Muskwa Formation

Muskwa Formation
Stratigraphic range: Frasnian
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Muskwa Formation; Stratigraphic range: Frasnian PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Type	Geological formation
Unit of	Horn River Formation
Underlies	Fort Simpson Formation
Overlies	Otter Park Member
Thickness	up to 34 metres (110 ft) [1]
Lithology
Primary	Shale
Location
Coordinates	58°44′38″N122°40′41″W / 58.7438°N 122.6781°W Coordinates: 58°44′38″N122°40′41″W / 58.7438°N 122.6781°W
Region	British Columbia
Country	Canada
Type section
Named for	Muskwa River
Named by	Gray & Kassube
Year defined	1963
	Muskwa Formation (Canada)

Last updated April 26, 2019

The Muskwa Formation is a stratigraphical unit of Frasnian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.

Stratigraphy The study of rock layers and their formation

Stratigraphy is a branch of geology concerned with the study of rock layers (strata) and layering (stratification). It is primarily used in the study of sedimentary and layered volcanic rocks. Stratigraphy has two related subfields: lithostratigraphy and biostratigraphy.

The Frasnian is one of two faunal stages in the Late Devonian period. It lasted from 382.7 million years ago to 372.2 million years ago. It was preceded by the Givetian stage and followed by the Famennian stage.

Geochronology is the science of determining the age of rocks, fossils, and sediments using signatures inherent in the rocks themselves. Absolute geochronology can be accomplished through radioactive isotopes, whereas relative geochronology is provided by tools such as palaeomagnetism and stable isotope ratios. By combining multiple geochronological indicators the precision of the recovered age can be improved.

The Muskwa River flows 257 kilometres (160 mi) through northern British Columbia, Canada. It is a major tributary of the Fort Nelson River - part of the Mackenzie River system. The river rises at Fern Lake in the Bedaux Pass in the Northern Rocky Mountains. From there, it flows generally east, then north, and then east again to meet with the Fort Nelson River just east of the town of Fort Nelson. The river drops approximately 1,100 metres (3,600 ft), its course taking it down the Rocky Mountain foothills through sub-alpine and boreal forest to meander across the forest and muskegs of the vast Liard River plains. From mouth to headwater, prominent tributaries include the Prophet River, Tuchodi River, and Gathto Creek. Much of the upper portions of this wilderness river and its watershed are located in the Northern Rocky Mountains Provincial Park, which is part of the larger Muskwa-Kechika Management Area. The region is a popular wilderness recreation destination.

Lithology

The Muskwa Formation is composed of bituminous shale. Pyrite is a common accessory mineral.

Shale A fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock

Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. Shale is characterized by breaks along thin laminae or parallel layering or bedding less than one centimeter in thickness, called fissility. It is the most common sedimentary rock.

The mineral pyrite (/ˈpaɪraɪt/), or iron pyrite, also known as fool's gold, is an iron sulfide with the chemical formula FeS₂ (iron(II) disulfide). Pyrite is considered the most common of the sulfide minerals.

Gas production

Gas is produced from the Muskwa Formation shales in the Horn River Basin in the Greater Sierra oil field in north-eastern British Columbia. Horizontal drilling and fracturing techniques are used to extract the gas from the low permeability shales (see Shale gas ).

Natural gas, also called "Fossil Gas" is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, but commonly including varying amounts of other higher alkanes, and sometimes a small percentage of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide, or helium. It is formed when layers of decomposing plant and animal matter are exposed to intense heat and pressure under the surface of the Earth over millions of years. The energy that the plants originally obtained from the sun is stored in the form of chemical bonds in the gas.

Greater Sierra is a large oil and gas field in northeastern British Columbia, Canada.

British Columbia is the westernmost province of Canada, located between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. With an estimated population of 5.016 million as of 2018, it is Canada's third-most populous province.

Distribution

The Muskwa Formation occurs in northern Alberta, north-eastern British Columbia and in the southern part of the Northwest Territories, and typically has a thickness of 34 metres (110 ft).

