The exshaw formation is a stratigraphic unit in the western canada sedimentary basin. This is a suggestive piece of evidence, but clearly its not definitive. Canadian journal of earth sciences canadian science publishing. The duvernay formation upper devonian of east central alberta is a typical marine, oilprone source rock stoakes and creaney, 19814. Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources. Source rock contributions to the lower cretaceous heavy.
The triassic source rocks formations are identified as possible source for oil and gas within the cretaceous reservoir rocks davies, 1997. Geochemical characterisation of middle devonian oils in nw. Petroleum sourcerock evaluation and hydrocarbon potential. Many oils that occur in nisku formation reservoirs in the enchanthays field in southern alberta show saturate fraction gas chromatograms and other evidence that indicate an important contribution to these oils from the g. Geology and scenery of the banff national park, canada. This handbook is a good source in understanding the rules and regulations applying to small vehicles. It has a strong emphasis on examples from western canada, especially british. The location of the banff national park in alberta showing location of places mentioned in this article website 1.
The main oil sand deposits of the wcsb are in alberta. Sourcerock geochemistry of the san joaquin basin province, california. Potential source rocks for oils in this region are the organicrich carbonates of the lower keg river formation and interreef carbonates and laminites of the muskeg formation, which are partly timeequivalents to reef growth in the rainbowzamashekilie subbasins creaney et al. Devonianmississippian through lower cretaceous source rocks is the oil sands of northern alberta. Figure 9 indicates a fair hydrocarbon source potential. In addition, the cretaceous is an important period in earths evolution, and is associated with major geological events, including a number of oceanic anoxic events oaes and the development. Source rock analysis of the lower jurassic nordegg member and oilsource rock correla tions, northwestern alberta and northeastern british columbia i. Source rock analysis, thermal maturation and hydrocarbon. We have also commissioned the author, regular geo expro contributor rasoul sorkhabi, to bring us a new series of articles on source rocks you can read the first in the series already back to source. Source rock characterization of the lower cretaceous ostracode.
Sedimentation in areas of high organic productivity 2. Request pdf source rocks, types and petroleum potential abstract. This article from 2009 on global source rock development has proved to be such a favourite with readers of our archive that we have brought it back to our frontpage. The ab bakken petroleum system comprises a 050m thick mixed. A mixture of minerals implies the presence of more than one mineral grain, but not necessarily more than one type of mineral.
Bitumen, dense, highly viscous, petroleumbased hydrocarbon that is found in deposits such as oil sands and pitch lakes natural bitumen or is obtained as a residue of the distillation of crude oil refined bitumen. Petroleum resource assessment of the alberta basin. Many of these are proven source rocks of oils occurring in middle devonian reservoirs. Among the various techniques available, the geochemical technique involving total organic carbon content toc and rockeval pyrolysis are regularly being used in hydrocarbon exploration. Cretaceous source rocks and associated oil and gas resources.
Some models suggest a granitic basement source, and include generation and migration methods such as diffusive migration out of basement granitic rocks or thermal release of helium from the crustal rocks broadhead, 2005. However, there are vast amounts of heavy oil as well about 15% the oil volumes of the oil sands in fractured carbonate rocks of 1014%. Source rocks are classified from the types of kerogen that they contain, which in turn governs the type of hydrocarbons that will be generated type i source rocks are formed from algal remains deposited under anoxic conditions in deep lakes. A rock rich in organic matter which, if heated sufficiently, will generate oil or gas. Typical source rocks, usually shales or limestones, contain about 1% organic matter and at least 0. The present park is located 110 to 180 km west of calgary in southern alberta figure 2. Devonian hydrocarbon source rocks and their derived oils in. Cretaceous potential source rocks within a large area of northeastern british columbia and northwestern alberta 118124w and 57 58n. Petroleum source rock formation requires both 1 sufficient biological productivity to create large quantities of organic matter and 2 suitable depositional conditions for its concentration and preservation. Petroleum generating source rocks can be lacustrine, marine shale, marine carbonate or terrigenouscoaly, generally. In addition, the canadian shield in the northeast corner. Mountain area, rocky mountain foothills, alberta prism. This unique, borndigital resource consists of over 80 purposebuilt websites including text, images, audio and video. Sourcerocks are precursors for hydrocarbon accumulation and reservoir potential.
