# Albert Formation

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{{Short description|Geologic formation in New Brunswick, Canada}}
{{Infobox rockunit
| name           = Albert Formation
| image          = 
| caption        = 
| type           = [Formation](/source/Stratigraphic_unit)
| age            = Early [Mississippian](/source/Mississippian_(geology)) ([Tournaisian](/source/Tournaisian))<br />~{{Fossil range|359|347}}
| prilithology   = [Sandstone](/source/Sandstone), [siltstone](/source/siltstone), [oil shale](/source/oil_shale)
| otherlithology = [Mudstone](/source/Mudstone), [limestone](/source/limestone), [comglomerate](/source/conglomerate_(geology))
| namedfor       = [Albert County](/source/Albert_County%2C_New_Brunswick)
| namedby        = 
| region         = [New Brunswick](/source/New_Brunswick)
| country        = [Canada](/source/Canada)
| coordinates    = {{coord|45.8779|N|64.6685|W|name=Albert Formation|display=inline,title}}
| unitof         = [Horton Group](/source/Horton_Group)<ref name=Carter>Carter, D.C. and Pickerill, R.K. 1985. Lithostratigraphy of the Late Devonian – Early Carboniferous Horton Group of the Moncton Subbasin, southern New Brunswick. Atlantic Geology, vol. 21, p. 11-24.</ref>
| subunits       = Gautreau Member<ref name=Carter /><br>Round Hill Member<ref name=Carter /><br>Hiram Brook Member<ref name=Carter /><br>Frederick Brook Member<ref name=Carter /><br>Dawson Settlement Member<ref name=Carter />
| underlies      = [Moncton Formation](/source/Moncton_Formation)<ref name=Carter />
| overlies       = [Memramcook Formation](/source/Memramcook_Formation)<ref name=Carter />
| thickness      = Up to {{convert|1800|m|ft|-1|abbr=on}}<ref name=Smith>Smith, W.D. and Gibling, M.R. 1987. Oil shale composition related to depositional setting: A case study from the Albert Formation, New Brunswick, Canada. Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, vol. 35, no. 4, p. 469-487.</ref>
| extent         =
| area           =
| map            =
| map_caption    =
}}

The '''Albert Formation''' is a [stratigraphic unit](/source/stratigraphic_unit) of Early [Mississippian](/source/Mississippian_(geology)) ([Tournaisian](/source/Tournaisian)) age in the Moncton Subbasin of southeastern [New Brunswick](/source/New_Brunswick). It was deposited in a [lacustrine](/source/lake) environment and includes [fossil](/source/fossil)s of fish and land plants, as well as [trace fossil](/source/trace_fossil)s. It also includes significant deposits of [oil shale](/source/oil_shale). The oil shale beds are the [source rock](/source/source_rock)s for the [petroleum](/source/petroleum) and [natural gas](/source/natural_gas) that has been produced from Albert Formation [reservoirs](/source/petroleum_reservoir) at the Stoney Creek and McCully fields. In addition, the solid [asphalt](/source/Bitumen)-like [hydrocarbon](/source/hydrocarbon) [albertite](/source/albertite) was mined from the Albert Formation at [Albert Mines](/source/Albert_Mines%2C_New_Brunswick) between 1854 and 1884.

==Lithology and mineralogy==
The Albert Formation includes [sandstone](/source/sandstone), [siltstone](/source/siltstone), [mudstone](/source/mudstone), and [oil shale](/source/oil_shale), with minor [limestone](/source/limestone) and [conglomerate](/source/conglomerate_(geology)).<ref name=Smith /> The oil shale beds are primarily [kerogen](/source/kerogen)-rich [calcareous](/source/calcite) to [dolomitic](/source/dolomite_(mineral)) [marlstone](/source/marlstone)s, clay marlstones, and [laminated](/source/lamination_(geology)) marlstones.<ref name=Macauley>Macauley, G., Ball, F.D. and Powell, T.G. 1984. A review of the Carboniferous Albert Formation oil shales of New Brunswick. Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, vol. 32, no. 1, p. 27-37.</ref> The formation also includes local deposits of the [evaporite mineral](/source/evaporite_mineral)s [halite](/source/halite) (rock salt), [gypsum](/source/gypsum), [anhydrite](/source/anhydrite), and [glauberite](/source/glauberite). The solid hydrocarbon [albertite](/source/albertite) occurs as [veins](/source/vein_(geology)) filling fissures in some of the beds, and is derived from the hydrocarbons in the oil shales.<ref name=Smith />

