Types of fluids

The fluid type in a well license indicates what substance the well produces, injects, or handles. This classification drives equipment requirements, safety protocols, and regulatory oversight.

Production Fluids

Crude Oil

Crude Oil is unrefined petroleum extracted from conventional reservoirs. Alberta's crude ranges from light sweet (low density, low sulfur) to heavy sour, with pricing and processing requirements varying accordingly.

Natural Gas

Natural Gas is primarily methane extracted from gas reservoirs or produced alongside oil (associated gas). Alberta is Canada's largest natural gas producer, with significant resources in the Deep Basin and Montney formations.

Crude Bitumen

Crude Bitumen is the heavy, viscous petroleum found in oil sands. Too thick to flow at reservoir conditions, it requires thermal recovery methods (like SAGD) or mining. Most of Alberta's oil reserves are bitumen.

Shale Gas

Shale Gas is natural gas trapped within shale formations. Extraction requires horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing to create pathways for gas to flow. The Duvernay Shale is Alberta's major shale gas play.

Synthetic Crude

Synthetic Crude is upgraded bitumen that has been processed to resemble conventional crude oil. Upgraders remove impurities and reduce viscosity, producing a marketable product suitable for standard refineries.

Injection & Recovery Fluids

Water

Water is commonly injected to maintain reservoir pressure (waterflooding) or produced alongside hydrocarbons. Produced water must be properly disposed of or treated—often through disposal wells.

Steam

Steam is injected to heat heavy oil and bitumen, reducing viscosity so it can flow to production wells. Used in thermal recovery methods like SAGD (Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage) and CSS (Cyclic Steam Stimulation).

Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)

CO₂ is injected for enhanced oil recovery (EOR), where it mixes with oil to reduce viscosity and improve flow. Also used for carbon sequestration, where captured CO₂ is stored permanently underground.

Polymer

Polymer solutions are injected during enhanced recovery to improve sweep efficiency—the polymer thickens the water, preventing it from bypassing oil and pushing more hydrocarbons toward production wells.

Brine

Brine is highly saline water, often produced from deep formations. It may be reinjected for disposal, used in solution mining (creating salt caverns), or processed for mineral extraction.