Sedimentology and organic petrology of the carbonate ramp and reef foreslope successions in the Middle Devonian Keg River Formation, Rainbow and Zama sub-basins, northwestern Alberta, Canada

Isolated reefs of the Middle Devonian Keg River Formation in the Rainbow and Zama sub-basins are important oil and gas reservoirs in northwestern Alberta. Oils in these reservoirs were sourced, in part, by organic-rich laminites in the formation. An integrated approach combines stratigraphy, sedimentology, organic petrology, and organic geochemistry in the study of organic-rich laminites in the Rainbow and Zama sub-basins. This method facilitates interpretation of the depositional history, regional stratigraphic correlation, paleoenvironment, and paleoecology of these organic-rich laminites. The primary control on organic matter (OM) accumulation and preservation in these laminites is evaluated in the context of the "productivity vs. preservation" controversy, which provides insight into the relationship between elevated nutrient levels, high phytoplanktonic productivity, and Devonian reef growth. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...