British Columbia Geological Survey GeoFile 2019-12

Rock-Eval, lithogeochemistry, gamma ray spectrometry, thermal maturity, and X-ray diffraction analysis of the Grayling and Toad formations (Montney and Doig formations equivalent), Halfway River map area (94B/14)Filippo Ferri, Martyn Golding, and Julito Reyes

Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum ResourcesMines Competitiveness and Authorizations DivisionBritish Columbia Geological Survey

Recommended citation: Ferri, F., Golding, M., and Reyes, J., 2019. Rock-Eval, lithogeochemistry, gamma ray spectrometry, thermal maturity, and X-ray diffraction analysis of the Grayling and Toad formations (Montney and Doig formations equivalent), Halfway River map area (94B/14). British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, British Columbia Geological Survey GeoFile 2019-12, 5p.

Front cover: Characteristic differential weathering of beds in the lower-middle (~140 to 300 m) part of the Toad Formation section. Image illustrates four stacked coarsening-upward sequences in which the number and thickness of recessive dark grey finer grained, calcareous and carbonaceous siltstone beds decrease up section at the expense of relatively resistant, buff-weathering, slightly coarser grained, dolomitic siltstone beds, which are about 1 m thick at the top of each sequence. Photo by Filippo Ferri.

Appendices, including datafiles, for this GeoFile can be downloaded from http://cmscontent.nrs.gov.bc.ca/geoscience/PublicationCatalogue/GeoFile/BCGS_GF2019-12.zip

Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum ResourcesBritish Columbia Geological Survey

GeoFile 2019-12

Rock-Eval, lithogeochemistry, gamma ray spectrometry, thermal maturity, and X-ray diffraction analysis of the Grayling and Toad formations (Montney and Doig formations equivalent), Halfway River map area (94B/14)

Filippo Ferri, Martyn Golding, and Julito Reyes

Recommended citation: Ferri, F., Golding, M., and Reyes, J., 2019. Rock-Eval, lithogeochemistry, gamma ray spectrometry, thermal maturity, and X-ray diffraction analysis of the Grayling and Toad formations (Montney and Doig formations equivalent), Halfway River map area (94B/14). British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, British Columbia Geological Survey GeoFile 2019-12, 5p.

Rock-Eval, lithogeochemistry, gamma ray spectrometry, thermal maturity, and X-ray diffraction analysis of the Grayling and Toad formations (Montney and Doig formations equivalent), Halfway River map area (94B/14)Filippo Ferri1a, Martyn Golding2, and Julito Reyes3

1British Columbia Geological Survey, Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, Victoria, BC, V8W 9N3 2Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4 3Geological Survey of Canada, Calgary, AB, T2L 2A7acorresponding author: Fil.Ferri@gov.bc.ca

Keywords: Grayling Formation, Toad Formation, Liard Formation, Montney Formation, Doig Formation, Halfway Formation, shale-gas, Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, Triassic

and Kritsta Boyce (Rock-Eval). Kirk Osadetz (Geological Survey of Canada) is also thanked for commenting of aspects of the Rock-Eval analysis. Ray Lett, (British Columbia Geological Survey) assisted with preparing samples used for lithogeochemical analysis.

Reference citedArmstrong, J.E., 1948. Fort St. James, British Columbia. Geological

Survey of Canada Map 907A, scale 1:380,160.Ferri, F., Golding, M.L., Mortensen, J.K., Zonneveld, J-P., and Orchard,

M.J., 2010. Toad Formation (Montney and Doig equivalent) in thenorthwestern Halfway River map area, British Columbia (NTS094B/14). In: Geoscience Reports 2010, British Columbia Ministryof Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, pp. 21-34.

Gabrielse, H., 1975. Geology of Fort Grahame E1/2 map-area, British Columbia Geological Survey of Canada Paper 75-33, 28p.

Irish, E.J.W., 1958. Charlie Lake, West of Sixth Meridian, British Columbia. Geological Survey of Canada Preliminary Map 17-1958, 1:253,440 scale.

McMechan, M.E., 1994. Geology and structure cross-section, Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Geological Survey of Canada Map 1858A, Scale 1:250,000.

Okulitch, A.V., Gabrielse, H., MacIntyre, D.G. and Taylor, G.C. 2002. Geology, Ware, British Columbia (94F), Geological Survey of Canada Open File 4276, scale 1: 250,000.

Stott, D.F., McMechan, M. E., Taylor, G. C., Muller, J. E., 1983. Geology of Pine Pass (93-O) map area, British Columbia. Geological Survey of Canada Open File 925, 1:125,000 scale.

Taylor, G.C., 1979. Geology of Trutch and Ware (east half) map areas, British Columbia. Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 606, 1:250,000 scale.

Thompson, R.I., 1977. Geology, Beatton River, west of sixth meridian, British Columbia. Geological Survey of Canada, Map 1446A, 1:250,000.

Thompson, R.I., 1986. Geology, Halfway River, British Columbia. Geological Survey of Canada, Map 1634A, 1:250,000.

