rock-eval, lithogeochemistry, gamma ray spectrometry, thermal maturity, x-ray...

British Columbia Geological Survey GeoFile 2019-11

Rock-Eval, lithogeochemistry, gamma ray spectrometry, thermal maturity, X-ray diffraction analysis, and organic carbon isotope geochemistry of the Besa River Formation, west-central Liard Basin, British Columbia (94N/14)Filippo Ferri and Julito Reyes

Mattson Fm

Besa River Formation

d) e)

b) c)

69 m

a)

Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum ResourcesMines Competitiveness and Authorizations DivisionBritish Columbia Geological Survey

Recommended citation: Ferri, F. and Reyes, J., 2019. Rock-Eval, lithogeochemistry, gamma ray spectrometry, thermal maturity, X-ray diffraction analysis, and organic carbon isotope geochemistry of the Besa River Formation, west-central Liard Basin, British Columbia (94N/14). British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, British Columbia Geological Survey GeoFile 2019-11, 5p.

Front cover: Looking northeast along the Caribou Range showing the gully exposing the measured Besa River Formation section. The base of the section is just below the rock exposure at the bottom of the photograph. Photo by Filippo Ferri.

Appendices, including datafiles, for this GeoFile can be downloaded fromhttp://cmscontent.nrs.gov.bc.ca/geoscience/PublicationCatalogue/GeoFile/BCGS_GF2019-11.zip

Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum ResourcesBritish Columbia Geological Survey

GeoFile 2019-11

Rock-Eval, lithogeochemistry, gamma ray spectrometry, thermal maturity, X-ray diffraction analysis, and organic carbon isotope geochemistry of the Besa River Formation, west-central Liard Basin, British Columbia (94N/14)

Filippo Ferri and Julito Reyes

Recommended citation: Ferri, F. and Reyes, J., 2019. Rock-Eval, lithogeochemistry, gamma ray spectrometry, thermal maturity, X-ray diffraction analysis, and organic carbon isotope geochemistry of the Besa River Formation, west-central Liard Basin, British Columbia (94N/14). British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, British Columbia Geological Survey GeoFile 2019-11, 5p.

Rock-Eval, lithogeochemistry, gamma ray spectrometry, thermal maturity, X-ray diffraction analysis, and organic carbon isotope geochemistry of the Besa River Formation, west-central Liard Basin, British Columbia (94N/14)Filippo Ferri1a and Julito Reyes2

1British Columbia Geological Survey, Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, Victoria, BC, V8W 9N3 2Geological Survey of Canada, Calgary, AB, T2L 2A7acorresponding author: [email protected]

Keywords: Besa River Formation, shale gas, Liard basin, Horn River Formation, Horn River basin, Devonian, Mississippian

SummaryMiddle Devonian to Lower Carboniferous shales and

siltstones of the Besa River Formation that are exposed in the Caribou Range of west-central Liard Basin (Fig. 1) are lithologically similar to time-equivalent shale-gas bearing rocks in the subsurface of the eastern Liard Basin and, farther east, in the Horn River Basin (Fig. 2). Complimenting a nearly identical data set obtained from the Besa River Formation in southern Liard Basin (Ferri and Reyes, 2019) and previous investigations (Ferri et al., 2011a, b), herein we present the full dataset from a continuous stratigraphic section that we measured and systematically sampled in the Caribou Range of northernmost British Columbia (Figs. 3, 4). This measured section and dataset will provide a reference for the Besa River Formation in central Liard Basin.

The UTM coordinates (NAD 83, Zone 10) for Caribou Range section are: 1) base, 367107E 6643192N; 2) 60 m stratigraphic height, 367176E 6643180N; 3) 100 m stratigraphic height, 367213E 6643151N; 4) 150 m stratigraphic height, 367266E 6643094N; 4) 185 m stratigraphic height, 367333E 6643077N; 5) 233 m stratigraphic height, 367420E 6643025N; 6) 285 mstratigraphic height (top), 367496E 6642948N.

In the accompanying files (BCGS_GF2019-11.zip) we summarize our analytical methods (Appendix 01), Rock-Eval, lithogeochemistry, stable carbon (organic) isotope geochemical, gamma ray spectrometry, thermal maturity, X-ray diffraction, and gamma ray spectrometer data (asMicrosoft Excel spreadsheets; Appendix 02), and graphic logs,lithologic descriptions, and images of representative rock types(Appendix 03).

