Characterization of Galena and Vein Paragenesis in the Penjom Gold Mine,Malaysia:Trace Elements,Lead Isotope Study and Relationship to Gold Mineralization Episodes

The Penjom Gold Mine is located 30 km from the Bentong-Raub Suture at the western boundary of the Central Belt in Peninsular Malaysia. Gold mineralization hosted within the vein system is associated with pyrite, arsenopyrite, and minor base metals including galena. Trace element and lead isotope analysis was undertaken on nine samples that represent two stages of galena formed during two tectonic events. Both the Pb isotopes and the trace elements show that the first stage galena within the mineralized areas at the footwall has different geochemical characteristics compared with galena in non mineralized areas in the hanging wall, suggesting that galena crystallized from two different ore fluids and probably at two different times. Higher Te, Se and Bi in the galena from the mineralized area may indicate hydrothermal fluids that migrate through the structural conduit and leached out the metal along the pathway that consist of dominant carbonaceous unit. The Pb isotopic ratio composition are transitional between the bulk crustal growth and an upper crustal growth curve, indicating that derivation was from arc rocks associated with continental crust or a crustal source that includes arc volcanic and old continental sedimentary rocks.

Dolomite genesis and reservoir-cap rock assemblage in carbonate-evaporite paragenesis system

Regarding to the problem on the reservoir-cap rock assemblage evaluation in the carbonate-evaporite paragenesis system,this study examined the dolomite and reservoirs genesis and the characteristics of reservoir-cap rock assemblage.Based on the literature research of the global carbonate reservoirs and the case study on four profiles of carbonate-evaporite succession,together with geological and experimental work,three aspects of understandings are achieved.(1)Lithology of carbonate-evaporite paragenesis system is mainly composed of microbial limestone/bioclastic limestone,microbial dolomite,gypsum dolomite and gypsum salt rock deposited sequentially under the climatic conditions from humid to arid,and vice versa,and an abrupt climate change event would lead to the lack of one or more rock types.(2)There developed two kinds of dolomite(precipitation and metasomatism)and three kinds of reservoirs in the carbonate-evaporite system;and the carbon dioxide and organic acid generated during early microorganism degradation and late microbial dolomite pyrolysis process,and early dolomitization are the main factors affecting the development of microbial dolomite reservoirs with good quality.(3)In theory,there are 14 types of reservoir-cap rock assemblages of six categories in the carbonate-evaporite system,but oil and gas discoveries are mainly in four types of reservoir-cap rock assemblages,namely"microbial limestone/bioclastic limestone–microbial dolomite–gypsum dolomite–gypsum salt rock","microbial limestone/bioclastic limestone–gypsum salt rock","microbial dolomite–gypsum dolomite–gypsum salt rock"and"gypsum dolomite–microbial dolomite–tight carbonate or clastic rock".These four kinds of reservoir-cap rock assemblages should be related with the climate change rules in the geologic history,and have good exploration prospects.

Autunite-Group Minerals and Their Paragenesis from the Sheared Granite of Gabal El Sela, South Eastern Desert, Egypt

