Geochemistry of Ore Fluids and Rb-Sr Isotopic Dating for the Wulong Gold Deposit in Liaoning, China

On the basis of detailed geological studies of the Wulong gold deposit, three metallogenic stages can be identified. With quartz fluid inclusions as an object of study, the authors investigated phase characteristics, compositional variations, temperature and pressure changes, fluid evolution, Pb isotope tracing and Rb-Sr isotopic dating of fluid inclusions entrapped in the above three metallogenic stages. The results show that Na+ is decreased obviously with metallogenic evolution, while K+ and other cations and gas compositions (H2, CO, CH4 and CO2) are increased slightly, and that the temperature and salinity vary in a pulsating manner along with the metallogenic evolution. Inverse calculation of hydrogen and oxygen isotopes indicate that at the first metallogenic stage the fluids were magmatic water, at the second stage they were dominated by magmatic water with a minor amount of meteoric water involved, and at the third stage, i.e., the final stage of metallogenesis, the fluids were composed completely of meteoric water. Its Pb isotopic composition implicates that the ore lead has some affinities with the lead in the Sanguliu granite, but the linear array of the ore-lead isotopic data reflects a mixing source of two end members. It can be deduced that the ore-forming materials and magma were both derived mainly from the same magma source region at depths. The Rb-Sr isotopic ages of the fluid inclusions are 112.2±3.2 Ma, indicating that the Wulong gold deposit was formed during the Yanshanian period.

Characteristics of Overpressure Systems and Their Significance in Hydrocarbon Accumulation in the Yinggehai and Qiongdongnan Basins,China

Overpressure systems are widely developed in the central depression and paleo-uplift in the Yinggehai and Qiongdongnan basins. They can be divided into three types according to the origin of abnormally high formation pressure in the reservoirs, i.e. the autochthonous, vertically-transmitted and laterally-transmitted types. The autochthonous overpressure system results from rapid disequilibrium sediment loading and compaction. In the allochthonous overpressure system, the increase of fluid pressure in sandstone originates from the invasion of overpressured fluid flowing vertically or laterally through the conduit units. The autochthonous overpressure system occurs in the deep-lying strata of Neogene age in the central depression of the Yinggehai and Qiongdongnan basins. The vertically transmitted overpressure system is developed in the shallow strata of Late Miocene and Pliocene ages in the diapiric zone of the central Yinggehai basin, and the laterally transmitted overpressure system occurs in the Oligocene strata of paleo-uplifts, such as the structure of Ya-211 in the Qiongdongnan basin. The results indicate that the autochthonous overpressure system is generally a closed one, which is unfavorable for the migration and accumulation of hydrocarbons. In the allochthonous overpressure system, hydrocarbon accumulation depends on the relationship between the formation of overpressure systems and the spatial location and duration of hydrocarbon migration. The interval overlying the overpressure system is usually a favorable hydrocarbon accumulation zone if the duration of fluid expulsion coincides with that of hydrocarbon accumulation.

Pressure Prediction for High-Temperature and High-Pressure Formation and Its Application to Drilling in the Northern South China Sea

There are plentiful potential hydrocarbon resources in the Yinggehai and Qiongdongnan basins in the northern South China Sea. However, the special petrol-geological condition with high formation temperature and pressure greatly blocked hydrocarbon exploration. The conventional means of drills, including methods in the prediction and monitoring of underground strata pressure, can no longer meet the requirements in this area. The China National Offshore Oil Corporation has allocated one well with a designed depth of 3200 m and pressure coefficient of 2.3 in the Yinggehai Basin (called test well in the paper) in order to find gas reservoirs in middle-deep section in the Miocene Huangliu and Meishan formations at the depth below 3000 m. Therefore, combined with the '863' national high-tech project, the authors analyzed the distribution of overpressure in the Yinggehai and Qiongdongnan basins, and set up a series of key technologies and methods to predict and monitor formation pressure, and then apply the results to pressure prediction of the test well. Because of the exact pressure prediction before and during drilling, associated procedure design of casing and their allocation in test well has been ensured to be more rational. This well is successfully drilled to the depth of 3485 m (nearly 300 m deeper than the designed depth) under the formation pressure about 2.3 SG (EMW), which indicate that a new step in the technology of drilling in higher temperature and pressure has been reached in the China National Offshore Oil Corporation.

