Western Canada Sedimentary Basin Isopach Grids for Petroleum System Modeling

A 3-D petroleum system model of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin integrates 18 isopach intervals from the Devonian to the surface, including estimated eroded sediment thickness. The model was constructed by the U.S. Geological Survey using data from numerous databases, with intervals gridded at 1-kilometer spacing and published as ZMAP-format files. Interval boundaries were chosen based on petroleum system function and age-equivalent strata across provincial and national boundaries.

Use Cases

• Modeling hydrocarbon migration pathways by analyzing the spatial continuity of seal and reservoir isopach intervals.
• Estimating sediment burial history and thermal maturity using the integrated thickness of overburden and underburden strata layers.
• Mapping regional stratigraphic architecture by correlating the 18 age-equivalent formation top boundaries across the basin.
• Assessing exploration risk by identifying areas where source rock isopach thickness meets a minimum threshold for hydrocarbon generation.

Strengths

• Model integrates 18 distinct isopach intervals for a complete petroleum system representation.
• Spatial resolution is approximately 1 kilometer across the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin.
• Construction incorporates data from numerous databases and 33 well-based 1-D burial history reconstructions.

Limitations

• Specific row/column counts, file sizes, and exact temporal coverage of the source data are unknown.
• The model's accuracy is contingent on the quality and distribution of the underlying well and formation top data.
• Formation name inconsistencies across boundaries required reliance on age-equivalent correlations, introducing interpretation uncertainty.

Provenance

Source

U.S. Geological Survey, utilizing data from numerous databases and datasets.

Collection Method

3-D model constructed by stacking isopach intervals on a reference horizon, with gridded outputs saved in ZMAP format.

Geography

Western Canada Sedimentary Basin.