Geology, geochronology, and exploration of the Jiama giant porphyry copper deposit (11 Mt), Tibet, China: A review

Jiama,with more than 11 Mt of copper metal,is the largest porphyry-skarn copper system in the Gangdese metallogenic belt,Tibet,China,creating ideal conditions for deciphering the origin of porphyry ores in a collision setting.Despite massive studies of the geology,chronology,petrogenesis,and ore-related fluids and their sources in Jiama,there is a lack of systematic summaries and reviews of this system.In contrast to traditional porphyry copper systems in a subduction setting,recent studies and exploration suggest that the Jiama deposit includes porphyry-type Mo-Cu,skarn-type Cu polymetallic,vein-type Au and manto orebodies.This paper reviews the latest studies on the geology,chronology,petrogenesis,fluid inclusions,and isotopic geochemistry(hydrogen,oxygen,sulfur,and lead)of the Jiama deposit.Accordingly,a multi-center complex mineralization model was constructed,indicating that multi-phase intrusions from the same magma reservoir can form multiple hydrothermal centers.These centers are mutually independent and form various orebodies or are superimposed on each other and form thick,high-grade orebodies.Finally,a new comprehensive exploration model was established for the Jiama porphyry copper system.Both models established in this study help to refine the theories on continental-collision metallogeny and porphyry copper systems.

Lateral bearing characteristics of subsea wellhead assembly in the hydrate trial production engineering

Conductor and suction anchor are the key equipment providing bearing capacity in the field of deep-water drilling or offshore engineering,which have the advantages of high operation efficiency and short construction period.In order to drill a horizontal well in the shallow hydrate reservoir in the deep water,the suction anchor wellhead assembly is employed to undertake the main vertical bearing capacity in the second round of hydrate trial production project,so as to reduce the conductor running depth and heighten the kick-off point position.However,the deformation law of the deep-water suction anchor wellhead assembly under the moving load of the riser is not clear,and it is necessary to understand the lateral bearing characteristics to guide the design of its structural scheme.Based on 3D solid finite element method,the solid finite element model of the suction anchor wellhead assembly is established.In the model,the seabed soil is divided into seven layers,the contact between the wellhead assembly and the soil is simulated,and the vertical load and bending moment are applied to the wellhead node to simulate the riser movement when working in the deep water.The lateral bearing stability of conventional wellhead assembly and suction anchor wellhead assembly under the influence of wellhead load is discussed.The analysis results show that the bending moment is the main factor affecting the lateral deformation of the wellhead string;the anti-bending performance from increasing the outer conductor diameter is better than that from increasing the conductor wall thickness;for the subsea wellhead,the suction anchor obviously improves the lateral bearing capacity and reduces the lateral deformation.The conduct of the suction anchor wellhead assembly still needs to be lowered to a certain depth that below the maximum disturbed depth to ensure the lateral bearing stability,Thus,a method for the minimum conductor running depth for the suction anchor wellhead assembly is developed.The field implementations show that compared with the first round of hydrate trial production project,the conductor running depth is increased by 9.42 m,and there is no risk of wellhead overturning during the trial production.The method for determining the minimum conductor running depth in this paper is feasible and will still play an important role in the subsequent hydrate exploration and development.

Geological characteristics of unconventional tight oil reservoir (10^(9) t): A case study of Upper Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation, northern Songliao Basin, NE China

The Daqing exploration area in the northern Songliao Basin has great potential for unconventional oil and gas resources,among which the total resources of tight oil alone exceed 109 t and is regarded as an important resource base of Daqing oilfield.After years of exploration in the Qijia area,Songliao Basin,NE China,tight oil has been found in the Upper Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation.To work out tight oil’s geological characteristics,taking tight oil in Gaotaizi oil layers of the Upper Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation in northern Songliao Basin as an example,this paper systematically analyzed the geological characteristics of unconventional tight oil in Gao3 and Gao4 layers of the Qijia area,based on the data of the geological survey,well drilling journey,well logging,and test.It is that three sets of hydrocarbon source rocks(K2qn1,K2qn2+3,and K2n1)develop in the examined area,and exhibit excellent type I and II kerogens,high organic matter abundance,and moderate maturity.The reservoir is generally composed of thin-bedded mudstone,siltstone,and sandstone,and presents poor porosity(average 8.5 vol.%)and air permeability(average 4 mD).The main reservoir space primarily includes intergranular pores,secondary soluble pores,and intergranular soluble pores.Three types of orifice throats were identified,namely fine throat,extra-fine throat,and micro-fine throat.The siltstone is generally oil-bearing,the reservoirs with slime and calcium become worse oil-bearing,and the mudstone has no obvious oil-bearing characteristics.The brittleness indices of the sandstone in the tight oil reservoir range from 40%to 60%,and those of the mudstone range from 40%to 45%,indicating a better brittleness of the tight oil reservoir.Based on the study of typical core hole data,this paper gives a comprehensive evaluation of the properties of the tight oil and establishes a tight oil single well composite bar chart as well as the initial evaluation system with the core of properties in the tight oil reservoir.This study has theoretical guiding significance and practical application value for tight oil exploration and evaluation in the Qijia area.

