Saleski Grosmont Carbonates
We have placed ourselves at the forefront of a massive opportunity.
Osum's total Grosmont carbonate holdings, including the newly acquired leases, are pictured above.
The rebirth of a huge bypassed payzone
Since the late 1940s, the immense pool of bitumen in the Grosmont has been known. (It’s estimated to hold 406 billion barrels of oil place). In the 1980s, pilots were conducted using vertical wells with cyclic steam, and some of these wells produced remarkable amounts of bitumen, however these trials ended in 1986 when the price of oil dropped and further development was at that time uneconomic. Since then, new capabilities including horizontal drilling, SAGD, 3-D seismic, electric submersible pumps and other technologies have dramatically improved recovery factors in Alberta’s oil sands. Osum’s joint venture pilot, which has been operating since December 2010, is the first ever to apply these technologies within the carbonates.
The Saleski JV pilot (pictured above) which began in 2010 will confirm optimal recovery factors using Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) and explore the potential of solvents.
Osum's net stake in the Grosmont carbonates represents an estimated 2.3 billion barrels of recoverable resources. (Production forecast below based on January 2011 GLJ assessment of the company's contingent recoverable resources).
Bitumen Saturated Core, Accessible by Steam
In addition to being a laterally contiguous reservoir hundreds of kilometers in length, what makes the Grosmont formation unique among carbonate reservoirs is its dense bitumen saturation (up to 90%) and abundant porosity. Intense vertical fractures, vugs, and a matrix porosity system that laboratory tests have shown to be accessible with steam indicate the Grosmont is a world-class reservoir and an excellent candidate for SAGD.
For an up-close look at carbonate core, click here.
