for a copy of this paper please contact the Yukon Geological Survey; geology@gov.yk.ca.

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Whitehorse Trough is a frontier basin in south-central Yukon that is thought to contain gas and possibly oil. Over 400 samples from the Whitehorse Trough have been analysed by programmed pyrolysis and combustion, which together with coal rank, vitrinite reflectance, and the colour of microfossils indicate the following: the Povoas formation has no source rock potential; the Aksala formation is a poor source rock, probably gas-prone and postmature; the Richthofen formation is a poor to fair source rock, gas-prone and postmature; the Nordenskiold formation has no source rock potential; and the Tanglefoot and Tantalus formations are potentially good to very good source rocks, mainly gas-prone with a possibility of oil and mature. The Aksala and Richthofen formations are interpreted as spent source rocks, whereas the Tanglefoot and Tantalus formations are interpreted as potential source rocks and possibly effective source rocks. The most prospective areas for hydrocarbon exploration are Division Mountain, Tantalus Butte and Five Finger Rapids.

for a copy of this paper please contact the Yukon Geological Survey; geology@gov.yk.ca.

The Whitehorse Trough is a Mesozoic sedimentary basin in south-central Yukon that has been identified as an immature, gas-prone basin, based on a limited geoscience database. A total of 170 km of regional, multi-channel, multi-component Vibroseis seismic reflection data were acquired in 2004 across the northern Whitehorse Trough in order to improve understanding of its structural architecture. The shallow seismic images appear to depict broad antiformal and synformal structures, truncated by relatively steep faults. Strata interpreted as the Lewes River and Laberge groups seem to attain a maximum thickness of 6000-7000 m toward the west side of the Trough, with interpreted Laberge Group accounting for up to ~3000 m of this total. Maximum vertical relief of the structures is ~4000 m.

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The Whitehorse Trough, a Mesozoic sedimentary basin in south-central Yukon that has potential for gas and oil, consists of the Lewes River Group (Triassic), the Laberge Group (Jurassic), and the Tantalus Formation (Jura-Cretaceous). The Laberge Group in the Carmacks (115I) and Laberge (105E) map areas is subdivided into four informal lithostratigraphic units: the Richthofen, Tanglefoot, Conglomerate and Nordenskiold formations. The Richthofen formation, distinguished by siltstone to very fine sandstone and mudstone couplets, is exposed in the southern part of the Laberge map area where it rests unconformably to conformably on the Lewes River Group and is unconformably and/or conformably overlain by the Tanglefoot formation. The Tanglefoot formation, distinguished by coalbearing, interbedded sandstone and mudstone, is exposed in the northern part of the Laberge map area and the southern part of the Carmacks map area where it rests unconformably on the Lewes River Group, and is overlain by the Tantalus Formation. The Conglomerate (conglomerate) and Nordenskiold (dacite tuff) formations occur as minor units within the Tanglefoot formation. The Richthofen-Tanglefoot formation unconformity and/or conformity is a potential petroleum play in the central Whitehorse Trough, whereas the Lewes River Group-Tanglefoot formation unconformity is a potential petroleum play in the northern Whitehorse Trough.

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