Leduc Formation

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Leduc Formation Stratigraphic range: Frasnian PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Type	Geological formation
Underlies	Duvernay Formation, Ireton Formation
Overlies	Beaverhill Lake Formation
Thickness	up to 300 metres (980 ft)^[1]
Lithology
Primary	Limestone, dolomite
Location
Coordinates	53°20′42″N 113°41′42″W / 53.3451°N 113.6949°W / 53.3451; -113.6949Coordinates: 53°20′42″N 113°41′42″W / 53.3451°N 113.6949°W / 53.3451; -113.6949
Region	Alberta
Country	Canada
Type section
Named for	City of Leduc
Named by	Imperial Oil Limited, 1950

Leduc Formation is a stratigraphical unit of Frasnian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.

It takes the name from the city of Leduc, and was first described in B.A. Pyrz No. 1 well in central Alberta (between 1,623.7 and 1,807.5m) by Imperial Oil Limited in 1950.^[1] A complete section was cored in Imperial Oil's Leduc No. 530 well from 1,633 meters (5,358 ft) to 1,863 meters (6,112 ft).

Lithology

The Leduc Formation was deposited in a shallow water reef environment, and the limestone consists of stromatolite reefs with skeletal mudstone and floatstone to finer grained muddy packstone and wackestone. Dolomitisation is a common diagenesis throughout the formation.

Oil and gas production

Leduc #1 well

Oil and gas is produced from the Leduc Formation in central Alberta. The Leduc No. 1 well produced 50 million cubic metres (more than 300 million barrels) of oil^[2] and marked the beginning of the post-war Albertan oil boom. The Strachan and Ricinus West gas fields, discovered in 1967 and 1969, produce from the Late Devonian reefs of Leduc age.^[3]

Distribution

Leduc Formation occurs as discrete reef buildups in a line following the Woodbend shelf margin from Drumheller in central Alberta to Peace River Arch area in northern Alberta. The formation is absent in inter-reef areas, and build-ups reach from 180 meters (590 ft) to 300 meters (980 ft).

Relationship to other units

Leduc Formation conformably overlays the Cooking Lake Formation and the Beaverhill Lake Formation platform carbonates in central Alberta. In northern Alberta, it rests directly on precambrian red beds or on Granite Wash. The Leduc reefs are surrounded by younger sediments, such as the Duvernay and Ireton Formations carbonates or Woodbend Group shale.

References

↑ 1.0 1.1 Lexicon of Canadian Geological Units. "Leduc Formation". Retrieved 2009-02-09.
↑ Heritage Community Foundation. Alberta's Petroleum Heritage
↑ Hriskevich, M.E., Faber, J.M., and Langton, J.R., 1980, Strachan and Ricinus West Gas Fields, Alberta, Canada, in Giant Oil and Gas Fields of the Decade: 1968-1978, AAPG Memoir 30, Halbouty, M.T., Tulsa: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, ISBN 0891813063, p. 315

v t e Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin

Hydrocarbon history	Oil sands and heavy oil Frontier exploration and development Natural gas liquids Natural gas

Depositional Regions	Southern Alberta Central Alberta Northwestern Alberta Plains South-central Canadian Rockies foothills North-east Plains North-central foothills Liard River Fort Nelson Northern Rocky Mountains Fort St. John Saskatchewan Western Manitoba

Northwest Plains	Paskapoo FM Scollard FM Wapiti GRP Smoky GRP Puskwaskau FM Badheart FM Muskiki FM Cardium FM Kaskapau FM Pouce Coupe MBR Doe Creek MBR Dunvegan FM Fort St. John GRP Shaftesbury FM Peace River FM Spirit River FM Bullhead GRP Bluesky FM Gething FM Cadomin FM Nikanassin FM Fernie GRP Rock Creek MBR Poker Chip Shale Nordegg MBR Schooler Creek GRP Baldonnel FM Charlie Lake FM Halfway FM Doig FM Montney FM Belloy FM Stoddart GRP Taylor Flat FM Kiskatinaw FM Golata FM Rundle GRP Debolt FM Shunda FM Pekisko FM Banff FM Exshaw FM Wabamun FM Trout River FM Kakisa FM Redknife FM Jean Marie MBR Woodbend GRP Irteton FM Fort Simpson FM Leduc FM Duvernay FM Cooking Lake FM Beaverhill Lake GRP Waterways FM Swan Hills FM Fort Vermilion FM Elk Point GRP Watt Mountain FM Gillwood MBR Presqu’ile FM Sulphur Point FM Pine Point FM Muskeg FM Zama MBR Black Shale Keg River FM Rainbow MBR Chinchaga FM Cold Lake FM Ernestina FM Basal Red Beds Granite Wash Canadian Shield

Southern Alberta Plains	Cypress Hills FM Porcupine Hills FM Ravenscrag FM Edmonton GRP Belly River GRP Oldman FM Foremost FM Pakowki FM Milk River FM Colorado GRP Mannville GRP Ellis GRP Swift FM Rierdon FM Sawtooth FM Rundle GRP Banff FM Exshaw FM Bakken FM Wabamun FM Crowfoot FM Nisku FM Ireton FM Leduc FM Cooking Lake FM Beaverhill Lake GRP Elk Point GRP Canadian Shield

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