Distribution characteristics, exploration and development, geological theories research progress and exploration directions of shale gas in China

The shale gas resources in China have great potential and the geological resources of shale gas is over 100×10^(12)m^(3),which includes about 20×10^(12)m^(3) of recoverable resources.Organic-rich shales can be divided into three types according to their sedimentary environments,namely marine,marine-continental transitional,and continental shales,which are distributed in 13 stratigraphic systems from the Mesoproterozoic to the Cenozoic.The Sichuan Basin and its surrounding areas have the highest geological resources of shale gas,and the commercial development of shale gas has been achieved in the Upper Ordovician Wufeng Formation-Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation in these areas,with a shale gas production of up to 20×10^(9)m^(3) in 2020.China has seen rapid shale gas exploration and development over the last five years,successively achieving breakthroughs and important findings in many areas and strata.The details are as follows.(1)Large-scale development of middle-shallow shale gas(burial depth:less than 3500 m)has been realized,with the productivity having rapidly increased;(2)breakthroughs have been constantly made in the development of deep shale gas(burial depth:3500-4500 m),and the ultradeep shale gas(burial depth:greater than 4500 m)is under testing;(3)breakthroughs have been made in the development of normal-pressure shale gas,and the assessment of the shale gas in complex tectonic areas is being accelerated;(4)shale gas has been frequently discovered in new areas and new strata,exhibiting a great prospect.Based on the exploration and development practice,three aspects of consensus have been gradually reached on the research progress in the geological theories of shale gas achieved in China.(1)in terms of deep-water fine-grained sediments,organic-rich shales are the base for the formation of shale gas;(2)in terms of high-quality reservoirs,the development of micro-nano organic matter-hosted pores serves as the core of shale gas accumulation;(3)in terms of preservation conditions,weak structural transformation,a moderate degree of thermal evolution,and a high pressure coefficient are the key to shale gas enrichment.As a type of important low-carbon fossil energy,shale gas will play an increasingly important role in achieving the strategic goals of peak carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutrality.Based on the in-depth study of shale gas geological conditions and current exploration progress,three important directions for shale gas exploration in China in the next five years are put forward.

Research and exploration progress on lithium deposits in China

Since 2012,some advances have been made through the resource investigation,metallogenesis research,and comprehensive utilizing of lithium deposits in China.Firstly,the progress of lithium exploration has been made in Sichuan,Xinjiang,Qinghai and Jiangxi provinces(autonomous region).Li deposits are not only found within the pegmatite rocks but also within the granitic rocks and sedimentary rocks.Secondly,the methods of geological survey,geochemical and geophysical exploration,remote sensing technology and even drilling technology have been improved,which can be delineating orebodies quickly.Thirdly,the mechanisms of Li mineralization were summarized by analyzing the relationship between the Li contents and kinds of geological phenomena.Based on practice,a new understanding of"multi-cycle,deep circulation,integration of internal and external"metallogenic mechanism or"MDIE"metallogenic mechanism for short has been put forwarded further in this paper,and the"five levels+basement"exploration model has been successfully expanded to guide the prospecting work both in the Jiajika and Keeryin pegmatite ore fields in western Sichuan Province.Besides,new progress has been made in the aspect of amblygonite deposits of granite-type and hydrothermal type in the Mufushan-Jiuling ore district,which points out a new direction for prospecting new types of lithium deposits in China.

Petroleum geology and exploration direction of gas province in deepwater area of North Carnarvon Basin, Australia

