Geology and Coal Quality of the Cadomin-Luscar Coal Field, Alberta

The objective of this field trip is to examine Lower Cretaceous coal-bearing rocks in the Cadomin-Luscar area of central Alberta. Participants will have an opportunity to observe at first hand the lithology and complex structural relationships of the rock succession. Examples of deposition related to shallow marine, coastal plain, swamp, alluvial flood plain and alluvial channel environments will be observed and the evidence for this interpretation will be discussed. Fresh coal outcrops will be observed in the mine sites and results from recent coal quality studies will be discussed. The structure of the area will be explained with some excellent exposures and accompanying down-plunge cross-sections.

The Cadomin-Luscar area is located in west-central Alberta, between latitudes 53° and 53° 8' and longitudes 117° 17' and 117° 34' (figures 1 and 2). The area forms part of the Cadomin (NTS 83F/3) and Miette (NTS 83F/4) map sheets and covers approximately 100 km².

The existence of the thick Jewel coal seam has been known since the turn of the century. An underground mine was developed at Cadomin in 1917 and at Luscar in 1921. These mines operated until the mid 1950's. Open pit mines were opened by Cardinal River Coals Ltd at Luscar in 1970 and Gregg River Resources Ltd in 1983.

The Cadomin area was mapped by the Geological Survey of Canada (McKay, 1929 and 1930). Mountjoy (1959) mapped the Miette mapsheet. The area east of Gregg River was mapped by Hill (1980). The sections along the McLeod River at Cadomin have often been used in stratigraphic studies (e.g. Mellon, 1966, 1967; McLean, 1982 and McLean and Wall, 1981). Petrographic characteristics (rank and composition) of the coals have been described by Kalkreuth (1988), Langenberg et al. (1989), Kalkreuth et al. (1989) and Kalkreuth and Leckie (in press).