• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.365-375
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• 2012

The objective of this study is to investigate inorganic characteristics of Devonian bitumen carbonates in Alberta using two drilling cores, Saleski 03-34-88-20w4 and Saleski 08-01-88-20w4, taken from the Core Research Center (CRC) of Canada. The bitumen carbonates are mainly composed of less than 0.2 mm dolomites and some carbonate includes small amount of quartz and calcite. The bitumen carbonates from two cores are interpreted to have formed in similar sedimentary environments and dolomitization processes. Carbonates from Saleski 03-34-88-20w4 core were formed under higher inflow of clastic sediment than those from Saleski 08-01-88-20w4 core. Range of crystallization temperature of dolomites in the both bitumen carbonate cores is about 40~$55^{\circ}C$. Dolomitizing fluid of the bitumen carbonates would be Devonian seawater. Bitumen carbonates from Cairn Formation, compared with the CRC cores, have experienced a similar crystallization temperature, but dolmititizing fluid of the bitumen carbonates from Cairn Formation have been modified from the isotopic exchange with continental crust.