NATURE AND DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF DEVONIAN COALS FROM WESTERN MELVILLE ISLAND, ARCTIC CANADA

The petrology and depositional environment of a suite of Middle to Upper Devonian coals and carbonaceous shales from Melville Island has been studied. The majority of the coals and carbonaceous shales are cannel coal and canneloids. The sporinite content of cannel coal ranges as high as 80%. The reflectance of vitrinite in cannel coals is suppressed compared with the normal coal from the same area. These coals were deposited in fresh to slightly brackish water in interdelta lobe bays and lacutrine complexes associated with lower delta plain settings as indicated by the boron content (4-71 ppm), petrology (cannel and canneloid) and sedimentology. © 1990.