G. El Sela is located in the Southern Eastern Desert of Egypt cropping as two parts, occupied by monzogranites that were categorized as biotite granite, muscovite granite and two mica granites. The northern part is more significant according its high concentrations of uranium that controlled by complicated structure regime;faulting, infrastructures and shearing are the most common structural criteria of this part. The Egyptian Nuclear Materials Authority (NMA) mined this part to produce the uranium ore. The previous mineralogical studies indicated that this granite was dominated by primary uranium minerals (pitchblende and coffinite) and secondary minerals belong to the autunite group (autunite, metautunite, phurcalite) in addition to uranophane. In the present work, petrographic and mineralogical studies are applied for the granites using the polarized and stereo microscopes and followed by electron microscope and XRD. The result of the microscopic examinations revealed the tectonic regime controlling the radioactivity and recognized the sodic autunite (meta-natroautunite) beside the pre-mentioned autunite group minerals completing the paragenetic sequrnce of these minerals. In this study, it is concluded that the sheared biotite granite is monzogranite originated during the episode of the continental plate collision (syncollision). The study finished to presence of two main types of the alteration corresponding to the two high levels of radioactivity (moderate and anomalous). The first is the thermal alteration (saussiritization, sericitization, kaolinization, silicification and hematization) and the second is the chemical transformation (oxidation, dehydration, ion substitutions and confusion) responsible for formation of the secondary uranium minerals. The temperature needed for the thermal alteration is sourced by the hydrothermal solutions, while the temperature needed for the uranium minerals transformation may be generated during the episode of the continental plate collision (syncollision). Paragenesis of these minerals indicates that they represent a series of uranyl phosphate minerals (autunite group) with paragenetic sequence starting by autunite (calcic uranyl phosphate) and ends by meta-natroautunite (sodic uranyl phosphate). An advanced process of dehydration accompanies the process of mineral transformation from autunite to meta-natroautunite leading to formation of the anhydrous uranyl mineral (phurcalite) formed by oxidation and dehydration of autunite. Meta-autunite is recorded as a transitional mineral composed of sodic-calcic uranyl phosphate. Uranophane is created by thermal confusion of autunite with the silica.

Reservoir Characterization of Special Dolomite Rock of Fengcheng Formation in Junggar Basin, China

Dolomites and eruptive rocks are well-developed in the Permian Fengcheng Formation in Junggar Basin in China, in which oil and gas are accumulated extensively. Until now, high-yield industrial oil and gas flows have been obtained in the dolomitic tuff of the second unit of the Fengcheng Formation, which demonstrates the huge exploration potential of the thick layer of massive dolomitic tuff. The lithology of the second unit of the Fengcheng Formation in this area has gradually transformed from the dolomite, dolomitic tuff to siltstone from east to west. Moreover, the well testing shows that the reservoir is oil-saturated, and the production rate mainly depends on the reservoir’s physical properties and fracture development. In this study, different types of data including core data, well log and seismic data are used cooperatively to characterize the sedimentary, structure and fracture features of the Fengcheng Formation, and then characterize the promising target zone in the study area. The result indicates that hydrocarbons are most accumulated along the deep fault in the Wu-Xia fault zone, which will be the favorable zone for the next progressive exploration.

Metasomatic origin of garnet xenocrysts from the V.Grib kimberlite pipe,Arkhangelsk region,NW Russia

This paper presents new major and trace element data from 150 garnet xenocrysts from the V.Grib kimberlite pipe located in the central part of the Arkhangelsk diamondiferous province（ADP）.Based on the concentrations of Cr_2O_3,CaO,TiO_2 and rare earth elements（REE） the garnets were divided into seven groups：（1） lherzolitic ＂depleted＂ garnets（ ＂Lz 1＂）,（2） lherzolitic garnets with normal REE patterns（ ＂Lz2＂）,（3） lherzolitic garnets with weakly sinusoidal REE patterns（ ＂Lz 3＂）,（4） lherzolitic garnets with strongly sinusoidal REE patterns（ ＂Lz 4＂）,（5） harzburgitic garnets with sinusoidal REE patterns（ ＂Hz＂）,（6）wehrlitic garnets with weakly sinusoidal REE patterns（ ＂W＂）,（7） garnets of megacryst paragenesis with normal REE patterns（ ＂Meg＂）.Detailed mineralogical and geochemical garnet studies and modeling results suggest several stages of mantle metasomatism influenced by carbonatite and silicate melts.Carbonatitic metasomatism at the first stage resulted in refertilization of the lithospheric mantle,which is evidenced by a nearly vertical CaO-Cr_2O_3 trend from harzburgitic（ ＂Hz＂） to lherzolitic（ ＂Lz 4＂） garnet composition.Harzburgitic garnets（ ＂Hz＂） have probably been formed by interactions between carbonatite melts and exsolved garnets in high-degree melt extraction residues.At the second stage of metasomatism,garnets with weakly sinusoidal REE patterns（ ＂Lz 3＂, ＂W＂） were affected by a silicate melt possessing a REE composition similar to that of ADP alkaline mica-poor picrites.At the last stage,the garnets interacted with basaltic melts,which resulted in the decrease CaO-Cr_2O_3 trend of ＂Lz 2＂ garnet composition.Cr-poor garnets of megacryst paragenesis（ ＂Meg＂） could crystallize directly from the silicate melt which has a REE composition close to that of ADP alkaline mica-poor picrites.P-T estimates of the garnet xenocrysts indicate that the interval of-60-110 km of the lithospheric mantle beneath the V.Grib pipe was predominantly affected by the silicate melts,whereas the lithospheric mantle deeper than150 km was influenced by the carbonatite melts.

