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Focuses on the hydrocarbon potential of the Mesozoic succession in the vicinity of King Christian Island in Sverdrup Basin, Canada on the basis of maturation parameters and geology. Maturity of the Triassic Schei Point Group; Bituminite and tonic marine algae in an offshore shelf setting; Discovery of oil and gas fields.

Studies the regional variation in thermal maturity in relation to the presence of oil and gas fields in Ellef Ringnes Island, Canada. Problem with cavings, bitumen staining and igneous intrusions; Overpressuring by hydrocarbon generation in source rocks and shales; Presence of coals in sandstones containing algae; Effect of salt domes on the warping up effect in strata.

Examines the botanical, petrographical, mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of a continental minerotrophic peatland in Alberta. Relation of changes in peat stratigraphy and mineralogy; Development toward oligotrophic conditions.

Discusses the systematic evaluation of the overall quality of Vesta Mine coals in Battle River of Alberta Plains. Major thermal coal resources in Canada; Geological setting of Vesta Mine field in Battle River; Variation on the concentration of elements in coals; Comparison of Vesta Mine coals with other Western Canadian coals.

Announces that geologist Fariborz Goodarzi is the second recipient of the Hacquebard Award, the highest honor that the Canadian Society for Coal Science and Organic Petrology can bestow upon any of its members. Career history; Focus of Goodarzi's work; Influence of Goodarzi on the careers of many young coal and organic petrologists.

Abstract: The particulate organic matter in <63 µm surface sediments from the Mackenzie River and its main tributaries was studied using Rock-Eval pyrolysis and organic petrology. The organic matter in the sediments is dominated by refractory residual organic carbon (RC) of mainly terrigenous nature, as indicated by abundant inertinite, vitrinite, and type III kerogen. Sediments from the tributaries contained significantly more algal-derived organic matter than from the main channel of the river, highlighting the importance of low-energy system dynamics in the tributaries, which allows modest algal production, more accumulation, and better preservation of autochthonous organic matter. This is particularly true for tributaries fed by lacustrine systems, which showed the highest S1 and S2 fractions, and consequently higher total particulate organic carbon (POC) in the basin. Organic petrology of the sediment samples confirms abundant liptinitic materials (i.e., fat-rich structured algae, spores and pollen, cuticles, and resins). Forest fire and coal deposits are also confirmed to contribute to the basin. Assuming that suspended and fine surfacial sediments have a similar OC composition, the Mackenzie River is estimated to deliver a total POC flux of 1.1 Mt C/yr to its delta, of which 85% is residual carbon with liptinitic OC (S1+S2) and S3 accounting for another 9% and 6%, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Gordondale Member is a hydrocarbon source rock and potential unconventional reservoir that extends across northeastern British Columbia and central-northwestern Alberta. It is an organic-rich, calcareous, fossiliferous mudstone with a median total organic carbon value of 6.0 wt%. A total of 230 samples were collected from approximately 25 m of Gordondale Member core for organic matter analysis using Rock-Eval 6 analysis and organic petrology. Detailed core logging provides sedimentological context for organic matter characterization. The predominant organic material in the samples is solid bitumen and liptinite with lesser zooclast and inertinite. Most kerogen is Type II, autochthonous marine biomass, with minimal dilution by inert organic carbon. Rock-Eval T max values and random reflectance measurements of solid bitumen indicate the samples are within the oil generation window. Solid bitumen contributes a substantial amount of hydrocarbon potential to the interval. A micro-reservoir structure within the core is produced by thin intervals of impermeable displacive calcite that act as barriers to the upward migration of free hydrocarbons. These free hydrocarbon accumulations could make excellent targets for horizontal wells within the Gordondale Member. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The production of coalbed methane (CBM) represents a vital new source of natural gas supply in Western Canada. There are, however, concerns over potential negative environmental impacts on groundwater resources caused by potential contamination with fluids and gases from coal-bearing strata. This paper provides a brief description of the geochemistry and a detailed discussion of trace element and rare earth element (REE) concentrations of the produced fluids from two major coal deposits in Western Canada, the Mannville Formation and the Horseshoe Canyon/Belly River Group (HSCN/BRG), and shallow groundwater (SGW) in this region. It evaluates how the depositional environment, redox conditions, and water–rock interactions influence the trace element and rare earth element distributions in the produced fluids and SGW of the study area. Produced waters from the Mannville Formation are a saline Na–Cl type and a high boron content is indicative of a brackish/marine depositional environment. In contrast, the HSCN/BRG produced fluids are a Na–HCO3 water type and have lower total dissolved solids (TDS) and lower boron concentrations. Shallow groundwater has a Na–HCO3 to Na–HCO3–SO4 water type with often high concentrations of sulphate and low TDS. Some groundwater samples, many HSCN/BRG and all Mannville fluids had low sulphate concentrations often with elevated δ34S values indicating that bacterial sulphate reduction had occurred making the redox environment suitable for methanogenesis. Dissolved gas from the Mannville Formation had a notable thermogenic component, whereas dissolved gas from the HSCN/BRG and free gas in shallow groundwater contained methane predominantly or exclusively of biogenic origin. Mannville produced waters are up to 70 times more concentrated in trace elements compared to the HSCN/BRG waters and up to 300 times more concentrated than shallow groundwater. In the Mannville fluids, trace elements, such as As, Se and Pb occurred in concentrations often exceeding drinking water guidelines (5 μg/L, 10 μg/L and 10 μg/L, respectively), whereas most samples in the HSCN/BRG contained only Se above drinking water guidelines, and a few samples contained As and Pb slightly above the maximum allowable concentrations for drinking water. Therefore, the potential risk of trace metal contamination of shallow groundwater with HSCN/BRG swabbing fluids is low because of their comparatively low trace metal content. Rare earth elements in the Mannville produced fluids indicate interaction with silicate dominated host rocks. In contrast, the REEs of the HSCN/BRG produced fluids show interaction with carbonate-rich material. The shallow groundwater shows a similar pattern to the HSCN/BRG, suggesting that REEs are not a suitable parameter to monitor potential contamination of shallow groundwater with CBM fluids from the HSCN/BRG. However, several other geochemical and isotopic parameters are sufficiently distinct between shallow groundwater, HSCN/BRG, and Mannville fluids so that cross-contamination with produced fluids or gases should be identifiable with a suitable geochemical monitoring program. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The nickel species in the feed coals and ash by-products from seven Canadian power plants (including one with a fluidized bed combuster) burning local subbituminous and bituminous coals with sulfur contents ranging from 0.22 to 3.6% have been examined using nickel XANES spectroscopy. XANES spectroscopy of Ni in coal and coal derived ash is complicated by a poor signal : noise ratio due to fluorescence of the much more abundant iron in the coal. Nevertheless, it has proved possible to show that the Ni environment in coals varies from largely oxidic species to mixtures of Ni-containing oxide and sulfide species. The nickel in one oxidized coal appears to be present as nickel sulfate. Nickel in all bottom and fly ash samples examined appears also to be present largely in oxygen anion environments. With the exception of one fly ash sample, for which the Ni exhibited spectral features similar to those for Ni(2+) in spinel or oxide phases, the nickel in the bottom and fly ash samples appears to exist largely as Ni(2+) in environments similar to those reported for Ni in silicate glasses. The data obtained indicate that the presence of potentially carcinogenic nickel sulfides in ash by-products from combustion of these coals is unlikely.