Growth Rate Estimates of Supergene Manganese Nodule by ^(40)Ar/^( 39)Ar Isotopic Dating

Increasing world-class, high-grade, and metals-enriched supergene manganese ore deposits have been discovered in the last two decades, making them more and more economically important. However, data on the timing and duration of their formation are sparse, mainly due to the difficulties extracting datable minerals suited to traditional radiometric dating methods. Hollandite, cryptomelane, coronadite, todorokite, and manjiroite are common manganese oxide minerals in supergene environments. These minerals host potassium of variable amounts from 0.1 wt% to 5.0 wt% in their structural sites. This geochemical property provides possibility to date supergene manganese ores by using K-Ar and 40Ar/ 39Ar methods. In this study, we perform 40Ar/ 39Ar dating on a 7.1-cm-thick botryoidal manganese nodule from an ancient weathering profile at Mount Tabor, central Queensland, Australia. Laser microprobe incremental analyses of distinct growth bands, from the inner core through the intermediate bands to the outermost crusts of the nodule, have yielded high quality 40Ar/ 39Ar ages at 27.3 Ma, 20.9 Ma, 19.2 Ma, and 16.1 Ma, respectively. The age results permit preliminary estimates on the average growth rates of the nodule varying from 4.7×10 -3 mm/ka to 7.6×10 -3 mm/ka to 9.0×10 -3 mm/ka, from the core to the rim. Results of this study are of significance in our understanding of the mode, mechanism, process, and climatic conditions in the formation of supergene manganese ore deposits.

Experimental Study Optimizing Hole Cleaning-Cuttings Transport in Oil Drilling Engineering

With a clear understanding of the drilling fluid techniques and the cutting taking mechanism, a new advanced model is set up for analyzing field data and quantitative forecast of cutting taking mechanism. Therefore, a number of values affecting the drilling rate and the hole cleaning are studied over a wide range of parameters. Drilling data obtained under high borehole pressure conditions are analyzed to determine the causes of the reduction in rate of penetration (ROP) as the borehole pressure increases, which in some cases is caused by the buildup of rock debris under the bit. The theoretical achievement and testing conclusions can be very instructional for horizontal well drilling. Much higher annular velocities are required for effective hole cleaning in directional wells than in vertical wells. High viscosity muds are observed to provide better transport than low viscosity muds.

Development of Geological Data Warehouse

Data warehouse (DW), a new technology invented in 1990s, is more useful for integrating and analyzing massive data than traditional database. Its application in geology field can be divided into 3 phrases: 1992-1996, commercial data warehouse (CDW) appeared; 1996-1999, geological data warehouse (GDW) appeared and the geologists or geographers realized the importance of DW and began the studies on it, but the practical DW still followed the framework of DB; 2000 to present, geological data warehouse grows, and the theory of geo-spatial data warehouse (GSDW) has been developed but the research in geological area is still deficient except that in geography. Although some developments of GDW have been made, its core still follows the CDW-organizing data by time and brings about 3 problems: difficult to integrate the geological data, for the data feature more space than time; hard to store the massive data in different levels due to the same reason; hardly support the spatial analysis if the data are organized by time as CDW does. So the GDW should be redesigned by organizing data by scale in order to store mass data in different levels and synthesize the data in different granularities, and choosing space control points to replace the former time control points so as to integrate different types of data by the method of storing one type data as one layer and then to superpose the layers. In addition, data cube, a wide used technology in CDW, will be no use in GDW, for the causality among the geological data is not so obvious as commercial data, as the data are the mixed result of many complex rules, and their analysis always needs the special geological methods and software; on the other hand, data cube for mass and complex geo-data will devour too much store space to be practical. On this point, the main purpose of GDW may be fit for data integration unlike CDW for data analysis.

