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Coordinates: 55°46′30″N 118°54′22″W / 55.775°N 118.906°W / 55.775; -118.906 (Imperial Spirit River No. 1 well, in 12-20-78-6W6M)
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{{Infobox rockunit
{{Infobox rockunit
| name = Spirit River Formation
| name = Spirit River Formation
| image = FalherMBR.JPG
| image = FalherMBR.JPG
| caption = Falher graywake and shale
| caption = Falher graywake and shale
| type = [[Geological formation]]
| type = [[Geological formation]]
| age = {{Fossil range|Albian|Albian|middle [[Albian]]}}
| age = {{Fossil range|Albian|Albian|middle [[Albian]]}}
| prilithology = [[sandstone]], [[shale]], [[siltstone]]
| prilithology = [[sandstone]], [[shale]], [[siltstone]]
| otherlithology = [[coal]], [[ironstone]], [[greywacke]]
| otherlithology = [[coal]], [[ironstone]], [[greywacke]]
| namedfor = [[Spirit River (Alberta)|Spirit River]]
| namedfor = [[Spirit River (Alberta)|Spirit River]]
| namedby = Badgley, 1952
| namedby = Badgley, 1952
| region = {{flag|Alberta}}, {{flag|British Columbia}}
| region = {{flag|Alberta}}, {{flag|British Columbia}}
| country = {{flag|Canada}}
| country = {{flag|Canada}}
| coordinates = {{coord|55.775|N|118.906|W|name=Imperial Spirit River No. 1 well, in 12-20-78-6W6M|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates = {{coord|55.775|N|118.906|W|name=Imperial Spirit River No. 1 well, in 12-20-78-6W6M|display=inline,title}}
| unitof = [[Fort St. John Group]]
| unitof = [[Fort St. John Group]]
| subunits = [[Notikewin Member]], [[Falher Member]], [[Wilrich Member]]
| subunits = Notikewin Member, Falher Member, Wilrich Member
| underlies = [[Peace River Formation]]
| underlies = [[Peace River Formation]]
| overlies = [[Bluesky Formation]]
| overlies = [[Bluesky Formation]]
| thickness = up to {{convert|348|ft|m|-1}}<ref name=lexicon>{{Cite web|url=http://cgkn1.cgkn.net/weblex/weblex_litho_detail_e.pl?00053:011614|title=Peace River Formation|author=Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units |accessdate=2009-02-11}}</ref>
| thickness = up to {{convert|348|ft|m|-1}}<ref name=lexicon>{{Cite web | url = http://cgkn1.cgkn.net/weblex/weblex_litho_detail_e.pl?00053:011614 | title = Peace River Formation | author = [[Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units]] | accessdate = 2009-02-11}}</ref>
| extent =
| area =
| map =
| map_caption =
}}
}}
The '''Spirit River Formation''' is a [[Stratigraphy|stratigraphical]] unit of middle [[Albian]] [[Geochronology|age]] in the [[Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin]].
The '''Spirit River Formation''' is a [[Stratigraphy|stratigraphical]] unit of middle [[Albian]] [[Geochronology|age]] in the [[Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin]].


It takes the name from the [[Spirit River (Alberta)|Spirit River]], and was first described in [[Imperial Oil]] Spirit River No. 1 well by Badgley in 1952.<ref>Badgley, Peter C., 1952. Notes on the subsurface stratigraphy and oil and gas geology of the Lower Cretaceous series in central Alberta (Report and seven figures); [[Geological Survey of Canada]], Paper No. 52-11, 12 p.</ref>
It takes the name from the [[Spirit River (Alberta)|Spirit River]], and was first described in [[Imperial Oil]] Spirit River No. 1 well by Badgley in 1952.<ref>Badgley, Peter C., 1952. Notes on the subsurface stratigraphy and oil and gas geology of the Lower Cretaceous series in central Alberta (Report and seven figures); [[Geological Survey of Canada]], Paper No. 52-11, 12 p.</ref>
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==Hydraulic fracturing in Canada==
==Hydraulic fracturing in Canada==
{{main|Hydraulic fracturing in Canada}}
{{main|Hydraulic fracturing in Canada}}
Massive hydraulic fracturing has been widely used in [[Alberta]] since the late 1970s to recover gas from low-permeability sandstones of the [[Spirit River Formation]].<ref>{{citation |first1=Douglas J. |last1=Cant |first2=Valerie G. |last2=Ethier |title=Lithology-dependent diagenetic control of reservoir properties of conglomerates, Falher member, Elmworth Field, Alberta, |journal=Bulletin of the [[American Association of Petroleum Geologists]] |date=August 1984 |volume=68 |number=8 }}</ref>{{rp|1044}} Massive hydraulic fracturing has been widely used in [[Alberta]] since the late 1970s. The method is currently used in development of the [[Cardium Formation|Cardium]], [[Duvernay Formation|Duvernay]], [[Montney Formation|Montney]] and [[Viking Formation|Viking]] formations in [[Alberta]], [[Bakken Formation|Bakken]] formation in [[Saskatchewan]], [[Montney Formation|Montney]] and [[Horn River Formation|Horn River]] formations in [[British Columbia]].
'Massive' hydraulic fracturing has been widely used in [[Alberta]] since the late 1970s to recover gas from low-permeability sandstones of the Spirit River Formation.<ref>{{cite journal | first1 = Douglas J. | last1 = Cant | first2 = Valerie G. | last2 = Ethier | title = Lithology-dependent diagenetic control of reservoir properties of conglomerates, Falher member, Elmworth Field, Alberta | journal = Bulletin of the [[American Association of Petroleum Geologists]] | date = August 1984 | volume = 68 | number = 8 }}</ref>{{rp|1044}} Massive hydraulic fracturing has been widely used in [[Alberta]] since the late 1970s. The method is currently used in development of the [[Cardium Formation|Cardium]], [[Duvernay Formation|Duvernay]], [[Montney Formation|Montney]] and [[Viking Formation|Viking]] formations in [[Alberta]], [[Bakken Formation|Bakken]] formation in [[Saskatchewan]], [[Montney Formation|Montney]] and [[Horn River Formation|Horn River]] formations in [[British Columbia]].


