Oilsands Review - September 2006

“Our oilsand got dropped on this hard, oil-stained tabletop, and it has helped make the seismic effective. [The chan-nel] is binary—either it is there or it is not. We were able to get to the meat of whether or not this was a project more quickly because we were only dealing with one channel.”

At about 450 metres, the depth of the target channel will likely be a benefit when it comes to operations. Sametz says the company will not have to employ slant rigs to access the shallow depths of other SAGD horizons, and steam could be of higher pressure and temperature than if the deposit was closer to the surface.

“We don’t have the challenges of a shallow accumulation. Depth works for you when you are working with steam,” he explains. “Mother Nature has been nice to us. We can afford to be as aggressive as we want.”

Gusella says the location of Great Divide is a key aspect of its appeal, for reasons beyond geology.

“We’re on a highway, which works to our favour,” he explains, adding that there is also other infrastructure in place, like power lines, natural gas lines, and pipelines.