SummaryTriassic calcareous siltstones and fine-grained sandstones

of the Grayling and Toad formations exposed in the Halfway River area of the Rocky Mountains in northeastern British Columbia (Fig. 1) represent the western equivalents of gas-bearing units in the Montney and Doig formations in the subsurface of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (Fig. 2). Previously, Ferri et al. (2010) provided descriptions, preliminary interpretations, and regional correlations of these exposures. To better document these units, herein we present the results of a section, more than 640 metres thick, that we systematically measured and sampled across the Grayling and Toad formations and the lower part of the Liard Formation (Figs. 3-5). These results include lithologic, organic and whole rock geochemical, thermal maturation, x-ray diffraction, and gamma ray spectrometer data.

The UTM coordinates (NAD 83, Zone 10) for the base of the main measured section are 473869E, 6311693N; the coordinates for the top are 474484E, 6311271N. The base of the section across the lowermost Liard Formation is at 474495 E and 6311271N.

In the accompanying files (BCGS_GF2019-12.zip) we summarize our analytical methods (Appendix 01), Rock-Eval, lithogeochemistry, gamma ray spectrometry, thermal maturity, X-ray diffraction, and gamma ray spectrometer data (as Microsoft Excel spreadsheets; Appendix 02), and graphic logs, lithologic descriptions, and images of representative rock types (Appendix 03).

AcknowledgementsWe thank staff at the laboratories of the Geological Survey of Canada

in Calgary, particularly Jenny Wong (XRD), Sarah Saad (Rock-Eval),

British Columbia Geological Survey GeoFile 2019-121

0 10 20 30 40 50

o124 o122

o56

o57

km

Western Canada Sedimentary Basin

British Columbia

Cretaceous - Tertiary

Cretaceous

Jurassic - Cretaceous

Triassic

Carboniferous - Permian

Carboniferous

Devonian - Carboniferous

Ordovician - Middle Devonian

Cambrian - Ordovician

Cambrian

Neoproterozoic

Mississippian

Intrusive Rocks

Layered Rocks

Thrust fault

Fault

Road

Fig. 4

Location ofmeasured section

Fig. 1. Regional geological setting of the Halfway River area. Geology from Armstrong (1948), Irish (1958), Gabrielse (1975), Thompson (1977, 1986), Taylor (1979), Stott et al. (1983), McMechan (1994), and Okulitch et al. (2002).

Ferri, Golding, and Reyes

2British Columbia Geological Survey GeoFile 2019-12

StratigraphicAge

Jurassic

Triass

icU

pper

Mid

dle

Lower

Permian

Norian

Carnian

Ladinian

Anisian

Foothills - Halfway toPine Rivers

Rhaetian

Whistler

Llama

StarlightEvaporite

Brewster

Winnifred

Sulp

hur

Mtn

Fm

White

hors

e F

m

Bocock Fm

PardonetFm

Charlie Lk

BaldonnelFm

Liard Fm

Toad Fm

Grayling Fm

Sch

oole

r C

k G

pD

iaber

Gp

PardonetFm

Baldonnel Fm

Charlie Lk Fm

Halfway Fm

Doig Fm

Montney Fm

Peace RiverSubsurface

Foothills -SukunkaRiver

Vega-Phroso

Fernie Formation

Fantasque/Ishbel

Spra

y R

iver

Gp

Ludin

gto

n F

m

?

Figure 4

Fig. 2. Triassic stratigraphic nomenclature used in the surface and subsurface of northeastern British Columbia.

300m

FernieFormationPardonetFormation

BaldonnelFormation

Charlie LakeFormation

Liard Formation

Toad-Graylingformations

Prophet Formation

Jurassic

Triassic

Late

Middle

Early

Permian

Norian

Carnian

Ladinian

Anisian

Fig. 3. Generalized stratigraphic column of Triassic rocks in the Halfway River area.

Ferri, Golding, and Reyes

3British Columbia Geological Survey GeoFile 2019-12

Ferri, Golding, and Reyes

4British Columbia Geological Survey GeoFile 2019-12

5 km

o123 30'

o5

7

Fid

des S

ynclin

e

Carb

on

Fault

Hal

fway

River

Gething Formation

Lower Cretaceous

Minnes Group

Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous

Fernie Formation

Lower to Upper Jurassic

Baldonnel - Pardonet Formations

Upper Triassic

Ludington Formation

Upper Triassic

Liard - Charlie Lake Formations

Middle to Upper Triassic

Toad - Grayling Formations

Lower to Middle Triassic

Besa River Formation

Devonian - Carboniferous

Prophet Formation

Carboniferous MeasuredSection

Fig. 5

Fig. 4. Geology in the immediate vicinity of the measured section. Geology from Thompson (1986).

Ferri, Golding, and Reyes

5British Columbia Geological Survey GeoFile 2019-12

1600

1800

2000

2000

1400

1400

1600

1800

1700

1700

77

76

6160

51

52

64

Minnes Group

Fernie Formation

Pardonet Formation

Baldonnel Formation

Charlie Lk Formation

Liard Formaiton

Toad-Grayling formations

Prophet Formation

MeasuredSection

123°24'0"W

123°24'W

123°24'30"W123°25'0"W

123°25'W

123°25'30"W123°26'0"W

123°26'W

123°26'30"W

56

°57

'N5

6°5

6'N

0 250 500 750 1,000125

metres

Fig. 5. Detailed map of the measured section.

British Columbia Geological SurveyMinistry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources www.gov.bc.ca/geologicalsurvey