Paleozoic stratigraphy of the Hudson Bay Lowlands, northeast

Manitoba

by M.P.B. Nicolas (MGS) and D. Lavoie (GSC-Quebec)

Manitoba Mines and Minerals Convention, Winnipeg, Manitoba,

November 17-19, 2011

MGS

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ORHR

Devonian Ordovician

LEGEND

SKRm

SKRl

SAT

SER

SSR

Kenogami River Fm (middle)

Kenogami River Fm (lower)

Attawapiskat Fm

Ekwan River Fm

Severn River Fm

Silurian

DMR

DK

DSTR

DKRu

Moose River Fm

Kwataboahegan Fm

Stooping River Fm

Kenogami River Fm (upper)

OCR

OBCR

Red Head Rapids Fm

Churchill River Gp

Bad Cache Rapids Gp

Stratigraphic test holeor mineral explorationborehole with availablecore in Winnipeg.

Kennco #2

0 50 100

kilometres

project area

88 51’ Wo96 01’ Wo

PRECAMBRIAN

OR

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Churchill

HudsonBay

Man

itoba

Ont

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55 00’ No

58 49’ No58 56’ No

55 04’ No

88 23’ Wo96 19’ Wo

DMRDK

DSTR

DKRu

SKRmS

KRlSAT

SER

SSR

OCR

OBCR

Gillam

Split Lake

Chu

rchi

ll River

Nel

son

River

Haye

s R

iver

Seal River

Whitebear Creek

Comeault No. 1

Kaskattama No. 1

Kennco No. 5

Kennco No. 2 Pennycutaway No. 1

ADD-5-1

ADD-9-1 ADD-16-1

ADD-6-1

M-1-2003M-2-3003M-3-2003

M-4-2003M-5-2003

Pennycutaway No. 2Manitoba HydroConawapa Area

Foran Mining KaskattamaKimberlite No.1

AA’

A A’ Cross section line

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Dalejan

Zlichovian

Ash

gill

ian

Ca

rad

ocia

n

Pragian

Couvinian

L

M

U

Ludlovian

Pridolian

Gedinnian

Siegenian

Eifelian

Emsian

Llandoverian

Wenlockian

upper

middle

lower

Portage ChuteFormation

Surprise CreekFormation

Caution CreekFormation

Chasm CreekFormation

Member 1

Member 2

Gamachian

Richmondian

Maysvillian

EdenianBad Cache

Rapids Group

ChurchillRiverGroup

Severn River Formation

Ekwan River Formation

Attawapiskat Formation

Kenogami RiverFormation

Stooping River Formation

Kwataboahegan Formation

Moose River Formation

Red Head Rapids Formation

Period

Seri

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System/stage

Hudson Bay Lowlandnortheastern Manitoba

OR

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SIL

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DE

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Hudson Bay Lowland Paleozoic Stratigraphy Hydrocarbon systems evidence

Evidence for a hydrocarbon system, such as bituminous residues and

oil staining were found. In some cores, bituminous residues are present

along open fractures, as shown in . Oil staining in the

Comeault No. 1 core was also found, and is shown in .These

bituminous residues and oil staining indicate that a hydrocarbon system

was active at a poorly constrained stage of basin evolution; however,

whether hydrocarbons were locally produced or have undergone long-

range migration from the centre of the basin is uncertain. Bituminous

residues were identified in most of the cores examined, and samples of

the Conawapa cores, Comeault and Whitebear cores have been sent for

Rock Eval™ analysis.Identification of mature source rocks is key to a having a

hydrocarbon system, and have been identified in other parts of the

basin. shows a potential oil shale in the Red Head Rapids

Formation in the Whitebear Creek core. Samples of the oil shale

intervals were sent for Rock Eval analysis for confirmation; results

are pending.

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 2

TM

Figure 7:Bituminousresidue along anopen verticalfracture in MHunit 3 ofManitoba HydroConawapa Axis B- C292 core.

Introduction

Figure 1

The Hudson Bay and Foxe Basins Project is in its third year. It is part

of the Geological Survey of Canada Geo-mapping for Energy and

Minerals (GEM) program, whose energy side aims to study the

hydrocarbon potential of these Phanerozoic sedimentary basins. In

Manitoba, the Hudson Bay Basin is represented by the Paleozoic

carbonate succession of the Hudson Bay Lowland (HBL) in the

northeastern corner of the province ( ). Project activities this year

included core logging and collecting samples for various laboratory

analyses, including biostratigraphy and organic geochemistry.

