University of Windsor Scholarship at UWindsor Electronic Theses and Dissertations Theses, Dissertations, and Major Papers 1-1-1981 The Viking Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of southeastern Saskatchewan. Shaun C. O'Connell University of Windsor Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd Recommended Citation O'Connell, Shaun C., "The Viking Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of southeastern Saskatchewan." (1981). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 6773. https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd/6773 This online database contains the full-text of PhD dissertations and Masters’ theses of University of Windsor students from 1954 forward. These documents are made available for personal study and research purposes only, in accordance with the Canadian Copyright Act and the Creative Commons license—CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivative Works). Under this license, works must always be attributed to the copyright holder (original author), cannot be used for any commercial purposes, and may not be altered. Any other use would require the permission of the copyright holder. Students may inquire about withdrawing their dissertation and/or thesis from this database. For additional inquiries, please contact the repository administrator via email ([email protected]) or by telephone at 519-253-3000ext. 3208. NOTE TO USERS This reproduction is the best copy available. UMI_ (B) Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. THE VIKING FORMATION (LOWER CRETACEOUS) OF SOUTHEASTERN SASKATCHEWAN by Shaun C. O' Connell Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies through the Department of Geology in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Geology at The University of Windsor. Windsor, Ontario, Canada 1981 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: EC54759 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. (JMT Dissertation Publishing UMI EC54759 Copyright 2010 by ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This edition of the work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest’ ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE. OF ggjfTENTS LIST OF TABLES iii LIST OF FIGURES iv LIST OF APPENDICES yi ABSTRACT vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ix INTRODUCTION 1 Location 1 The Problem 1 Previous Work 1 Scope of Study 4 REGIONAL SETTING 6 * Generalised Depositional History 6 Outline of Stratigraphy 8 Structure 11 Basement Tectonics 11 Solution-Generated Collapse Features 13 The Sub-Mesozoic Unconformity 15 DETAILED STRATIGRAPHY 17 Definition of Correlation Surfaces 17 The Mannville Group ......22 The Joli Fou Formation 22 The Viking Formation 32 The Big River Formation 44 > The Upper Colorado Subgroup 47 DETAILED STRUCTURE 49 Solution-Generated Collapse Features 49 The Sub-Mesozoic Unconformity 58 Basement Tectonics 65 Other Features 66 LITHOLOGY 68 Lithologi.c Description 69 The Joli Fou Formation 69 The Viking Formation 72 The Big River Formation 79 East-West lithological Variation within the Viking ...... 83 Lithological comparison with Adjacent Areas 84 i Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Lithological Interpretation t V M • The Viking Formation 88 The Joli Fou/Big River Formations 92 EXTERNAL RELATIONS - Viking Formation ..... 94 INTERNAL RELATIONS - Viking Formation ...... 96 DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT ..... 101 HYDROCARBON POTENTIAL ..... 111 LIST OF REFERENCES ..... 118 THE PLATES ..... 124 APPENDIX I ..... 139 APPENDIX I (a) ..... 153 I APPENDIX II ..... 155 APPENDIX II (a) ..... 163 APPENDIX III ..... 165 VITAE AUCTORIS ..... 191 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. EIST QF TABI£S TABLE I Stratigraphic Correlation of the Colorado Group, Southeastern Saskatchewan and Adjacent Areas, . , . 9 TABLE II Main Lithologies in Cores of the Lcwer Colorado Sequence Within the Study Area. .... 70 TABLE III Main Lithologies in Cores of the Eastern Viking Depositional System. 86 TABLE IV Hydrocarbon Showings in the Viking Formation of Southeastern Saskatchewan. 