Burial history and thermal maturity, Rocky Mountain front ranges, foothills, and foreland, east-central British Columbia and adjacent Alberta, Canada

Journal Article · Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1988 · AAPG (Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol.) Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6375845

Kalkreuth, W; McMechan, M

The regional pattern of maturation of Cretaceous strata in the study area was determined from vitrinite-reflectance measurements. Maturation increases from west to east across the Foothills to a maximum near the eastern limit of Foothills deformation and decreases farther east. Maturation along the eastern limit of deformation also decreases northward significantly. Reflectance measurements from Carboniferous strata exposed in the Front Ranges are much lower than values from the Lower Cretaceous near the eastern limit of deformation. Modeling using burial history curves indicates the regional maturation pattern largely reflects variations in the depth and/or duration of burial beneath Maastrichtian-Eocene foredeep deposits. However, differential vertical movements associated with the Peace River arch/embayment in the Carboniferous, Triassic, Early Cretaceous and Maastrichtian-Eocene had an important effect on the maturation pattern. Determined and estimated maturation levels for reservoir strata are consistent with the known occurrences of gas fields and oil pools, except along the relatively unexplored western margin of the study area. There, moderate maturation levels indicate a potential for wet-gas or oil preservation in shallow structures containing Triassic and Lower Carboniferous carbonates in the south. In the north, structures in the western Foothills deforming Triassic strata with lower levels of maturation are breached. 15 figures.

• Research Organization: Geological Survey of Canada, Calgary, Alberta
• OSTI ID: 6375845
• Journal Information: AAPG (Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol.) Bull.; (United States), Vol. 72:11
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
ALBERTA
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
BRITISH COLUMBIA
SOURCE ROCKS
MATURATION
CARBONATE ROCKS
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
MACERALS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
TERTIARY PERIOD
TRIASSIC PERIOD
CANADA
CENOZOIC ERA
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
MESOZOIC ERA
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
020200* - Petroleum- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration