Sedimentary Geology 279 (2012) 156172

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Sedimentary Geology
j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w. e l s ev i e r. c o m / l o c a t e / s e d g e o

Subsurface and outcrop characterization of large tidally inuenced point bars of the
Cretaceous McMurray Formation (Alberta, Canada)
Geoffray Musial a,, Jean-Yves Reynaud b, Murray K. Gingras c, Hugues Fnis d,
Richard Labourdette e, Olivier Parize f
a

ISTeP - UMR 7193 CNRS, UPMC, 4 Place Jussieu, F-75252, Paris, France
ISTeP - UMR 7193 CNRS, and Musum national d'Histoire naturelle, 43 Rue Buffon, F-75005 Paris, France
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
d
CVA Engineering, Bayonne, France
e
Total E&P, Pau, France
f
Areva, Paris, France
b
c

a r t i c l e

i n f o

Article history:
Received 30 March 2010
Received in revised form 27 April 2011
Accepted 28 April 2011
Available online 24 June 2011
Keywords:
McMurray formation
Tidally inuenced point bar characterization
Gironde estuary modern analog

a b s t r a c t
Outcrop and subsurface investigations highlight that the main reservoirs within the Cretaceous McMurray
Formation, Alberta, Canada, were located in an ancient estuary and that the major economic targets are
represented by large point bar deposits. The underlined morphological characteristics of the associated
McMurray-valley drainage show morphometric similarity to modern river systems like the Mississippi River.
Hydrological parameters estimated by some geomorphologic data suggest that a paleodischarge of about
15,000 m 3/s (including the tidal prism) and a paleomeander migration rate of between approximately
30 m/year and 65 m/year characterized the McMurray.
However, tidal inuence and marginal-marine afnity are evidenced by abundant erosion and reactivation
surfaces, mud clast breccia deposits, cleaner channel sands and bioturbated heterolithic sands interngered
with cleaner channel sands. Thus, internal structure observed on the Steepbank River outcrops appears to be
more complex than the usual bi-partite system composed of cross-stratied sands at the base and inclined
heterolithic stratied sands upward. The highlighted internal structures of large tidally inuenced point bars
of the McMurray Formation are quite similar to compound dune deposits in which inclined heterolithic sands
(IHS) are interngered with clean sands. These deposits are also associated with ichnological associations
characterizing a brackish environment for the McMurray-valley drainage.
A modern analog of the tidally inuenced point bar deposits of the McMurray Formation is the meandering
tidally inuenced channels of the Garonne River (located in the Aquitaine basin, SW France). Facies described
in cores acquired in both areas are very similar, which allows a possible comparison of these point bars, in
spite of the size difference between rivers. The Garonne river point bar is located 95 km from estuary mouth
near the city of Bordeaux. In this area, tidal currents are the dominant dynamic agent and can reach velocities
up to 2 m/s. In the point bar core, the facies of the IHS exhibit 3 typical sedimentary structures: mud clast
breccias more abundant at the base of the channel, heterolithic stratied sands recording semi-lunar cycles
(up to 28 tides) and thick clay layers at the top of the channel. In the overbank deposits, classic tidal bedding
recording the semi-diurnal and semi-lunar cycles is observed. Levees and crevasse splays are absent.
This study aims to provide a depositional model and geometric framework for tidally inuenced point bar
reservoirs.
2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction
Over the past 3 decades, the huge oil sand deposits in Alberta
Canada became an increasingly important target for the oil industry.
Currently, Canada has the world's second-largest oil reserves in place,
Corresponding author at: BEICIP-FRANLAB, 232 Av. Napolon Bonaparte, F-92500
Rueil-Malmaison, France.
E-mail address: geoffray.musial@beicip.com (G. Musial).
0037-0738/$ see front matter 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.sedgeo.2011.04.020

largely due to the Albertan oil sands (Athabasca, Peace River and Cold
Lake deposits) which host just over 206 billion m 3 of in-place
bitumen (Alberta Energy and Utilities Board, 1996). The majority of
hydrocarbons in the Athabasca Oil Sands deposit occur in the
McMurray/Wabiskaw interval, and most of the resource is within
the McMurray Formation (Wightman and Pemberton, 1997).
There are several limitations to optimization of oil recovery in this
area. Firstly, the oil viscosity is around 17.10 5 cP at 11 C. This high
viscosity of the hydrocarbon (bitumen) makes standard recovery

G. Musial et al. / Sedimentary Geology 279 (2012) 156172

methods impossible and requires open mining or in situ, heat assisted

recovery methods. Ecologic and energetic factors which have become
a crucial issue in the oil industry, promote the use of heat assisted
recovery methods which have a less negative impact on the environment than open mining, in spite of a high energetic cost.
The heat assisted recovery method widely used in this area is
SAGD (Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage) (Wightman, 2003). Steam
is injected by a horizontal upper well which lowers the viscosity of the
bitumen to 3 cP (at 300 C). The bitumen then ows down, driven by
gravity, towards a horizontal (and parallel) production well located
ve meters below.
This production method requires a knowledge and estimation of
reservoir heterogeneities. The term reservoir heterogeneity (Alpay,
1972) was used to describe the geological complexity of a reservoir
and the relationship of that complexity to the ow of uids through
it. This denition is directly related to ow anomalies or dynamic
aspects of ow in porous media. Reservoir heterogeneities are permeability anisotropies resulting from many different geological causes
such as diagenesis, for example an early calcite cementation, or inherited lithological heterogeneities as for example mud layers in the
case of the McMurray Formation (Labourdette, 2007).
The need for a better understanding and characterization of the
reservoirs motivates detailed sedimentological studies. We present in
this paper an integrated study based on the Steepbank River outcrops
and subsurface data (seismic and cores) collected close to Fort
McMurray. This work emphasizes depositional environments of the
main reservoirs that can be correlated to a potential modern analog to
highlight the fundamental hydrosedimentary processes. These depo-

157

sitional processes will inuence reservoir heterogeneity distribution

and the internal architecture of reservoirs targeted by the oil industry
(Musial et al., in press).
2. Basin settings
The studied McMurray Formation is located around Fort McMurray, in NE Alberta, Canada (Fig. 1). The oil sands crop out in this part of
the Western Interior foreland basin which is the result of the Rocky
Mountains orogenesis which started in the Jurassic (Leckie and Smith,
1992; Stockmal et al., 1992). This orogenesis is the result of the East
Pacic Plate subduction below the North America continental plate.
Deposits are bounded to the west by the Rocky Mountains and to the
east by the stable Canadian Shield (Kauffman, 1977).
The basin inlling is divided into two distinct phases of subsidence
separated by a major unconformity of about 10 to 20 Ma corresponding to a major tectonic reorganization of the cordillera and basin
(Cant, 1996). The rst phase of subsidence is dated from the Oxfordian
whereas the second is dated from Aptian to Eocene (Mossop and
Shetsen, 1994).
The oil sands were deposited during the second stage of subsidence and belong to the McMurray Formation of the Lower Mannville
Group, dated from Barremian to Lower Albian (Fig. 2) (Hubbard et al.,
1999; Crerar and Arnott, 2007). This group is correlated to a
third-order clastic sequence inll in the Western Canada foreland
basin (Cant and Abrahamson, 1996), in which the McMurray
Formation represents an important part of the transgressive system
tract that onlaps the Devonian units.

Fig. 1. Location of the studied area in the Western Canada foreland basin and the oil sand elds (Athabasca, Cold Lake, Wabasca and Peace Rivers).
Modied from Hein et al., 2001.

158

G. Musial et al. / Sedimentary Geology 279 (2012) 156172

The lowermiddleupper McMurray stratigraphy matches with multiple incised estuarine valley lls that intersect each other (Langenberg
et al., 2002; Hein and Langenberg, 2003).
3. Depositional environment synthesis

Fig. 2. Chronostratigraphic chart showing the position of the studied interval (McMurray
Formation). The McMurray Formation corresponds to the lower part of the Lower Mannville
Group deposited during a third-order transgressive system tract (Cant and Abrahamson,
1996).
Modied from Stott (1991).

The Fort McMurray area is close to the external stable zone of the
Canadian Shield (Kauffman, 1977). This low-accommodation setting is
characterized by signicant bypass of sediment (Stockmal et al., 1992;
Cant and Abrahamson, 1996). The accommodation space increases
westward towards the basin axis and north-westward towards the
Boreal Sea.
However, accommodation space is slightly higher in some areas of
the oil sands due to the dissolution of underlying Devonian salts that
took place pre-, syn- and post-depositionally (McPhee and Wightman,
1991; Wightman et al., 1995; Ranger and Pemberton, 1997). These
Devonian salts belong to the Middle Devonian Prairie Evaporite
Formation (Christopher, 1974; Crerar and Arnott, 2007). This dissolution controlled the paleotopography and the location of the main valley
routing the sediments at the time of deposition of the oil sands.
In this context, eustatic variations and sediment supply are likely
the two main controlling factors of the stratigraphy of the oil sands.
During this period, sea level was constantly rising, leading to the
Western Interior Seaway at the end of the Albian and resulting in the
deposition of the Clearwater Shale, the base of which is interpreted as
a marine maximum ooding surface (Strobl et al., 1993; McCrimmon
and Arnott, 2002; Crerar and Arnott, 2007).
The McMurray Formation has been subdivided into three subunits: the Lower McMurray dominated by purely uvial deposits,
the Middle McMurray dominated by estuarine point bar deposits and
the Upper McMurray dominated by coastal marine deposits (Carrigy,
1959; Crerar and Arnott, 2007). However, other authors have
suggested that the middle and the upper units are linked within
co-existing environments (Flach, 1984; Flach and Mossop, 1985;
Wightman and Pemberton, 1997; Hein et al., 2000; Hein and Dolby,
2001; Langenberg et al., 2002).

Based on outcrops and core data, four depositional environments

are identied in the McMurray Formation: uvial, uvio-estuarine,
bay and marine. Descriptions are based on grain sorting, sedimentary
structures, depositional processes, contacts, ichnofabrics and additional observations like exotic clasts (Table 1). Ichnofabric concerns
all aspects of texture and internal structure of sediments that result
from bioturbation at all scales, including the association of preserved
ichnologic species (isp.) (Table 2) (Bromley, 1996; Grard and
Bromley, 2008). This approach provides interpretations consistent
with ichnologic work previously conducted on these deposits
(Pemberton et al., 1982; Pemberton and MacEachern, 1995; Ranger
and Pemberton, 1997; Lettley, 2004; Ranger et al., 2007). Fresh water
conditions are underlined by Naktodemasis bowni which corresponds
to insect larva tunnels in subaerial non-marine settings (Ichnofabric
1) (Smith et al., 2008). Low-diversity assemblages, of small but
abundant ichnofossils corresponding to Planolites isp, Cylindrichnus
isp. or Gyrolithes isp., are associated with stressful depositional
conditions related to salinity uctuations in an overall brackish
water setting (Ichnofabrics 345) ( Ranger and Pemberton, 1992). A
high diversity and bioturbation intensity of microform ichnofossils
such as Teichichnus isp. or Spirophyton isp. point to even more stressful
environments with presumable poor oxygenation or abnormal
salinity conditions (Ichnofabrics 678). Finally, the robust ichnofossil forms observed in Ichnofabrics 9 to 13, which comprise
Thalassinoides isp, Teichichnus isp. or Asterosoma isp., indicate
prevailing physico-chemical conditions (salinity or oxygenation)
more comparable to marine environments. However, even these
ichnofabrics are lower in diversity than normal marine assemblages
and they likely point to salinity stress in a shallow but more open
embayment setting.
Facies F1 to F6 are associated with ichnofabric 1. These facies
comprise cross-stratied meter-scale bar forms composed of gravels
to very coarse sands (Fig. 3A).
Laterally, these units are associated with thick mud or siltstone
units, that are oxidized upwards, containing abundant root traces
and continental ichnofossils (Fig. 3B). Rarer coal laminae and beds
(both transported and in situ) are observed. Taken together, these
observations are considered to represent a uvial environment composed of braided rivers, small meandering rivers and swamp/shallow
lacustrine deposits (Fig. 4A). A possible modern analog for this kind of
system could be the Brahmaputra River (Musial and Michoux, 2008).
The pollens in the oodplain deposits of this unit suggest a warm
and wet environment dominated by tree ferns (Musial and Michoux,
2008). This is consistent with the presence of several meters of coal
observed on cores.
Facies T1 to T6 exhibit the brackish-water Ichnofabrics 2 to 5. The
facies are dominated by variably bedded heterolithic strata that are
locally characterized by slumped and deformed ne-grained heterolithic sands, and mud-clast breccia deposits (Fig. 3C, D, F, G, H).
Medium-grained, horizontally bedded and cross-bedded sandstones
are also present (Fig. 3E) The observed facies (T1 to T6) are therefore
interpreted as brackish-water and tidally inuenced meandering
channel deposits (Flach, 1984; Flach and Mossop, 1985; Smith, 1989;
Wightman and Pemberton, 1997; Hein et al., 2000; Langenberg et al.,
2002; Hein and Langenberg, 2003; Crerar and Arnott, 2007) (Fig. 4B).
A potential modern analog could be the outer estuary part of the Digul
River in Papua New Guinea (Musial and Michoux, 2008). In such
a depositional system, the rapidly changing equilibrium between
uvial and tidal ows over large distances results in the regular
interlayering of brackish facies in the uvial deposits (Buatois et al.,

Facies
Nb.

Facies
description

F1

Deformed Sediments

F2

F4

Gravels to very coarse

massive sands
Very coarse to coarse
bedded sands
Heterolithic sands

Observations

Depositional
processes

Slumping

Often coal layering

Coal

Massive/Crude
stratification
Trough/Planar cross
bedding
Plan stratification
/Ripples
Planar stratification

Frontal to
lat. accretion
Front. accretion
to aggradation
Aggradation

F6

Mud

Planar stratification

Wood, carbonate
paleosoil remains
Wood & extraformal
debris
Often oxyded muddy
layers
Sometimes with granules
(coal supported)
Oxyded layers

Gravity process
(nearly in place)
Gravity process
(grain flow)
Unidirectional flow
tractive current
Often oxyded muddy
tractive current
Decantation

F5

Decantation

Aggradation

T1

Deformed Sediments

Slumping

T2

Mud clast breccia in

fine to medium sands
Clean fine to medium
sands
Fine sands with few
mud drapes
Highly heterolithic
sands
Mud

F3

Bay

Poor sorting
Normal grading
Well sorting
Normal grading

Ichnofabrics

Ich.1

Ich.1

Deposit

Underlying
contact

Depositional
environment

Erosive

River bank collapse

Erosive

Alluvial fan/Flood flow

Erosive

River bars

Erosive, sharp
or progressive
Sharp or
progressive
Sharp or
progressive

Levees/Crevasse
splay/Point bar
Swamp/Backswamp

Erosive

Bank collapse

Floodplain

Initiation of mud clast

breccia
Often contains burrowed
mud
Common mud chips &
flasers
Current direction
orthogonal to dipping
Current direction
orthogonal to dipping
Some sand & coal layers

Gravity process
(nearly in place)
Gravity process
(grain flow)
Tidal processes
Traction/Decantation
Tidal processes
Traction/Decantation
Tidal processes
Tidal periods amalgamated?
Decantation

Frontal to
lat. accretion
Frontal to
lat. accretion
Lateral
accretion
Lateral
accretion
Aggradation

Erosive or
sharp
Erosive or
sharp
Sharp or
progressive
Sharp or
progressive
Sharp or
progressive

Channel fill base/Point

bar reactivation
TIdal dunes of channel
fill
Lower part of a tidal
influenced point bar
Lower part of a tidal
influenced point bar
Channel abandon

Massive/Crude
stratification
Massive/Dunes/Ripples

Well sorting
Well sorting

Ripples/Massive sands
Mud drapes/Couplets
Mud drapes
Wavy/lenticular bedding
Planar stratification

Ich.3/4/5

Wave rippled
sands
Highly burrowed sands
& heterolithic sands
Highly burrowed
silts & mud

Well sorting

Wave ripples

Ich.2/6

Short wave length

Oscillatory

Aggradation

Sharp

Top of sand flats

Well sorting

Mud drapes

Ich.6/7
Ich.8

Sharp or
progressive
Sharp or
progressive

Intertidal to subtidal flats

Planar stratification

Tidal processes
Traction/Decantation
Decantation

Aggradation

Well sorting

Low sedimentary rate or

better life conditions
Low sedimentary rate or
better life conditions

Sheltered bays &

lagoons

M1

Heterolithic sands

Well sorting

Ich.9

M2

Stratified sands

Well sorting

M3

Lightly burrowed

Well sorting

Mud drapes
lenticular bed form
Low angle
cross-stratification
Massive

Ich.10

M4

Well sorting

Massive

M5

Highly burrowed
argillaceous sands
Muddy sands to mud

Well sorting

M6

Mud

Some lenticular
bed forms
Planar stratification

T3
T4
T5

T7
T8
T9

Marine

Bad sorting

Sedimentary
structures

Clast/Matrix
supported
Well sorting

T6

Distal

Grain
sorting

Ich.2
Ich.2/3/4

Aggradation

Tidal and oscillation

processes
Oscillation

Accretion

Erosive

Tidal delta

Aggradation

Erosive

Foreshore

Plant remains

Oscillation

Aggradation

Upper shoreface

Ich.11

Plant remains

Aggradation

Ich.12

Plant remains

Decantation &
oscillation
Oscillation
Decantation

Aggradation

Sharp or
progressive
Sharp or
progressive
Sharp or
progressive
Sharp or
progressive

Ich.13

Aggradation

G. Musial et al. / Sedimentary Geology 279 (2012) 156172

Fluvio-estuarine

Continental

Proximal

Table 1
Facies classication table of a tidally inuenced meandering river in relation to grain sorting, ichnofabrics, depositional processes and nature of underlying contact.

Middle shoreface
Lower shoreface
to offshore transition
Offshore

159

160

Table 2
Ichnofabrics, substrate and facies observed in tidally inuenced point bars of the McMurray Formation.
Numerous

Proximal

10

11

12

13

14

Distal

5 cm

Scoyenia isp

Ichnofossils

Grain size
& substrate

Gyrolithes isp.
Planolites isp.
Skolithos isp.

Planolites isp.
Roots traces
Arenicolites isp.

Roots traces
Thalassinodes isp
Planolites isp.

Very Fine SandSome mud drapes

Blended
Very Fine SandMud

(Conichnus isp.
Siphonichus isp.)

Skolithos isp.
Cylindrichnus isp.)

Sand-Mud
layering

Homogeneous
Fine Sand

Fine Sand-Mud
layering

Fine Sand-Mud
layering

Fine Sand-Mud
layering

One organism
superiority

Extreme stress

Low diversity
assemblages

Stressful
environment

Low energy
environment

F4 - F6

T2 - T4 - (T7)

T4 - T5

Fluvio-lacustrine
deposits:
-Floodplains
-Levees
-Lake margins

Lower to middle
parts of the fluvial
point bars
influenced by
tidal currents.

Middle to upper parts of the point bars influenced by

tidal currents Stressful environment Brackish water
environment Back-barrier channel

Small size of the

ichnofossils

Characteristic of a Characteristic of a
brackish water
brackish water
environment
environment

High energy

Facies
Depositional
environment

Strong salinity
fluctuations at the
water-sediment
interface

Rapid
sedimentationSubstrate
erosion - Abrupt
ecological
variation

Non marine
settings

Continental

Anchonichnus isp
Asterosoma isp
Planolites isp.

Cylindrichnus isp.

Roots traces

Organism
burrow out

Trichichnus isp.
Skolithos isp.
Anchonichnus isp.

Planolites isp

Planolites isp.
Skolithos isp.

