A seismic structural overview of Liard Basin, Northeast British Columbia, Canada

The Liard Basin is an important subbasin of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin located in Northeast British Columbia along the eastern margin of the Canadian Cordillera. It contains significant potential unconventional gas resources but is largely underrepresented in public literature. Using available-for-purchase 2D seismic data, a regional structural interpretation of the basin was completed providing the first seismically controlled, high-level overview of the structural features of the basin and its surrounding area. The shape of the Liard Basin largely reflects the orientation of older Paleozoic and Proterozoic extensional structures that localized structures formed during Cretaceous-Tertiary compressive deformation. The eastern boundary of the basin is marked by the well-documented Bovie Structure. The Liard Anticline and the Liard River Anticline found near 60 degrees N latitude are the only large structures located within the Liard Basin proper. Inversion of the herein named Liard Basin Boundary Structure, a west-side-down fault zone of Early Paleozoic age, localized the northwest boundary of the basin with the Liard Fold and Thrust Belt. A triangle zone bounds the Rocky Mountain Foothills and the Liard Basin to the southwest. Reflectors in the Proterozoic strata below the Liard Basin were deformed by compressive and then extensional structures prior to the deposition of Paleozoic strata. Proterozoic strata are involved in all of the major structures of the adjacent Liard Fold and Thrust Belt, the Rocky Mountain Foothills, and the Bovie Structure. These structures controlled the location of the Liard Basin.

Automated summary

The Liard Basin, located in Northeast British Columbia, contains significant potential unconventional gas resources and is mainly influenced by older extensional structures and Cretaceous-Tertiary compressive deformation structures, reflecting the location of these structures. Through seismic data interpretation and structural studies, the overall structural features of the basin can be obtained.