Rock-Eval, Lithogeochemistry, Gamma Ray Spectrometry, Vitrine Reflectance, and X-Ray Diffraction Analysis of the Besa River Form

$Rock-Eval, Lithogeochemistry, Gamma Ray Spectrometry, Vitrine Reflectance, and X-Ray Diffraction Analysis of the Besa River Form$

Rock-Eval, lithogeochemistry, gamma ray spectrometry, vitrine reflectance, and X-ray diffraction analysis of the Besa River Formation in the Rocky Mountains of northeastern British Columbia Filippo Ferri and Julito Reyes

British Columbia Geological Survey GeoFile 2019-10 Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Mines Competitiveness and Authorizations Division British Columbia Geological Survey

Recommended citation: Ferri, F., and Reyes, J., 2019. Rock-Eval, lithogeochemistry, gamma ray spectrometry, vitrine reflectance, and X-ray diffraction analysis of the Besa River Formation in the Rocky Mountains of northeastern British Columbia. British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, British Columbia Geological Survey GeoFile 2019-10, 3p.

Front cover: Carbonaceous, finely laminated, fissile shale 50 to 52 m above the base of the Besa River Formation section measured west of Stone Mountain. Gradations on staff are 10 cm. Photo by Filippo Ferri.

Appendices, including datafiles, for this GeoFile can be downloaded from http://cmscontent.nrs.gov.bc.ca/geoscience/PublicationCatalogue/GeoFile/BCGS_GF2019-10.zip Rock-Eval, lithogeochemistry, gamma ray spectrometry, vitrine reflectance, and X-ray diffraction analysis of the Besa River Formation in the Rocky Mountains of northeastern British Columbia

Filippo Ferri and Julito Reyes

Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources British Columbia Geological Survey GeoFile 2019-10

1British Columbia Geological Survey, Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, Victoria, BC, V8W 9N3 2Geological Survey of Canada, Calgary, AB, T2L 2A7 acorresponding author: [email protected]

Keywords: Besa River Formation, oil shale, Liard basin, Horn River Formation, Stone Mountain

Summary Middle Devonian to Lower Carboniferous shales and section west of Stone Mountain (Appendix 2) and south of siltstones of the Besa River Formation exposed in the Rocky Stone Mountain (Appendix 3) present location maps, graphic Mountains (Fig. 1) are equivalent to shale gas-bearing rocks logs, lithologic descriptions, and images of representative rock in the subsurface of the Liard Basin and, farther east, in the types. Results of whole rock and Rock-Eval geochemistry, bulk Horn River Formation of the Horn River Basin (Fig. 2). To mineral composition, vitrine reflectance, and gamma ray data better understand these shale gas-bearing horizons, Ferri et are presented as Microsoft Excel spread sheets. al. (2012, 2013) investigated the Besa River Formation in outcrops near the southwestern margin of Liard Basin (Fig. 2). Acknowledgements Complementing data and interpretations in Ferri et al. (2012, We thank Igor Bilot and Jeanne B. Percival (Geological 2013), herein we present the full data set from two sections Survey of Canada, Ottawa) for providing the XRD analysis. that were measured and systematically sampled in the Stone We also thank Sarah Saad and Kritsta Boyce for help with Mountain area (Fig. 2). These sections and data sets will processing and analysis of Rock-Eval samples. Kirk Osadetz provide a reference for shale gas-bearing rocks of the Besa (Geological Survey of Canada, Calgary) provided background River Formation in the subsurface of southern Liard Basin. material on Rock-Eval analysis, and Ray Lett (British Columbia We measured a nearly complete section of the Besa River Geological Survey) assisted with preparation of samples used Formation west of Stone Mountain and a smaller segment of for lithogeochemical analysis. Part of the funding for this project basal Besa River Formation strata south of Stone Mountain, originated with the Yukon Sedimentary Basin Project; Geo- along the northern border of Stone Mountain Provincial Park. mapping for Energy and Minerals (GEM) program, Geological The section west of Stone Mountain is a composite. The base of Survey of Canada (Rock-Eval, XRD and reflective light thermal the lower part of the section is at 387019E 6523897N (all UTM maturity analyses). Adrian Hickin, Gabrielse Altebaumer, coordinates are NAD 83, Zone 10); the 40 m stratigraphic and Arend Stamhuis provided enthusiastic assistance in the level is at 386925E 6523918N; the 116 m stratigraphic level field. We also thank Margot McMechan (Geological Survey is at 386818E 6523945N; and the 181 m stratigraphic level is of Canada, Calgary) for loaning the use of the gamma ray at 386733E 6523956N. For the upper part of the composite spectrometer. Bailey Helicopters Ltd. provided competent section, the base is at 386740E 6523900N, and the top is at service in location and demobilization of the field camps. 386598E 6523870N. The UTM coordinates for the base of the section south of Stone Mountain are 395145E 6505895N. References cited In the accompanying files (BCGS_GF2019-10.zip), we Ferri, F., Hickin, A.S., and Reyes, J., 2012. Horn River basin- summarize analytical methods (Appendix 1) and, for both the equivalent strata in Besa River Formation shale, northeastern

