Browse > Article

Geochemical Characteristics of Devonian Cairn Formation in Alberta, Canada  

Park, Myong-Ho (E&P Technology Institute, Korea National Oil Corporation)
Kim, Ji-Hoon (Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources)
Lee, Sung-Dong (E&P Technology Institute, Korea National Oil Corporation)
Choi, Ji-Young (Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources)
Kil, Yong-Woo (Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources)
Publication Information
Economic and Environmental Geology / v.43, no.2, 2010 , pp. 85-100 More about this Journal
Abstract
Devonian Cairn Formation is one of the important hydrocarbon reservoirs in Alberta, Canada. However, the Cairn Formation, outcropped in the study area, is not prospective reservoir with poor porosity and permeability by some late diagenetic processes. In this study, geochemical characteristics of the Cairn Formation were studied to use these preliminary results for advanced geological and geophysical petroleum explorations in the near future. Rock-Eval pyrolysis showed that total organic carbon content is less than 0.3 wt.%, indicating a minor amount of bitumen and/or other hydrocarbons. The carbonates in the Cairn Formation are mainly composed of subhedral and anhedral dolomites. Pore sizes in the carbonate are various, ranging from nanometer to micrometer. Clastic sediments increase in the upper and lower parts of the Cairn Formation, probably due to changing its depositional conditions. The Cairn Formation can also be divided into several intervals based on Ca/Mg ratio in dolomite and degree of amount of calcite. These could be formed by different sedimentary environment, degree of cementation and recrystallization, different saline/fresh water, etc.
Keywords
Carbonate bitumen; Cairn Formation; diagenesis; Devonian; Alberta;
Citations & Related Records
연도 인용수 순위
  • Reference
1 Berner, R.A. and Raiswell, R. (1983) Burial of organic carbon and pyrite sulfur in sediments over Phanerozoic time: a new theory. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, v.47, p.855-862.   DOI   ScienceOn
2 Berner, R.A. and Raiswell, R. (1984) C/S method for distinguishing freshwater from marine sedimentary rocks. Geology, v.12, p.365-368.   DOI
3 Bloy, G.R., Leggett, S.R. and Hunter, I.A. (1988) The Lower Fairholme Reef Complex (Cairn Formation), White Man Gap area, Canmore, Alberta. In: Geldsetzer, H.H.J., James, N.P. and Tebbutt, G.E. (eds), Reefs, Canada and Adjacent Area. Can. Soc. Petrol. Geol. Mem., v.13, p.399-403.
4 Geldsetzer, H.H.J. (1988) Upper Devonian reef and basinal sedimentation, western Alberta. In: Second International Symposium on the Devonian System (Calgary, 1(Cal August 1987), Guidebook, Field Excursion B4. Geol. Surv. C6n., p.4-49.
5 Koster, J., Littke, L. and Machel, H.G. (2008) Devonian carbonates of the Nigel Peak Area, Rocky mountains, Canada: a fossil petroleum system? J. Petro. Geol., v.31, p.283-302.   DOI   ScienceOn
6 Mallamo, M.P. and Geldsetzer, H.H.J. (1991) The western margin of the Upper Devonian Fairholme Reef Complex, Banff-Kananaskis area, southwestern Alberta. Curr. Res. Part B Geol. Surv. Can., Pap., v.91-1B, p.59-69.
7 Moon, H.S. and Kim, S.T., (1988) The Origin and Mineralogy of the Donyang Talc Deposit. J. Kor. Inst. Mining Geol., v.21, p.235-255.
8 Mountjoy, E.W. and Price, R.A. (1970) Canmore area West Half, Alberta. Geol. Surv. Can. 'A' Ser. Map, 1266A.
9 Prahl, F.G., Ertel, J.R., Goni, M.A. and Eversmeyer, B. (1994) Terrestrial organic carbon contributions to sediments on the Washington margin. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, v.59, p.3035-3048.
10 Vandeginste, V., Swennen, R., Gleeson, S.A., Ellam, R.M., Osadetz, K. and Roure, F., (2006) Development of secondary porosity in the Fairholme carbonate complex (southwest Alberta, Canada). J. Geochem. Expl., v.89, p.394-397.   DOI
11 Vandeginste, V., Swennen, R., Gleeson, S.A., Ellam, R.M., Osadetz, K. and Roure, F. (2009) Thermochemical sulphate reduction in the Upper Devonian Cairn Formation of the Fairholme carbonate complex (South-west Alberta, Canadian Rockies): evidence from fluid inclusions and isotopic data. Sedment., v.56, p.439-460.   DOI   ScienceOn
12 Veizer, J. (1983) Chemical diagenesis of carbonates; theory and applciation of triatielement technique. In: Arthur, M..A., Anderson, T.F., Kaplan, I.R., Veizer, J. and Land, L.S. (eds), Stable Isotopes in Sedimentary Geology. Soc. Econ. Paleont. Mineral. Short Course Notes, no. 10, 100 p.
13 Switzer, S.B., Holland, W.G., Christie, D.S., Graf, G.C., Hedinger, A.S., McAuley, R.J., Wierzbicki, R.A. and Packard, J.J. (1994) Devonian Woodbend-Winterburn strata of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. In: Mossop, G.D. and Schetsen, I. (eds), Atlas of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. Alberta Geol. Survey, on-line version.