Integrated Stratigraphy and Mineralogy of the Doushantuo Formation in Weng’an,South China,and Implications for Ediacaran Phosphogenesis

The Ediacaran–Cambrian Phosphogenic Episode is the Earth’s first true phosphogenic event and resulted in worldwide phosphate deposits,which occurred during the processes of the Neoproterozoic Oxygenation Event.The Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation(ca.635–551 Ma)of Weng’an area in central Guizhou,South China,contains two economic phosphorite beds(the Lower and Upper Phosphorite Beds).This paper presents a detailed stratigraphic,sedimentological and mineralogical study of multiple outcrop and drill core sections of the Doushantuo Formation across the Weng’an area,and identified 11 lithofacies and 4 types of phosphatic grains.Significant differences in lithofacies and grain types between the upper and lower phosphate deposits are observed,indicating that the two sets of phosphate deposits are the products of two distinct phosphogenic processes.The Lower Phosphorite Bed mainly consists of banded and laminated phosphorites,contains micro-oncoids formed by microbially-mediated precipitation and peloids formed by in-situ chemically oscillating reactions,indicating a biochemical and chemical enrichment of phosphorus to sediments during the Early Ediacaran Period.The Upper Phosphorite Bed is mainly composed of carbonaceous,massive,and stromatolitic phosphorites,contains bioclasts(phosphatized spheroidal fossils),and intraclasts formed by hydrodynamic agitation,suggesting that the major accesses of phosphorus to sediments were the remineralization of organic P.Deposition of the two economic phosphorite beds was controlled by two sea-level cycles.Such differences have also been documented in contemporaneous phosphate-bearing successions in Brazil and Mangolia,indicating a significant shift in global phosphogenic mechanism during the early and middle Ediacaran,which may be due to the changes in redox conditions in seawater,associated with the Neoproterozoic Oxygenation Event.These regional active P-cycle processes could produce more free oxygen,which may have contributed to the upcoming Phanerozoic global oxidation.

The radioactive abnormality characteristics of typical regions in Ordos Basin and its geological implications

There are many results of single mineral enrichment characteristic, such as oil, gas, coal and uranium, but little is known about the synergistic research of these important minerals and the study of uranium enrichment features in the deep basin. So, the study on the paragenesis regularity and coexisting relation of many minerals in the basin will promote the integrated forecast and cooperative exploitation of the basin. Based on the plentiful logging data and geological data, this paper studies the distributing feature of higher Gamma abnormality. The analysis on 33 core samples' test results indicates that the increasing of Gamma abnormality is due to the increasing of the uranium element, and the enrichment of uranium is a result of the activation and conglomeration of uranium. On the basis of the recognization of radioactive abnormality and the study about the reality of oil,gas,coal or uranium coexisting in a basin and its mechanism, the paper shows that there is a certain mutual promotion in oil, gas, coal and uranium in the basin, which provides an important theory basis for cooperative exploitation of energy resources.