British Columbia Geological Survey GeoFile 2019-10 1 Ferri and Reyes

British Columbia (NTS 094K/15). In Geoscience Reports 2012. British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines, pp. 1-15. Ferri, F., McMechan, M., Fraser, T., Fiess, K., Pyle, L., and Cordey, F., 2013. Summary of field activities in the western Liard Basin, British Columbia. In: Geoscience Reports 2013, British Columbia Ministry of Natural Gas Development, pp. 13-31. Wheeler, J. O., and McFeely, P., 1991. Tectonic assemblage map of the Canadian Cordillera and adjacent parts of the United States of America. Geological Survey of Canada, Map 1712A.

Nahanni R Cretaceous Wapiti Formation 095E 095F 095G 95G Kotaneelee Formation Nahanni 61 Dunvegan Formation Franklin MountainsButte

o Western Canada Mackenzie Mountains Sedimentary Basin Fort St. John Group Triassic Grayling, Toad, Liard, Ludington formations

095D 095C 095B Upper Paleozoic Fantasque, Kindle formations

Bovie Fault Carboniferous Ft. Liard Mattson Formatioin

60 Yuk NWT Besa River Formation o BC Rundle, Banff formations Maxhamish Lk Lower Paleozoic Platform carbonate rocks, basinal shales, siliciclasitc rocks

Cariboo Range

094M Liard R Neoproterozoic 94N 094O Siliciclastic rocks Toad R Rocky Mountains Mesoproterozoic 77 Fort Muskwa assemblage Intrusive Rocks 59

o Cretaceous, Paleogene Figure 3 Muncho 97 Lk Provincial/Territorial Toad R Ft. Nelson boundary 094L Figure 4 094J Liard Basin 094K km 0 25 50

126o 124o

Fig. 1. Geologic map showing the general outline of the Liard Basin. Base map is from Wheeler and McFeely (1991).

British Columbia Geological Survey GeoFile 2019-10 2 British Columbia GeologicalSurveyGeoFile 2019-10 exposures intheRockyMountainstosubsurfaceof Western CanadaSedimentary Basin. Fig. 2. Permian

StratigraphicunitsintheLiardBasinHornRiverandplatformsuccessiontoeast,illustratingcorrelationsfrom Devonian Carboniferous L Middle Upper Mississippian Penn. Em Fa Ei M M U U Givetian Frasnian L L Fantasque Fm Mountains Nahanni Fm Dunedin Fm Formation Formation Stone Fm Rocky River Besa Kindle Mattson Sandstone Fm Formation Liard Basin Nahanni Fm Dunedin Fm Kindle Besa River Group Fantasque Formation Stone Fm Mattson Patry Fm Exshaw Fm Formation

Simpson Upper Besa River Horn River Fm (Prophet Fm) Fm Golata Fm? Muskwa Mbr Evie Mbr Fort Rundle Group Otter Park

Mbr Banf Fm Shale f Horn RiverBasin G Mattson o Rundle Exshaw Formation Group l a Fm

Horn River Gp Fort Simpson Ferri andReyes t Banf Chinchaga Fm a Keg RiverFm Formation F Otter ParkFm m Kotcho Fm T Muskwa Fm ? T f Formation rout RiverFm Evie Fm etcho Fm Kakisa Fm Pekisko Fm Shunda Fm Debolt Fm Carbonate 3

Stoddart Gp Rundle Group Kiskatinaw T Golata Fm northeast BritishColumbia Sulphur PointFm Platform/Sourthern region aylor Flat W Fm Fm Upper Keg Fantasque/Belloy Formation att MtnFm River Fm Fort SimpsonFormation Evaporite T Lower KegRiverFm Muskwa Formation rout RiverFormation Exshaw Formation Kotcho Formation T Kakisa Formation Banf Slave PointFm etcho Formation Chinchaga Fm R e

d F f Formation k Pekisko Formation Shunda Formation m Debolt Formation n i f e Jean MarieMbr Chert Upper Mbr Muskeg Fm British Columbia Geological Survey Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources www.gov.bc.ca/geologicalsurvey