Insect larvae
crawling

Comments

Escape traces
(fugichnia)

Strong brackish
water condition
reflector

High bioturbation
degree

Helminthopsis isp
Spirophyton isp
Teichichnus isp.
Planolites isp.
Roots traces
Silt-Bluish Mud
layering

Stressful
environment
(trace small size)

Low deposit rate

Stressful
environment
(trace small size)

Low energy
environment

Lack of salinity or
oxygenation
(small forms and
trace behavior)

Presumable bad
oxygenation or
very low salinity
condition

T7 - T8 - T9

Estuarine

Sandy tidal
flat
environment

Intertidal to
subtidal mud
flat

Thalassinodes isp.

Teichichus isp.

Planolites isp.

Planolites isp.

Asterosoma isp.

Thalassinodes isp.

Teichichus isp.
Thalassinodes isp.

Stand-Mud
layering

Homogeneous
Medium-Coarse
Sand

Medium to Coarse
Sand-Mud
Layering

Mud-Fine to
Very Fine Sand
interbedded

Well chemical
Well chemical
High bioturbation
condition
condition
Often burrowed
degree
(trace robust form) (trace robust form)
muddy levels near
to sandy levels
Low deposit rate
Low diversity
Low diversity
& density linked
probably due
Sediment
Big ichnofossils
to a high
to a high
reworking by
form traduce a
hydrodynamic
hydrodynamic
storm waves
good life
energy
energy
conditions
M1

Quiescent bays
and lagoons

Zoophycos isp.

Shoreface
environment

M3

Upper shoreface
environment

Monocraterion isp.
Chondrites isp.
Diplocaterion
habichi

Mud-Silts

Mostly fully
marine
environment

Often anoxic
conditions
reflector

M4

M5

M6

Middle shoreface
environment

Lower shoreface
to offshore
transition
environment

Offshore

Marine

Various Sandy
Substrate

Ground variation
linked to a major
transgressive
and erosive
surface

Transgressive
surface erosive

G. Musial et al. / Sedimentary Geology 279 (2012) 156172

Ichnofabrics
pictures and
scheme

G. Musial et al. / Sedimentary Geology 279 (2012) 156172

161

Fig. 3. Outcrop and core pictures acquired from the McMurray Formation showing the main facies observed around Fort McMurray (see Fig. 1). (A) Facies F3 cross stratied and
very coarse grained sandstones. (B) Facies F6 oxidized and degraded muddy unit characteristic of a paleosoil. (C) Facies T1 layers deformed by water escape structures which
correspond to the initiation of bank destabilization. The collapse of these heterolithic layers generates mud clast breccias. (D) Facies T2 stack of mud clast breccias deposits above
an erosive surface. This sedimentation occurs at the base of channel. (E) Facies T3 meter scale cross-bedded sands. These big foresets are draped by millimeter thick carbonaceous
laminae representing tidal slack water periods. Neap and spring tide deposits are indicated. (F) Facies T4 highly rippled sands with thin and discontinuous mud drapes burrowed
by Cylindrichnus isp. (G) Facies T5 highly heterolithic sands with extensive and continuous mud drapes. The cyclic alternation of sand and mud layers suggests neap and spring
tides. (H) Facies T6 clay deposits in point bar swales. (I) Facies T8 highly burrowed very ne-grained sands (Ichnofabric 7; Table 2) with root traces characteristic of intertidal at
environments. (J) Facies M3 highly burrowed (Teichichnus isp.) argillaceous sands with carbonaceous material which are interpreted as middle shoreface deposits.

162

G. Musial et al. / Sedimentary Geology 279 (2012) 156172

Fig. 4. Potential modern analogs of depositional environments encountered in deposits of the McMurray Formation. (A) Fluvial environment, where facies F1 to F6 and ichnofabric 1
are observed, is here compared to the Brahmaputra River system in India (Musial and Michoux, 2008). (B) The uvio-estuarine environment is characterized by facies T1 to T6 and
ichnofabrics 2 to 5. This environment can be the analog of the outer estuary part of the Digul River in Papua New Guinea (Musial and Michoux, 2008). (C) The bay environment
(facies T7 to T9, and ichnofabrics 6 to 8) and the marine environment (facies M1 to M6 and ichnofabrics 9 to 14) observed in the McMurray Formation could be compared to the
Arcachon Basin in France (Fenies and Faugres, 1998; Musial and Michoux, 2008). (D) Bay and shoreface transition marked by wave and tidal ravinement surfaces.

G. Musial et al. / Sedimentary Geology 279 (2012) 156172

1997). Facies T7 to T9 is associated with Ichnofabrics 6 to 8. These

highly bioturbated facies are mainly composed of silts through to very
ne-grained sands, and are commonly heterolithic. Abundant root
traces, most commonly observed at the top of bedsets, are present.
These facies are together interpreted as a low-energy embayment
prone to salinity uctuation with subtidal, intertidal and supratidal
at facies preserved (Caplan and Ranger, 2001) (Fig. 3I). A modern
analog could be the Arcachon Basin (Fenies and Faugres, 1998)
(Fig. 4C).
Facies M1 to M6 and Ichnofabrics 9 to 14 are associated with the
deposits forming unit 4, which point to a marine setting. The main
deposit observed in this unit, notably around the Steepbank outcrops,
is composed of highly burrowed argillaceous and glauconitic sands
with lot of plant remains and attributed to the middle shoreface due
to an ichnofabric dominated by Teichichnus isp. and Thalassinoides
isp. (Fig. 3J) (Mossop and Flach, 1983; Flach and Mossop, 1985;
Langenberg et al., 2002; Hein and Langenberg, 2003; Ranger and
Gingras, 2003).
4. Tidally inuenced point bars
Tidally inuenced middle McMurray estuarine deposits represent
the main reservoir units within the Athabasca Oil Sands. In consequence,
considerable attention has been given to their origin and distribution
(Lettley, 2004). Owing to a number of sedimentological, ichnological
and palynological studies, the middle McMurray is interpreted as being
tidally inuenced in nature and of a brackish-water origin (Pemberton
et al., 1982; Mossop and Flach, 1983; Ranger and Pemberton, 1992;
Langenberg et al., 2002; Hein and Langenberg, 2003; Ranger and
Gingras, 2003). In general, two models are used to explain the observed
vertical stacking within the middle McMurray (i.e. cross-bedded sands
overlain by Inclined Heterolithic Stratication [IHS sensu Thomas et al.,
1987]): (1) the succession represents a multiphase set of Transgressive
Regressive (TR) cycles with intervals that are dominated by transgression (thick, cross-bedded sand units) and mildly regressive levels
(IHS units) (Lettley, 2004; Gingras and Ranger, 2005; Ranger and
Gingras, 2008); (2) cross-bedded sand units are genetically related to
the overlaying IHS, and represent a ning upwards stacking of tidally
inuenced uvial channel and associated point bar deposit (e.g. Mossop
and Flach, 1983; Langenberg et al., 2002; Hein and Langenberg, 2003;

