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To: smolejv@gmx.net who wrote (24799)	10/31/2002 2:08:30 PM
From: Hugh A	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 74559

Hi DJ - The oil sands in Alberta are not related at all to the dinosaur bone beds in the Alberta "badlands". These are Upper Cretaceous rocks about 60 million years old. To answer your implied question and David's question regarding position of the oil sands let me give a basic outline - hang on it gets a little complicated. The rocks containing the oil sands were deposited about 110-115 million years ago, but the oil probably didn't arrive until 25-30 million years ago while the basin was being uplifted due to the cessation of mountain building in the Rockies. This was caused by a change in the convergence of the North American and Pacific plates at about this time. See: geol.ucsb.edu The oil, however, was probably generated around 50-60 million years ago and then held in primary oil reservoirs as the basin was being uplifed. The giant oil sands deposits are secondary reservoirs that were filled when the uplift and consequent erosion cut into the uplifting reservoir units at unique "piercement" points on the major drainages in western Canada. The primary oil reservoirs drained and the oil migrated to the "piercement" point. This is how these supergiant fields formed. They are highly unusual and require focused flow conditions. It is interesting to note that the major oil sands deposits in Alberta occur along major regional drainages (Peace River, Athabasca River, North Saskatchewan River, etc.). So to answer David's question - no, these deposits are about 1,000 Km from the easternmost limit of thrusting in the Rocky Mountains. They are only indirectly a product of mountain building and are basically produced by basin dewatering upon uplift. At Fort McMurray you can drive for 100 Km or more along a single uplifted oil reservoir! Amazingly you are within about 200 Km of the Canadian Shield which in this area has been stable for the last 1.8 billion years or so. If you are interested in investing, the Athabasca Oil Sands Trust and Suncor are a few vehicles that are available. PM me and I can link you to more opportunities. Hugh