Wabamun Formation

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Wabamun Formation
Stratigraphic range: Famennian
Type Geological formation
Sub-units Crossfield Member
Underlies Exshaw Formation, Blairmore Group, Mannville Group
Overlies Graminia Formation (Winterburn Group)
Thicknessup to 240 metres (790 ft) [1]
Lithology
Primary Limestone, dolomite
Other Anhydrite
Location
Coordinates 53°23′06″N114°30′44″W / 53.3851°N 114.5123°W / 53.3851; -114.5123 (Anglo Canadian Wabamun Lake No. 1)
RegionFlag of Alberta.svg  Alberta
CountryFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Type section
Named for Wabamun Lake
Named by Imperial Oil, 1950

The Wabamun Formation is a stratigraphic unit of Late Devonian (Famennian) age in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. [2] It takes the name from Wabamun Lake and was first described in the Anglo Canadian Wabamun Lake No. 1 well (located between the Wabamun Lake and the North Saskatchewan River) by Imperial Oil in 1950. [3]

Contents

Lithology

The Wabamun Formation is composed of dolomitic limestone and calcareous dolomite with anhydrite interbeds. [1] Halite and anhydrite are present at the base of the formation in the Stettler region. It is composed entirely of limestone in north-western Alberta. Secondary pyrite is found at the top of the formation.

Hydrocarbon potential

The Wabamun Formation had an initial established recoverable oil reserve of 7.2 million m³, with 3.2 million m³ already produced as of 2008. [4] Gas reserves totaled 102.8 million m³, with 53.5 million m³ already produced. [5]

Distribution

The Wabamun Formation reaches a maximum thickness of 240 metres (790 ft) in the sub-surface of central Alberta. [1] It thins out and wedges towards the east, and thickens towards the Canadian Rockies foothills.

Relationship to other units

The Wabamun Formation is disconformably overlain by the Exshaw Formation in southern Alberta, by the Blairmore Group in western Alberta and by the Mannville Group in eastern Alberta. It rests conformably on the Graminia Formation siltstone of the Winterburn Group. [1]

In the Calgary area, the formation is divided into a lower and an upper part separated by the porous dolomitic Crossfield Member.

It is equivalent to the Three Forks Formation in Montana, the Palliser Formation in the Canadian Rockies, the sum of the Kotcho Formation and Tetcho Formation in northeastern British Columbia.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viking Formation</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palliser Formation</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elk Point Group</span>

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The Luscar Group is a geologic unit of Early Cretaceous age in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin that is present in the foothills of southwestern Alberta. It is subdivided into a series of formations, some of which contain economically significant coal deposits that have been mined near Cadomin and Luscar. Coal mining in those areas began in the early 1900s and continues near Luscar as of 2016.

The La Loche Formation is a geologic formation of early Middle Devonian (Eifelian) age in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. It is present in northeastern Alberta and northwestern Saskatchewan and was first described by A. W. Norris in 1963, who named it for a Roman Catholic Mission at Lac La Loche. Its type section is located at Contact Rapids on the Clearwater River in Saskatchewan, northwest of Lac La Loche. It is not fossiliferous.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units. "Wabamun Formation" . Retrieved 2009-03-01.
  2. Mossop, G.D. and Shetsen, I., (compilers), Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists and Alberta Geological Survey (1994). "The Geological Atlas of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, Chapter 13: Devonian Wabamun Group of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin" . Retrieved 2014-10-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. Imperial Oil Limited, Geological Staff, Western Division, 1950. Devonian nomenclature in Edmonton area, Alberta, Canada. Bull. American Association of Petroleum Geologists, v. 34, p. 1807-1825.
  4. Mossop, G.D. and Shetsen, I - Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists (1994). "The Geological Atlas of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin - Summary of oil reserves and production data" . Retrieved 2009-03-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. Mossop, G.D. and Shetsen, I - Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists (1994). "The Geological Atlas of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin - Summary of gas reserves and production data" . Retrieved 2009-03-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)