| The Lower Cretaceous Bow Island Formation in southwestern Alberta contains significant gas reserves with production concentrated within its upper part. Despite extensive well penetration, coring and abundant petrophysical data, published information on the Bow Island sediments is limited. This multidisciplinary study of the Bow Island and Westgate formations integrates micropaleontological, sedimentological, petrophysical and geochemical data.; Following Cox (1993) the Bow Island Formation in southwestern Alberta can be subdivided into three informal lithostratigraphic units: the Lower Bow Island, the Middle Bow Island and the Upper Bow Island.; The Lower Bow Island and the Middle Bow Island are correlative to the parasequences of the regional Viking Formation, while the Upper Bow Island is correlated with the upper part of the Viking Formation.; Foraminiferal assemblages from the Upper Bow Island and the Westgate formations are assigned to the Miliammina manitobensis Zone, in most cases to its Verneuilina canadensis Subzone; however, some faunal elements of the Haplophragmoides gigas Zone are also present. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
