Keg River Formation

Keg River Formation
Stratigraphic range: Givetian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Type	Geological formation
Underlies	Muskeg Formation
Overlies	Chinchaga Formation
Thickness	up to 300 metres (980 ft)[1]
Lithology
Primary	Dolomite, limestone
Location
Coordinates	59.1725°N 118.7482°W / 59.1725; -118.7482 (Keg River Formation)
Region	Alberta
Country	Canada
Type section
Named for	Keg River
Named by	J. Law
Year defined	1955

The Keg River Formation is a stratigraphic unit of Givetian age in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin.

Description

It takes the name from the Keg River, a community along the Peace River, and was first described in the California Standard Steen River 2-22-117-5W6M well (situated north of Zama Lake) by J. Law in 1955.

Lithology

The Keg River Formation is composed of dark dolomite with intercrystalline or vuggy porosity and wackestone limestone. ^[1] The Rainbow Member and upper Keg River Member are reef formations deposited in the Rainbow, Zama and Bitscho sub-basins.

Distribution

The Keg River Formation occurs in the subsurface from northeastern to northwestern Alberta and its southern border is defined by the Peace River Arch. It varies in depth from 10 metres (30 ft) to 300 metres (980 ft).^[1]

Relationship to other units

The Keg River Formation is conformably overlain by the Muskeg Formation and unconformably overlays the Chinchaga Formation.^[1]

It is equivalent to the Pine Point Formation, Hume Formation and Nahanni Formation in north-eastern British Columbia and the Northwest Territories and to the Winnipegosis Formation in Saskatchewan and eastern Alberta.

Economic geology

Petroleum geology

Oil is produced from the Keg River reefs in the Zama Lake and Rainbow Lake areas of north-western Alberta.

References

1. Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units. "Keg River Formation". Archived from the original on 2009-04-16. Retrieved 2009-03-01.