North Carnarvon Basin is a gas province with minor oily sweet spots in deepwater area with water depth more than 500 m,which is one of the hot spots of global petroleum exploration for its series of giant hydrocarbon discoveries in recent years.However,the degree of oil and gas exploration in deepwater area is still low,and the conditions for oil and gas accumulation are not clear.Based on the current exploration situation and latest database of fields,applying multidisciplinary analysis of hydrocarbon geology,hydrocarbon accumulation elements and its exploration direction of North Carnarvon Basin in deepwater area are analyzed.The results show that there are three sets of main source rocks in deepwater area of North Carnarvon Basin,which are Triassic marine shale in Locker Formation and delta coal-bearing mudstone with thin carbonaceous mudstone in Mungaroo Formation,Lower–Middle Jurassic paralic carbargilite and coal measure strata in Athol Formation and Murat Formation,Cretaceous delta mudstone in Barrow Group and marine shale in Muderong Formation.Most source rock samples show gas-prone capability.The coarse sandstone of delta facies in Middle–Upper Triassic Mungaroo Formation is the most important reservoir in deepwater area,Lower Cretaceous Barrow Group deep-water gravity flow or underwater fan turbidite sandstone is the secondly main reservoir.Lower Cretaceous marine shale in Muderong Formation is most important regional caprock.Triassic mudstone in Mungaroo Formation is an important interlayer caprock in deepwater area.There are two main reservoir accumulation assemblages in deepwater area,one is Triassic structural-unconformity plane reservoir accumulation assemblage of Locker Formation to Mungaroo Formation,and the other is Lower–Middle Jurassic Athol Formation and Murat Formation–Lower Cretaceous stratigraphic lithology-structural reservoir accumulation assemblage of Barrow Group to Muderong Formation.There are three main control factors of hydrocarbon Accumulation:One is coupling of source and seal control hydrocarbon distribution area,the second is multi-stage large wave dominated deltas dominate accumulation zone,the third is direction of hydrocarbon migration and accumulation in hydrocarbon-rich generation depression was controlled by overpressure.The south of Exmouth platform in deepwater area is adjacent to hydrocarbon rich depression zone,reservoir assemblage is characterized by“near source rocks,excellent reservoir facies,high position and excellent caprocks”,which is the main battlefield of deepwater oil and gas exploration in North Carnarvon Basin at present.There are a lot of fault block traps in the northern structural belt of Exmouth platform,and the favorable sedimentary facies belt at the far end of delta plain in Mungaroo Formation is widely distributed,which is the next favorable exploration zone.The Lower Cretaceous,which is located at the concave edge uplift adjacent to the investigator depression and the Exmouth platform,also has a certain exploration prospect in northwest of deepwater area.

Deep gold mineralization features of Jiaojia metallogenic belt,Jiaodong gold Province:Based on the breakthrough of 3000 m exploration drilling

Recently,continuous breakthroughs have been made about deep gold prospecting in the Jiaodong gold province area of China.Approximately 5000 t of cumulative gold resources have been explored in Jiaodong,which has thus become an internationally noteworthy gold ore cluster.The gold exploration depth has been increased to about 2000 m from the previous<1000 m.To further explore the mineralization potential of the Jiaodong area at a depth of about 3000 m,the Shandong Institute of Geological Sciences has drilled an exploratory drillhole named“Deep drillhole ZK01”to a depth of 3266 m.Hence,as reported herein,the mineralization characteristics of the Jiaojia metallogenic belt have been successfully documented.ZK01 is,to date,the deepest borehole with an gold intersect in China,and constitutes a significant advance in deep gold prospecting in China.The findings of this study further indicate that the depth interval of 2000 m to 4000 m below the ground surface in the Wuyi Village area incorporates 912 t of inferred gold resources,while the depth interval of 2000 m to 4000 m below the surface across the Jiaodong area possesses about 4000 t of inferred gold resources.The Jiaojia Fault Belt tends to gently dip downward,having dip angles of about 25°and about 20°at vertical depths of 2000 m and 2850 m,respectively.The deep part of the Jiaojia metallogenic belt differs from the shallow and moderately deep parts about fracturing,alteration,mineralization,and tectonic type.The deep zones can generally be categorized from inside outward as cataclastic granite,granitic cataclasite,weakly beresitized granitic cataclasite,beresitized cataclasite,and gouge.These zones exhibit a gradual transitional relation or occur alternately and repeatedly.The mineralization degree of the pyritized cataclastic granite-type ore in the deep part of the Jiaojia metallogenic belt is closely related to the degree of pyrite vein development;that is,the higher the pyrite content,the wider the veins and the higher the gold grade.Compared to the shallow gold ores,the deep-seated gold ores have higher fineness and contain joseite,tetradymite,and native bismuth,suggesting that the deep gold mineralization temperature is higher and that mantle-sourced material may have contributed to this mineralization.ZK01 has also revealed that the deep-seated ore bodies in the Jiaojia metallogenic belt are principally situated above the main fracture plane(gouge)and hosted within the Linglong Granite,contradicting previous findings indicating that the moderately shallow gold ore bodies are usually hosted in the contact zone between the Linglong Granite and Jiaodong Group or meta-gabbro.These new discoveries are particularly significant because they can help correct mineralization prospecting models,determine favorable positions for deep prospecting,and improve metallogenic prediction and resource potential evaluation.