Figure 1: Hudson Bay Lowlands in northeasternManitoba, showing the location of the cores available;inset is the project area for the GEM Hudson Bay andFoxe Basins Project.

Figure 4: Stratigraphy of the Hudson Bay Lowlands, with correlations to theManitoba Hydro units; Ordovician System/Stages from Zhang and Barnes (2007)and Silurian System/Stages from Norris (1993); photographs from most of theformations are shown.

Figure 6: Structural cross-section through theWhitebear Creek,Comeault No. 1 andKaskattama No. 1 oil wells(datum sea level); verticaldepths are shown inmetres below kelly bushing(K.B.).

Economic considerations

A good comprehension of the stratigraphy of the HBL and how it

correlates and changes across the basin is critical in understanding the

geological evolution and, in turn, the economic potential of the Hudson

Bay Basin. New biostratgraphic data are being acquired and will help

resolve stratigraphic correlations, whereas organic geochemistry will

help characterize potential hydrocarbon source rocks.

A modern synthesis and solid understanding of the architecture and

nature of potential hydrocarbon systems of the Hudson Bay and Foxe

basins aims to promote hydrocarbon exploration in this region.

Manitoba's primary advantage is that it manages the only deepwater port

in northern waters at Churchill. Exploration activities resulting in

hydrocarbon production, development and related infrastructure would

therefore provide a source for significant economic growth and stimulus

in northern Manitoba.

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank G. Benger, V. Varga, R. Unruh and the

summer students from the Manitoba Geological Survey (MGS) Rock

Preparation and Core Storage Facility for their help in locating

available core and preparing it for viewing. The authors also thank B.

Duncan for her assistance in core logging, sampling and photography.The authors also thank G. Young and B. Elias for their patience and

assistance in helping us understand the subtleties of the HBL

stratigraphy, correlations and paleontological assemblages.

DevonianStooping River FormationSogepet Aquit Kaskattama Prov. No.1

DevonianKenogami River Formation (upper)Sogepet Aquit Kaskattama Prov. No. 1

SilurianKenogami River Formation (middle)Sogepet Aquit Kaskattama Prov. No.1

SilurianKenogami River Formation (lower)Sogepet Aquit Kaskattama Prov. No.1

SilurianAttawapiskat FormationSogepet Aquit Kaskattama Prov. No.1

SilurianEkwan River FormationSogepet Aquit Kaskattama Prov. No.1

SilurianSevern River FormationMerland et al. Whitebear Creek Prov.Manitoba Hydro Gillam Island - GI2

OrdovicianRed Head Rapids FormationHouston Oils et al. Comeault Prov. No. 1

OrdovicianChurchill River GroupMerland et al. Whitebear Creek Prov.

OrdovicianBad Cache Rapids Group, PortageChute Formation, Member 2Manitoba Hydro Conawapa Axis B06-CD-44

OrdovicianBad Cache Rapids Group,Portage Chute Formation,Member 1Kennco No. 5

Precambrianweathered and unweathered graniteManitoba Hydro Conawapa Axis DXDx1000

References

Lavoie, D., Zhang, S. and Ninet, N. 2011: Hydrothermal dolomites in Hudson Bay Platform andsoutheast Arctic Platform: preliminary field and geochemical data; Geological Survey of Canada OpenFile 7002, 19 p.

Nicolas, M.P.B. 2011: Stratigraphy of three exploratory oil-well cores in the Hudson Bay Lowland,northeastern Manitoba (NTS 24C10, F8 and G1); Report of Activities 2011, Manitoba Innovation,Energy and Mines, Manitoba Geological Survey, p. 166-171.

Nicolas, M.P.B. and Lavoie, D. 2010: Hudson Bay and Foxe Basins Project: update on a Geo-mappingfor Energy and Minerals program (GEM) initiative, northeastern Manitoba (part of NTS 54); Reportof Activities 2010, Manitoba Innovation, Energy and Mines, Manitoba Geological Survey, p.186 -192.

Norris, A. W. 1993: Hudson Platform - Geology; Chapter 8 Sedimentary Cover of the Craton inCanada, D. F. Stott and J. D. Aitken (eds.), Geological Survey of Canada, (also Geological Society ofAmerica, The Geology of North America, v. D-1).

Zhang, S. and Barnes, C. R. 2007: Late Ordovician-Early Silurian conodont biostratigraphy andthermal maturity, Hudson Bay Basin, Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, v. 55, p. 179-216.

in

in

in in

Core logging

This summer the Manitoba Geological Survey (MGS) completed

the examination of all the available exploration cores from the HBL.