==Environment of deposition==
The Albert Formation has been interpreted as a composite [alluvial fan](/source/alluvial_fan), [fluvial-deltaic](/source/river_delta), and lacustrine sequence.<ref name=Carter /> The coarser-grained [lithologies](/source/lithology) are nearshore deposits, while the finer-grained rocks, including the oil shale beds, are an offshore, deeper-water assemblage.<ref name=Carter /><ref name=Smith /> Fossils of whole fish preserved in the laminated oil shales indicate very low energy, [anoxic](/source/anoxic_waters) conditions.<ref name=Keighley />

==Paleontology==
The Albert Formation is known for its complete, articulated specimens of lower [actinopterygian](/source/Actinopterygii) [(palaeoniscoid)](/source/Palaeonisciformes) fishes, including the [genera](/source/genus) ''[Rhadinichthys](/source/Rhadinichthys)'', ''[Elonichthys](/source/Elonichthys)'', and ''[Canobius](/source/Canobius)''.<ref>Mickle, K.E. 2017. The lower actinopterygian fauna from the Lower Carboniferous Albert shale formation of New Brunswick Canada – A review of previously described taxa and a description of a new genus and species. College of Science, Health and the Liberal Arts Faculty Papers, paper 1. https://jdc.jefferson.edu/jchsfp/1; doi:10.5194/fr-20-47-2017.</ref> There are remains of land plants such as ''[Lepidodendrales](/source/Lepidodendrales)'' and ''[Sphenopteris](/source/Sphenopteris)'',<ref name=Bell>Bell, W.A. 1960. Mississippian Horton Group of type Windsor-Horton District, Nova Scotia. Geological Survey of Canada, Memoir 314, 112 p.</ref> as well as [palynomorph](/source/palynomorph)s.<ref name=Utting>Utting, J. 1987. Palynostratigraphic investigation of the Albert Formation (Lower Carboniferous) of New Brunswick, Canada. Palynology, vol. 11, no. 1, p. 73-96.</ref> Trace fossils include ''[Paleodictyon](/source/Paleodictyon)'', ''[Helminthopsis](/source/Helminthopsis)'', and ''[Planolites](/source/Planolites)''.<ref name=Pickerill>Pickerill, R.K. 1990. Nonmarine ''Paleodictyon'' from the Carboniferous Albert Formation of southern New Brunswick. Atlantic Geology, vol. 26, p. 157-163.</ref>

==Economic resources==

===Oil and gas===
The Albert Formation hosts the only two commercial onshore [oil and gas fields](/source/petroleum_reservoir) in Canada's [Maritime Provinces](/source/The_Maritimes). The Stoney Creek field produced from sandstone [reservoirs](/source/petroleum_reservoir) in the Albert Formation between 1909 and 1991, and estimates suggest that significant oil remains in place there. The McCully field, which was discovered in 2000, produces from [tight gas](/source/tight_gas) sandstones in the upper part of the Albert Formation, above the main organic mudstone (oil shale) source rocks.<ref name=Keighley>Keighley, D. 2008. A lacustrine shoreface succession in the Albert Formation, Moncton Basin, New Brunswick. Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, vol. 56, no. 4, p. 235-258.</ref>

===Albertite===
Veins of the solid black hydrocarbon that was subsequently named [albertite](/source/albertite) were first noted in the Albert Formation in 1820. In 1846, [Abraham Gesner](/source/Abraham_Pineo_Gesner) used albertite in developing the first method  for distilling [kerosene](/source/kerosene), and between 1854 and 1884 albertite was mined by [underground methods](/source/underground_mining_(soft_rock)) at [Albert Mines](/source/Albert_Mines%2C_New_Brunswick) for use in the production of kerosene and [illuminating gas](/source/illuminating_gas).<ref name="Museum">{{cite web |last1=Albert County Museum |title=Albertite Mining |url=https://www.albertcountymuseum.com/mining |accessdate=23 April 2020}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}
* {{cite web|title= Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database|author= ((Various Contributors to the Paleobiology Database))|url= https://www.fossilworks.org/|access-date= 17 December 2021|archive-date= 25 March 2022|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220325060448/http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=home|url-status= dead}}

Category:Geologic formations of New Brunswick
Category:Fossiliferous stratigraphic units of North America
Category:Carboniferous New Brunswick
Category:Oil shale in Canada
Category:Oil shale formations
Category:Carboniferous southern paleotropical deposits
Category:Sandstone formations of Canada
Category:Mudstone formations of Canada
Category:Limestone formations of Canada
Category:Conglomerate formations of Canada

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Albert Formation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Formation) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Formation?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.