Industry Perspective of SAGD Delineation Drilling, Water Source & Disposal Requirements and Inherent Challenges

Core/Stratigraphic Drilling and Water requirements play an important role with respect to SAGD projects within the Oil Sand’s areas. Operators invest significant capital into evaluating prospective Oil Sand lease’s to support SAGD project’s several years in-advance of SAGD Project commencement. This presentation will provide a general overview and understanding of SAGD delineation drilling, water source & disposal requirements and inherent challenges.

Lane Becker is Manager – SAGD Drilling and Completions Technology with North American Oil Sands Corporation in Calgary. He is responsible for the planning and execution of the NAOSC SAGD Project located in Northern Alberta in the Bitumen Tar Sands area. The SAGD Project is scheduled to commence with 22 well pairs in the first quarter of 2008 and expanding to 200+ pairs by 2015.

Lane was previously employed for 5 years as Project Drilling Manager with Nexen Inc. responsible for their commercial SAGD program at Long Lake.  Prior to that he spent 18 years with Husky Energy in drilling and completions, enhanced oil recovery, reservoir engineering, and facilities engineering.