Unconventional petroleum systems analysis of upper Devonian organic-rich shales in the Horn River and Liard Basins, and adjacent Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin

Vast resources of unconventional gas and, potentially natural gas liquids occur in shales in north-eastern British Columbia (NEBC) in Devonian mudrocks. The reservoir properties and present-day petroleum systems of these Devonian mudrocks in NEBC (Liard Basin, Horn River Basin and Cordova Embayment) and Western Alberta have been investigated in this research. In the study area, perspective gas and oil shale reservoirs include the Horn River and Muskwa formations and equivalent horizons within the Besa River Formation of the Liard Basin. The Muskwa and Horn River formations are largely over mature with respect to the oil window within NEBC with maturity decreasing from west to east. Quartz (mainly biogenic in origin) is the dominant mineral, particularly within the Muskwa Formation where quartz content has an average of 71 wt%. The Horn River Formation contains more carbonate and clay minerals than the Muskwa Formation with an average quartz content of only 43 wt%. TOC content ranges from