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Manitoba Geological Survey:

Sedimentary Geoscience Projects

Michelle P.B. Nicolas, P.Geo.A/Chief Geologist, Sedimentary Geoscience

May 1, 2014

Sedimentary Geoscience Section

• Michelle Nicolas– Phanerozoic stratigraphy and petroleum geology

• James Bamburak– Industrial and specialty minerals

• Michelle Trommelen– Quaternary geology

STRATIGRAPHIC AND PETROLEUM PROJECTS

Michelle P.B. Nicolas, P. Geo.

A/Chief Geologist, Sedimentary Geoscience

Petroleum and Phanerozoic Geologist

Hudson Bay Lowland Project

Rationale:• Understand the hydrocarbon potential and

basin architecture and evolution of the Hudson Bay Basin.

• Build upon GEM Energy (2008-2013).• GEM 2: Hudson Bay and Ungava Project

(2013-2020):• Focus on understanding HBL

stratigraphy, correlations, age of units, lithological variations and sedimentology

Project location: Hudson Bay Lowland, northeastern Manitoba

Staff involved: Michelle Nicolas, Michelle Trommelen, Greg Keller

Partners: • GSC (Lavoie et al.), OGS (Armstrong), Nunavut

Gov. (Zhang), U of Manitoba (Chow, Elias), Manitoba Museum (Young)

Hudson Bay Lowland Project

Staff involved: Michelle Nicolas, Michelle Trommelen, Greg Keller

Project location: Hudson Bay Lowland, northeastern Manitoba

Objectives (2014-15):• Churchill River field work;• Core sampling for:

• Stable isotope (C-O);• Biostratigraphy;• Geochemistry (organic, inorganic);• Basin exhumation history (AFT).

• Reconcile and compile stratigraphic information;• Evaluate data available for construction of 3-D

model.

Products (2014)• Report of Activities paper;• Poster at the Manitoba Mining and Mineral Convention.

Shallow Cretaceous Shale Gas Project

Staff involved: Michelle Nicolas, James Bamburak

Rationale:• Improve our basic geological knowledge of the

shallow gas-bearing Cretaceous formations out SW Manitoba.

• Assess the potential for shallow shale gas in these units as a future resource for Manitoba.

Project location: southwestern Manitoba, subsurface to outcrop

Partners: University of Calgary (P. Pedersen; S. Hosseininejad; R. Spencer), GSC

Special Funding: Manitoba Hydro (Gas Division), Mitacs, Questerre Energy Corp.

Shallow Cretaceous Shale Gas Project

Staff involved: Michelle Nicolas, James Bamburak

Project location: southwestern Manitoba, subsurface to outcrop

Objectives (2014-15):• Acquire an compile geochemistry and mineralogy data

of shale samples (including oil shale sampling).

• Investigate new outcrops of potential shale gas reservoirs.

• Begin subsurface correlations and building sequence stratigraphic model.

• Geochemical and mineralogical fingerprinting of mudrocks (U of Calgary).

Products (2014)• Report of Activities paper;• Poster at the Manitoba Mining and Mineral Convention.

Objectives (2014) :• Sampling along Manitoba escarpment

to collect oil shale samples, and submit for chemical and kinetic analyses.

Rationale:• Canada-Israel Industrial Research and

Development Foundation of the Federal Government of Canada:

• international partnership between the GSC and Israel Energy Initiatives Ltd. to study possible in-situ extraction of hydrocarbons from oil shale.

• Manitoba has many outcrop sampling sites to provide samples for study.

Oil Shale Project

Total Organic Carbon (TOC %)/Petroleum Potential (kg/t)

Porcupine Hills7.19/35.18 – 3 samples

Duck Mountain6.81/30.93 – 11 samples

Riding Mountain5.92/30.23 – 5 samples

Pembina Mountain5.18/16.65 – 3 samples

Kovac (1984)

Favel Formation Oil Shale – Sclater River, 2004

Staff involved: Michelle Nicolas, James BamburakPartners: GSC, University of Calgary (P. Pedersen), FG & Partners (Calgary), Israel Energy Initiatives Ltd (Jerusalem), more.

Paleozoic investigations:Duperow Formation Project

Staff involved: Michelle Nicolas

Rationale:• Investigate deep Paleozoic formations for new deep

oil prospects, as conventional and unconventional targets.

• Gain a better stratigraphic, sedimentological and economic understanding of this formation in SW Manitoba.

Project location: southwestern Manitoba (subsurface)

Partners: University of Manitoba (N. Chow, K. Bates, L. Eggie)

Special Funding: Arc Resources

Paleozoic investigations:Duperow Formation Project

Staff involved: Michelle Nicolas

Project location: southwestern Manitoba (subsurface)

Objectives (2014-15):

• Report of Activities and M. Sc. thesis writing (Bates, U of M);

• Presentation at international conference (Chow, U of M)

Partners: University of Manitoba (N. Chow, K. Bates, L. Eggie)

Products (2014)• Report of Activities paper.

Geological Highway Map of Manitoba

Staff involved: Michelle Nicolas, Paul Lenton, Len Chackowsky, James Bamburak, Sharon Lee, Paul Kremer, Michelle Trommelen, Mark Pacey

Rationale:• Update the geology map and geological highway

map of Manitoba to a scale of 1:1M.

