E. Other Southern Studies
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E. Other Southern Studies Saskatchewan Geological Survey 173 Summary of Investigations 1994 174 Computer-generated Regional Geological Maps of Southern Saskatchewan: Stonewall Formation L.K. Kreis and F.M. Haid/ Kreis, L.K. and Haidl, F.M. (1994): Computer-generated regional geological maps of southern Saskatchewan: Stonewall Forma tion; in Summary of Investigations 1994, Saskatchewan Geological Survey, Sask. Energy Mines, Misc. Rep. 94-4. A regional mapping program was initiated by the Petro and of erosional truncation associated primarily with the leum Geology Branch in the spring of 1993 (Kreis, sub-Middle Devonian unconformity. 1993). This project has two goals: The Stonewall Formation outcrops in east-central Sas· 1) to standardize the picks of stratigraphic units stored katchewan (Figure 1) with the best exposures found in the Well Information System (WIS) managed by along the southeastern shore of Cross Bay in Namew the Sedimentary Geodata Division, and Lake (Haidl, 1992). In the remainder of southern Sas katchewan, these rocks are restricted to the subsurface. 2) to produce up-to-date computer-generated structure A total of 367 wells penetrate the Stonewall Formation and isopach maps at a scale of 1:2 000 000 of in the subsurface; data from 15 drill holes in the outcrop every major subsurface sedimentary stratigraphic belt are also available. unit in southern Saskatchewan from the Precam· brian surface to the Upper Cretaceous Belly River b) Stratigraphy Formation. Included on each map sheet will be perti· nent information such as a geological overview, illus The Stonewall Formation is composed primarily of trative cross section(s), reference geophysical dolowackestone/mudstone with minor interbeds of argil· log(s), and a selected bibliography. laceous dolomudstone/dolomitic shale; anhydrite is also present in southeastern Saskatchewan (Porter and Lower Paleozoic strata have been selected for the initial Fuller, 1959; Kent, 1960; Kendall, 1976). The argil stage of mapping. Research by Petroleum Geology laceous beds, which commonly contain quartz grains, staff and others (e.g. Paterson, 1971 , 1989; Kendall, are widespread and serve as "marker" beds for correla 1976; Haidl 1989, 1992; Norford et al., 1994) provides tion of stratigraphic units and sedimentary cycles (Por· detailed stratigraphic information on Lower Paleozoic ter and Fuller, 1959; Kendall, 1976). These arglllaceous rocks in the province along with accurate geophysical marker beds are differentiated from the carbonates and log picks. In addition, there are fewer well penetrations anhydrites by a much higher gamma ray geophysical of deeper strata and the data, therefore, are more man log response which makes them useful for subsurface ageable. Stratigraphic picks from wells in conterminous correlations (Figure 2). areas of Alberta, Manitoba, Montana, and North Dakota have been added to the Petroleum Geology computer The lower boundary between the Stonewall Formation mapping database to enhance the quality of contouring and the underlying Stony Mountain Formation is placed at map edges. at the base of a marker bed which is well-defined in both core and gamma logs over most of Saskatchewan, The following description of the Stonewall Formation but which becomes much more difficult to correlate in has been chosen to illustrate the proposed format of northern and western Saskatchewan owing to dimin· the map sheets and the information to be included with ished argillaceous content (Kendall, 1976; Haidl, 1992). it. Reduced versions of the maps and cross section are In southeastern Saskatchewan, this marker bed over included in this report as text figures; however, full-size lies an evaporite bed (the "Gunton anhydrite"); in the copies are available in the map package. rest of the map area it is in contact with Stony Mountain carbonates (Figure 2). 1 . Stonewall Formation The upper boundary of the Stonewall Formation is placed at the contact between overlying Interlake car· a) Geological Framework bonates and a marker bed that is commonly less argil· laceous and thicker than marker beds above and below The rocks of the Stonewall Formation are part of a car· (Figure 2). The brachiopod Virgiana decussata is char bonate-evaporite sequence that was deposited in shal· acteristic of the fossiliferous dolowackestone/mudstone low warm seas which covered much of the North unit of the lowermost Interlake in outcrop exposures American craton during most of the Late Ordovician and cores in Manitoba (Baillie, 1951; Stearn, 1956). Vir· and Early Silurian (e.g. Porter and Fuller, 1959; giana sp. has been identified in cores of this unit in the Osadetz and Haidl, 1989; Cecile and Norford, 1993; Namew Lake-Cumberland Lake area in east-central Norford et al., 1994). Present-day distribution of Stone Saskatchewan (Haid!, 1992), but has not been found in wall strata (Figure 1) is a product of depositional thick· the two cores in southern Saskatchewan which encom· ening into the centre of the ancestral Williston Basin Saskatchewan Geological SuNey 175 ----1- \ \.U •_ o wcr -:,tonc- wo I I Anhydrite - ' ::i ou·,crop belt ··~v/,,,.,,,1v I II · (,i)nt r<.'' well \ L_ '~- I ~ • Gos show \ • Oil/ gus show ~ -Jt ......... _J . ;_oe.,'1.