Project Objective
Oil and gas potential of the Mackenzie Corridor and surrounding areas is the focus of a Northern Energy project under the Secure Canadian Energy Supply Program of the Earth Sciences Sector (ESS) - (Geological Survey of Canada (GSC)) of the Department of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). The main objective of this multidisciplinary project is to assess the hydrocarbon resource potential of the Mackenzie Valley using quantitative and qualitative geoscience data. Although significant hydrocarbon discoveries have been made along the Mackenzie Valley, such as the Norman Wells oil field in Mackenzie Plain and large gas fields in Liard Plateau, the potential for the discovery of economic accumulations of petroleum in several exploration regions is still poorly understood. Insufficient stratigraphic, structural, and geochemical data preclude a comprehensive assessment of some areas. The study will encompass much of the Interior Plains, Mackenzie Mountains, and eastern portion of the Northern Yukon exploration regions. It is a collaboration between the Geological Survey of Canada, the Northwest Territories Geoscience Office, the Yukon Geological Survey, industry, universities, and northern communities.

Main exploration regions of the Northern Canadian Mainland Sedimentary Basin (modified after Morrow et al. 2006). (Click image to enlarge.)

Work in progress
Several exploration plays have been identified and will be the focus of future work, such as the Plateau Thrust play in the central part of the Mackenzie Mountains, fault traps within Cambrian and Devonian sandstones and carbonates, and stratigraphic and structural “foothills” plays in Mackenzie Arc. Fieldwork in 2006-2007 will be conducted to 1) examine stratigraphic sections and evaluate potential source and reservoir facies, 2) collect samples for organic geochemistry analysis, 3) study the role of structural features as hydrocarbon conduits, and 4) assess the viability of probable structural and stratigraphic traps.

Fieldwork 2006
Fieldwork was conducted along the northern front of Mackenzie Mountains. Key objectives are to reevaluate the geometry, kinematics, and timing of key Phanerozoic regional structures and to reexamine the effect of Proterozoic tectonism on the orientation of these structures. Observations will be integrated with seismic data to reassess potential petroleum traps across the region. Work was conducted in southern Peel Plateau and Plain and northern Mackenzie and Franklin mountains, through the southern half of Upper Ramparts (NTS 106 G) and Sans Sault Rapids (NTS 106 H) map areas with reconnaissance work done in the southeast corner of Snake River (NTS 106 F) map area. Detailed structural mapping was carried out along major structures, such as Tabasco, Deadend, and Southbound faults as well as across Imperial anticline.

Photo gallery

	View southwest across Mackenzie Valley from Norman Wells, where artificial islands in Mackenzie River are used to access Canada's fourth-largest oil producing field.		View from the Mt. Kindle Formation to underlying grey weathering dolostone of the Franklin Mountain Formation and orange-black weathering sandstone of the Katherine Group, Mackenzie Mountains Front, Upper Ramparts River map-area.
	Outcrop of potential source rocks (brown weathering Hare Indian Formation and black weathering Canol Formation) near the Hume River, Mackenzie Mountains Front, Sans Sault Rapids map-area.		View to the northwest, along strike of the south-verging Tabasco Fault (covered) in the vicinity of Arctic Red River. Quartzite of Katherine Group can be seen north of the fault. Footwall rocks to the south include Franklin Mountain and Mount Kindle formations dolomite.
	View to the west of the south-verging Southbound Fault. Hangingwall rocks include Franklin Mountain dolomite; dark grey siltstone of Imperial Formation is observed in the footwall.		View of structural complications at the front of Mackenzie Mountains in the vicinity of Arctic Red River. View to the west.
	View to the east-northeast along the axis of the Imperial Anticline at Stratigrapher Cliffs. The anticline is asymmetric, marked by a gently-dipping south limb and sub-vertical north limb.

Project Outputs

Petroleum play data for the Lower Paleozoic platform play (Ronning Group), Mackenzie corridor
Pyle, L J; Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 5667, 2008; 24 pages 1 CD-ROM. Download now.

Petroleum play data for Upper Devonian to Carboniferous siliciclastics (Imperial and Tuttle formations), Mackenzie corridor
Pyle, L J; Allen, T L; Fraser, T A; Zantvoort, W G; Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 5894, 2008; 21 pages 1 CD-ROM. Download now.

Petroleum data for the pre-mid-Devonian basal clastics play, southern Mackenzie Valley Lemieux, Y; Gal, L P; Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 5707, 2008; 24 pages. Download now.

GIS-enabled hydrocarbon prospect polygons for established (immature) and conceptual plays, Mackenzie Corridor, Northwest Territories and Yukon Lemieux, Y; MacLean, B C; Hannigan, P K; Morrow, D W; Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 5729, 2008; 1 DVD. Download now.

Report of activities on the structural geology of southern Peel Plateau and Peel Plain region, Northwest Territories and Yukon; Lemieux, Y; Gal, L P; Pyle, L J; Hadlari, T; Zantvoort, W. Geological Survey of Canada, Current Research 2007-A3, 2007; 9 pages. Download now.

Oil and gas potential of northern mainland sedimentary basins of Mackenzie Corridor: an update; presentation by Lemieux at Yellowknife Geoscience Forum (November 21-23, 2006).  Download now.

Y. Lemieux and L. Pyle presented a poster at the Cordilleran Tectonics Workshop in Vancouver (February 17-19, 2006) and CSPG-CSEG-CWLS convention (May 15-19, 2006) to highlight the scope of the project; download abstract and poster.

	Petroleum Resource Potential of Northern Mainland Sedimentary Basins of the Mackenzie Corridor

Reference

Morrow, D.W., Jones, A.L., and Dixon, J. 2006. Infrastructure and resources of the Northern Canadian Mainland Sedimentary Basin. Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 5152, 1 CD-ROM.