The Muskwa Formation is a stratigraphical unit of Frasnian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.
Muskwa Formation | |
---|---|
Stratigraphic range: | |
Type | Geological formation |
Unit of | Horn River Formation |
Underlies | Fort Simpson Formation |
Overlies | Otter Park Member |
Thickness | up to 34 metres (110 ft)[1] |
Lithology | |
Primary | Shale |
Location | |
Coordinates | 58°44′38″N 122°40′41″W / 58.7438°N 122.6781°W |
Region | British Columbia |
Country | Canada |
Type section | |
Named for | Muskwa River |
Named by | Gray & Kassube |
Year defined | 1963 |
It takes the name from Muskwa River, and was first described in the Western National Gas Fort Nelson a-95-J/94-J-10 well by F.F. Gray and J.R. Kassube, in 1963.
Lithology
editThe Muskwa Formation is composed of bituminous shale. Pyrite is a common accessory mineral.
Gas production
editGas is produced from the Muskwa Formation shales in the Horn River Basin in the Greater Sierra oil field in north-eastern British Columbia. Horizontal drilling and fracturing techniques are used to extract the gas from the low permeability shales (see Shale gas).
Distribution
editThe Muskwa Formation occurs in northern Alberta, north-eastern British Columbia and in the southern part of the Northwest Territories, and typically has a thickness of 34 metres (110 ft).
Relationship to other units
editThe Muskwa Formation is a sub-unit of the Horn River Formation; it is conformably overlain by the Fort Simpson Formation and conformably underlain by the Otter Park Member.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Lexicon of Canadian Geological Units. "Muskwa Formation". Retrieved 2009-02-10.