada-United States border to northeastern British Columbia near Dawson Creek, and eastward from the foothills of the Canadian Rockies into the plains of southern and central Alberta. Beyond there, the sandstones grade into shale.^[1]

Relationship to other units

Due to its large areal extent, the Cardium Formation falls within different stratigraphic groups in different regions (Alberta Group, Colorado Group, and Smoky Group). It is conformably overlain by the Wapiabi Formation and underlain by the Blackstone Formation. The formation is partly equivalent to the Kaskapau Formation.^[1]

Hydrocarbon production

Natural gas is produced from the Cardium Formation in the Athabasca River area and the foothills in western Alberta, and oil is produced in the Pembina oil field of central Alberta.^[4] The sandstones of the formation have good storage potential and stratigraphic traps are formed by the thick overlying shales of the Wapiabi Formation and Muskiki Formation, while the underlying black shale of the Blackstone Formation and Kaskapau Formation are good source rocks.^[3]

The Cardium Formation had an initial established recoverable oil reserve of 305 million m³, with 220.9 million m³ already produced as of 2008.^[5] Gas reserves totaled 88.3 million e³m³, with 30.8 million e³m³ already produced.^[5]

Drilling for oil in the Cardium Formation rebounded in 2009 when horizontal drilling and multi-stage fracturing technology increased the oil recovery factor.^[6] Driven by technology, drilling in the four decades old Pembina oil field increased, re-launching the field to the center of Alberta's oil economy.

Public companies

Throughout 2009, there has been consolidation underway, where land sales, corporate transactions, and consolidation of public companies with Cardium assets have been acquired by those intending to apply newer recovery techniques to improve field economics. Oil and gas companies that are part of this activity include: PetroBakken (TSX: PBN, through its acquisitions of Berens Energy, Result Energy and Rondo Petroleum), Daylight Resources Trust (TSX: DAY, through its acquisition of Highpine Energy and merger with West Energy, TSX: WTL), PennWest (TSX: PWT.UN, with a large land base), Paramount Resources (TSX: POU through its acquisition of Profound Energy),Bonterra Energy, Crescent Point Energy (TSX: CPG, through its acquisition of TriAxon Resources), and the smaller Bellatrix (TSX: BXE), Delphi Energy (TSX: DEE), Peyto Energy Trust (TSX: PEY.UN). Dozens of other companies have land leases in the Cardium fairway, but have not employed horizontal drilling in the Cardium. Exxon Mobil has recently started testing the Cardium Formation ^[7]

References

v t e Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin Hydrocarbon history Oil sands and heavy oil Frontier exploration and development Natural gas liquids Natural gas Depositional Regions Southern Alberta Central Alberta Northwestern Alberta Plains South-central Canadian Rockies foothills North-east Plains North-central foothills Liard River Fort Nelson Northern Rocky Mountains Fort St. John Saskatchewan Western Manitoba Northwest Plains Paskapoo FM Scollard FM Wapiti GRP Smoky GRP Puskwaskau FM Badheart FM Muskiki FM Cardium FM Kaskapau FM Pouce Coupe MBR Doe Creek MBR Dunvegan FM Fort St. John GRP Shaftesbury FM Peace River FM Spirit River FM Bullhead GRP Bluesky FM Gething FM Cadomin FM Nikanassin FM Fernie GRP Rock Creek MBR Poker Chip Shale Nordegg MBR Schooler Creek GRP Baldonnel FM Charlie Lake FM Halfway FM Doig FM Montney FM Belloy FM Stoddart GRP Taylor Flat FM Kiskatinaw FM Golata FM Rundle GRP Debolt FM Shunda FM Pekisko FM Banff FM Exshaw FM Wabamun FM Trout River FM Kakisa FM Redknife FM Jean Marie MBR Woodbend GRP Irteton FM Fort Simpson FM Leduc FM Duvernay FM Cooking Lake FM Beaverhill Lake GRP Waterways FM Swan Hills FM Fort Vermilion FM Elk Point GRP Watt Mountain FM Gillwood MBR Presqu’ile FM Sulphur Point FM Pine Point FM Muskeg FM Zama MBR Black Shale Keg River FM Rainbow MBR Chinchaga FM Cold Lake FM Ernestina FM Basal Red Beds Granite Wash Canadian Shield Central Alberta Paskapoo FM Scollard FM Edmonton GRP Battle FM Whitemud MBR Horseshoe Canyon FM Bearpaw FM Belly River GRP Ribstone Creek MBR Victoria MBR Brosseau MBR Lea Park FM Colorado GRP Cardium FM Mannville GRP Glauconitic Sandstone Ostracod Beds Sunburst Member Taber Member Detrital Beds Fernie GRP Rock Creek MBR Nordegg MBR Rundle GRP Mount Head FM Elkton MBR Shunda FM Pekisko FM Banff FM Exshaw FM Canadian Shield