Tags ammonites diamonds gold iron limestone lithium minerals salt sand and gravel silica sand uranium vanadium. Evolution of organic matter in source rocks during burial org. No hydrocarbons have been definitively linked to a beaverhill lake group source rock but it is possible that such a unit is the source of slave point formation reservoired oils in northwest alberta. Red beds red beds are rocks usually sandstoneshale successions in which at least. It was named by the geological staff of imperial oil in 1950 for beaverhill lake, alberta, based on the core from a well that they. Ownership and management of royalty interests on petroleum and natural gas assets exclusively in western canada. Experimental workflow applied to marine source rocks sampled in. High of concentrations kerogen in a rock such as shale form a source rock. Hydrocarbon source rocks, organic geochemistry, thermal maturity, petroleum systems. Animal life cycles science inquiry problem solving through technology science inquiry science inquiry science inquiry 4 a. Creation of most hydrogenrich, oil prone, sedimentary organic matter is ultimately attributed to photosynthesis and nutrient supply. Devonian hydrocarbon source rocks and their derived oils. It is characterized by marine type iii organic matter with toc contents up to 15% in immature samples and is the source of most oils in the bashaw reef complex, the rimbeymeadowbrook reef trend, and in the swan hills.
Riedigergeochemistry of potential hydrocarbon source rocks of triassic age in the rocky mountain foothills of northeastern british columbia and westcentral alberta bulletin of canadian petroleum geology, 45 1997, pp. Source rocks consist of kerogen which is the mixture of organic chemical compounds that actually form a portion of the sedimentary rocks. Source rock characteristics of lower triassic montney formation presented in this study shows the total organic carbon toc richness, thermal maturity, hydrocarbon generation, geographical distribution of toc and thermal maturity tmax in fort st. Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas. A twopage information sheet with some quick facts and statistics on minerals in alberta. Original royalite absorption, compression and scrubbing plant, ca. Source rocks, types and petroleum potential request pdf. In some areas, particularly in the united states, bitumen is often called asphalt, though that name is almost universally used for the roadpaving material made from a mixture. The beaverhill lake group is a geologic unit of middle devonian to late devonian late givetian to frasnian age in the western canada sedimentary basin that is present in the southwestern northwest territories, northeastern british columbia and alberta. The usgs assessed undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources for provinces in the wcsb table 1. The predominance of c 34 hopanes over c 33 hopanes is a specific and interesting feature which has been reported only rarely e.
These models are an innovative tool for integrating various data like roads, pipelines, and communities with resources like groundwater, minerals, and hydrocarbons. Coal rank and burial history of cretaceous tertiary strata in the grande cache and hinton areas, alberta, canada. Source rock characterization of the lower cretaceous ostracode zone, southern alberta, canada by whitney m. Burial history and source rocks characteristics of the montney formation, alberta basin, canada. Petroleum sourcerock evaluation and hydrocarbon potential in.
Our model, based on available data, identifies the gordondale source rock as the contributor of more than 54% of the oil in the athabasca and peace river accumulations, followed by minor amounts from exshaw 15% and other devonian to lower jurassic source rocks. Summary of albertas shale alberta geological survey. The lower cambrian shale source rocks had a thickness of 1080 m, with high total organic carbon contents an average of 2. Canada resources, po box 2844, calagary, alberta, t2p 3e3, canada.
Pdf source rock contributions to the lower cretaceous heavy oil. Abstract the potential for conventional andor unconventional. Resources are found mainly in high porosity 2832% quartz arenites to arkosic sands that cover large areas and lie updip from the purported source rocks to the sw. It covers an area of 6,641 square kilometers of mountainous terrain, with various glaciers. The formal names for petroleum systems consist of the source rock name, followed by a hyphen, the principal reservoir name, and an indication of the certainty of the correlation magoon and dow, 1994. Successful exploration for oil and gas depends largely upon the quality of source rock. Athabasca glacier, a snowflake requires 150200 years to go from fluttering out of the sky onto the icefield to melting out at the. Physical geology is a comprehensive introductory text on the physical aspects of geology, including rocks and minerals, plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, glaciation, groundwater, streams, coasts, mass wasting, climate change, planetary geology and much more. Evidence for gloeocapsomorpha prisca in late devonian source.
