Overview

The Mississippian section within the study area consists of five formations that are, in ascending order, Exshaw, Banff, Pekisko, Shunda and Turner Valley.  The entire Mississippian succession may be viewed as one mega transgressive-regressive cycle of sedimentation, with the Exshaw-Banff portion representing basin creation and initial infilling, and the balance of the Rundle Group representing basin-fill.  Within this cycle of sedimentation numerous smaller scale trangressive-regressive cycles occur that subdivide it at not only the formation scale, but also at the member level. 

Paleogeographic reconstructions at the Turner Valley level suggest that shallow water ramp conditions predominated to the south facing a basinal area developed in a northerly direction.  The main regional shallow water margin is represented in southern Alberta as the Livingstone transition and the various carbonate ramp units thin and progressively shale out in a northerly direction.  The present study area is located where the Elkton ramp begins to step down towards its basin.

The study area is located in south central Alberta from Townships 39 to 44 between Ranges 9W5 and 16W5.  At the time of the study 154 wells penetrated the Turner Valley Formation within the study area.  A total of 27 cored wells were described at the AEUB Core Research Centre for this study.

Click globe for map of study area.

The study area covers 29 townships (2,704 square kilometres) in the Chambers, Brazeau, Stolberg, Saunders and Ferrier areas and includes:

• fully illustrated text (39 pages, 14 figures) documenting stratigraphy, depositional facies, geologic evolution, play types and exploration potential, core descriptions, and database;
• 5 regional stratigraphic cross sections (3 dip & 2 strike);
• 3 field stratigraphic cross sections;
• 6 maps (4 isopach & 2 structure) at 1:100,000 scale;
• stratigraphic picks and isopach values from Base Jurassic to Top Wabamun Grp., including Turner Valley Fm. (Middle & Elkton Mbrs.), Shunda Fm. (S1, S2 & S3 Units), Pekisko Fm., Banff Fm., Exshaw Fm. and the Wabamun Grp.;
• 158 well database available in digital and hardcopy formats;
• 27 core descriptions with internally consistent correlations.