This was one of the first unconventional hydrocarbon plays undertaken by a major operator in the thick stratigraphic interval of the Montney Formation, Altares area in Northern British Colombia.

The challenge was to determine which parts of this thick stratigraphic unit with varying amounts of organics (including bitumen) had good reservoir quality, were brittle enough for fracking, and had the highest chance of producible liquid hydrocarbons.

• The asset teams were able to characterize the productivity potential of the Montney formation and locate the best reservoir quality in terms of gas and condensate.
• The company could then focus its drilling program in the zones that would yield the highest return on investment.