163

Hubbard et al., 2011). Both models have relevance to the studied

outcrops, and perhaps different observations at various outcrop and
cored locales will in the future indicate both styles of stratal evolution
occur in the McMurray Formation. One of the coauthors of this paper
(MKG) supports the former interpretation over the latter. However, the
interpretations offered below focus on the observations and interpretations of the lead author (GM) and the other coauthors. As such, the
reported deposits follow the latter interpretation and the vertical
succession of the middle McMurray succession is interpreted to
represent cross-cut uvio-tidal channels (i.e. tidally inuenced point
bar deposits) the stacking of which do not necessarily reect
transgressiveregressive sedimentation responses in the depositional
setting.
4.1. Seismic characterization
The Athabasca Oil Sands area has been thoroughly investigated in
the subsurface. Besides the large number of well data available, there
are increasingly abundant subsurface seismic datasets. The subsurface
3-D seismic data in this section is from the McMurray Formation and
is located near Fort McMurray, but the exact location is not provided
for condential reasons. The seismic dataset does not come from the
immediate area of the Steepbank River outcrops, but it is used as a
conceptual tool to interpret those outcrops.
Seismic geomorphology is the extraction of geomorphic characteristics using predominantly three-dimensional data (Posamentier
et al., 2007). These data show a meander belt prograding northeastward with a strong sinuosity index (Fig. 5). The meander belt observed
in subsurface is more laterally extensive than the seismic acquisition
area (i.e. N20 km wide). Evident in the data are numerous point
bars and several claystone plugs (channel abandonment phase). Also
present are inferred counter-point bar morphologies, dened as
concave scroll bar-shaped deposits that are present on the uvial
side of recurved point bars (Smith et al., 2009). Counter point bar
deposits occur as the lateral migration of the channel inhibited by
either the valley margin, or a less erodible clayey oxbow lake ll, or
even an older counter-point bar deposit (Smith et al., 2009). However,
other workers have described counter point bars as silt deposited by
reverse eddy currents moving upstream (Taylor et al., 1971). Namely
tidal inuence could promote the development of counter point bars

Fig. 5. (A) Time slice of the 3-D seismic cube acquired on the McMurray Formation and (B) its interpretation highlighting point bar ridges and abandoned river branches. Counter
point bar deposits underlined by concave surfaces are also observed. The white frame shows the location of the point bar modeled in Fig. 6.

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G. Musial et al. / Sedimentary Geology 279 (2012) 156172

Table 3
Morphological characters for the point bars observed on seismic and for the modeled
point bar. Core samples acquired on the modeled point bar give the grain size and the
grain sorting for facies T2, T3, T4 and T5.
Results

Uncertainty

Subsurface point bars

Mean channel gradient (cm.km1)
Mean channel width (m)
Mean bankfull depth (m)
Scroll bar spacing (m)

10
750
30
75100

50%
250 m
5m
25 m

Point bar modeled

Hydraulic radius of channel (m)
Channel width (m)
Channel bankfull depth (m)
Mean lateral-accretion dipping angle ()
Ratio radius (m)

10.5
740
32
10
2500

20%
10 m
2m
5
250 m

Grain size (m)

Grain sorting

148
124
302
706

1.28
1.42
1.22
1.38

Core samples
Heterolithic sands (T5)
Mud clast breccias (T2)
Rippled sands (T4)
Channel basal sands (T3)

by decreasing stream power and increasing the mud content of the

uvial deposit (Nanson and Croke, 1992). Marine inuences, like tides
and waves, decrease this stream power value and promote counter
point bar deposits.
Some geomorphic parameters can be extracted and interpolated
from the 3-D seismic cube, including the mean channel gradient
(cm.km 1), the mean channel width (m), the mean bankfull depth
(m), and the scroll bar spacing of point bars. These are estimated to be
10 cm.km 1 (50%), 750 m (250), 30 m (5), and between 75 m
and 100 m, respectively (Table 3). A more precise morphometric
analysis is possible on one of the better imaged and larger point bars
(Fig. 6).
The three-dimensional morphology of the main accretion surfaces
is imaged using time slices and multiple seismic-section views. The

detailed dataset allows identication of the hydraulic radius of the

channel (m), the channel width (m), the channel bankfull depth (m)
and the mean lateral-accretion dipping angle () which are respectively estimated at 10.5 m (20%), 740 m (10), 32 m (2) and 10
(5) (Table 3). The ratio radius, which corresponds to radius of the
meander loop is approximately estimated to be 2500 m.
Core samples acquired in this subsurface point bar provide median
grain-size data. These are estimated at 148 m in the heterolithic
sands (T5), 124 m in mud clast breccias (T2), 302 m in rippledstratied (T4) sands and 706 m at the base of channel (T3) (Table 3).
It is considered that these median sizes correspond to the depositional
hydraulic energies. The Wentworth classication made on these
samples shows that facies T3 is coarse-grained, facies T2 is
ne-grained, facies T4 is medium-grained and facies T5 is negrained. Thus, the tidal point bars are ning upward as usually
observed. Anomalous grain size observed on facies T2 (mud clast
breccias) marked by a low grain size, is in accordance with an
upstream origin in bar ats.
The grain sorting coefcient is evaluated at 1.38 at the base of
channel, 1.42 for mud clast breccias, 1.22 in the rippled-stratied
sands and 1.28 in the heterolithic sands (Table 3). Using the
Fuchtbauer scale of sand classication (Fuchtbauer, 1959), the grain
sorting is between moderate for mud clast breccias and well sorted for
cross-stratied and rippled sands.
4.2. Outcrop descriptions
Outcrop investigations have been carried out along the Steepbank
River, about 35 km north of Fort McMurray. In this area, the Steepbank
River exposes the Athabasca oil sands over a vertical thickness of
eighty meters. These outcrops have been studied by many authors
(Mossop and Flach, 1983; Flach and Mossop, 1985; Langenberg et al.,
2002; Hein and Langenberg, 2003; Ranger and Gingras, 2003) because
they intersect a full succession of the McMurray Formation from
the Devonian to the overlying Clearwater Formation. Moreover, the
meandering aspect of the Steepbank River incision allows a 3-D
assessment of the deposits, notably through outcrop Steepbank #3
and Steepbank #4 (Flach, 1977; Hein et al., 2000) (Fig. 7).

Fig. 6. View of modeled lateral accretion surfaces. Point bar ridges are accreted for 4 km until the channel abandonment which is characterized by a clay plug.

