The organic petrology and thermal maturity of Lower Carboniferous and Upper Devonian source rocks in the Liard Basin, at Jackfish Gap-Yohin Ridge and North Beaver River, northern Canada: Implications for hydrocarbon exploration

Journal Article · · Energy Sources; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/00908319308909028· OSTI ID:6424443

Potter, J ^[1]; Richards, B C; Goodarzi, G ^[2]

---

1. Univ. of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (United Kingdom)
2. Geological Survey, Calgary, Alberta (Canada)

Basinal shales of the Besa River Fm. have TOC values ranging from 1 to 4% and contain abundant type II, dominantly amorphous, kerogen of marine origin. Shales in the Yohin, Clausen, Prophet, and Golata Formations are of mixed maring and terrestrial origins and yield TOC values of 1 to 3%. Kerogen in the Golata and Yohin Formations are dominated by terrestrial components, while the Clausen and Flett kerogen comprises marine liptinites and bitumens. Kerogen from the deltaic Mattson shales at Jackfish Gap are types II and III, having mixed marine and terrestrial origins consistent with shallow, nearshore, subtidal environments. The coals are sapropelic and probably lacustrine in origin. Algal laminites associated with coals in the Upper Mattson have >10% TOC values, while non-laminite shales contain between 2 and 5% TOC. Comparable measured and calculated vitrinite reflectance data indicate that kerogen in the Lower Carboniferous at Jackfish Gap is mature. Kerogen in correlative formations in the subsurface at North Beaver River is more marine. Vitrinites are rate and oxidized, but four populations of bitumens are distinguished on the basis of relative reflectivity and morphological or petrophysical associations. Types A and B bitumens are primary and by-products of hydrocarbon generation from type II (algal and amorphous) kerogens. Correlations between depth and reflectance of bitumens A and B are very good. Vitrinite reflectance data calculated from bitumen reflectance measurements for the Besa River, Prophet, and Golata indicate that they are potential sources of catagenic gas. The Mattson kerogen is mature, oil and gas-prone.

• OSTI ID: 6424443
• Journal Information: Energy Sources; (United States), Vol. 15:2; ISSN 0090-8312
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
03 NATURAL GAS
02 PETROLEUM
CANADA
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
EXPLORATION
SOURCE ROCKS
MATURATION
PETROLOGY
VITRINITE
REFLECTIVITY
BITUMENS
CARBONIFEROUS PERIOD
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CLASSIFICATION
CORRELATIONS
DEPTH
DEVONIAN PERIOD
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOLOGY
GEOMORPHOLOGY
KEROGEN
OIL SHALES
ORGANIC MATTER
ORIGIN
SAPROPELIC COAL
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMISTRY
COAL
DATA
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DIMENSIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
INFORMATION
MACERALS
MATERIALS
MATTER
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PALEOZOIC ERA
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SHALES
SURFACE PROPERTIES
TAR
040500* - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- Properties & Composition
010600 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Properties & Composition
030200 - Natural Gas- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
020200 - Petroleum- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration