More than 25 years ago Andrichuck (1960) did a detailed facies analysis of the Wabamun in west-central Alberta and subdivided the Wabamun in four mappable facies units: the basal, lower middle, upper middle and upper (Big Valley formation). The lower middle Wabamun includes the productive Crossfield member.

After the recent Wabamun oil successes in the Peace River area a facies study of the Wabamun Group was needed. Results of the study indicate that Andrichuck’s subdivision is applicable in the Peace River area but that his “lower middle” should be subdivied in two sub-units. A shale marker bed separates these two carbonate units and also serves as a boundary between the Upper and Lower Wabamun. With the aid of the “shale marker” it is possible to map four new formations. The following names are proposed (in descending order):

• Big Valley

• Cardinal Lake (Upper middle of Andrichuck)

• Normandville (Upper sub-unit of lower middle of Andrichuck)

• “Shale marker”

• Whitelaw (Lower sub-unit of lower middle of Andrichuck)

• Dixonville (Basal unit of Andrichuck).

All formations are recognizable on geophysical borehole logs. The best “log picks” are at reversals on SP logs. The Dixonville Formation is a fossiliferous, in places dolomitic, “platform” limestone. It was deposited during a marine transgression associated with moderate subsidence. Rapid subsidence took place during deposition of the Whitelaw Formation (an argillaceous, open marine limestone, in places dolomitized). A period of regression followed and Normandville dolomites and limestones were deposited. The Cardinal Lake and in particular the Big Valley formations represent more open-marine, transgressive conditions.