==Distribution==
==Distribution==
The Spirit River Formation reaches a maximum thickness of {{convert|348|m|ft|-1}}. It is found in the sub-surface in the [[Peace River Country]], in an area stretching from [[Fort St. John, British Columbia]] to the [[Lesser Slave Lake]] from west to east, and from [[Grande Prairie, Alberta]] to [[Manning, Alberta]] from south to north.
The Spirit River Formation reaches a maximum thickness of {{convert|348|m|ft|-1}}. It is found in the sub-surface in the [[Peace River Country]], in an area stretching from [[Fort St. John, British Columbia]] to the [[Lesser Slave Lake]] from west to east, and from [[Grande Prairie, Alberta]] to [[Manning, Alberta]] from south to north.


==Relationship to other units==
==Relationship to other units==


The Spirit River Formation is conformably overlain by the [[Peace River Formation]] and conformably underlain by the [[Bluesky Formation]]. It grades laterally to the [[Buckinghorse Formation]] shales to the north-east, and into the sandy [[facies]] of the [[Malcolm Creek Formation]] south of the [[Wapiti River]]. It is equivalent to the upper [[Mannville Formation]] in [[Central Alberta]] and to the [[Clearwater Formation]] and [[Grand Rapids Formation]] in the upper [[Athabaska River]] area.<ref name=lexicon/>
The Spirit River Formation is conformably overlain by the [[Peace River Formation]] and conformably underlain by the [[Bluesky Formation]]. It grades laterally to the [[Buckinghorse Formation]] shales to the north-east, and into the sandy [[facies]] of the [[Malcolm Creek Formation]] south of the [[Wapiti River]]. It is equivalent to the upper [[Mannville Formation]] in [[Central Alberta]] and to the [[Clearwater Formation]] and [[Grand Rapids Formation]] in the upper [[Athabasca River]] area.<ref name=lexicon/>


===Subdivisions===
===Subdivisions===
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! [[Geological unit|Sub-unit]] !! Lithology !! Max<br>Thickness !! Reference
! [[Geological unit|Sub-unit]] !! Lithology !! Max<br>Thickness !! Reference
|-
|-
|[[Notikewin Member]] || fine to medium grained argillaceous [[sandstone]], dark [[shale]], [[ironstone]] || {{convert|28|m|ft|-1}}
|Notikewin Member || fine to medium grained argillaceous [[sandstone]], dark [[shale]], [[ironstone]] || {{convert|28|m|ft|-1}}
|<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cgkn1.cgkn.net/weblex/weblex_litho_detail_e.pl?00053:011050|title=Notikewin Member|author=Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units |accessdate=2009-02-11}}</ref>
|<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://cgkn1.cgkn.net/weblex/weblex_litho_detail_e.pl?00053:011050 | title = Notikewin Member | author = [[Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units]] | accessdate = 2009-02-11}}</ref>
|-
|-
|[[Falher Member]] || [[greywacke]], [[shale]], [[siltstone]], [[coal]] || {{convert|215|m|ft|-1}}
|Falher Member || [[greywacke]], [[shale]], [[siltstone]], [[coal]] || {{convert|215|m|ft|-1}}
|<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cgkn1.cgkn.net/weblex/weblex_litho_detail_e.pl?00053:004811|title=Falher Member|author=Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units |accessdate=2009-02-11}}</ref>
|<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://cgkn1.cgkn.net/weblex/weblex_litho_detail_e.pl?00053:004811 | title = Falher Member | author = [[Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units]] | accessdate = 2009-02-11}}</ref>
|-
|-
|[[Wilrich Member]] || dark [[shales]] thin [[sandstone]] and [[siltstone]] stringers || {{convert|154|m|ft|-1}}
|Wilrich Member || dark [[shales]] thin [[sandstone]] and [[siltstone]] stringers || {{convert|154|m|ft|-1}}
|<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cgkn1.cgkn.net/weblex/weblex_litho_detail_e.pl?00053:016545 |title=Wilrich Member|author=Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units |accessdate=2009-02-11}}</ref>
|<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://cgkn1.cgkn.net/weblex/weblex_litho_detail_e.pl?00053:016545 | title = Wilrich Member | author = [[Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units]] | accessdate = 2009-02-11}}</ref>
|-
|-
|}
|}
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{{WCSB|Northwest_Plains=yes}}
{{WCSB|Northwest_Plains=yes}}


