Geochemistry and geochronology of A-type basement granitoids in the north-central Aravalli Craton: Implications on Paleoproterozoic geodynamics of NW Indian Block

The basement granite gneisses from the north-central Aravalli Craton in NW India were investigated for geochemistry and geochronology.In a peneplain terrain,the granite gneiss outcrops are scanty and samples were collected mainly from two small hills and several ground-level exposures in the Sakhun–Ladera region.Wellfoliated granite gneiss is the dominant lithology that also hosts dark,lenticular enclaves,and is in turn,intruded by mafic dykes.The granite gneiss has silica content ranging from 61.37 wt.%to 68.27 wt.%that marks a slight overlap with the enclaves(54.32wt.%to 62.17wt.%).Both groups have a highK2O/Na2O(~2 or higher)ratio.Geochemically,the granite gneiss classify as granite–granodiorite,and enclaves as granodiorite-diorite.The In-situ LA-ICP-MS zircon U–Pb geochronology of granite gneiss has yielded a statistically valid 1721±9 Ma age that we interpret as the emplacement age for the granitic protolith.Geochemical characteristics of granite gneiss underline fractional crystallization of an I-type melt as themain process,and continuity of trends in enclaves underlines their mutual genetic link.The genetic association is further verified by a consistency in the trace element characteristics and REE patterns.The Nd-isotope signatures define a single grouping for both granite gneiss and enclaves,withεNd(t)values ranging from−6.38 to−6.61,further substantiating a common source.The geochemical tectonic discrimination schemes consistently point toward an extensional setting and A-type characteristics for granite gneiss and enclaves.These are analogous to the coeval(1.72–1.75 Ga),A-type granitoids from the Khetri and Alwar basin in the North Delhi Fold Belt,implying a much larger areal extent for the Paleoproterozoic anorogenic magmatism in the northern segment of the Aravalli Craton.The Paleoproterozoic age for the presumed‘Archean’basement in this region offers tacit evidence that the BGC–II is a stratigraphically younger terrane as compared to the Archean age,BGC–I.

The first extra-large helium-rich gas field identified in a tight sandstone of the Dongsheng Gas Field,Ordos Basin,China

Helium gas is a scarce but important strategic resource,which is usually associated with natural gas.Presently,only one extra-large helium-rich gas field has been found in China:the Hetianhe Gas Field in the Tarim Basin.This paper reports a new example,the Dongsheng Gas Field(DGF)in the Ordos Basin.In this study,92 natural gas samples from the DGF were analyzed for helium content and isotope composition using isotope mass spectrometry.The natural gas samples were found to have an average helium content of 0.133%,with 65(70.7%)of the samples having a helium content of 0.1%or more.Based on the proven natural gas reserves of the DGF,the proven geological helium reserves were calculated to be 1.96×10^(8)m^(3),suggesting that it represents the first extra-large helium-rich natural gas reservoir to be hosted in tight sandstone in China.The ^(3)He/^(4)He ratios of 5 natural gas samples from the DGF are within the range of 3.03×10^(−8)–3.44×10^(−8).Therefore,the helium in the gas field is thought to be of typical crustal origin and to have formed in the granitic basement that is rich in uranium and thorium.The accumulation of helium-rich natural gas was controlled by regional tectonic activities.Activity along the fault connecting the reservoir with the basement caused release of the helium gas,which entered the overlying strata along the fault and accumulated with conventional hydrocarbon gas.Based on the structural background and the distribution of helium source rocks in the Ordos Basin,the main helium source rocks with high exploration potential are located in deep strata within the north and middle parts of the basin.