Quebec isn’t known for its natural gas production and there’s a good reason for that: there’s only one field with just one producing well in the whole province and it’s been out of service since April 2002. However, Junex, which holds 3.5 million acres under exploration permits in the province with proven reserves of over 728 MMcf/d, said it is about to bring the Galt field near Gaspé back online next month at a relatively high rate.

A gas supply agreement with commercial shrimping company Les Pêcheries Marinard for its facility at Rivière-au-Renard, in Gaspesia, enabled Junex to restart production. Production has been interrupted since last April because of the permanent closing of the Gaspé Smelter, which was the only gas consumer.

Junex said even though Marinard’s facility is smaller in size than the Gaspé Smelter, the consumption volumes will be nearly equivalent at about 200 Mcf/d. Technical adjustments are currently under way at the facility and natural gas consumption should begin by the end of March.

The Galt field is produced by only one well (Galt No. 1) drilled at a depth of 2,500 metres in the Devonian limestones. In October 2002, Junex, in partnership with Bernard Lemaire and Hydro-Quebec, drilled a second well on the Galt structure. That well has shown indications that substantially more gas and oil can be produced, and Junex now plans to increase its production capacity.

“It is by following this line of thought that we have decided, with our partners, to deepen and deviate the Galt No. 2 well, drilled last fall,” said Junex President Jean-Yves Lavoie. “The objective of this work is to intercept a highly fractured zone of the reservoir therefore increasing the production volumes of natural gas in order to supply new clients in the Gaspesian area.”

The C$1 million deepening and deviation drilling work of Galt No 2 will begin next June. Bernard Lemaire and Junex each will pay 25% of the costs for an interest of 37.5% in the production and Hydro-Quebec will assume 50% of the costs in exchange for a 25% interest in the production.

A third drilling on the Galt structure could be done as soon as this summer if the results of the Galt No 2 well are conclusive, Junex said.

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