Observation of Catastrophic Degassing from Mantle-Crust in Yinggehai Basin, South China Sea

To lower the CO 2 risk for hydrocarbon exploration in the west continental shelf of Yinggehai basin, South China Sea, we do attempt not only to know the CO 2 origins, but also to make an understanding of the degassing processes from the mantle and crust. Based on the stable carbon isotope ratios of CO 2 alone, the organic and inorganic CO 2 can be successively distinguished, but the formation conditions and mixing processes for inorganic CO 2 are still not clear. The relationships between lg[R(= 3He/ 4He)/R a(=1.386×10 -6)] and CO 2 content (%), CO 2/ 3He and δ 13C CO 2 have been employed, respectively, to obtain that the CO 2 gases in the reservoirs can be classified into three categories: (1) organic CO 2 with very low contents but contaminated by mantle-derived helium; (2) inorganic CO 2 gases with lower to higher contents being mixtures of crustal CO 2 with mantle-derived CO 2, the mantle- contributed percentage being in the range of 0 %-27 %, and (3) mainly crust-derived inorganic CO 2 gases being characterized by high contents (more than 50 %) and indicating the crustal addition by metamorphism of rich-in carbon rocks in basement. Nevertheless, some CO 2/ 3He ratios of organic CO 2 fall into the range 10 8-10 10, which made us inquire whether the CO 2/ 3He=(1-10)×10 9 can be the unique signature of magmatic CO 2 or not. All the observation of plutonic activities, fluid inclusion measurements in gas reservoirs, pre-stack depth/time seismic sections and the satellite infrared remote photography taken from Yinggehai basin, South China Sea, during Chichi earthquake in Taiwan on September 21, 1999, supports that the degassing processes are in a discontinuous mode, which may be triggered by igneous intrusion or extrusion, or earthquakes. In the central diapir zone of the basin, at least 3 to 4 orders of discharge of across-formational thermal fluid flows through fractures can be determined in different scales. The mantle degassing process may have a strong effect on overpressured system forming and outgassing in crust. However, it is very difficult to estimate the transferring rates for a special fractured zone at a specific time interval.

Raman Spectrum Study on Quartz Exsolution in Omphacite of Eclogite and Its Tectonic Significances

The studies on ultra microstructure characteristics of quartz exsolution in eclogite and coesite in UHP eclogite of several localities are done with the appliance of laser Raman spectroscopy and U stage. Research results show that the phase transformation of coesite quartz in garnet and/or omphacite is a continuous process. Topological relationship is present between quartz exsolution in omphacite and its host mineral which shows orientations of two long axes of quartz exsolution parallel to (100) and (-101) of omphacite. At present, some scholars suggest that the quartz exsolution in omphacite of eclogite is the evidence of UHP metamorphism. However, temperature and pressure condition and the exsolution mechanism of oriented needlelike quartz in omphacite still remain unclear. Therefore, further study should be enhanced on experimental research on exsolution mechanism of super silicate clinopyroxene, which could provide experimental quantitative constraint on quartz exsolution as UHP indicator.

Dating Magmatic Hornblende and Biotite and Hydrothermal Sericite by Laser Probe Technique:Constraints on Genesis of Wangershan Gold Deposit,Eastern Shandong Province,China

The Wangershan gold deposit and spatially related Shangzhuang granite, eastern Shandong Province, have been precisely dated by 40 Ar/ 39 Ar laser incremental heating technique. Magmatic hornblende and biotite, collected from the Shangzhuang granites, yielded well-defined and reproducible plateau ages at 128.1-127.5 and 124.4-124.1 Ma (2 σ ), measuring the cooling ages of the intrusion at ca. 500 ℃ and 300-350 ℃, respectively. Hydrothermal sericite extracted from auriferous vein gave high-quality plateau ages between (120.6±0.3) Ma and (120.0±0.4) Ma (2 σ ). Given the similarity of the closure temperature for argon diffusion (300-350 ℃) in the sericite mineral to the homogenization temperature of primary fluid inclusions in the quartz from gold ores, and the intergrowth of sericite with native gold, present 40 Ar/ 39 Ar sericite ages can be reliably interpreted in terms of the mineralization age for the Wangershan deposit. 40 Ar/ 39 Ar hornblende and biotite ages permit an estimate for the cooling rate of the Shangzhuang granite at about 50 ℃/Ma. There are abundant intermediate-mafic dikes in most gold camps of eastern Shandong, whose ages of formation have been previously constrained mainly at 121-119 Ma. The temporal association between the Shangzhuang granite, the Wangershan gold deposit, and the widespread dikes confirms that intrusive activity, gold mineralization, and dike emplacement in this region were broadly coeval, reflecting significant continental lithosphere thinning and resulting crustal extension of Early Cretaceous in eastern China.