The characteristics, formation and exploration progress of the potash deposits on the Khorat Plateau, Thailand and Laos, Southeast Asia

The giant potash deposit on the Khorat Plateau is one of the most promising targets for exploitation of potassium salts.So far,many researches and geologic survey have been conducted on the giant potash deposits.Hence,it is necessary to make an overall review on the potash deposits.The potash deposit on the Khorat Plateau was formed during the Middle to Late Cretaceous,during which seawater was enriched in Ca2+and depleted in SO42-compared with those of modern seawater.In addition to seawater,continental water and hydrothermal fluids could have affected the evaporite basins.The seawater was probably derived from Tethys ocean,and the brine should have evaporated to some extent before entering into the basin systems based on the evidence of absence of carbonates and unproportionate sulphate compared with chloride salts.The paleo-climate during Middle to Late Cretaceous was characterized as high temperature and extremely arid environment,which is favourable for deposition of potassium-magnesium saline minerals.The major saline minerals are of anhydrite,halite,carnallite,sylvite and,tachyhydrite,with trace amounts of borates.The resources of the potash deposit on the Khorat Plateau could be approximately as much as 400×109 t of carnallite and 7×109 t of sylvite.The evaporite sequences have been deformed and altered by postdepositinal processes,including tectonic movements and chemical alteration.Salt domes were formed in the postdepositional processes.Based on the analyses of geophysical surveys and drilling projects,high-quality sylvinite ores are commonly found at the flanks of those salt domes due to incongruent dissolution of carnallite.The furure potential prospecting areas for the highquality sylvinite ores would be on the edges of the Khorat Plateau.

Seismic fine imaging and its significance for natural gas hydrate exploration in the Shenhu Test Area, South China Sea

Shenhu area in South China Sea includes extensive collapse and diapir structures,forming high-angle faults and vertical fracture system,which functions as a fluid migration channel for gas hydrate formation.In order to improve the imaging precision of natural gas hydrate in this area,especially for fault and fracture structures,the present work propose a velocity stitching technique that accelerates effectively the convergence of the shallow seafloor,indicating seafloor horizon interpretation and the initial interval velocity for model building.In the depth domain,pre-stack depth migration and residual curvature are built into the model based on high-precision grid-tomography velocity inversion,after several rounds of tomographic iterations,as the residual velocity field converges gradually.Test results of the Shenhu area show that the imaging precision of the fault zone is obviously improved,the fracture structures appear more clearly,the wave group characteristics significantly change for the better and the signal-to-noise ratio and resolution are improved.These improvements provide the necessary basis for the new reservoir model and field drilling risk tips,help optimize the favorable drilling target,and are crucial for the natural gas resource potential evaluation.

Classification,metallogenesis and exploration of silver deposits in Daxing’anling of Inner Mongolia and its adjacent areas

By the end of 2020,83 silver deposits(or ore occurrences),including four super-large-scale deposits,nine large-scale deposits,33 medium-scale deposits and 37 small-scale deposits or ore occurrences,have been proved.The amount of silver metal exceeds 86000 t with average grade of 100 g/t,which makes Daxing’anling region one of the the most important silver ore belt in China.However,the metallogenic characteristics and metallogenesis need to be clarified.The silver deposits in the study area are classified into three main types,which are magmatic hydrothermal vein type,continental volcano-subvolcanic type and skarn type,respectively.The supergiant deposits include the Shuangjianzishan deposit(silver metal amount of 15214 t with average grade of 138 g/t),the Baiyinchagandongshan deposit(silver metal amount of 9446 t with average grade of 187 g/t),the Huaobaote deposit(silver metal amount of 6852 t with average grade of 170 g/t),and the Fuxingtun deposit(silver metal amount of 5240 t with average grade of 196 g/t).The silver deposits are mainly distributed in the central and south of the Daxing’anling area,and mainly formed in the Yanshanian period.The silver polymetallic deposits in the Daxinganling area are significantly controlled by regional faults and the junction zone of volcanic rock basins and their margins.The north-east trending deep faults are the most important ore-controlling structures in this area.The distribution of silver polymetallic deposits along the main faults is obvious,and the intersection area of multiple groups of faults often form important mine catchments.The Permian is the most important ore-bearing formation in this area,but some important silver polymetallic deposits occur in Mesozoic volcanic basins or pre-Mesozoic strata.The magmatic rocks related to mineralization are mainly intermediate acidic or acidic intrusions,intermediate acidic lavas,pyroclastic rocks,and small intrusions of ultra-shallow or shallow facies of the Yanshanian Period.The mineralization element combination is mainly determined by the elemental geochemical background of surrounding rocks or source layers.In addition,the type of deposit,the distance from the mineralization center,and the degree of differentiation of ore-forming rock mass are also important influence factors.The article analyzes the prospecting prospects of each silver deposit type in the study area,discusses the relationship between mineralization center and deep prospecting,and proposes that porphyry silver deposits should be paid attention to.In the prospecting and exploration of silver deposits,comprehensive evaluation and multi-target prospecting need to be strengthened because silver can coexist or be associated with a variety of metals.

