imported>Volcanoguy: removed Category:Dolomite formations; added Category:Dolomite formations of Canada using HotCat

2025-06-21T21:17:46Z

removed Category:Dolomite formations; added Category:Dolomite formations of Canada using HotCat

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{{other uses|Wabamun (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox Rockunit
| name = Wabamun Formation
| image =
| caption =
| type = [[Geological formation]]
| age = {{Fossil range|Famennian|Famennian|[[Famennian]]}}
| period = Famennian
| prilithology = [[Limestone]], [[Dolomite (rock)|dolomite]]
| otherlithology = [[Anhydrite]]
| namedfor = [[Wabamun Lake]]
| namedby = [[Imperial Oil]], 1950
| region = [[Alberta]]
| country = [[Canada]]
| coordinates = {{coord|53.3851|N|114.5123|W|name=Anglo Canadian Wabamun Lake No. 1}}
| unitof =
| subunits = [[Crossfield Member]]
| underlies = [[Exshaw Formation]], [[Blairmore Group]], [[Mannville Group]]
| overlies = [[Graminia Formation]] ([[Winterburn Group]])
| thickness = up to {{convert|240|m|ft|-1}}<ref name=lexicon/>
| extent =
| area =
| map =
| map_caption =
}}

The '''Wabamun Formation''' is a [[stratigraphic unit]] of [[Late Devonian]] ([[Famennian]]) [[Geochronology|age]] in the [[Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin|Western Canada Sedimentary Basin]].<ref name=Mossop13>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ags.gov.ab.ca/publications/wcsb_atlas/a_ch13/ch_13.html|title=The Geological Atlas of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, Chapter 13: Devonian Wabamun Group of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin|author=Mossop, G.D. and Shetsen, I., (compilers), Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists and Alberta Geological Survey|year=1994|access-date=2014-10-18}}</ref> It takes the name from [[Wabamun Lake]] and was first described in the ''Anglo Canadian Wabamun Lake No. 1'' well (located between the Wabamun Lake and the [[North Saskatchewan River]]) by [[Imperial Oil]] in 1950.<ref>Imperial Oil Limited, Geological Staff, Western Division, 1950. Devonian nomenclature in Edmonton area, Alberta, Canada. Bull. [[American Association of Petroleum Geologists]], v. 34, p. 1807-1825.</ref>

==Lithology==
The Wabamun Formation is composed of [[Dolomite (mineral)|dolomitic]] [[limestone]] and calcareous [[Dolomite (rock)|dolomite]] with [[anhydrite]] interbeds.
<ref name=lexicon>
{{Cite web|url=http://cgkn1.cgkn.net/weblex/weblex_litho_detail_e.pl?00053:015909
|title=Wabamun Formation
|author=[[Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units]] |access-date=2009-03-01}}</ref>
[[Halite]] and [[anhydrite]] are present at the base of the formation in the [[Stettler, Alberta|Stettler]] region. It is composed entirely of limestone in north-western Alberta. Secondary [[pyrite]] is found at the top of the formation.

==Hydrocarbon potential==
The Wabamun Formation had an initial established recoverable [[petroleum|oil]] [[Oil reserves|reserve]] of 7.2 million m³, with 3.2 million m³ already produced as of 2008.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ags.gov.ab.ca/publications/wcsb_atlas/A_CH32/TB32_01.html|title=The Geological Atlas of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin - Summary of oil reserves and production data|author=Mossop, G.D. and Shetsen, I - Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists|year=1994|access-date=2009-03-06}}</ref> [[Natural gas|Gas]] reserves totaled 102.8 million m³, with 53.5 million m³ already produced.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ags.gov.ab.ca/publications/wcsb_atlas/A_CH32/TB32_02.html|title=The Geological Atlas of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin - Summary of gas reserves and production data|author=Mossop, G.D. and Shetsen, I - Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists|year=1994|access-date=2009-03-06}}</ref>

==Distribution==
The Wabamun Formation reaches a maximum thickness of {{convert|240|m|ft|-1}} in the sub-surface of [[central Alberta]].<ref name=lexicon/> It thins out and wedges towards the east, and thickens towards the [[Canadian Rockies]] foothills.

==Relationship to other units==

The Wabamun Formation is [[unconformity|disconformably]] overlain by the [[Exshaw Formation]] in southern Alberta, by the [[Blairmore Group]] in western Alberta and by the [[Mannville Group]] in eastern Alberta. It rests conformably on the [[Graminia Formation]] [[siltstone]] of the [[Winterburn Group]].<ref name=lexicon/>

In the [[Calgary, Alberta|Calgary]] area, the formation is divided into a lower and an upper part separated by the porous dolomitic [[Crossfield Member]].

It is equivalent to the [[Three Forks Formation]] in [[Montana]], the [[Palliser Formation]] in the [[Canadian Rockies]], the sum of the [[Kotcho Formation]] and [[Tetcho Formation]] in northeastern [[British Columbia]].
== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin|Northeast_Plains=yes|Northwest_Plains=yes|South AB=yes}}

[[Category:Geologic formations of Alberta]]
[[Category:Devonian System of North America]]
[[Category:Famennian Stage]]
[[Category:Devonian southern paleotropical deposits]]
[[Category:Limestone formations of Canada]]
[[Category:Dolomite formations of Canada]]
[[Category:Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin]]

Wabamun Formation - Revision history

imported>Volcanoguy: removed Category:Dolomite formations; added Category:Dolomite formations of Canada using HotCat