AcknowledgementsWe thank Igor Bilot and Jeanne B. Percival, at the laboratories

of the Geological Survey of Canada in Ottawa for providing the XRD analysis. We also thank Sarah Saad and Kritsta Boyce for help processing and analyzing Rock-Eval samples. Kirk Osadetz (Geological Survey of Canada) provided background material on Rock-Eval analysis and Ray Lett (British Columbia Geological Survey) assisted with preparing samples used for lithogeochemical analysis. Part of the funding for this project originated with the Yukon Sedimentary Basin Project; Geo-mapping for Energy and Minerals (GEM) program, Geological Survey of Canada (Rock-Eval, XRD and reflective light thermal maturity analyses). Lisa Fodor and Lauren Wilson provided enthusiastic assistance in the field. We also thank Larry Lane (Geological Survey of Canada) for loaning a gamma ray spectrometer. Great Slave Helicopters Ltd. provided competent service in positioning and demobilizing the field camps.

References citedFerri, F. and Reyes, J., 2019. Rock-Eval, lithogeochemistry, gamma

ray spectrometry, vitrine reflectance, and X-ray diffraction analysis of the Besa River Formation in the Rocky Mountains of northeastern British Columbia. British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, British Columbia Geological Survey GeoFile 2019-10, 3p.

Ferri, F., Hickin, A.S., and Huntley, D.H., 2011a. Besa River Formation, western Liard basin, British Columbia (NTS 094N): geochemistry and regional correlations. In: Geoscience Reports 2011, British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines, pp. 1-18.

Ferri, F., Hickin, A.S., and Huntley, D.H., 2011b. Bedded barite-pyrite occurrences in upper Besa River Formation, Western

British Columbia Geological Survey GeoFile 2019-111

Liard Basin, British Columbia and regional correlations with Devonian to Mississippian sub-surface formations (NTS 94N). In: Geological Fieldwork 2010. British Columbia Ministry of Forest, Mines and Lands, British Columbia Geological Survey Paper 2011-01, pp. 13–30.

Mossop, G.D., Wallace-Dudley, K.E., Smith, G.G., and Harrison, J.C. 2004. Sedimentary basins of Canada. Geological Survey of Canada Open File 4673, 1:5,000,000 scale.

Taylor, G. C. and Stott, D. F. 1999. Geology, Toad River, British Columbia. Geological Survey of Canada Map 1955A, 1:250,000 scale.

Wheeler, J.O. and McFeely, P. 1991. Tectonic assemblage map of the Canadian Cordillera and adjacent parts of the United States of America. Geological Survey of Canada Map 1712A, 1:2,000,000.

Fig. 1. Geological map of northeastern British Columbia, southeastern Yukon and the southwestern Northwest Territories, showing the general outline of the Liard Basin. After Wheeler and McFeely (1991).

97

77

Yukon NWT

BC

Bovie

Fault

94N 094O

094J

094K

094M

094L

095B095D

095F 095G 95G095E

095C

0 25 50

km

CretaceousWapiti Formation

Kotaneelee Formation

Dunvegan Formation

Fort St. John Group

Grayling, Toad,Liard, Ludington formations

Fantasque, Kindle formations

Besa River Formation

Rundle, Banff formations

Mattson Formatioin

Platform carbonate rocks,basinal shales, siliciclasitc rocks

Siliciclastics

Muskwa assemblage

Triassic

Upper Paleozoic

Carboniferous

Lower Paleozoic

Neoproterozoic

Mesoproterozoic

Intrusive Rocks

Liard Basin

Provincial/Territorialboundary

Cretaceous, Paleogene

Western Canada Sedimentary Basin

Figure 4

NahanniButte

Ft. Nelson

Ft. Liard

MunchoLk

Toad R

Liar

d R

Fort

Toad RMaxhamish

Lk

Nahanni R

Rocky M

ountains

Macke

nzie

Mounta

ins

Fra

nklin

Mounta

ins

Cariboo R

ange

o124o126

o59

o60

o61

Ferri and Reyes

2British Columbia Geological Survey GeoFile 2019-11

Devo

nia

nC

arb

onife

rous

L

Mid

dle

Upper

Mis

siss

ippia

nP

enn.