116 iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF FIGURES Fig. 1 Lpcation of Study Area Fig. 2 Main Tectonic Elements of the. Williston Basin, Fig. 3 Typical Well-Log. Fig. 4 Isopach Map of the Joli Fou Formation. Fig. 5 Northeast-southwest stratigraphic section from H.B. Gladmar 11-28-3-19 (LSD 11-28-3-19) to Canberra Beresina 4-20-23-31 (LSD 4-20-23-31 W 1 ). Fig. 6 Northeast-southwest stratigrphic section from CDR H.B. South Oungre 1-17-1-14 (LSD 1-17-1-14 W2) to Canus PLC PB Rocan 16-17-16-31 (LSD 16-17-16-31 W2) Fig. 7 North-south stratigraphic section from CPF Tableland 1 (LSD 10-29-1-9 W2) to Tidewater Grenfell Crown 1 (LSD 7-10-16-7 W2 ) . Fig. 8 East-west stratigraphic section from Canwill CF Weyburn 14-9-7-12 (LSD 14-9-7-12 W2) to Hamail South Forget 1-19-7-7 (LSD 1-19-7-7 W2). Fig. 9 North-south section from Northern Wyoming to Southeast Saskatchewan, from Amerada Blackbank Hill Sec 1-T57 N -R68 W, Crook Co., to Richfield B.A. Williston Sandercock 10-28 (LSD 10-28-9-15 W 2 ) . Fig. 0 Isopach Map of the Viking Formation. Fig. 1 Index Map for the Cross-Sections. Fig. 2 Northeast-southwest stratigraphic section from Dome Provo Coop Pinto 15-14-1-5 (LSD 15-14-1-5 W2) to Fortenderry East Ryerson 6-13-9-30 (LSD 6-13-9-30 W2). i Fig. 3 East-west stratigraphic section from Socony Sohio E. Corrinne 20-9 (LSD 9-20-13-19 W2) to Benson Montin Greer Rotave-CR 16-22 (LSD 14-22-13-31 W1) Fig. 4 Isopach Map of the Viking-Newcastle Formations in Northwest North Dakota and Southeastern Saskatchewan Fig. 5 Isopach Map of the Big River Formation. Fig. 6 Structural Elements in Southeastern Saskatchewan and Adjacent Areas. iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Fig. 17 Position of the Nelson River Grayity High and the Band of High Electrical Condgctiyi.ty in Southeastern Saskatchewan. Fig. 18 Structure Contours of the Upper Surface of the Lower Colorado Subgroup. 5 2 Fig. 19 Structure Contours of the Lower Surface of the Lower Colorado Subgroup. 53 Fig. 20 Structure Contours of the Upper Surface of the Viking Formation. 54 Fig. 21 Structure Contours of the Lower Surface of the Viking Formation. 55 Fig. 22 Isopachs of the Lower Watrous (Jurassic) Red Beds. 99 Fig. 23 Mississippian Subcrop. 61 Fig. 24 Topographic High on the Mississippian Erosion Surface. 63 Fig. 25 Structural Cross-Section from Tidewater Warmley Crown 10-18 (LSD 10-18-9-6 W2) to Imperial Hassard Lake 1-17-9-5 (LSD 1-17-9-5 W 2 ) . 64 Fig. 26 Stratigraphic section, Internal Correlation of the Viking Formation from Gridoil Colgate 12-27-5-14 (LSD 12-27-5-14 W2) to Altair HB Weyburn 12-26-6-13 (LSD 12-26-6-13 W2). 98 Fig. 27 Stratigraphic section, Internal Corelation of the Viking Formation from Camwill CF Weyburn 14-9-7-12 (LSD 14-9-7-12 W2) to Champlin Midale 1-9-7-10 (LSD 1-9-7-10 W2). 99 Fig. 28 Viking Depositional Model. 109 Fig. 29 Structural Fence Diagram of the Viking Formation, Central Southeastern Saskatchewan. 114 v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF APPENDICES APPENDIX I Lithologic descriptions of selected cored sections from the Lower Colorado succession in Southeastern Saskatchewan. APPENDIX la Lithologic description of cored section, Lcwer Colorado succession southeastern Saskatchewan; taken from outside the selected study area. APPENDIX II Description of thin sections taken from the Lower Colorado succession of southeastern Saskatchewan. APPENDIX Ila List of thin sections examined from the Lcwer Colorado succession in southeastern Saskatchewan from outside the selected study area. APPENDIX III Elevations of principal correlation surfaces of the Lower Colorado Succession in southeastern Sas katchewan. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT The Viking Formation is a dominantly regressive sequence of sandstones, laid down in a shallow, marine epicontinental basin. The Viking sequence of southeastern Saskatchewan was deposited on the eastern shelf of this basin. It is disconformable with the underlying, transgressive Joli Fou Shale Formation and conformable with the overlying, transgressive Big River Shale Formation. The Viking succession is a multistorey sandstone body. The sandstones are fine- to medium-grained with a low textural and compositional variability. There is a high percentage of intercalated siltstones and mudstones present within the Formation. Interlaminated sand-mud intervals; low-ang]c, bi-directional cross-bedding; wavy bedding and starved ripples indicate deposition from tidal currents. Small-scale graded units, representing storm-generated layers, are also present. The Formation is extensively bioturbated and a high percentage of carbonaceous, organic material is present. u In the study area, the Formation can be divided is to lithologically similar eastern and westeri parts. In ne western part the sandstone forms a broad sheet, averaging between 20 and 40 m in thickness. Within this sheet., thick and thin anomalies are elongated in a northeast-southwest direction. It appears to have an imbricate internal structure with the younger sands overlapping the older sands in a westward direction. This appears to be a tidally deposited, offshore marine, sheet sandstone, iaid down parallel to the associated shoreline.