G. Musial et al. / Sedimentary Geology 279 (2012) 156172

165

Fig. 7. Aerial view of the Athabasca River and one of its tributaries, the Steepbank River. The study is focused on outcrop Steepbank #3 and Steepbank #4.

In order to identify detailed sedimentation trends within the point

bars, 21 sedimentological sections and 77 paleocurrent measurements were collected from the two banks of the Steepbank River
(Fig. 8).
Steepbank #3 is located on the right bank of the river (Fig. 8A).
Exposure is continuous on a northwestsoutheast section of approximately 400 m long with many dihedral angles improving the 3-D
view. Cross-stratied ne-grained sands are well developed in the
lower part, whereas low-angle IHS and multi-storied sets of accretion
surfaces predominantly crop-out in the middle and upper parts of the
unit. The identied accretion surfaces dip towards the northwest at an
angle of approximately 1012.
Steepbank #4 is located to the left side of the river (Fig. 8B). This
outcrop is approximately 300 m long and 60 m high. In this area, the

tidally inuenced point bar unit rests above uvial deposits belonging
to the lower McMurray. The point bar deposits are covered by tidal
ats, and contrary to Steepbank #3, two point bars with an opposite
dip directions are present. The rst dips northward and the other dips
southward an erosive surface occurs between them.
Stratigraphic correlations made between the Steepbank River
outcrops and subsurface meander belt previously described suggest
that these two studied meandering systems, in the subsurface and in
outcrops, are contained within the same interval.
Focusing on the tidal point bar internal architectures, at the base of
the lowermost IHS, bedsets are heterolithic units interngering with
cleaner sands: many reactivation surfaces and reworked of mud layers
as mud breccias are also present here (Fig. 9). This is interpreted to
represent a complex interdigitation of the IHS deposits with the

Fig. 8. Interpreted pictures of the studied Steepbank River outcrops. (A) Steepbank #3: the point bar unit is located above a paleohigh of Devonian carbonates. (B) Steepbank #4: the
point bar unit is situated above uvial deposits which correspond to the inll of a Devonian paleovalley. On this outcrop two different point bars with an opposing dips are observed
(Musial, 2010).

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G. Musial et al. / Sedimentary Geology 279 (2012) 156172

Fig. 9. Interpreted pictures of two sections of outcrops from Steepbank #3. (A) Orthogonal section of point bar accretion surfaces. The highly heterolithic sands are interngered with
sand layers. (B) Longitudinal section of the same point bar where sandy layers are channelized and erosive.

cross-bedded channel sands, although other workers (Gingras and

Ranger, 2005; Ranger and Gingras, 2008) interpret this to represent
the superposition of a separate sand-dominated IHS unit over the
cross-bedded sand unit, with local cannibalization of the lower sand
incorporating coarser sand into the IHS beds.
4.3. Outcrop interpretations
The main observation made on these outcrops is that the point
bars inuenced by tidal currents have a complex internal morphology.
Usually in purely uvial point bars, accretion sets are easily identiable because they are underlined by thick mud drapes deposited at
low river levels. In the case of a tidally inuenced meandering river,
however, both uvial and tidal processes shape the deposit (Fig. 10):
Facies T1 corresponds to deformed and slumped heterolithic facies.
This syn-sedimentary deformation might be initiated by water-release
during sedimentation. This effect is common in estuarine environments with signicant degrees of mud occulation (Dalrymple and
Choi, 2007).
Facies T2 is characterized by mud-clast breccias, which are commonly burrowed before their emplacement in the breccias. Facies T2,
is likely the result of upstream point bar erosion during uvial or
tidal ooding periods. The underlying contact is highly erosional, and
the high cohesiveness of these clasts underlines a short transport
distance. In addition, the thickness of this facies suggests a high
abundance of mud in this environment, that is consistent with clay
occulation due to salinity changes in an estuarine environment.
Facies T3 corresponds to unidirectional large ebb dominated (NNW)
cross-stratied sands showing bitumen-stained and bitumen-washed
laminae in relationship with porosity. Most of the crossbeds are

related to ood-oriented dunes and ripples, whereas some reverse

ripples observed at the toe of larger foresets likely result from back
ow in the lee of large ebb-dominated dune. Some large foresets and
ripples are draped by a few millimeter thick mudstone laminae which
mark slack water periods (Visser, 1980) (Fig. 11). Moreover, the
alternation of thicker and ner bundles of laminae within the dunes
or ripple crossbeds suggests neapspringneap tidal uctuations
(Boersma and Terwindt, 1981). The individual laminae indicate a
diurnal cycle as suggested by the deposition of one mud drape per
day. It corresponds to the recording of a slack water period only
during the high tide period. In fact, during the low tide period, the
uvial ow strength prevents mud from being deposited. Mud
laminae may then be replaced by laminae of ne carbonaceous debris
named coffee grounds (Plint and Wadsworth, 2003).
Facies T4 represents slighthly heterolithic ne-grained sands with
numerous 3-D ripples. The thick sandy layers (decimeters to one
meter thick) between the burrowed mud drapes seem to be incompatible with deposition during a single tidal cycle. It could
correspond to a more complex response to up- and downchannel
migration of the maximum turbidity zone in relationship with
seasonal variations between uvial and tidal strengths (Ainsworth
and Walker, 1994; Plint and Wadsworth, 2003). The contact
between the highly rippled sand layers and underlying deposits is
erosional and underlined by small mud clast breccias (Fig. 12).
Facies T5 represents highly heterolithic ne-grained sands, which
are located on the upper part of point bars. Tidal sedimentary
structures described are rhythmites, wavy and lenticular bedding.
Some orthogonal mud crack structures are also observed, suggesting
a subaerial exposure of this area. Moreover, synaeresis cracks are
frequent in these strata which indicate frequent changes in
near-bed salinity, and perhaps the soupground nature of the

G. Musial et al. / Sedimentary Geology 279 (2012) 156172

167

Fig. 10. Internal architecture of a tidally inuenced point bar in the McMurray Formation. Six main facies are described from top to bottom: (T1) deformed and slumped layers, (T2)
mud clast breccias, (T3) cross-stratied sands, (T4) less heterolithic and highly rippled sands, (T5) highly heterolithic sands and (T6) thick clay layers.