Lithium extraction from hard rock lithium ores(spodumene,lepidolite,zinnwaldite,petalite):Technology,resources,environment and cost

Lithium production in China mainly depends on hard rock lithium ores,which has a defect in resources,environment,and economy compared with extracting lithium from brine.This paper focuses on the research progress of extracting lithium from spodumene,lepidolite,petalite,and zinnwaldite by acid,alkali,salt roasting,and chlorination methods,and analyzes the resource intensity,environmental impact,and production cost of industrial lithium extraction from spodumene and lepidolite.It is found that the sulfuric acid method has a high lithium recovery rate,but with a complicated process and high energy consumption;alkali and chlorination methods can directly react with lithium ores,reducing energy consumption,but need to optimize reaction conditions and safety of equipment and operation;the salt roasting method has large material flux and high energy consumption,so require adjustment of sulfate ratio to increase the lithium yield and reduce production cost.Compared with extracting lithium from brine,extracting lithium from ores,calcination,roasting,purity,and other processes consume more resources and energy;and its environmental impact mainly comes from the pollutants discharged by fossil energy,9.3-60.4 times that of lithium extracted from brine.The processing cost of lithium extraction from lepidolite by sulfate roasting method is higher than that from spodumene by sulfuric acid due to the consumption of high-value sulfate.However,the production costs of both are mainly affected by the price of lithium ores,which is less competitive than that of extracting lithium from brine.Thus,the process of extracting lithium from ores should develop appropriate technology,shorten the process flow,save resources and energy,and increase the recovery rate of related elements to reduce environmental impact and improve the added value of by-products and the economy of the process.

The long-lived partial melting of the Greater Himalayas in southern Tibet, constraints from the Miocene Gyirong anatectic pegmatite and its prospecting potential for rare element minerals

The Cenozoic Himalayan leucogranite-pegmatite belt has been a hotspot for rare metal exploration in recent years.To determine the genesis of the pegmatite in the Himalayan region and its relationship with the Greater Himalayan Crystalline Complex(GHC),the Gyirong pegmatite in southern Tibet was chosen for geochronological and geochemical studies.The dating analyses indicate that the U-Th-Pb ages of zircon,monazite,and xenotime exhibit large variations(38.6‒16.1 Ma),with the weighted average value of the four youngest points is 16.5±0.3 Ma,which indicates that the final stage of crystallization of the melt occurred in the Miocene.The age of the muscovite Ar-Ar inverse isochron is 15.2±0.4 Ma,which is slightly later than the intrusion age,showing that a cooling process associated with rapid denudation occurred at 16‒15 Ma.TheεHf(t)values of the Cenozoic anatectic zircons cluster between−12 and−9 with an average of−11.4.The Gyirong pegmatite shows high contents of Si,Al,and K,a high Al saturation index,and low contents of Na,Ca,Fe,Mn,P,Mg,and Ti.Overall,the Gyirong pegmatite is enriched in Rb,Cs,U,K,Th and Pb and depleted in Nb,Ta,Zr,Ti,Eu,Sr,and Ba.The samples show a high 87Sr/86Sr(16 Ma)ratio of ca.0.762 and a lowεNd(16 Ma)value of−16.0.The calculated average initial values of 208Pb/204Pb(16 Ma),207Pb/204Pb(16 Ma)and 206Pb/204Pb(16 Ma)of the whole rock are 39.72,15.79 and 19.56,respectively.The Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotopic characteristics of the Gyirong pegmatite are consistent with those of the GHC.This study concludes that the Gyirong pegmatite represents a typical crustal‒derived anatectic pegmatite with low metallogenic potential for rare metals.The Gyirong pegmatite records the long‒term metamorphism and partial melting process of the GHC,and reflects the crustal thickening caused by thrust compression at 39‒29 Ma and the crustal thinning induced by extensional decompression during 28‒15 Ma.

