An evaluation of hydrocarbon resource potential in Eagle Plain is one aspect of the Yukon Sedimentary Basins Project, a five-year (2008-2013), collaborative Geo-Mapping for Energy and Minerals (GEM) Program of the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC), in partnership with the territorial governments and universities. As part of this project, Yukon Geological Survey (YGS) and Northern Cross (Yukon) Limited (NCY) are collaborating with the GSC to assess shale gas potential of Devonian shale at Eagle Plain. Diamond drill core was retrieved from mineral exploration properties to evaluate shale gas potential of Devonian shale of Road River Group and Canol and Imperial formations. Diamond drill core from four holes, located on the Rich property east of Eagle Plain Hotel, were examined and sampled. The core was systematically sampled and analysed by Rock-Eval pyrolysis, optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) mineralogy, and palynology. The results indicate that the succession is thermally overmature with respect to hydrocarbon generation. Due to the high levels of thermal maturity, the Rock-Eval data are unreliable. However, high amounts of residual organic carbon suggest that the Canol Formation has the potential to be an important source rock in the region, under favourable burial conditions. The very high level of thermal maturity of the strata also resulted in very few identifiable Palynomorphs; however, Canol and Imperial formation samples yielded dates of Middle to Late Devonian and Frasnian to Famennian, respectively. XRD analyses indicate Canol Formation shale is highly siliceous whereas Road River Group shale and silty shale of the Imperial Formation are less siliceous and exhibit a more varied lithology. This study suggests that the Canol Formation is more prospective for shale gas than strata of the Imperial Formation or Road River Group.

The Peel Plateau and Plain in Yukon is a potentially prospective petroleum province that lies north of the Mackenzie Mountains and east of the Richardson Mountains up to the inter-territorial boundary. The area contains a Lower Cambrian to Upper Cretaceous stratigraphic succession up to approximately 4.5 km thick. Nineteen exploratory wells have been drilled within the region without economic reserves or production, but with some petroleum shows. A probablilistic petroleum resource assessment suggests that there is a significant potential for natural gas throughout the region. In general, petroleum potential is inferred to decrease both westward, and with increasing depth and stratigraphic age. The small size of gas pools will be an impediment to their development because of their location. No crude oil potential can be estimated due to an inferred lack of oil-prone sources in strata of suitable maturity. Where previous work speculated that the history of petroleum systems in the Peel Plateau and Plain was distinctive from that of surrounding regions that are suitably characterized, this work finds no justification for such a distinctive petroleum system history. The resulting undiscovered potential is, therefore, considered to be consistent with the results of the exploration history.

The Total Petroleum System is used in the National Assessment Project and incorporates the Assessment Unit, which is the fundamental geologic unit used for the assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources. The Total Petroleum System is shown here as a geographic boundary defined and mapped by the geologist responsible for the province and incorporates not only the set of known or postulated oil and (or) gas accumulations, but also the geologic interpretation of the essential elements and processes within the petroleum system that relate to source, generation, migration, accumulation, and trapping of the discovered and undiscovered petroleum resource(s).

The Total Petroleum System is used in the National Assessment Project and incorporates the Assessment Unit, which is the fundamental geologic unit used for the assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources. The Total Petroleum System is shown here as a geographic boundary defined and mapped by the geologist responsible for the province and incorporates not only the set of known or postulated oil and (or) gas accumulations, but also the geologic interpretation of the essential elements and processes within the petroleum system that relate to source, generation, migration, accumulation, and trapping of the discovered and undiscovered petroleum resource(s).

The USGS Central Region Energy Team assesses oil and gas resources of the United States. The onshore and State water areas of the United States comprise 71 provinces. Within these provinces, Total Petroleum Systems are defined and Assessment Units are defined and assessed. Each of these provinces is defined geologically, and most province boundaries are defined by major geologic changes. The Yukon Flats Assessment Area is located in east-central Alaska, encompassing part of Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area County in Alaska. The main population centers within the study area are Fort Yukon, Venetie, Stevens Village, and Beaver, Alaska. The main highways, State Route 4 and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System crosses the western tip of the Yukon Flats Assessment Area and State Route 6 enters the Yukon Flats Assessment Area near the south-east corner approximately 7 km east of Miller House Alaska, and travels north-east to Circle, Alaska on the Yukon River. The Yukon River and Porcupine River and their tributaries drain the area. For this study the Yukon Flats Assessment Area is a region of low, forested hills and flatlands with numerous streams and lakes, situated generally to the east of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. The assessment area boundary was drawn to include the geologic structures generally considered to be in or bounding the Yukon Flats Assessment Area.

The USGS Central Region Energy Team assesses oil and gas resources of the United States. The onshore and State water areas of the United States comprise 71 provinces. Within these provinces, Total Petroleum Systems are defined and Assessment Units are defined and assessed. Each of these provinces is defined geologically, and most province boundaries are defined by major geologic changes. The Yukon Flats Assessment Area is located in east-central Alaska, encompassing part of Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area County in Alaska. The main population centers within the study area are Fort Yukon, Venetie, Stevens Village, and Beaver, Alaska. The main highways, State Route 4 and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System crosses the western tip of the Yukon Flats Assessment Area and State Route 6 enters the Yukon Flats Assessment Area near the south-east corner approximately 7 km east of Miller House Alaska, and travels north-east to Circle, Alaska on the Yukon River. The Yukon River and Porcupine River and their tributaries drain the area. For this study the Yukon Flats Assessment Area is a region of low, forested hills and flatlands with numerous streams and lakes, situated generally to the east of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. The assessment area boundary was drawn to include the geologic structures generally considered to be in or bounding the Yukon Flats Assessment Area.

The Assessment Unit is the fundamental unit used in the National Assessment Project for the assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources. The Assessment Unit is defined within the context of the higher-level Total Petroleum System. The Assessment Unit is shown here as a geographic boundary interpreted, defined, and mapped by the geologist responsible for the province and incorporates a set of known or postulated oil and (or) gas accumulations sharing similar geologic, geographic, and temporal properties within the Total Petroleum System, such as source rock, timing, migration pathways, trapping mechanism, and hydrocarbon type. The Assessment Unit boundary is defined geologically as the limits of the geologic elements that define the Assessment Unit, such as limits of reservoir rock, geologic structures, source rock, and seal lithologies. The only exceptions to this are Assessment Units that border the Federal-State water boundary. In these cases, the Federal-State water boundary forms part of the Assessment Unit boundary.

The Assessment Unit is the fundamental unit used in the National Assessment Project for the assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources. The Assessment Unit is defined within the context of the higher-level Total Petroleum System. The Assessment Unit is shown here as a geographic boundary interpreted, defined, and mapped by the geologist responsible for the province and incorporates a set of known or postulated oil and (or) gas accumulations sharing similar geologic, geographic, and temporal properties within the Total Petroleum System, such as source rock, timing, migration pathways, trapping mechanism, and hydrocarbon type. The Assessment Unit boundary is defined geologically as the limits of the geologic elements that define the Assessment Unit, such as limits of reservoir rock, geologic structures, source rock, and seal lithologies. The only exceptions to this are Assessment Units that border the Federal-State water boundary. In these cases, the Federal-State water boundary forms part of the Assessment Unit boundary.