Project location: all of Manitoba

Objectives (2014-15):• Geological map base at 1:1M and 1:250k

scales completed.• Compile photographic database and take

inventory of “points of interest”.• Work on text and graphics.

INDUSTRIAL & SPECIALTY MINERALS PROJECTS

James D. Bamburak, P. Geo.

Industrial Minerals Geologist

Objectives (2014-15):• Outcrop and quarry investigations;• Collect and submit two bentonite samples for

geochronology (U-Pb zircon).

Products for 2014:• Report of Activities contribution;• Geoscientific report on bentonite;• Technical talk and/or poster (MB Mines and Minerals

Convention).

Industrial/Specialty Minerals Investigations - Bentonite

Staff involved: James Bamburak, Michelle Nicolas

Project location: Southwestern Manitoba – Manitoba escarpment (outcrops)

Partners: Bird River Resources Inc. Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre

Rationale:• Attract industrial development of mineral resources to

provide local employment;• Fundamental geological problems.• Expand inventory of potential sources of

industrial/specialty minerals in Manitoba.• Linked to Cretaceous Shale Gas Project.

Manitoba escarpment

Products for 2014:• Report of Activities contribution;• Technical talk and/or poster (MB

Mines and Minerals Convention).

Objectives (2014-15):• Channel sampling of entire Gammon

Ferruginous Member in the Vermilion River area, 2014.

Industrial/Specialty Minerals Investigations – REE

30 m

2 m of GammonFerrruginous sampled, near base of section, 2013

Vermilion River o/c02-22-23-20W1

Staff involved: James Bamburak, Michelle Nicolas, Tania Martens, Eric Yang

Project location: Outcrops along the Manitoba escarpment, southwestern Manitoba

Rationale: Evaluate potential areas for future REE discovery.

Staff involved: James Bamburak

Rationale:• Expand inventory of potential sources of

industrial/specialty minerals in Manitoba• Attract industrial development of mineral resources to

provide local employment;• Fundamental geological problems.

Industrial/Specialty Minerals Investigations – Lake Winnipegosis

Project location: Southwestern Manitoba – Lake Winnipegosis

Objectives (2014-15):• Possible trips to Pemmican Island with Klyne

Exploration and McAulay Harbour with White Cap Exploration.

Partners: Klyne Exploration White Cap Exploration

Lake Winnipegosis

Products for 2014:• Geoscientific report on MVT and hydrothermal mineralization;• Technical talk and/or poster (MB Mines and Minerals

Convention).

Staff involved: James Bamburak, Mark Pacey

Rationale:• Preserve legacy of geological knowledge of

senior staff for educational purposes.• Dissemination of geoscientific and mining-

related information to the general public is necessary for them to appreciate the importance of mineral resource extraction in the maintenance of Manitoba’s standard of living.

Geolocalities/Roadside Geology

Project location: Southern Manitoba

Partners: Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre Manitoba Petroleum Branch

Brandon University APEGM Heritage Committee

Products for 2014:• Southeastern Roadside Geology

added into Manitoba Virtual GeoTours on YouTube™.

Objectives (2014-15):• Video capturing of geolocalities

over 3-4 days in the southern Interlake.

• Literature research.• Input select Phanerozoic outcrop

descriptions into Manitoba Government Provincial Data Network.

Geolocalities/Roadside Geology (cont’d)

Southern Interlake 2014

Winnipeg

SeymourvilleHecla

Lake St. Martin

The Narrows

Stonewall/Stony Mountain

Steeprock/Faulkner

Staff involved: James Bamburak, Mark Pacey

Project location: Southern Manitoba

QUATERNARY PROJECTS

Michelle S. Trommelen, P. Geo.

Quaternary Geologist

Staff involved: Michelle Trommelen

Rationale:• Mapped in 1980’s (GSC reconnaissance-scale);• 2013 preliminary field survey led to a number

of surprises;• Manitoba Hydro is currently beginning

construction at Keeyask and Conawapa.

Quaternary - Gillam

Project location: Gillam area

Objectives (2014-2016):• Surficial geology mapping;• Aggregate potential mapping;• Till composition and drift exploration

(MSc project);• Glacial history (PhD or post-doc project).

Partners: Manitoba Hydro University of Waterloo

Timeframe:• Keeyask, Stevens Lake 2014 (detailed

survey);• Conawapa, Nelson River 2015 (regional

survey).

Products for 2014:• Report of Activities contributions;• Technical talk and poster (MB Mines and Minerals Convention).

Methods:• 1:50k scale regional mapping;• Helicopter, boat, truck;• Till sampling for characterization

(surface and in section);

• Incorporation of drill core data;• Radiocarbon dating of fossil

material.

Quaternary - Gillam

Staff involved: Michelle Trommelen

Rationale:• Unstudied area.

Quaternary – Churchill River

Project location: Churchill River

Objectives (2014-15):• Till sampling;• Stratigraphy;• Regional surficial geology mapping.

Partners: MGS Paleozoic

Methods:• Helicopter reconnaissance (7 days);• Till sampling for characterization

(surface and in section).

Churchill

Churchill River

North Knife River

Upcoming Release: New surficial geology web pages

Quaternary – Compilation

Contains:• Surficial geology map index;• Links to current projects;• Ongoing carbonate dispersal till

analyses and interpretation;• Surficial materials compilation index;• Digital compilation of surficial point

and line features:• ice-flow indicators,• field sites, • outcrops,• streamlined landforms,• eskers,• and more...