The overall objective of this study is to define the hydrogeology of the Mannville Group to help identify which areas are propective for coalbed methane (CBM) development. Subsequently, a specific objective is to define the distribution of the Upper Mannville Deep Basin 'gas-saturated' zone, as it is felt that this would be the optimum place to establish dry CBM gas production. A preliminary analysis of the data suggested that the transition from the Deep Basin to a conventional system would be difficult to discern accurately in the absence of detailed geological analysis. For this reason, the study has been divided into phases. This phase represents an initial hydrogeological phase to determine where the strata is definitively in a conventional system, where it is in a deep basin system, and the location and extent of the transition zone between them. Also included are recommendations for further refining the hydrogeology in subsequent phases.