Petroleum source rock potential of Whitehorse trough: a frontier basin in south-central Yukon

Research Article| September 01, 2009 Petroleum source rock potential of Whitehorse trough: a frontier basin in south-central Yukon Grant W. Lowey; Grant W. Lowey Yukon Geological Survey Energy, Mines and Resources Government of Yukon 2099 - 2nd Avenue (K-10) Whitehorse, YK Y1A 1B5, glowey@gov.yk.ca Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Darrel G.F. Long; Darrel G.F. Long Department of Earth Sciences Laurentian University Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, dlong@laurentian.ca Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Martin. G. Fowler; Martin. G. Fowler Geological Survey of Canada (Calgary) 3303 - 33rd Street NW, Calgary, AB T2L 2A7, mfowler@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Arthur. R. Sweet; Arthur. R. Sweet Geological Survey of Canada (Calgary) 3303 - 33rd Street NW, Calgary, AB T2L 2A7, asweet@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Michael J. Orchard Michael J. Orchard Geological Survey of Canada (Vancouver) 625 Robson Street Vancouver, BC V6B 5J3, morchard@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Grant W. Lowey Yukon Geological Survey Energy, Mines and Resources Government of Yukon 2099 - 2nd Avenue (K-10) Whitehorse, YK Y1A 1B5, glowey@gov.yk.ca Darrel G.F. Long Department of Earth Sciences Laurentian University Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, dlong@laurentian.ca Martin. G. Fowler Geological Survey of Canada (Calgary) 3303 - 33rd Street NW, Calgary, AB T2L 2A7, mfowler@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca Arthur. R. Sweet Geological Survey of Canada (Calgary) 3303 - 33rd Street NW, Calgary, AB T2L 2A7, asweet@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca Michael J. Orchard Geological Survey of Canada (Vancouver) 625 Robson Street Vancouver, BC V6B 5J3, morchard@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca Publisher: Canadian Energy Geoscience Association Received: 04 Sep 2008 Accepted: 21 Aug 2009 First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 2368-0261 Print ISSN: 0007-4802 © The Society of Canadian Petroleum Geologists Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology (2009) 57 (3): 350–386. https://doi.org/10.2113/gscpgbull.57.3.350 Article history Received: 04 Sep 2008 Accepted: 21 Aug 2009 First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Grant W. Lowey, Darrel G.F. Long, Martin. G. Fowler, Arthur. R. Sweet, Michael J. Orchard; Petroleum source rock potential of Whitehorse trough: a frontier basin in south-central Yukon. Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology 2009;; 57 (3): 350–386. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/gscpgbull.57.3.350 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyBulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology Search Advanced Search Abstract Whitehorse trough is a frontier basin in south-central Yukon that is thought to contain gas and possibly oil. It consists of up to 7000 m of sedimentary and volcanic rocks referred to as the Lewes River Group (Triassic), Laberge Group (Jurassic), and Tantalus Formation (Jura-Cretaceous). The Lewes River Group is informally subdivided into the Povoas and Aksala formations, and the Laberge Group is informally subdivided into the Richthofen, Nordenskiold and Tanglefoot formations. To evaluate the petroleum source-rock potential of this basin, over 600 samples from the Aksala, Richthofen, Tanglefoot and Tantalus formations from throughout the trough have been analyzed by Rock-Eval programmed pyrolysis and combustion and by study of thermal alteration indicies (TAI) of palynomorphs, conodont alteration indicies (CAI), and vitrinite reflectance. The Povoas and Nordenskiold formations were not sampled because they consist of volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks, respectively, and have no source rock potential. The analyses indicate that the Aksala formation is a poor source rock that is postmature with no hydrocarbon potential. The Richthofen formation is a poor source rock that is postmature with minor gas potential. The Tanglefoot formation is a good source rock that is immature to early mature and gas-prone. The Tantalus Formation is also a good source rock that is immature to early mature and gas-prone. The Tanglefoot and Tantalus formations contain petroleum fluid inclusions that were probably generated from within these units. The inclusions reveal homogenization temperatures of mostly between 75–115°C and reveal several distinct, but minor pulses of liquid petroleum (mainly 19–21°API, 23°–35°API and 40–46° API). Potential petroleum (gas) generative intervals occur at surface and in the shallow subsurface in deltaic mudstones (Tanglefoot formation) and fluvial mudstones (Tantalus Formation). The lateral extent of these intervals is unknown due to poor outcrop exposure and limited shallow drilling. Both the Tanglefoot and Tantalus formations are interpreted as potential source rocks and possibly effective source rocks. The most prospective areas for petroleum exploration are Five Finger Rapids, Division Mountain and Tantalus Butte and in the northern portion of Whitehorse trough. 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