Muskwa Formation
Muskwa Formation | |
---|---|
Stratigraphic range: | |
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″N 122°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 |
The Muskwa Formation is a stratigraphical unit of Frasnian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.
It takes the name from Muskwa River, and was first described in the Western National Gas Fort Nelson a-95-J/94-J-10 well by F.F. Gray and J.R. Kassube, in 1963.
Lithology
[edit]The Muskwa Formation is composed of bituminous shale. Pyrite is a common accessory mineral.
Gas production
[edit]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).
Distribution
[edit]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).
Relationship to other units
[edit]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.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Lexicon of Canadian Geological Units. "Muskwa Formation". Retrieved 2009-02-10.