Evaluation of the oil and gas preservation conditions, source rocks, and hydrocarbongenerating potential of the Qiangtang Basin: New evidence from the scientific drilling project

The Qiangtang Basin of the Tibetan Plateau,located in the eastern Tethys tectonic domain,is the largest new marine petroliferous region for exploration in China.The scientific drilling project consisting primarily of well QK-1 and its supporting shallow boreholes for geological surveys(also referred to as the Project)completed in recent years contributes to a series of new discoveries and insights into the oil and gas preservation conditions and source rock evaluation of the Qiangtang Basin.These findings differ from previous views that the Qiangtang Basin has poor oil and gas preservation conditions and lacks high-quality source rocks.As revealed by well QK-1 and its supporting shallow boreholes in the Project,the Qiangtang Basin hosts two sets of high-quality regional seals,namely an anhydrite layer in the Quemo Co Formation and the gypsum-bearing mudstones in the Xiali Formation.Moreover,the Qiangtang Basin has favorable oil and gas preservation conditions,as verified by the comprehensive study of the sealing capacity of seals,basin structure,tectonic uplift,magmatic activity,and groundwater motion.Furthermore,the shallow boreholes have also revealed that the Qiangtang Basin has high-quality hydrocarbon source rocks in the Upper Triassic Bagong Formation,which are thick and widely distributed according to the geological and geophysical data.In addition,the petroleum geological conditions,such as the type,abundance,and thermal evolution of organic matter,indicate that the Qiangtang Basin has great hydrocarbon-generating potential.

Classification and mineralization of global lithium deposits and lithium extraction technologies for exogenetic lithium deposits

A reasonable classification of deposits holds great significance for identifying prospecting targets and deploying exploration. The world ’s keen demand for lithium resources has expedited the discovery of numerous novel lithium resources. Given the presence of varied classification criteria for lithium resources presently, this study further ascertained and classified the lithium resources according to their occurrence modes, obtaining 10 types and 5 subtypes of lithium deposits(resources) based on endogenetic and exogenetic factors. As indicated by surveys of Cenozoic exogenetic lithium deposits in China and abroad,the formation and distribution of the deposits are primarily determined by plate collision zones, their primary material sources are linked to the anatectic magmas in the deep oceanic crust, and they were formed primarily during the Miocene and Late Paleogene. The researchers ascertained that these deposits,especially those of the salt lake, geothermal, and volcanic deposit types, are formed by unique slightly acidic magmas, tend to migrate and accumulate toward low-lying areas, and display supernormal enrichment. However, the material sources of lithium deposits(resources) of the Neopaleozoic clay subtype and the deep brine type are yet to be further identified. Given the various types and complex origins of lithium deposits(resources), which were formed due to the interactions of multiple spheres, it is recommended that the mineralization of exogenetic lithium deposits(resources) be investigated by integrating tectono-geochemistry, paleoatmospheric circulation, and salinology. So far, industrialized lithium extraction is primarily achieved in lithium deposits of the salt lake, clay, and hard rock types. The lithium extraction employs different processes, with lithium extraction from salt lake-type lithium deposits proving the most energy-saving and cost-effective.

Passability test and simulation of sand control string with natural gas hydrates completion in large curvature hole

To meet the requirements of marine natural gas hydrate exploitation,it is necessary to improve the penetration of completion sand control string in the large curvature borehole.In this study,large curvature test wells were selected to carry out the running test of sand control string with pre-packed screen.Meanwhile,the running simulation was performed by using the Landmark software.The results show that the sand control packer and screen can be run smoothly in the wellbore with a dogleg angle of more than 20°/30 m and keep the structure stable.Additionally,the comprehensive friction coefficient is 0.4,under which and the simulation shows that the sand control string for hydrate exploitation can be run smoothly.These findings have important guiding significance for running the completion sand control string in natural gas hydrate exploitation.

Geology and mineralization of the Duobaoshan supergiant porphyry Cu-Au-Mo-Ag deposit(2.36 Mt)in Heilongjiang Province,China:A review

