The Muskwa Formation is a stratigraphical unit of Frasnian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin .
It takes the name from Muskwa River , and was first described in the Western National Gas Fort Nelson a-95-J/94-J-10 well by F.F. Gray and J.R. Kassube, in 1963.
Lithology
The Muskwa Formation is composed of bituminous shale . Pyrite is a common accessory mineral.
Gas production
Gas is produced from the Muskwa Formation shales in the Horn River Basin in the Greater Sierra oil field in north-eastern British Columbia . Horizontal drilling and fracturing techniques are used to extract the gas from the low permeability shales (see Shale gas
Distribution
The Muskwa Formation occurs in northern Alberta , north-eastern British Columbia and in the southern part of the Northwest Territories , and typically has a thickness of 34 metres (110 ft).
Relationship to other units
The Muskwa Formation is a sub-unit of the Horn River Formation ; it is conformably overlain by the Fort Simpson Formation and conformably underlain by the Otter Park Member .
See also
References
