Drilling techniques boost western Canada outlook

Record number of horizontal wells expected in 2011; threat of labour shortages rising

RAPID advances in horizontal-drilling and well-completion techniques have converted western Canada's ageing conventional hydrocarbon basin into an unconventional oil and gas hotspot. It is not long since western Canada was written off by many of the world's biggest exploration and production companies. But the introduction of extended-reach horizontal wells with multi-stage fractures, which give new life to reservoirs deemed uneconomic only a few years ago, has rescued scores of small and medium-sized producers from irreversible decline. Industry leaders are unhesitating in their belief that new drilling and completion methods have put the region on the cusp of a growth phase that will yield