University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository Graduate Studies The Vault: Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2014-08-26 Evidence for Hydrothermal Influences During Deposition in Organic Shale Using XRF and SEM Techniques in the Horn River Group and Besa River Formation, Northeast British Columbia, Canada Weedmark, Thomas Craig Weedmark, T. C. (2014). Evidence for Hydrothermal Influences During Deposition in Organic Shale Using XRF and SEM Techniques in the Horn River Group and Besa River Formation, Northeast British Columbia, Canada (Unpublished master's thesis). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. doi:10.11575/PRISM/25999 http://hdl.handle.net/11023/1697 master thesis University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. Downloaded from PRISM: https://prism.ucalgary.ca UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Evidence for Hydrothermal Influences During Deposition in Organic Shale Using XRF and SEM Techniques in the Horn River Group and Besa River Formation, Northeast British Columbia, Canada by Thomas Craig Weedmark A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN GEOLOGY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN GEOSCIENCES CALGARY, ALBERTA AUGUST, 2014 © THOMAS CRAIG WEEDMARK 2014 Thesis Abstract Chemical stratigraphy has a variety of applications in both academic and commercial geology studies. Current mainstream belief is that the Horn River Group and analogous Devonian organic shale units in North America were deposited in a restricted anoxic basin and silicified due to diatom and radiolarian tests producing concentrations of biogenic silica (Bustin & Ross, 2009). This hypothesis proposes that relative sea level changes and associated seawater chemistry are the primary controls on preservation of organic matter and the formation of pyrite. After studying these rocks using XRF and SEM techniques there is little evidence to support the claims. There is however strong evidence of syn-depositional hydrothermal fluid interactions with the sediments originating from extensional faulting. SEDEX type mineralization and hydrothermal minerals including hyalophane, celsian, and potassium feldspar are present in authigenic quartz cements. In addition organics in close proximity show variable maturation and association with quartz cementation. ii Thesis Acknowledgements This thesis contains the findings of three years of collaboration with professors and students from the University of Calgary along with industry professionals from Quicksilver Resources Canada Inc. I would like to thank all the people and sponsors for their time, materials, knowledge and financial support that went into this research project. In particular I would like to thank Francois Marechal and Quicksilver Resources Canada Inc. for sponsoring the project and providing the financial support, samples, and well data at the core of this research. The goal set out by our sponsors in 2011 was to develop an XRF template which could predict reservoir qualities within the Horn River Group essential for planning and completing horizontal gas producing wells. In order to complete that task I had to learn all about portable XRF technologies which were becoming available in oil and gas at the time. In addition to learning how portable XRF technology worked, I had to learn all about the most recent depositional concepts for organic shale so that the chemical data could be linked back to geology. As a result of using portable XRF to understand organic shale from a chemical composition perspective, many basic depositional concepts which hold for conventional sedimentary rocks can also be applied to shale and siltstone. XRF technology and in particular its application to unconventional shale plays has now become my geologic passion and a cutting edge tool for oil and gas exploration. iii I am also very thankful to my advisor Dr. Ron Spencer for providing me with the opportunity to attend graduate school for geology. While overseas with the Canadian Forces on deployment in 2009, Ron managed to get a hold of me and suggested I should give graduate school serious consideration once my time with the military was complete. During my leave back to Canada later that year I was able to quickly prepared and submit my application to the University of Calgary with the help of Ron. I was accepted and began my studies in September 2010. Ron was very interested in the new portable XRF instruments available and arranged for me to have total access to one of these instruments in order to study organic shale from the Horn River Basin. Throughout the course of my research and academic studies at the University of Calgary he has been my mentor and a friend. He has provided important guidance and direction along the way, but also allowed me to develop my own ideas, projects, and problem solving methods in order to become a well-rounded geologist. iv Table of Contents THESIS ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... ii THESIS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................... v LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES ............................................................................................................. vii CHAPTER 1: THESIS INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Purpose of Study .................................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Regional Considerations ...................................................................................................................... 3 1.3 Geologic History of the Horn River Basin .......................................................................................... 6 CHAPTER 2: SCIENTIFIC METHODS ...................................................................................................... 19 2.1 Portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) .................................................................................................. 19 2.2 Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) .............................................................................................. 20 2.3 X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) ...................................................................................................................... 21 2.4 TOC and Rock Eval Analysis ............................................................................................................. 23 CHAPTER 3: SUBSURFACE APPLICATIONS OF XRF AND SEM IN THE HORN RIVER BASIN, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA ............................................................................................................... 25 3.1 Abstract ................................................................................................................................................ 25 3.2 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 27 3.3 Study Area and Sample Collection ................................................................................................... 29 3.4 Basic XRF Subsurface Exploration ................................................................................................... 30 3.4.1 Molecular Percentages .................................................................................................................. 31 3.4.2 Redox and TOC Indicators ............................................................................................................. 33 3.5 XRF and SEM Analysis of the Fort Simpson Formation and the Horn River Group ................... 36 3.5.1 Molecular Percentages .................................................................................................................. 36 3.5.2 Mineralogy ...................................................................................................................................... 38 3.5.3 Redox and TOC Indicators ............................................................................................................. 43 3.5.4 Hydrothermal Trace Metals ............................................................................................................ 45 3.5.5 Mechanical Properties .................................................................................................................... 50 3.5.6 Horizontal Well Applications ........................................................................................................... 55 3.5.7 Hydrothermal Vs Biogenic Silica Cement ...................................................................................... 56 3.6 Summary ............................................................................................................................................. 63 v CHAPTER 4: SYN-DEPOSITIONAL HYDROTHERMAL INFLUENCES, BESA RIVER FORMATION, NORTHEAST BRITISH COLUMBIA,