unconventional

Reservoirs that require the application of advanced technology to extract the natural gas and oil resources.

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What is unconventional natural gas?

Natural Gas. Clean, affordable and abundant energy to meet growing North American demand.

When natural gas is burned it produces energy. It is a clean-burning fossil fuel that is colourless, shapeless and odourless. We use the energy from natural gas to heat our homes, cook our food and generate our electricity.

The many terms used to describe natural gas have to do with where natural gas is found. The location of natural gas is important in understanding the methods used to extract and produce it. The following terms are common in the oil and gas industry and are used throughout our site:

  Shale gas - Natural gas stored in extremely small pore spaces or bonded to organic material within rock composed mostly of consolidated clay and siltstone.
  In 2008 we solidified our presence in two of the most exciting shale plays in North America: the Haynesville Shale play in Louisiana and Texas, and the Horn River Shale play in northeastern British Columbia. The resource potential of these opportunities is enormous.
 
  Deep gas - Unconventional natural gas that's located deep within geological formations.
  Our Bighorn resource play in northwest Alberta produces from deep basin sands.
 
  Coalbed methane (CBM) - Natural gas stored in naturally occurring fracture systems or bonded onto coal.
  A liquid, low-pressure sweet gas, CBM gas is used to fuel hot water heaters, furnaces and ranges. Our CBM resource play activity is focused on production from the Horseshoe Canyon formation in south-central Alberta, as well as exploration of the Mannville formation in central Alberta.
 
  Tight gas - Natural gas stored in small pore spaces in very low permeability underground formations, such as sandstone, siltstone or limestone.
  By applying innovative seismic and completion technologies, we have had a dramatic increase in reserves and production growth at our East Texas resource play.