The reserves of the Duobaoshan porphyry Cu-Au-Mo-Ag deposit(also referred to as the Duobaoshan porphyry Cu deposit)ranks first among the copper deposits in China and 33rd among the porphyry copper deposits in the world.It has proven resources of copper(Cu),molybdenum(Mo),gold(Au),and silver(Ag)of 2.28×10^(6)t,80×10^(3)t,73 t,and 1046 t,respectively.The major characteristics of the Duobaoshan porphyry Cu deposit are as follows.It is located in a zone sandwiched by the Siberian,North China,and paleo-Pacific plates in an island arc tectonic setting and was formed by the Paleozoic mineralization and the Mesozoic mineralization induced by superposition and transformation.The metallogenic porphyries are the Middle Hercynian granodiorite porphyries.The alterations of surrounding rocks are distributed in a ring form.With silicified porphyries at the center,the alteration zones of K-feldspar,biotite,sericite,and propylite occur from inside to outside.This deposit is composed of 215 ore bodies(including 14 major ore bodies)in four mineralized zones.Ore body No.X in the No.3 mineralized zone has the largest resource reserves,accounting for more than 78%of the total reserves of the deposit.Major ore components include Cu,Mo,Au,Ag,Se,and Ga,which have an average content of 0.46%,0.015%,0.16 g/t,1.22 g/t,0.0003%,and 0.001%-0.003%,respectively.The ore minerals of this deposit primarily include pyrite,chalcopyrite,bornite,and molybdenite,followed by magnetite,hematite,rutile,gelenite,and sphalerite.The ore-forming fluids of this deposit were magmatic water in the early metallogenic stage and then the mixture of meteoric water and magmatic water at the late metallogenic stage.The ore-forming fluids experienced three stages.The ore-forming fluids of stageⅠhad a hydrochemical type of H_(2)O-CO_(2)-Na Cl,an ore-forming temperature of 375-650℃,and ore-forming pressure of 110-160 MPa.The ore-forming fluids of stageⅡhad a hydrochemical type of H_(2)O-CO_(2)-Na Cl,an ore-forming temperature of 310-350℃,and ore-forming pressure of 58-80 MPa.The ore-forming fluids of stageⅢhad a hydrochemical type of Na Cl-H_(2)O,an ore-forming temperature of 210-290℃,and ore-forming pressure of 5-12 MPa.The CuAu-Mo-Ag mineralization mainly occurred at stagesⅠandⅡ,with the ore-forming materials having a mixed crust-mantle source.The Duobaoshan porphyry Cu deposit was formed in the initial subduction environment of the Paleo-Asian Ocean Plate during the Early Ordovician.Then,due to the closure of the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean and the subduction and compression of the Paleo-Pacific Ocean,a composite orogenic metallogenic model of the deposit was formed.In other words,it is a porphyry-epithermal copper-gold polymetallic mineralization system of composite orogeny consisting of Paleozoic island arcs and Mesozoic orogeny and extension.

The first discovery of Xinlong epithermal gold deposit in southern margin of the Bangonghu-Nujiang metallogenic belt: A new expansion of gold prospecting in Northern Tibet

The Xinlong gold deposit is located in Niyma County,Naqu area of Tibet and was discovered by the Institute of Mineral Resources,Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences through the 1∶50000 mineral geological survey.The ore bodies occur in the Zenong Group volcanic rocks in the middle section of the central Lhasa subterrane and are structurally controlled by the NNW-striking faults.Four ore bodies have been found,exhibiting cloddy,dense-sparse,disseminated,and breccia structures.The ore minerals are mainly tetrahedrite group minerals,and other ore minerals include pyrite,chalcopyrite,nevskite,bornite,anglesite,native gold,and silver-gold bearing selenide,etc.The types of alteration are dominated by silicification,as well as middle-and high-graded argillization.The alteration mineral assemblages contain quzrtz,pyrophyllite,and kaolinite.The Zaliela Formation volcanic rocks of Zenong Group are silicified by later hydrothermal fluid with vuggy quartz in some fractured zones.The middle-and high-graded argillization are characterized by pyrophyllitization and kaolinization.The Xinlong gold deposit shows great metallogenetic potentiality and has been revealed by 1∶10000 geological mapping,IP sounding,and trial trenching in the mining area.Combined with the regional metallogenic geological setting,we suppose that a potential epithermal gold belt probably exists in the middle of the Lhasa terrane.The discovery of the Xinlong gold deposit opens a new chapter for the gold prospecting in Northern Tibet.

Mineralization of the Liwu large-scale stratiform copper deposits in Sichuan Province, China: Constraints from fluid inclusions

The Liwu stratiform copper deposit is located in the northwestern Jianglang dome,western China.Current studies mainly focus on the genetic type and mineralization of this deposit.Detailed fluid inclusion characteristics of metallogenic period quartz veins were studied to reveal the ore-forming fluid features.Laser Raman analysis indicates that the ore-forming fluids is a H_(2)O-NaCl-CH_(4)(-CO_(2))system.Fluid inclusions microthermometry shows a homogenization temperature of 181-375°C and a salinity of 5.26%-16.99%for the disseminated-banded Cu-Zn mineralization;but a homogenization temperature of 142-343°C and a salinity of 5.41%-21.19%for the massive-veined Cu-Zn mineralization.These features suggest a medium-high temperature and a medium salinity for the ore-forming fluids.H-O isotopic data indicates that the ore-forming fluids were mainly from the metamorphic and magmatic water,plus minor formation water.And sulfur isotopic data indicates that sulfur was mainly derived from the formation and magmatic rocks.Metallogenesis of the disseminated-banded mineralization was mainly correlated with fluid mixing and water-rock reaction;whereas that of the massive-veined mineralization was mainly correlated with fluid boiling.The genetic type of the deposit is a medium-high temperature hydrothermal deposit related to magmatism and controlled by shear zones.This study is beneficial to understand the stratiform copper deposit.