bottom (Tanner, 1998). Brackish water conditions are also

highlighted by trace fossils as discussed above. Our interpretation
is that the millimeter-scale lenticular and aser lamination
observed in this facies might be interpreted as semi-diurnal tidal
signal and the thickening and thinning packages of these laminations as semi-lunar tidal signal. As discussed above, thick mud layers
sometimes developed in this area could be the expression of neap
tide period amalgamation as some of the thick sandy layers could
represent an amalgamation of the deposits of spring tide periods.
Facies T6 corresponds to thick muddy layers preserved in protected
areas of the meander loop, like behind the active point bar, or in
abandoned channels. The area between the bank and the crest of the
point bar is usually named the dead end ood-dominant channel
(Fenies and Faugres, 1998). In the case of the McMurray Formation
where meandering rivers have strong uvial inputs, clay plugs in
abandoned channels appear to be most frequent. There, sedimentation is controlled by mud settling during long periods in which

sparse organic and silty layers result from tidal or river oods. These
ooding events appear to be single events controlled by seasonal
cycles.
The comparison between cores coming from immediate area of
Steepbank River outcrops and the 3D seismic survey shows similar
facies. Moreover, stratigraphic correlations made between the outcrops and the seismic survey suggest that these units are within the
same stratigraphic interval.
4.4. Hydrosedimentary parameters
Morphological parameters extracted from seismic modeling and
grain size data can be used to calculate some hydrosedimentary
parameters.
The mean discharge of the McMurray drainage, which generates
the large tidally inuenced point bars of the McMurray Formation,

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G. Musial et al. / Sedimentary Geology 279 (2012) 156172

Fig. 11. Sigmoidal cross-bedding showing mud drapes on foresets and spring/neap bundles highlighting strong tidal inuences. The photo is taken on the Christina River outcrops
located 30 km eastward of Fort McMurray.

is calculated using Brownlie's equations (Brownlie, 1983; Makaske

and Weerts, 2005):
Q

0:6539

Q =

R
0:3724S0:2542 0:1050
d50
s
Qp

w g0:5 d1:5
50

These equations present an empirical relationship in uvial environments between dimensionless discharge (Q), hydraulic radius

(R), channel gradient (S), grain sorting (s) mean grain size (d50),
paleodischage (Q p), channel width (w) and acceleration of gravity
(g).
The calculation for the four samples taken on the point bar
previously modeled through seismic data gives a paleodischarge
estimated around 15,000 m 3.s 1. This value represents the maximum bankfull discharge of the McMurray drainage which corresponds to his ebb ow. The tidal prism impact through ood ow
can't be evaluated by this method. Not including the tidal prism,
which may cause overestimation of the river size, the calculated river
discharge conforms to modern big meandering river systems like

Fig. 12. Heterolithic ne-grained sands with numerous 3-D ripples. Mud drapped surfaces are quite discontinuous and highly borrowed by Cylindrichnus isp. The contact between the
highly rippled sand layers and underlying deposits is erosional and underlined by small mud clast breccias. These deposits mostly likely represent seasonal variations between uvial
and tidal current strength.

G. Musial et al. / Sedimentary Geology 279 (2012) 156172

169

the Mississippi River (18,000 m 3.s 1 (SAGE database)), Paran River

in Argentina (16,800 m 3.s 1 (SAGE database)), McKenzie River in
Canada (10,700 m 3.s 1 (SAGE database)) or Peace River in Canada
(11,700 m 3.s 1 (Smith et al., 2009)).
Moreover, the migration rate of these large meanders can also be
predicted based on Hickin and Nanson's(1975) equations:
2:05

+ 0:00035d

1:73

+ 0:00035d

M = 0:05rm = wm
M = 2:75rm = wm

Fig. 13. Key morphological parameters extracted from subsurface investigations and
used to calculate the migration rate and the discharge of the McMurray drainage.

2:63

if

1:3 rm = wm 2:9

2:63

if

2:9 rm = wm 7:

These equations present an empirical relationship in uvial

settings between migration rates of a point bar (M), ratio radius
(rm) which corresponds to radius of the meander loop, mean channel
width (wm) and spacing of oodplain ridges (d). The values of ratio
radius and mean channel width have been extracted from the seismic
data. In the case of the McMurray Formation, the ratio radius of
channel curvature to stream width (rm/wm), which is approximately
3.3, suggests that the migration rate of the meandering McMurray

Fig. 14. Location of the tidally inuenced point bars of the Garonne river, in the Aquitaine basin (SW France). During the low river discharge and the spring tide period, the uppermost
limit of the tidal wave is 160 km inland from the estuary mouth and the uppermost limit of the salinity (salinity b 1 g/l) at 75 km from the estuary mouth. The core presented in
Figs. 15 and 16 has been collected from the Bordeaux point bar located at 95 km from the estuary mouth.

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G. Musial et al. / Sedimentary Geology 279 (2012) 156172

drainage was between 30 m/year and 65 m/year (Fig. 13). Again, this
is notwithstanding the inuence of the tidal prism, but in this case, the
meander rate can likely be considered to be a reasonable estimate
since meander rates probably represent hydraulic responses to the
cumulative discharge. These values appear to be high but as reported
by Hickin and Nanson (1975), the migration rate is the highest when
the ratio radius of channel curvature to stream width is close to 3
(Hickin and Nanson, 1975). Moreover, this rate is highly dependent
on the spacing of oodplain ridges, which are approximately between
75 m and 100 m wide in the dataset. In conclusion, this result
conforms to channel settings including the lower Mississippi River
bend migration rate which is averaged to 45.2 m/year but may reach
59.1 m/year (Hudson and Kesel, 2000).

4.5. Modern analog

A modern analog of the tidally inuenced point bars of the
McMurray Formation has been observed in the meandering tidally
inuenced channels of the Garonne River (located in the Aquitaine
basin, SW France Fig. 14). This river is the upstream part of the
well-documented Gironde incised valley (Lericolais et al., 2001;
Fenies et al., 2010). In the Garonne River, tidal currents occur as far as
160 km from the estuary mouth during low river discharge and spring
tide period (Allen, 1991). In its tidally inuenced part, the Garonne
River has a meandering morphology and heterolithic point bars in the
convex portion of the meanders. One of these tidally inuenced point
bars has been cored (Fig. 14). It is located 95 km from the Gironde
estuary mouth in the vicinity of the Bordeaux city. There, tides are
semi-diurnal, their amplitudes vary from 3.5 m during neap tides to
5.5 m during spring tides. Tidal currents are the main hydrodynamic
agent and reach velocities of 2 m/s (dominant tidal current) and
1.6 m/s (subordinate tidal current).
The Bordeaux tidally inuenced point bar is characterized by a
vertical ning upward trend (Fig. 15): at the base of the channel sands

Fig. 15. Core pictures from the McMurray Formation (left part of picture) and from the
Garonne point bar (right part of picture). Note that for the McMurray Formation sands are
black and clays are light-gray, whereas for the Garonne point bar sands are dark-gray and
clays are beige. This is the result of the bitumen impregnation. Similar sedimentary
structures are observed such as: (A) mud clast breccias, (B) heterolithic sands exhibiting
semi-lunar cycles and (C) thick clay layers.

