Criteria for Differentiating the McMurray and Clearwater Formations in the Athabasca Oil Sands

Publication Type
Bulletin
Topic
Oil and Gas
Publication ID
BUL 014
Publication ID Extended
Bulletin 014
Publication
Abstract

In the absence of fossil evidence the presence of the following minerals in a sample of Athabasca oil sand identifies it as belonging to the Clearwater Formation: (1) glauconite pellets, (2) euhedral biotite flakes, (3) montmorillonite, (4) euhedral grains of plagioclase feldspar. Other diagnostic characteristics of the oil sands of this formation include the presence of felsite grains and of more than 10 per cent of chert grains in the sand fraction.

Citation

Carrigy, M.A. (1963): Criteria for differentiating the McMurray and Clearwater formations in the Athabasca Oil Sands; Research Council of Alberta, RCA/AGS Bulletin 14, 39 p.

Place Keywords
athabasca oil sands
Place Keywords NTS
73m, 74d, 74e, 83p, 84a, 84h
Theme Keywords
athabasca oil sands, clearwater formation, cretaceous, differentiating, mcmurray formation, microfossil content, mineral composition, structure