Viking Formation
| Viking Formation Stratigraphic range: Late Albian |
|
|---|---|
| Type | Geological formation |
| Underlies | Big River Formation |
| Overlies | Joli Fou Formation |
| Thickness | up to 50 metres (160 ft)[1] |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Sandstone |
| Other | Conglomerate, chert |
| Location | |
| Named for | Viking, Alberta |
| Named by | Dowling et al., 1919 |
| Coordinates | 53°00′N 111°30′W / 53°N 111.5°WCoordinates: 53°00′N 111°30′W / 53°N 111.5°W |
| Region |  Alberta,  Saskatchewan |
| Country |  Canada |
The Viking Formation is a stratigraphical unit of Cretaceous age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.
It takes the name from the town of Viking, Alberta, and was first described in the Viking-Kinsella oil field by Dowling in 1919.[2]
Contents |
[edit] Lithology
The Viking Formation is composed of fine to coarse grained sandstone with interbeds of conglomerate and cherty conglomeratic sandstone. [1] Nodular phosphorite, coal fragments and concretionary siderite occur in the coarse beds.
[edit] Hydrocarbon production
Oil is produced from the Viking Formation in eastern and central Alberta as well as in central-west Saskatchewan.
The Viking Formation had an initial established recoverable oil reserve of 88.7 million m³, with 66.8 million m³ already produced as of 2008.[3] Gas reserves totaled 277.9 million m³, with 103.4 million m³ already produced.[4]
[edit] Distribution
The Viking Formation occurs in the sub-surface of central and eastern Alberta and in west-central Saskatchewan. It reaches a maximum thickness of 50 metres (160 ft) in central Alberta and thins out to 40 metres (130 ft) in Saskatchewan. Thinner sandstone beds can be recognized into western Alberta.
[edit] Relationship to other units
The Viking Formation is conformably overlain by the Big River Formation and conformably and unconformably underlain by the Joli Fou Formation.[1]
It is equivalent to the Bow Island Formation in southern Alberta, to the Newcastle Formation in North Dakota, to the Ashville Formation in Manitoba, the Pelican Sandstone in north-eastern Alberta and the Flotten Lake Sand in central Saskatchewan. It can be correlated with the Cadotte Member of the Peace River Formation in north-western Alberta.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units. "Viking Formation". http://cgkn1.cgkn.net/weblex/weblex_litho_detail_e.pl?00053:015856. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
- ^ Dowling, D.B., Slipper, S E., and McLearn, F.H., 1919. Investigations in the gas and oil fields of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Geological Survey of Canada, Memoir 116.
- ^ 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". http://www.ags.gov.ab.ca/publications/wcsb_atlas/A_CH32/TB32_01.html. Retrieved 2009-03-06.
- ^ 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". http://www.ags.gov.ab.ca/publications/wcsb_atlas/A_CH32/TB32_02.html. Retrieved 2009-03-06.
