Synthesis and model of formation-water flow, Alberta Basin, Canada

Abstract

Based on a large amount of publicly available data, several studies have previously examined the flow of formation waters in different parts of the Alberta basin offering various interpretations as to the causes of the observed pressure regime and flow pattern; however, there has been no synthesis of these diverse studies on a basin-wide basis. Accordingly, these studies are critically reviewed in this paper and synthesized in a new basin-scale model of the flow of formation waters in the Alberta basin. The proposed regional-scale model has significant implications for undertanding hydrocarbon migration pathways, ore genesis, the geothermal regime, and deep waste disposal in the Alberta basin. -from Author