there are numerous medium-grained sandstones and centimeter-scale mud clasts. The mid-part of the section is composed of
heterolithic cross-stratied rippled sands. Thick clay layers are more
abundant towards the top of the point bar. This tidally inuenced
point bar is capped by muddy overbank deposits where levees and
crevasse splays are absent. This feature has been described from other
tidal overbank deposits (Barwis, 1978; Allen, 1991).
A comparison between cores sampled in the tidally inuenced
point bar of the Garonne River and on the McMurray Formation point
bars shows similar sedimentary structures. The most relevant
structures are mud clast breccias (facies T2) (Fig. 15A), thick layers
of clay (facies T6) (Fig. 15C) and heterolithic stratied sands (facies
T5) (Fig. 15B).
This heterolithic stratication (Fig. 15B) observed in the Garonne
river point bar highlights semi-diurnal and semi-lunar cycles
through 28 tides recorded during 14.7 days (Fig. 16). This result
shows that sometimes all of the tidal slack-water periods may be
recorded in the upper part of point bar, even the low-tide slack-water
periods.
Preservation of a complete semi-lunar cycle (28 tides) may be due
to a favorable geomorphological setting at the downstream part of the
point bar, between the crest of the point bar and the bank, partially
isolated from the main channel axis.
In the Bordeaux point bar, mud clast breccias (Fig. 15A) are more
abundant at the base of the channel-ll deposits. They are also
incorporated within the foresets and bottomsets of the dunes when
the tidal current velocity reaches its peak. The interpretation is that
the sources of the mud clast breccia are the muddy river banks eroded
by the tidal currents during the spring tides.
There are some differences between the McMurray drainage and
the Garonne River. The Garonne River discharge is smaller; it varies
between less than 100 m 3.s 1 (during the low river discharge period)
and up to 7000 m 3.s 1 (during the ood period). It is more than two
times less than the McMurray drainage. The size of the channels and
their accretion sets are about two times smaller as well (500 m wide
and 15 m deep) (Table 4). Moreover, the salinity is 0 at the Bordeaux
point bar and salt water is encountered at a distance of 50 km further
towards the ocean.

Fig. 16. Picture of the heterolithic stratication observed in the Garonne river point bar
which highlights semi-diurnal and semi-lunar cyclicities through 28 tides recorded
during 14.7 days measured in real time. A semi-diurnal cycle lasts 12 h and 15 min.

G. Musial et al. / Sedimentary Geology 279 (2012) 156172

Table 4
Comparative table between some morphological and hydrodynamic properties of the
modern Garonne River and the McMurray drainage. Tidal range and current velocities
are still unknown for the McMurray drainage as well as the Garonne River migration
rate. Distance from the estuary mouth of the McMurray drainage has been estimated
through basin correlation. However, these values are still uncertain for the McMurray
drainage.
Rivers

Garonne

McMurray drainage

Channel width (m)

Channel depth (m)
Discharge (m3.s1)
Tidal range (m)
Current velocities (m.s1)
Distance from estuary mouth (km)
Migration rate (m/year)

500
1015
1007000
3.55.5
21.6
95
?

7501500
2535
15,000
?
?
(150200)
3065

171

also preserved along accretion sets. Highly heterolithic sands, which

occur at the top of point bars, are deposited during semi-diurnal tides.
Finally, the thick clay layers observed could be deposited in the
protected zone of the meander loop named the dead end ooddominant channel. This highlights the large degree of complexity of
such deposits where tidal cycles are expressed differently in different
parts of the channel system.
The results suggest that some of the parameters derived from the
Garonne River may be used to model the large tidally inuenced point
bars of the McMurray Formation. This will, in turn, help to realistically
distribute the reservoir heterogeneities in models of these types of
deposits.
Acknowledgments

5. Conclusion
In conclusion, the large tidally inuenced point bars of the
McMurray Formation are complex sedimentary objects due to the
interplay of tidal and uvial currents. Some intrinsic characteristics
can be extracted from outcrops and subsurface datasets and used to
enhance the understanding of hydrodynamic processes and sedimentary mechanisms that formed these deposits.
Subsurface investigations show large channels that are approximately 30 m thick and 750 m wide. These channels are associated
with point bars which accreted over 5 km. The ridge spacing of these
point bars is between 75 m and 100 m with a mean dip of approximately 10.
The McMurray drainage discharge and meander migration have
been calculated on the basis of morphological parameters, grain size
and sorting data. The paleodischarge is estimated at about
15,000 m 3.s 1 and the meander migration rate between 30 m/year
at the lowest and 65 m/year at the highest.
These values are very rapid but they are similar to those for the
Mississippi River system as demonstrated in the paper. However
outcrop investigations underline a strong difference with the Mississippi River in the sense that tidal inuences and brackish environments
are more common in the McMurray Formation deposits. The brackish
environment is supported by ichnology (mainly monospecic species,
short-lived and abundant infaunas which reect a highly stressed
environment, typical of estuaries) and palynology (palynomorphs
correlated to marine inuences). Tidal inuences are supported by
semi-diurnal and semi-lunar cycles observed in mud couplets, tidal
bundles and rhythmites.
Outcrop investigations show that internal sedimentary structures
of tidally inuenced point bars are more complex than the commonly
encountered bi-partite facies model (clean sands at the base and
heterolithic sands at the top). The interaction of tidal and uvial
processes resulted in many reservoir heterogeneities due to reactivation surfaces, highly heterolithic sands interngered with clean sands
and mud clast breccias deposits.
Facies comparison between the tidally inuenced point bars of the
Cretaceous McMurray Formation and the tidally inuenced point bars
of the meandering Garonne River (SW France) highlights common
sedimentary structures. Cores from the point bars show mud clast
breccias beds at the base of the point bars, heterolithic stratied sands
recording semi-lunar cycles (up to 28 tides) in the middle part of the
point bars and thick clay layers at its top. The point bars are capped by
overbank deposits. Moreover, in this context we observe the absence
of levees and crevasse splays. In spite of the different hydraulic discharges of the McMurray Formation River and the Garonne River,
the similarity of sedimentary structures is striking and allows a
straightforward comparison of the depositional environments. This
corroborates observations made on the McMurray Formation. Mud
clast breccias deposits are correlated to major ooding events and are

The authors would like to thanks Total E&P Canada for their technical support and their help for this study. We would like to thank
particularly all the eld workers: Patrice Imbert, Fernand Segura,
Rebecca Haspel, Alexis Licht, Remy Karle and Remi Rateau. The paper
beneted much from constructive reviews carried out by Bruce
Ainsworth and other anonymous reviewers.
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Incised-Valley Systems: Origin and Sedimentary Sequences: SEPM Special Publication, 51, pp. 159174.
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