The Upper Ordovician Utica Shales and Lorraine Group flysch in southern Québec: Tectonostratigraphic setting and significance for unconventional gas

Abstract

This field trip guidebook presents a synthesis of the lower to middle Paleozoic stratigraphic architecture and paleogeographic scenarios for the sedimentary basins in southern Québec. The field trip will provide an opportunity to examine the Upper Ordovician Utica Shale and Lorraine Group flysch that were deposited in the Taconian foreland basin of southern Quebec. Cores presenting some aspects of the lateral variability of the internal facies architecture of the Utica will be examined during the first day whereas visits to key outcrops located in the Québec City area are planned during the second day to look at the overall Upper Ordovician stratigraphic architecture and primary facies distribution.

Geochemical and petrographic characterization of the Upper Ordovician Utica Shale, southern Quebec, Canada

“…Deposition of the deep-marine Utica Shale was coincident with the collapse of the carbonate shelf in early Late Ordovician in a poorly oxygenated setting that was followed by Taconian flysch (Lorraine Group) and molasse (Hay and Cisne, 1988;Lavoie, 1994;Lavoie et al, 2008).…”

“…The source of carbonate mud in the Utica Shale has been interpreted to be related to the 5th order transgressive-regressive cycles. During high stands, mud was shed from the carbonate platform which was backstepping on the Precambrian craton at that time (Lavoie, 2008;Lavoie et al, 2008).…”

“…3) preserves a record of the Iapetan Cambrian-Lower Ordovician clastic to carbonate rift and passive margin (Postdam and Beekmantown groups). The passive margin is overlain by MiddleUpper Ordovician Taconian foreland carbonate (Chazy, Black River and Trenton groups) and clastic (Utica Shale), and Upper Ordovician deep marine Taconian thrust-derived clastics (Sainte-Rosalie, Lorraine and Queenstone groups) (Lavoie, 1994(Lavoie, , 2008Lavoie et al, 2008).…”

Dolomite fluorescence Red/Green quotient: A potential new thermal maturity indicator

“…The Utica Shale in Quebec consists of limy mudstone with finegrained siltstone and carbonate interbeds (Lavoie et al, 2008;Thériault, 2012). Calcite (up to 60%), and to a lesser extent, dolomite (up to 18%), among quartz and clay minerals are the major mineral constituents of Utica Shale (Thériault, 2012).…”

Characterization of Bedding-Parallel Fractures in Shale - Morphology, Size Distribution and Spatial Organization

“…These promontories served to localize shortening and deformation (Figure 1-7). They went through greater compression which led to greater flexural subsidence, and formed four major depocenters (Ettensohn, 1985(Ettensohn, , 1994(Ettensohn, , 2008Ferrill and Thomas, 1988;Lash and Engelder, 2011;Lavoie, 2008).…”