Upper Paleozoic strata in the eastern Richardson Mountains, northern Mackenzie Mountains and Peel Plateau of the Yukon consist of basinal sediments overlain by a siliciclastic sedimentary wedge derived from the Late Devonian Ellesmerian orogeny. Unconformably overlying Paleozoic strata in the Peel Plateau are Cretaceous sedimentary rocks that were deposited in the foreland basin of the Cretaceous Cordilleran orogeny.
This study, as part of the interdisciplinary “Regional Geoscience Studies and Petroleum Potential, Peel Plateau and Plain” project, examines the sedimentology, stratigraphy and hydrocarbon potential of Upper Paleozoic strata in the Peel region and adjacent Richardson and Mackenzie mountains. Units investigated as part of this study include the Canol (Upper Devonian), Imperial (Upper Devonian) and Tuttle (Upper Devonian-Lower Carboniferous) formations, ‘Cf’ map unit (?Upper Devonian-Lower Carboniferous), and ‘Mo’ map unit (?Upper Devonian-Lower Carboniferous). Preliminary analyses suggest the Canol, Imperial, Tuttle, ‘Cf’ and ‘Mo’ are potential hydrocarbon source rocks for the region. The Tuttle Formation is the best prospective reservoir rock of the Upper Paleozoic strata.