Previously logged cores were re-examined for the presence of thin oil

shale intervals, and sampled for geochemical and biostratigraphical

analysis. High resolution photographs of all the cores were taken to

create a photographic log.Preliminary results from the core logging indicate a complex

stratigraphy. Stratigraphic correlations are challenging primarily due to

the long distances between cores, as well as complex relationships,

including facies changes and pinch out of formations. It is also

challenging to correlate modern core descriptions with older outcrop

descriptions. Biostratigraphy is used to help decipher some

stratigraphic issues.Of significance, is the discovery of potential oil shale intervals in

the Ordovician Red Head Rapids Formation ( ) and the Silurian

Severn River and Attawapiskat formations in core. Hydrothermal

dolomites have been identified in the core M-4-2003 ( ; Lavoie

et al. 2011) near Churchill, Manitoba, with another potential occurrence

in the Silurian section of the Comeault No. 1 core.

Figure 2

Figure 3

Stratigraphy & Structure

Attempting to develop a solid stratigraphic framework for the

entire Hudson Bay Basin is a challenge, particularly considering this

frontier basin covers 600 000 km . As part of this GEM project team,

the MGS is focusing on the stratigraphy of the HBL region in

Manitoba. The development of Manitoba’s HBL stratigraphic column

have been by by correlating lithostratigraphy, chemostratigraphy and

biostratigraphy information from various sources, spanning decades of

work, and logging of available core by the authors (Nicolas and Lavoie,

2010; Nicolas, 2011). shows the current stratigraphic column

used in the Manitoba HBL.

2

Figure 4

shows stratigraphic cross-section AA’ through the three

onshore oil wells in Manitoba and displays the variability in thickness

of the formations over a distance of 200 km.The Ordovician formations as a whole show little variability in

thickness towards the basin's centre. In comparison, the Silurianformations, particularly the Severn River Formation, show tremendousthickening in the same direction. This is indicative of increasedsediment productivity in the Silurian compared to the Ordovician,which translates to an increase in sediment load and downwarp of thebasin during this time. This is evident in the structural cross-section( through the same oil wells that show a pronouncednortheastern dip towards the centre of the basin. These conditions arefavourable for the basin to have undergone enough burial and heatingfor source rocks to pass through the oil window.

Figure 5

Figure 6)

Figure 8: Oilstaining in theSevern RiverFormation in theHouston Oils et al.Comeault Prov. No.1 core.

Figure 5: Stratigraphic cross-section through the WhitebearCreek, Comeault No. 1 andKaskattama No. 1 oil wells;datum is the top of the Red HeadRapids Formation; verticaldepths are shown in metresbelow kelly bushing (K.B.).

Figure 2: Core photoshowing a mudstone withdark shale bands thatmay be oil shale;Ordovician Red HeadRapids Formation,Whitebear Creek core.

Figure 3: Core photos of M-4-03 showing: (a)dissolution vugs in limestone with saddle dolomitecoating walls and late calcite cement; (b) dissolutionvugs in limestone with fine sucrosic saddle dolomitefilling pore spaces; (c) forced replacement oflimestone by dolomite, dark specks are bitumendroplets in dolomite, and 30 cm long open verticalfracture which controlled dolomitization. Core is 5 cmin diameter.

Precambrian

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n

Ba

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ap

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p

Ch

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hill

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Gp

Red Head Rapids Fm

PortageChute Fm

Surprise Creek Fm

CautionCreek Fm

ChasmCreek Fm

Severn River Fm

Ekwan River Fm

Attawapiskat Fm

Stooping River Fm

Kenogam

i R

iver

Fm

lower

middle

upper

Datum:sea level

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

0

100

200

300

400

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

TD = 427 m

TD = 648 m

TD = 896 m

WhitebearCreek

Comeault No.1

Kaskattama No.1

A

A’

TD = 427 m

TD = 648 mTD = 896 m

100

100

100

200

200

200

300

300

300

400

400

400

500

500

600

700

800

600

0

0

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WhitebearCreek

Comeault No.1

Kaskattama No.1

A

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Precambrian

Ord

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Silu

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Devonia

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Bad C

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Red Head Rapids Fm

PortageChute Fm

Surprise Creek Fm

CautionCreek Fm

ChasmCreek Fm

Severn River Fm

Ekwan River Fm

Attawapiskat Fm

Stooping River Fm

Ke

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middle

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Datum:Top of Red HeadRapids Fm

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