Em

Ei

Giv

etia

nF

rasn

ian

Fa

L

M

U

L

M

U

Liard Basin

Chinchaga Fm

Upper KegRiver Fm

Lower Keg River Fm

Sulphur Point Fm

Watt Mtn Fm

Slave Point Fm

Muskeg Fm

Muskwa Formation

Upper MbrRedknife Fm Jean Marie Mbr

Kakisa Formation

Trout River Formation

Tetcho Formation

Kotcho Formation

Exshaw Formation

Banff Formation

Pekisko FormationShunda Formation

Debolt FormationRundleGroup

Fort Simpson Formation

Platform/Sourthern regionnortheast British Columbia

Fantasque/Belloy Formation

Exshaw Formation

Horn River Basin

Keg River FmDunedin Fm- Nahanni Fm

Horn

Riv

er

Gp

Evie Fm

Otter Park Fm

Muskwa Fm

Kakisa Fm

Trout River Fm

Tetcho Fm

Kotcho Fm

Fort Simpson

Formation

Banff Formation

Pekisko FmShunda Fm

Debolt FmRundleGroup

Exshaw Fm

BanffFm

RundleGroup

(Prophet Fm)

Fort

Simpson

Formation

Horn

Riv

er

Fm

Evie Mbr

OtterParkMbr

Muskwa Mbr

Golata Fm?

MattsonFm

Fantasque Formation

KindleFormation

Stone Fm

Chinchaga Fm

Permian

Besa

R

iver

G

roup

Sto

ddart

Gp

Golata Fm

KiskatinawFm

Taylor FlatFm

Sandstone Shale Carbonate Evaporite Chert

RockyMountainsFantasque Fm

KindleFormation

Stone Fm

Besa

River

Formation

Upper

Besa R

iver

Patry Fm

Dunedin Fm- Nahanni Fm

Golata Fm?

MattsonFm

MattsonFm

Fig. 2. Stratigraphic units in the Rocky Mountains, the Liard basin, the Horn River basin, and platform successions to the east, illustrating correlations between major late Paleozoic units along the western margin of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. Middle to late Paleozoic carbonate rocks on the east, ‘shale out’ westward to fine-grained siliciclastic rocks of the Besa River Formation.

Ferri and Reyes


Fig. 3. Location of study area in northernmost British Columbia, straddling the Cordillera and the adjacent undeformed portion of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. The outline of the Liard Basin is taken from Mossop et al. (2004). Also shown are the conventional and unconventional gas fields as defined by the BC Oil and Gas Commission.

Toad R

.

Fort Nelson R.

MaxhamishLk.

Liard R.

Kotcho Lk.

o122o124

o59

o60

50 km

Slave Point Edge(tick on basin side) Liard Basin

97

97

77

Fort Nelson

Toad R

Pennsylvanian-Permian

Mississippian

Devono-Mississippian

Cambrian

Neoproterozoic

Ordovician - Devonian

Cretaceous-Tertiary

Upper Cretaceous

Middle Cretaceous

Triassic

Horn River Basingas field

Cambro-Ordovician

Mesoproterozoic

YT NWT

Conventional gas fields

Study AreaFigure 4

Ferri and Reyes


o125 30'

o59 45'

o60

10 km

Dunedin Fm

Stone Fm

Wokkpash Fm

Muncho-McConnell Fm

Nonda Fm

Cambrian

Location of section

34

Toad Fm

Grayling Fm

Fantasque Fm

Kindle Fm

Mattson Fm

Besa River Fm

Lower to Middle Triassic

Permian

Carboniferous to Permian

Lower Carboniferous

Upper Devonian to Lower Carboniferous

Middle Devonian

Lower to Middle Devonian

Lower Devonian

Upper Silurian to Lower Devonian

Lower Silurian

Fig. 4. Geology of the area immediately surrounding the Besa River Formation section. Geology from Taylor and Stott (1999).

Ferri and Reyes


British Columbia Geological SurveyMinistry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources www.gov.bc.ca/geologicalsurvey

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