[[Category:Stratigraphy of Alberta]]
[[Category:Geologic formations of Alberta]]
[[Category:Stratigraphy of British Columbia]]
[[Category:Geologic formations of British Columbia]]
[[Category:Cretaceous Alberta]]

[[Category:Cretaceous British Columbia]]
{{Canada-geologic-formation-stub}}
[[Category:Sandstone formations of Canada]]
[[Category:Shale formations]]
[[Category:Siltstone formations]]
[[Category:Coal formations]]
[[Category:Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin]]

Latest revision as of 00:51, 17 July 2024

Spirit River Formation
Stratigraphic range: middle Albian
Falher graywake and shale
TypeGeological formation
Unit ofFort St. John Group
Sub-unitsNotikewin Member, Falher Member, Wilrich Member
UnderliesPeace River Formation
OverliesBluesky Formation
Thicknessup to 348 feet (110 m)[1]
Lithology
Primarysandstone, shale, siltstone
Othercoal, ironstone, greywacke
Location
Coordinates55°46′30″N 118°54′22″W / 55.775°N 118.906°W / 55.775; -118.906 (Imperial Spirit River No. 1 well, in 12-20-78-6W6M)
Region Alberta,  British Columbia
Country Canada
Type section
Named forSpirit River
Named byBadgley, 1952

The Spirit River Formation is a stratigraphical unit of middle Albian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.

It takes the name from the Spirit River, and was first described in Imperial Oil Spirit River No. 1 well by Badgley in 1952.[2]

Lithology

[edit]

The Spirit River Formation consists, from bottom to top of fine to medium grained argillaceous sandstone, dark shale, ironstone, greywacke, shale, siltstone, coal and dark shale with thin sandstone and siltstone stringers.[1]

Hydrocarbon production

[edit]

Gas is produced from channels developed in the Falher Member in northern Alberta.

Hydraulic fracturing in Canada

[edit]
Main article: Hydraulic fracturing in Canada

'Massive' hydraulic fracturing has been widely used in Alberta since the late 1970s to recover gas from low-permeability sandstones of the Spirit River Formation.[3]: 1044  Massive hydraulic fracturing has been widely used in Alberta since the late 1970s. The method is currently used in development of the Cardium, Duvernay, Montney and Viking formations in Alberta, Bakken formation in Saskatchewan, Montney and Horn River formations in British Columbia.

Distribution

[edit]

The Spirit River Formation reaches a maximum thickness of 348 metres (1,140 ft). It is found in the sub-surface in the Peace River Country, in an area stretching from Fort St. John, British Columbia to the Lesser Slave Lake from west to east, and from Grande Prairie, Alberta to Manning, Alberta from south to north.

Relationship to other units

[edit]

The Spirit River Formation is conformably overlain by the Peace River Formation and conformably underlain by the Bluesky Formation. It grades laterally to the Buckinghorse Formation shales to the north-east, and into the sandy facies of the Malcolm Creek Formation south of the Wapiti River. It is equivalent to the upper Mannville Formation in Central Alberta and to the Clearwater Formation and Grand Rapids Formation in the upper Athabasca River area.[1]

Subdivisions

[edit]

The Spirit River Formation is composed of the following sub-divisions from base to top:

Sub-unit Lithology Max
Thickness		 Reference
Notikewin Member fine to medium grained argillaceous sandstone, dark shale, ironstone 28 metres (90 ft) [4]
Falher Member greywacke, shale, siltstone, coal 215 metres (710 ft) [5]
Wilrich Member dark shales thin sandstone and siltstone stringers 154 metres (510 ft) [6]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units. "Peace River Formation". Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  2. ^ Badgley, Peter C., 1952. Notes on the subsurface stratigraphy and oil and gas geology of the Lower Cretaceous series in central Alberta (Report and seven figures); Geological Survey of Canada, Paper No. 52-11, 12 p.
  3. ^ Cant, Douglas J.; Ethier, Valerie G. (August 1984). "Lithology-dependent diagenetic control of reservoir properties of conglomerates, Falher member, Elmworth Field, Alberta". Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. 68 (8).
  4. ^ Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units. "Notikewin Member". Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  5. ^ Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units. "Falher Member". Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  6. ^ Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units. "Wilrich Member". Retrieved 2009-02-11.
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