Bedrock Topography, Drift Thickness, and Buried Channels, Northeast Alberta.

In anticipation of increasing needs of the expanding heavy oil industry for surficial and Quaternary geology information, the Alberta Geological Survey has focused its Quaternary geology mapping efforts in the northeast part of the province of Alberta. This poster presents the results of a study to map the bedrock topography, drift thickness, and Quaternary stratigraphy in the area defined by Latitude 56 degrees to 58 degrees, Longitude 110 degrees to 113 degrees. The study is a regional interpretation based on a review of data derived from the EUB oil and gas exploration logs, Alberta Environmental Protection water-well logs, numerous testhole logs from private-industry data holdings, and field investigations conducted by AGS staff. Because of the sparse and incomplete record of high-quality lithostratigraphic information, Quaternary stratigraphic interpretations could only be done from petrophysical logs run in uncased sections of boreholes drilled in areas of thick (>100m) drift. In many cases these correspond to areas above buried valleys or channels. There is very little lithologic information to characterize the sediments in these buried channels. Thus, our understanding of the history and origin of these buried channels remains speculative. From a groundwater resource perspective, however, the thick sequences of course permeable sediment within each of the channels make them favourable sources of water suitable for steam injection in enhanced oil recovery methods.