Table Of Content~1<
Special Publication No. 9 ~
of the Society for Geology
-f ~!.
Applied to Mineral Deposits ; ~
---------------------------------
Bitumens in
Ore Deposits
Edited by
J. Parnell H. Kucha P. Landais
With 239 Figures
Springer-Verlag
Berlin Heidelberg New York
London Paris Tokyo
Hong Kong Barcelona
Budapest
Dr. JOHN PARNELL
Department of Geology, The Queen's University of Belfast
Belfast BTI INN, UK
Dr. HENRYK KUCHA
University of Mining and Metallurgy, A. Mickiewicza 30
30-059 Krakow, Poland
Dr. P. LANDAIS
CREGU, BP 23
F-5450I Vandoeuvre les Nancy, France
ISBN 978-3-642-85808-6 ISBN 978-3-642-85806-2 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-85806-2
Library of Congress Cataloging·in·Publication Data. Bitumens in ore deposits / J. Parnell,
H. Kucha, P. Landais. p. cm. - (Special publication no. 9 of the Society for Geology
Applied to Mineral Deposits) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-3-6
42-85808-6 1. Ores - Sampling and estimation. 2. Bitumen - Analysis. 3. Ore depo
sits. I. Parnell, John. II. Kucha, H. (Henryk) III. Landais, P. IV. Series: Special pub
lication ... of the Society for Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits; no. 9. TN560.B58
1993 662.6'224 - dc20 92-36492
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Contents
Introduction
J. Parnell ............................................ 1
Nomenclature and Methodology
Nomenclature, Classification, Characterization,
and Genesis of Natural Solid Bitumen (Migrabitumen)
H. Jacob............................................. 11
The Analysis of Organic Matter in Ore Deposits
A.P. Gize............................................ 28
Transmission Electron Microscopy of Carbonaceous Matter
in Precambrian Shungite from Karelia
J. J ehlicka and J. -N. Rouzard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 53
Interpretation of Thermal Mesophase in Vanadiferous
Bitumens from Upper Proterozoic Lava Flows (Mitov,
Czechoslovakia)
B. Kh'bek, V. HoluMi', J. Parnell, Z. Pouba,
and J. Hladikova . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Petroleum in Modern Hydrothermal Systems
Hydrothermal Activity and its Effects on Sedimentary
Organic Matter
B.R.T. Simoneit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 81
Hydrocarbons, Sulphides, and Carbonate Deposits Related
to Sublacustrine Hydrothermal Seeps in the North
Tanganyika Trough, East African Rift
J.-J. Tiercelin, J. Boulegue, and B.R.T. Simoneit ......... 96
VI Contents
Bitumens in Precious Metal and Mercury Deposits
Hydrocarbons and Gold Mineralization in the Hot-Spring
Deposit at Cherry Hill, California
E.C. Pearcy and R.C. Burruss .......................... 117
Gold and Other Metals in Graphite
C.B. Dissanayake ..................................... 138
Noble Metals Associated with Organic Matter,
Kupferschiefer, Poland
H. Kucha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 153
Bitumen and Dispersed Organic Matter Related to
Mineralization in Stratabound Deposits, South China
D. Liu, J. Fu, and R. Jia ............................... 171
The Association of Cinnabar and Bitumen in Mercury
Deposits of the California Coast Ranges
C.E. Peabody ........................................ 178
Bitumens in UraniumlThorium Deposits
Bitumens in Uranium Deposits
P. Landais ........................................... 213
Nature and Role of Organic Matter in Sandstone Uranium
Deposits, Grants Uranium Region, New Mexico, USA
C.E. Turner, N.S. Fishman, P.G. Hatcher,
and E.C. Spiker ...................................... 239
Uranium-Hydrocarbon Association in Francevillian
Uranium Ore Deposits, Lower Proterozoic of Gabon
F. Gauthier-Lafaye and F. Weber. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 276
Kerogens and Bitumens in Precambrian Uraniferous Ore
Deposits: Witwatersrand, South Africa, Elliot Lake,
Canada, and the Natural Fission Reactors, Oklo, Gabon
B. Nagy ............................................. 287
Parage netic Relationships of Vein Pyrobitumen in the Panel
Mine, Elliot Lake Uranium District, Ontario, Canada
J. Mancuso, J. Frizado, J. Stevenson, P. Truskoski,
