SOLD OUT CSPG12FT Contrasting the Reservoirs of Braided vs. Meandering Depositional Systems
Located in Sandy Point, 100 km North of Medicine Hat, eastern Alberta. The tight gas bearing Nikanassin, Cadomin, Gething and Falher Formations comprise Cretaceous fluvial deposits, with the Nikanassin in particular showing a transition from a meandering to a braided fluvial system. Similar sediments of Campanian (Upper Cretaceous) age outcrop around 80 km North of Medicine Hat, along the South Saskatchewan River. Here the underlying Oldman Formation, dominated by braided fluvial deposits, passes up into the overlying Dinosaur Park Formation, which is made up of meandering river deposits. As a bonus the South Saskatchewan River itself provides a modern analogue for braided depositional systems.
The field trip will visit a series of outcrops selected to highlight the depositional character of these deposits (with a focus on the braided river deposits of the Oldman Formation). The sedimentological and reservoir architecture of the fluvial sandstones will be examined, and the dramatic differences between the braided and meandering systems highlighted. An illustrated field guide will be supplied to every participant.
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Jon Noad graduated from Imperial College, London in 1985, and started work as a mining geologist on gold mines in South Africa. He moved to the Bushveld in 1988 to work on a shaft sinking platinum mine, also looking after the geological aspects of the world’s largest chromite and vanadium mines. Jon returned to the UK in 1990 and joined BT as their marine geologist, responsible for analysing subsea cable routes. At this time he also completed an MSc in Sedimentology at night school, with his thesis examining the fluvial sequence stratigraphy of Dinosaur Provincial Park here in Alberta.
Jon then returned to London University full time in 1995 to complete a PhD on the Sedimentary Evolution of eastern Borneo, where he developed a love of fossil mangroves and hot chilies. He was then recruited by Shell in 1998, and worked mainly on Middle Eastern exploration before moving to Shell Canada in 2006. Here he worked as a senior exploration geologist working in the Basin Centred Gas team in Calgary, and also actively running field trips and recruiting. He recently joined Murphy Oil as Exploration Manager, Canada. Outside the office he loves running, skiing, playing soccer and hiking.