• • ft , tf ·-- r-- -- 1 \ I ~r2--~~ ----· -t- ' Ag,,. 1 • 1,opach map ol /he S/onewall Fonnalion ,hawing ,.g;onel """"",;onal u,;, ken!ng towarri• ba,;n ""'''" and eros""81 1n,ncalion of /he ,nil irom app,ox;,na/ely 10 m to,~ zero -- The geog,apt,;o 6mi~ of the /0..., sionewall anJ,ydrlle (/igh1 ,Ii(> pie, modified atte, Ken/ (1900) and Kendan (1978)) and lh• loe8'°" ol /he W·E ''°" ,eo/ion, A·A' (Fi9'"8 2), ""' a/,o i/1"'"8/ed. Contour interval is 5 m (Township-range grid is shown on full-scale map sheet). summa,Y of Investigations 1994 176 . ·- - -- -- · .. ·-., ... .. -- . -··- . .. .. .. A A ' ~ I 84 kr> j !Oi' ,~ I 95 kn I 106 k n I 91 kn j !OB kn I ~ i I I I g (!) Datum = Tep of Story Movntoin Formation ~ JMPERIAil.. I-IA Ll<C TT ::, G Gamma Ray l5-7-3-8V2 G) G N s Sonic S~LL LAKE ALMA PLACW [T AL Y ORKMAN 16- 36-l-18 \J2 2-7- l-3!Vl N Neu tron G H OCVON!AN i D - Density ASH[RN B. A r ire: LAKE L OUCKS 9-~-3- 281,12 INiERNAT : ONAL HELlUM \.1000 MOUNT AIN - J 10· 3-5-8V3 G [~P£R[AL TIDE V ATER CU"I\X G s 6-10-3 -18 \.13 SILUR IAN ItJlERLAKE tssc ET AL BA1 TLC C~EEK G !0-25- 3-27V3 ~ Z30o G S Jt' ;NTERLAKE 1900 ...~ ""' 12 n()r«l'r STONEVAll H .._,,..i, . ,..:- t;J rta.rk, ,. (iur>-ton N't'l7th ·,1... STD',IV M[lJNTAlN H[RAL.D ORDDVICI,t,.N YEOMAN V [NN!PEG DEAD',l(]OD CAMBRIAN PR EC AMBRIAN PRECAkltRJN4 ""'° Figure 2 - West to east stratigraphic cross-section of Lower Paleozoic strata in southern Saskatchewan. Datum is top of Stony Mountain Formation. Vertical scale is in metres. Loca -::j tion of section is shown on isopach map (Figure 1). Geophysical logs illustrated: gamma (G), neutron (N), density (D), and sonic (S). pass the Interlake/Stonewall boundary (Esterhazy ancestral Williston Basin, during Stonewall deposition, Aocanville area). was similar to that of the present-day structural basin. Similarly, many small local structures (e.g. Humming Strata in the Stonewall Formation (and underlying upper bird-Minton area: Tp. 1 to 3, Age. 19 to 21W2; south Stony Mountain and overlying lower Interlake) are char east of Moose Jaw: Tp. 14, Age. 23, 24W2) can be acterized by cyclic sedimentation (Porter and Fuller. attributed to reactivation of Precambrian structures 1959; Roehl, 1967; Kendall, 1976; Johnson and Lescin (Christopher et al., 1971; Potter and St. Onge, 1991 ). sky, 1986). Kendall (1976) described four sedimentary cycles in the cored reference section of the Stonewall Correlation of marker beds in the Interlake, Stonewall, Formation in the Imperial Herald 1-31-1-20W2 well. The and Stony Mountain formations is difficult in the north lowermost cycle comprises four units: ern and western parts of the map area and in those wells for which there are no gamma ray logs. There 1) a basal argillaceous laminated dolomudstone with fore, minor local variations on the structure and isopach quartz grains, maps may be caused by inconsistent picking of strati graphic boundaries. 2) bioturbated dolomudstone, d} Ordovician-Silurian Boundary 3) argillaceous laminated dolomudstone, and The Ordovician-Silurian boundary (438 million years 4) nodular anhydrite with interbeds of laminated argil- BP) is found in the vicinity of the t marker bed(s) (Fig laceous dolomudstone (lower Stonewall anhydrite). ure 2) in the upper half of the Stonewall Formation (Brin dle, 1960; McCabe, 1988; Bezys, 1991; Haidl, 1991 ). The upper three cycles in this well differ from the lower Brindle (1960) identified Upper Ordovician fossils Ha cycle in that Unit 2 is more fossiliferous in these cycles lysites (Catenipora) gracilis Hall and ?Opikina stonewal and the anhydrite of Unit 4 is absent. The number, thick /ensis Stearn below the lower ft marker and Silurian ness and completeness of cycles varies but, in general, fossils Favosites cf. favosus Goldfuss and Syringopora a similar pattern of sedimentation characterizes Stone sp. in the fossiliferous dolowackestone unit between the wall deposition throughout Saskatchewan. An anhydrite lower tt and upper t2 markers in the Imperial Herald 1- bed is present in the uppermost cycle in some areas 31-1-20W2 well. Preliminary paleontological data from (e.g. Tp. 2, 3, Age. 14, 15W2; Tp. 2, Age. 18W2; Tp. the IMC K-1 Esterhazy 3SWD 16-26-20-33W1 well, pro 17, Rge. 19W2; Tp. 21, Age. 16W2). In both the upper vided by the Geological Survey of Canada, suggest that and lower cycles, the anhydrite beds are less than 5 m the Ordovician-Silurian boundary coincides with the t2 thick and are restricted to the centre of the depositional marker (Haidl, 1991; Nowlan and Aldridge, pers.