An evaluation of hydrocarbon resource potential in Eagle Plain is one aspect of the Yukon Sedimentary Basins Project, a five-year (2008-2013), collaborative Geo-Mapping for Energy and Minerals (GEM) Program of the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC), in partnership with the territorial governments and universities. As part of this project, Yukon Geological Survey (YGS) and Northern Cross (Yukon) Limited (NCY) are collaborating with the GSC to assess shale gas potential of Devonian shale at Eagle Plain.
Diamond drill core was retrieved from mineral exploration properties to evaluate shale gas potential of Devonian shale of Road River Group and Canol and Imperial formations. Diamond drill core from four holes, located on the Rich property east of Eagle Plain Hotel, were examined and sampled. The core was systematically sampled and analysed by Rock-Eval pyrolysis, optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) mineralogy, and palynology.
The results indicate that the succession is thermally overmature with respect to hydrocarbon generation. Due to the high levels of thermal maturity, the Rock-Eval data are unreliable. However, high amounts of residual organic carbon suggest that the Canol Formation has the potential to be an important source rock in the region, under favourable burial conditions. The very high level of thermal maturity of the strata also resulted in very few identifiable Palynomorphs; however, Canol and Imperial formation samples yielded dates of Middle to Late Devonian and Frasnian to Famennian, respectively. XRD analyses indicate Canol Formation shale is highly siliceous whereas Road River Group shale and silty shale of the Imperial Formation are less siliceous and exhibit a more varied lithology. This study suggests that the Canol Formation is more prospective for shale gas than strata of the Imperial Formation or Road River Group.