CALGARY�Chevron Canada Ltd. says the hot Fort Liard natural gas play in the Northwest Territories won�t grow until more land is made available for exploration and development.
Chevron Canada's Pres. Jim Simpson told a Ziff Energy conference in Calgary this week that the company won�t expand further in the region until land near discoveries is made available.
Chevron and partners are producing 75 MMcfd from the prolific K-29 discovery well near Fort Liard and are about to bring the M-25 delineation well on stream with similar rates. The wells are among the best producers ever drilled in Canada.
Partners in the field include Purcell Energy Ltd., Berkley Petroleum Corp., Anderson Resources, Paramount Resources Ltd., and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd.
Chevron has estimated its fields have up to 600 Bcf of gas in place. The region in the southern Northwest Territories is seen by industry as a major gas play.
Land in the area is controlled by the Canadian federal government, which is negotiating land claims with Indian groups.
Simpson said the gas play goes off into the native lands in all directions.