Northern Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta.

The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada. At a land area of approximately 1,144,000 km² (442,000 sq mi) and a 2016 census population of 41,786, it is the second-largest and the most populous of the three territories in Northern Canada. Its estimated population as of 2018 is 44,445. Yellowknife became the territorial capital in 1967, following recommendations by the Carrothers Commission.

Relationship to other units

The Muskwa Formation is a sub-unit of the Horn River Formation; it is conformably overlain by the Fort Simpson Formation and conformably underlain by the Otter Park Member.

The Horn River Formation is a stratigraphic unit of Devonian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.

The Fort Simpson Formation is a stratigraphical unit of Devonian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.

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Bullhead Group is a stratigraphic unit of Lower Cretaceous age in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin of northeastern British Columbia and western Alberta. It was first defined by F.H. McLearn in 1918 as the Bullhead Mountain Formation, but later was upgraded to group status. It consists of the Cadomin and Gething Formations, although some early workers included the Bluesky Formation and others in the group.

The Fort St. John Group is a stratigraphic unit of Lower Cretaceous age in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. It takes the name from the city of Fort St. John, British Columbia and was first defined by George Mercer Dawson in 1881.

The Spirit River Formation is a stratigraphical unit of middle Albian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.

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The Beaverhill Lake Group is a geologic unit of Middle Devonian to Late Devonian age in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin that is present in the southwestern Northwest Territories, northeastern British Columbia and Alberta. 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 had drilled southeast of the lake, near Ryley, Alberta.

The Elk Point Group is a stratigraphic unit of Early to Middle Devonian age in the Western Canada and Williston sedimentary basins. It underlies large area that extends from southern boundary of the Northwest Territories in Canada to North Dakota in the United States. It has been subdivided into numerous formations, many which host major petroleum and natural gas reservoirs.

The Woodbend Group is a stratigraphical unit of Frasnian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.

The Duvernay Formation is a stratigraphical unit of Frasnian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.

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The Boulder Creek Formation is a geologic formation in northeastern British Columbia. It was named for a tributary to Commotion Creek in the Pine Pass area by E.M. Spieker in 1921. At one time considered to be a member of the Commotion Formation, it was elevated to formation status by D.F. Stott in 1982.

References

↑ Lexicon of Canadian Geological Units. "Muskwa Formation" . Retrieved 2009-02-10.

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[lexicon-1] Lexicon of Canadian Geological Units. "Muskwa Formation" . Retrieved 2009-02-10.

v t e Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin
Hydrocarbon history	Oil sands and heavy oil Frontier exploration and development Natural gas liquids Natural gas
Depositional regions	Southern Alberta Central Alberta Northwestern Alberta Plains South-central Canadian Rockies foothills North-east Plains North-central foothills Liard River Fort Nelson Northern Rocky Mountains Fort St. John Saskatchewan Western Manitoba
Fort Nelson area	Wapiti GRP Kotaneelee FM Dunvegan FM Ft. St. John GRP Sully FM SikanniFM Buckinghorse FM Scatter FM Belloy FM Rundle GRP Debolt FM Shunda FM Pekisko FM Banff FM Exshaw FM Kotcho FM Tetcho FM Trout River FM Kakisa FM Redknife FM Jean Marie MBR Fort Simpson FM Horn River FM Muskwa FM Waterways FM Slave Point FM Watt Mountain FM Muskeg FM Sulphur Point FM Presqu'ile FM Pine Point FM Keg River FM Chinchaga FM Canadian Shield

v t e Shale gas
Geological formations	Antrim Barnett Conasauga Duvernay Eagle Ford Fayetteville Haynesville Horn River Marcellus Montney Muskwa New Albany Utica
By country	Canada China Romania United Kingdom United States List of countries by recoverable shale gas
Protests	Frack Off Balcombe drilling protest 2012–14 Romanian protests against shale gas