and W. Kneller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 334
Mineralogy of Thoriferous Bitumen Nodules, Northwest
Irish Basin
B. Monson .......................................... 350
Contents VII
Organic Matter Associated with Mineralized Reduction
Spots in Red Beds
B.A. Hofmann ....................................... 362
Bitumens in Base MetallManganese Deposits
Organic Matter (Bitumen and Other Forms) as the Key
to Localisation of Mississippi Valley-Type Ores
C.S. Spirakis and A.V. Heyl ........................... 381
Bitumen Associated with Precipitation of Sulphides
in Carbonate-Hosted Vein Mineralization,
North Greenland
V.H. Jakobsen and H. Ohmoto ........................ 399
Geochemical Data for Organic Matter in Stratabound
Sulphide and Other Ore Deposits in China
W. Yang and Y. Liu .................................. 415
Organic Matter and its Significance for the Genesis
of the Copper-Bearing Shales (Kupferschiefer)
from the Fore-Sudetic Monocline (Poland)
Z. Sawlowicz ....................................... 431
Occurrence of Anthraxolite (Bitumen) Spheroids
in Xiangtan-Type Manganese Carbonate Deposits
of South China
D. Fan, T. Liu, P. Yang, and J. Ye .................... 447
Applications to Exploration for Metals and Hydrocarbons
Occurrence and Significance of Metals in Solid Bitumens:
An Organic Geochemical Approach
J .A. Curiale ........................................ 461
Metal Enrichments in Bitumens from the Carboniferous
of Ireland: Potential in Exploration for Ore Deposits
J. Parnell ........................................... 475
Polymerisation of Hydrocarbons by Radioactive Minerals
in Sedimentary Rocks: Diagenetic
and Economic Significance
B. Rasmussen, J.E. Glover, and C.B. Foster. . . . .... .... 490
VIII Contents
Chemical Age Dating of Hydrocarbon Migration Using
Uraniferous Bitumens, Czech-Polish Border Region
J. Parnell ........................................... 510
Subject Index ....................................... 519
List of Contributors
You will find the addresses at the beginning of the respective contribution
Boulegue, J. 96 Liu, D. 171
Burruss, R.C. 117 Liu, T. 447
Curiale, J.A 461 Liu, Y. 415
Dissanayake, C.B. 138 Mancuso, J. 334
Fan, D. 447 Monson, B. 350
Fishman, N.S. 239 Nagy, B. 287
Foster, C.B. 490 Ohmoto, H. 399
Frizado, J. 334 Parnell, J. 61,475,510
Fu, J. 171 Peabody, C.E. 178
Gauthier-Lafaye, F. 276 Pearcy, E.C. 117
Gize, AP. 28 Pouba, Z. 61
Glover, J.E. 490 Rasmussen, B. 490
Hatcher, P.G. 239 Rouzard, J.-N. 53
Heyl, AV. 381 Sawlowicz, Z. 431
Hladikova, J. 61 Simoneit, B.R.T. 81,96
Hofmann, B.A. 362 Spiker, E.C. 239
Holubaf, V. 61 Spirakis, C.S. 381
Jacob, H. 11 Stevenson, J. 334
Jakobsen, D.H. 399 Tiercelin, J.-J. 96
Jehlicka, J. 53 Truskoski, P. 334
Jia, R. 171 Turner, C.E. 239
Kneller, W. 334 Weber, F. 276
Kucha, H. 153 Yang, P. 447
Khoek, B. 61 Yang, W. 415
Landais, P. 213 Ye, J. 447
Introduction
J. Parnelll
It is widely documented that concentrations of metal may be associated with
diverse organic materials, from living plants and animals through organic-rich
sediments to crude oil, solid bitumen/pyrobitumen, and graphite. The signifi
cance of organic matter in mineralizing processes has been the subject of
several special publications, including the proceedings of symposia on Oil and
Ore (Garrard 1977), Organics in Ore Deposits (Dean 1986), the Role of
Organisms and Organic Matter in Ore Deposition (MacQueen 1985), and
Organic Matter in Hydrothermal Systems (Simoneit 1990). Recent research has
made notable advances in the use of organic geochemical/pyrolysis data to
assess the thermal maturity of ore deposits (e.g., MacQueen and Powell 1983),
the transport of metals in fluids which contain organic compounds (e.g.,
Manning 1986), the role of microbiota in fixing metals (e.g., Morton and
Changkakoti 1987) and the nature of sulphate reduction in sulphide ores
associated with hydrocarbons (e.g., Leventhal 1990). The roles of fluid hydro
carbons in ore metal transport and solid hydrocarbons (bitumens) in ore
metal deposition have been reviewed by Manning (1986) and Parnell (1988)
respectively.