The formation is of late devonian late famennian to early mississippian middle tournaisian age as. Hydrocarbon source rock potential as determined by rockeval 6toc pyrolysis, northeast british columbia and northwest alberta by a. The energy resources conservation boardalberta geological survey. Sedimentary rocks clastic sedimentary rocks are formed from the mechanical break up of other rocks and are classified based on the particle size, e. Saskatchewan geological survey 2 open file report 20161 figure 1 map showing the study area, the location of the presentday structural williston basin, the approximate centre of the alberta basin wright et al. Rocks of marine origin tend to be oilprone, whereas terrestrial source rocks such as coal tend to be gasprone. The undersurface of the ice is studded with boulders and coated with smaller rock fragments, all being dragged across the bedrock under the enormous weight of the ice. Source rocks are precursors for hydrocarbon accumulation and reservoir potential. Equivalent source rocks occur throughout many parts of the western canada. A rock can be composed of only one type of mineral. These models require the presence of fracture andor fault systems that help serve. However, in the central and eastern part of the northcentral montana province, these source rocks are more likely to be immature to marginally mature. The late devonian woodbend group contains the duvernay formation, the most prolific devonian source rock in the alberta basin. Source rock contributions to the lower cretaceous heavy oil.
The middle devonian elk point group contains several units with hydrocarbon potential including the evie formation in british columbia, the keg river formation in northern alberta, and the winnipegosis formation in eastcentral alberta and southern saskatchewan. Sourcerock geochemistry of the san joaquin basin province. For other driver handbooks and to understand more about road safety and low risk driving pick up a basic, motorcycle andor professional drivers handbook at an alberta registry agent office or on. Red rock coulee is about 30 miles 50 kilometers southwest of the city of medicine hat, and although its not really on your way to anywhere, this detour or day trip is an interesting sight. Pipeline at macdougall avenue, edmonton, alberta, 1923 source. C1 rocks and magmas a rock is defined as a consolidated mixture of minerals. Calgary, alberta, canada calgary, alberta, canada calgary, alberta, canada the alberta bakken ab bakken is the latest play area being evaluated in the quest to capture early entry, contingent, light tight oil resources. Appendix consultant report shale gas potential sourcerock. The origin of the immense oil sand deposits in lower cretaceous reservoirs of the western canada sedimentary basin is still a matter of debate, specifically with respect to the original inplace volumes and contributing source rocks.
Carbonate rocks there are some freshwater limestones around and some freshwater dolostones, too, but most of the carbonate rocks you are likely to see are marine. The geological strata not only contain oil sands, oil, natural gas and coal deposits, but also a large variety of metallic and industrial minerals. It is clear that the mannville group of the western canada sedimentary basin cannot be the major source of alberta s oilsand hydrocarbons. It takes the name from the hamlet of exshaw, alberta in the canadian rockies, and was first described from outcrops on the banks of jura creek north of exshaw by p. In general, source rocks are organic rich sediments that have, or may generate hydrocarbons 1, and are a primary element in any petroleum system 2. These are thought to have a contribution from camrose member source rocks. Either the hydrocarbons were generated in as yet undocumented, very organicrich mannvilleequivalent rocks in the foothills, or they are derived from multiple sources throughout the basin. Geochemical data reveal that interval 2,3252,420 m early eocene toc contents recorded are good to very good 1. Elk point group potential source rocks contain a wide variety of organic matter types reflecting the diversity of their depositional environments. This interactive map highlights sand and gravel deposits with aggregate resource potential, based on. An inventory of petroleum source rocks in the worlds major sedimentary basins show that six geological intervals in earths history generated over 90% of the worlds conventional oil and gas discoveries. Triassic oil families and possible source rocks, peace river embayment area. Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of the western canada sedimentary basin, canada, 2012. The triassic source rocks formations are identified as possible source for oil and.
Few kerogens release natural gas or crude oil when heated. Successful exploration for oil and gas depends largely upon the quality of sourcerock. Walkthrough our doors and you will find the largest selection of semiprecious stone and fossil jewelry that we can fit in our combined 7,000 sq feet of display space in three retail locations. Source rock characterization of the lower cretaceous ostracode zone, southern alberta, canada. Rocks of marine origin tend to be oilprone, whereas terrestrial source rocks such as coal. Source rock characterization of the lower cretaceous. In the present study, core samples from three deep.
Edmonton, alberta, receives its first delivery of natural gas from the vikingkinsella field that had been discovered in 1914. Hydrocarbon source rock parameters, including type and amount of kerogen, and thermal maturity of these formations, are assessed by analyzing 74 core samples from 23 wells using rock eval 6toc pyrolysis. In this study, the contributions from the main source rocks were addressed using a threedimensional petroleum system model calibrated to. Triassic oil families and possible source rocks, peace river. Cretaceous source rocks and associated oil and gas. Evidence for gloeocapsomorpha prisca in late devonian. The western canada sedimentary basin underlying most of alberta contains vast mineral wealth.
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