14 Wheeler, J.O. and McFeely, P. (1991) Tectonic Assemblage Map of the Canadian Cordillera and Adjacent Parts of the United States of America. Geol. Surv. Can. 'A' Ser. Map, 1712A.
15 Meijer Drees, N.C. and Geldsetzer, H.H.J. (1984) Correlation between Upper Devonian surface and subsurface map units in west-central Alberta. Curr. Res. Part B Geol. Surv. Can., v.84-1B, p.337-349.
16 Meyers, P.A., Silliman, J.E. and Shaw, T.J. (1996) Effects of turbidity flows on organic matter accumulation, sulfate reduction, and methane generation in deep-sea sediments on the Iberia Abyssal Plain. Org. Geochem., v.25, p.69-78.   DOI   ScienceOn
17 Berner, R.A. (1984) Sedimentary pyrite formation: an update. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, v.48, p.605-615.   DOI   ScienceOn
18 Weissenberger, J.A.W. (1994) Frasnian reef and basinal strata of West Central Alberta: a combined sedimentological and biostratigraphic analysis. Bull. Can. Petrol. Geol., v.42, p.1-25.
19 Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (2006) Albertas Energy Reserves 2006 and Supply/Demand Outlook 2007-2016: Alberta Energy and Utilities Board, Rept. ST09-2007, p.1-1-8-3; http://www.eub.ca (updated annually).
20 Lim, S.W. and Woo, K.S. (1985) The Origin of the dolomite of the Pungchon Formation near Taebaeg City, Kangwondo, Korea. Kor. J. Petro. Geol., v.3. p.28-39.
21 Meyers, P.A. (1994) Preservation of elemental and isotopic source identification of sedimentary organic matter. Chem. Geol., v.144, p.289-302.
22 Gabrielse, H., Monger, J.W.H., Wheeler, J.O. and Yorath, C.J. (1991) Part A. Morphological belts, tectonic assemblages and terranes. In: Gabrielse, H. and Yorath, C.J. (eds), Chapter 2 of Geology of the Cordilleran Orogen in Canada. Geol. Surv. Can., v.4, p.15-28.
23 Nijenhuis, I.A. and de Lange, G.J. (2000) Geochemical constraints on Pliocene sapropel formation in the eastern Mediterranean. Mar. Geol., v.163, p.41-63.   DOI
24 Jasper, J.P. and Gagosian, R.B. (1990) The sources and deposition of organic matter in the Late Quaternary Pygmy Basin, Gulf of Mexico. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, v.54, p.117-132.   DOI   ScienceOn
25 Potter, I.J. (2007) Alberta Carbonates: Prime candidate for the 3rdTrillion and beyond. SPE 2007 Research & Development Conference, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
26 St-Onge, G. and Hillaire-Marcel, C. (2001) Isotopic constraints of sedimentary inputs and organic carbon burial rates in the Saguenay Fjord, Quebec. Mar. Geol., v.176, p.1-22.   DOI   ScienceOn
27 Hunter, I.A., Bloy, G.R. and Leggett, S.R. (1985) Depositional environments of the Upper Devonian Cairn-Southesk Formations, White Man Gap area, Canmore, Alberta. Canad. Soc. Petrol. Geol., Guide Book.
28 Premuzic, E.T., Benkovitz, C.M., Graffney, J.S. and Walsh, J.J. (1982) The nature and distribution of organic matter in the surface sediments of world oceans and seas. Org. Geochem., v.4, p.63-77.   DOI   ScienceOn
29 Morrow, D.W. (1990) Synsedimnetary dolospar cementation: a possible Devonian example in the Camsell Foramtion, Northwest Territories, Canada. Sediment., v.37, p.763-773.   DOI
30 Morrow, D.W. and Geldsetzer, H.H.J. (1989) Devonian of the Eastern Canadian Cordillera. In: McMillan, N.J., Embry, A.F. and Glass, D.J. (eds), Devonian of the World. Can. Soc. Petrol. Geol. Mem., v.14, p.85-121.
31 Sibley, D.F. and Gregg, J.M. (1987) Classification of dolomite rock texture, J. Sedim. Petrogr., v.57, p.967-975.
32 Gasparrinin, M., Bakker, R.J. and Bechstadt, T. (2006) Characterization of dolomitizing fluids in the Carboniferous of the Cantabrian Zone (NW Spain): a fluidinclusion study with cryo-Raman spectroscopy. J. Sedim. Res., v.76, p.1304-1322   DOI   ScienceOn
33 Muller, P.J. (1977) C/N ratios in Pacific deep-sea sediments: effect of inorganic ammoniectand organic nitrogen compounds sorbed by clays. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, v. 4ganic 765-776.
34 Potma, K., Weissenberger, J.A.W., Wong, P.K. and Gilhooly, M.G. (2001) Toward a sequence stratigraphic framework for the Frasnian of the Western Canada Basin. Bull. Can. Petrol. Geol., v.49, p.37-85.   DOI   ScienceOn
35 Ishiwatari, R. and Uzaki, M. (1987) Diagenetic changes of lignin compounds in a more than 0.6 million-year old latchstring sediment (Lake Biwa, Japan). Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, v.51, p.321-328.   DOI   ScienceOn
36 Prahl, F.G., Bennett, J.T. and Carpenter, R. (1980) The early diagenesis of aliphatic hydrocarbons and organic matter in sedimentary particulates from Dabob Bay, Washington. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, v.44, p.1967-1976.   DOI   ScienceOn