Discrimination Study on Fluid-Rock Interaction Between Metallogenic and Non-Metallogenic Sections in a Shear Zone

Discriminations in a local chemical, fluidal, mechanical and thermal processes in a shear zone will lead to metallogenic differentiation in a local section. This paper, based on the general geological setting of the Shibangou gold deposit in Xixia, Henan, deals with petrological and petrochemical samples of altered rocks in the metallogenic section and of mylonites in the non\|metallogenic section of a selected shear zone. The discriminations in fluid\|rock interaction and petrological mass balance between altered rocks near the orebody and mylonites in the shear zone are discussed as well. The results show that the petrological volume of altered rocks in the metallogenic section of the shear zone is almost always dilatant and the mylonite volume in the non\|metallogenic section is almost always lost. Major elements in altered rocks from the metallogenic section and in mylonites from the non\|metallogenic section always show a tendency of being enriched and depleted, respectively. Fluid\|rock ratios in the mylonites (Nu=\{93.68-468.40\}) are larger than those of the altered rocks (Nc\+s\-\{(Ⅳ)\}=\{36.11-216.67\}). The gain and loss of major and trace elements from the altered rocks and mylonites in the shear zone are a composite process to be imported and exported by percolating fluids as well as of the loss and dilatancy of rock volume.

Grade-Tonnage Model of Porphyry Copper Deposits of China

A grade-tonnage model is established according to the analysis of 72 porphyry copper deposits recorded in 'The Mineral Resources Data Base of China'. Based on the analysis of frequency histogram, the cumulative frequency distributing graph and the theoretical model with double logarithmic coordinates of copper deposits, the typical mathematical characteristics of grade-tonnage model of porphyry copper deposits are clarified.

Assessment of Rock-Eval T_(max) Data in Bambra-2 Well of Barrow Sub-basin, North West Shelf of Australia: A Case Study of Contaminated Rock-Eval Data

The contamination of cuttings and side wall core (SWC) samples in the Bambra 2 well by drilling mud additives and natural hydrocarbons may cause Rock Eval T max (℃) data to be suspect, and affect its utility in the assessment of thermal maturity. The Rock Eval results of 284 cuttings samples, 31 side wall core samples and conventional core samples from the Jurassic Cretaceous sedimentary sequences in the Bambra 2 well are presented in this paper. Significantly lower T max values from cuttings samples compared with T max values from conventional core samples and solvent extracted SWC samples, from the deeper and higher maturity interval, are thought to have been caused by contamination by diesel and other drilling mud additives. The cuttings samples in the Barrow Group of Cretaceous may be contaminated by natural hydrocarbons, resulting their T max values to be 2-10 ℃ lower than a regularly increased T max trend from core samples. This study indicates that more reliable Rock Eval T max data are obtained from the conventional core samples and solvent extracted SWC samples. This study also indicates that the T max values from some SWC samples were also affected by free hydrocarbons, due to the use of diesel as a mud additive as well.

Structural Effects of Overpressure Fluid Activities in Yinggehai Basin

The characteristics and distribution of faults in Yinggehai basin discussed in this paper reveal the structural effects of the overpressure fluid expulsion. The rapid subsidence and mud rich intervals of the marine rocks dominate the formation of the overpressure systems and the enormous volumes of the overpressure fluids in the basin. Triggered by some faults, the overpressure fluids were expulsed rapidly from the overpressure compartments to form a series of diapirs in the basin, resulting in the dense fractures or faults and folds in the limbs of diapirs. These fractures and faults provided the migration pathway for the vertical flow of hydrocarbons, so that the gas fields arising from this process might migrate upwards to the sandstone reservoir. Therefore, the hydrocarbon accumulations are usually located in the upper parts of diapiric structures.