The geology and petroleum potential of the Queen Charlotte Basin, Pacific Continental Margin, Canada

Conference · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA)

OSTI ID:6744991

Dietrich, J R; Higgs, R; Rohr, K ^[1]

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1. Geological Survey of Canada, Calgary, Alberta (Canada)

The Queen Charlotte basin is a 40,000 km{sup 2} late Paleogene-Neogene basin underlying the Queen Charlotte Islands, Hecate Strait, and Queen Charlotte Sound region of the Canadian Pacific continental margin. The basin formed during Eocene to Pliocene extension along and adjacent to a transform segment of the Pacific-North American plate boundary. Oblique subduction along the plate boundary in the late Cenozoic resulted in uplift and folding of portions of the northern half of the basin. In detail, the basin consists of numerous, variably oriented half-grabens and subbasins separated and underlain by complexly structured Mesozoic rocks of the Wranellia terrane. Most of the offshore subbasins contain clastic sediments in excess of 3,000 m thick and strata as thick as 6,000 m are known to occur in the deepest depocenters. The older (pre-Pliocene) portions of the basin locally contain volcanics, often interbedded with clastics. Potential hydrocarbon reservoirs within the basin include alluvial-fan fan-delta and tidal-shelf sandstones. Potential hydrocarbon source rocks include Upper Triassic-Lower Jurassic shales and limestones locally preserved below the basin and Tertiary shales within the deeper portions of the basin fill. Possible hydrocarbon traps include folds, rollover anticlines, basement fault blocks, and a variety of combined structural-stratigraphic traps. The Queen Charlotte basin is considered to be one of the most prospective areas for significant hydrocarbon resources along the northeast Pacific margin.

• OSTI ID: 6744991
• Report Number(s): CONF-900605--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA) Journal Volume: 74:5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
58 GEOSCIENCES
580000 -- Geosciences
ANTICLINES
BRITISH COLUMBIA
CANADA
CENOZOIC ERA
CONTINENTAL MARGIN
EXPLORATION
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGIC TRAPS
JURASSIC PERIOD
MESOZOIC ERA
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
OFFSHORE SITES
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESOURCE POTENTIAL
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SHALES
SOURCE ROCKS
TERTIARY PERIOD
TRIASSIC PERIOD