Melt extraction and mineralization: A case study from the Shuangjianzishan supergiant Ag-Pb-Zn deposit(208 Mt), Inner Mongolia, NE China

The supergiant Shuangjianzishan(SJZ) Ag-Pb-Zn deposit is in the southern segment of the Great Hinggan Range(SGHR), northeast China. Previous studies suggest the ore-forming material and fluid originated from the magmatic system, and the mineralization age was consistent with the diagenetic age. However,the relationship between granitic magmatism and mineralization is still unclear in the SJZ. In this study, CH-O-He-Ar and in-situ S-Pb isotope analyses were conducted to determine the sources of ore-forming fluids and metals, which were combined with geochemistry data of SJZ granitoids from previous studies to constrain the relationship between the magmatism and the mineralization. The C-H-O-He-Ar-S-Pb isotopic compositions suggested the SJZ ore-forming material and fluids were derived from a magmatic source, which has mixed a small amount of mantle-derived materials. In addition, the disseminated sulfide from the syenogranite has comparable S-Pb isotopic composition with the sulfide minerals from ore veins,suggesting that the generation of the SJZ ore-forming fluids has a close relationship with the syenogranite magmatism. Combining with the geochemical characters of the syenogranite, the authors proposed that the mantle-derived fingerprint of the SJZ ore-forming fluid might be caused by the parent magma of the syenogranite, which was derived from partial melting of the juvenile lower crust, and underwent the residual melts segregated from a crystal mush in the shallow magma reservoir. The extraction of the syenogranite parent magma further concentrated the fertilized fluids, which was crucial to mineralization of the SJZ Ag-Pb-Zn deposit.

Geology and mineralization of the Daheishan supergiant porphyry molybdenum deposit(1.65 Bt),Jilin,China:A review

The Daheishan supergiant porphyry molybdenum deposit(also referred to as the Daheishan deposit)is the second largest molybdenum deposit in Asia and ranks fifth among the top seven molybdenum deposits globally with total molybdenum reserves of 1.65 billion tons,an average molybdenum ore grade of 0.081%,and molybdenum resources of 1.09 million tons.The main ore body is housed in the granodiorite porphyry plutons and their surrounding inequigranular granodiorite plutons,with high-grade ores largely located in the ore-bearing granodiorite porphyries in the middle-upper part of the porphyry plutons.Specifically,it appears as an ore pipe with a large upper part and a small lower part,measuring about 1700 m in length and width,extending for about 500 m vertically,and covering an area of 2.3 km^(2).Mineralogically,the main ore body consists of molybdenite,chalcopyrite,and sphalerite horizontally from its center outward and exhibits molybdenite,azurite,and pyrite vertically from top to bottom.The primary ore minerals include pyrite and molybdenite,and the secondary ore minerals include sphalerite,chalcopyrite,tetrahedrite,and scheelite,with average grades of molybdenum,copper,sulfur,gallium,and rhenium being 0.081%,0.033%,1.67%,0.001%,and 0.0012%,respectively.The ore-forming fluids of the Daheishan deposit originated as the CO_(2)-H_(2)O-NaCl multiphase magmatic fluid system,rich in CO_(2)and bearing minor amounts of CH4,N2,and H2S,and later mixed with meteoric precipitation.In various mineralization stages,the ore-forming fluids had homogenization temperatures of>420℃‒400℃,360℃‒350℃,340℃‒230℃,220℃‒210℃,and 180℃‒160℃and salinities of>41.05%‒9.8%NaCleqv,38.16%‒4.48%NaCleqv,35.78%‒4.49%NaCleqv,7.43%NaCleqv,and 7.8%‒9.5%NaCleqv,respectively.The mineralization of the Daheishan deposit occurred at 186‒167 Ma.The granites closely related to the mineralization include granodiorites(granodiorite porphyries)and monzogranites(monzogranite porphyries),which were mineralized after magmatic evolution(189‒167 Ma).Moreover,these mineralization-related granites exhibit low initial strontium content and high initial neodymium content,indicating that these granites underwent crust-mantle mixing.The Daheishan deposit formed during the Early-Middle Jurassic,during which basaltic magma underplating induced the lower-crust melting,leading to the formation of magma chambers.After the fractional crystallization of magmas,ore-bearing fluids formed.As the temperature and pressure decreased,the ore-bearing fluids boiled drops while ascending,leading to massive unloading of metal elements.Consequently,brecciated and veinlet-disseminated ore bodies formed.