This Volume places emphasis on bitumens; either bitumens which occur in
ore deposits, or are enriched in or otherwise associated with metals. Inevitably
some accounts describe cases where metals are associated with both bitumens
and autochthonous organic matter (kerogen).
The genesis of a bitumen is a very important factor in the likelihood of
metal enrichment. Bitumens have diverse origins (Fig. 1).
1. Diagenetic origin: locally derived under immature thermal conditions, i.e.,
before source rock enters the "oil window." Bitumens of this type occur
particularly within sequences of carbonate source rock and are commonly
fracture-bound because of the brittle nature of the source rock.
2. Residues of petroleum, deposited along the migration pathway of petroleum
or within a hydrocarbon reservoir. Solid bitumens are produced from
"normal" oil by several alteration processes including biodegradation,
water washing, and deasphalting.
3. Distillates around igneous bodies which have intruded into rocks rich in
organic inatter. Extruded lavas may also contain distillate bitumens. Such
bitumens are of very local origin. Fronts of migrated bitumen can be
observed at a limited distance from many dykes and sills.
1 Department of Geology, The Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast BTI iNN, UK
2 J. Parnell
Radiation Products
• I U, Th. REE I
Reservoir Bitumens
Sulphate Reduction __- ---.... IPb.Znl
Products •
Immature Products
IV,Nil •
OIL
MIGRATION
MINERALIZ ING
FLUID
.~
INTRUSION
Hydrothermq.l Deposits
I U, Ni. (0, Bi, W, Sb, Hg I
Fig. l. Diverse origins of bitumens, relative to sedimentary source rock
4. Products of organic matter caught up in hydrothermal systems, through
distillation or leaching of organic-rich country rock by hot fluids.
5. Accretionary nodules of bitumen in sedimentary rocks, which grow by
progressive replacement of the rock around a nucleus.
6. Deposits of solid bitumen around radioactive minerals (uraninite, monazite,
zircon, etc.), precipitated by polymerization/condensation of fluid hydro
carbons induced by radiation.
7. Deposits of solid bitumen related to sulphate reduction processes in oil
reservoirs or in migration pathways.
Bitumens of diagenetic origin have little opportunity to interact with
metals, but contain organophilic elements (particularly V, Ni) inherited from
the source rock. Similarly, bitumens which represent distillates around igneous
intrusions may be .formed too rapidly/locally to interact with metals. By con
trast, petroleum residues, hydrothermal and accretionary bitumens are more
likely to have been involved in fluid-fluid or fluid-rock interactions which allow
uptake of metals by the organic material. Bitumens associated with radiation
sources may have exotic chemistries: there are many examples of bitumens in
pegmatites where rare earth and other elements have been locally remobilized
into bitumen.
Metals may be taken up or reduced by organic materials from mineralizing
fluids in petroleum reservoirs and hydrothermal systems. For example, in
the lead-zinc deposit at Laisvall, Sweden, sulphides were precipitated when
sulphate-rich brines encountered an oil reservoir (Rickard et al. 1981). Some
reservoir bitumens are rich in asphaltenes (high molecular weight compounds
