~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 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilm or in any other way, and storage in data banks. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the German Copyright Law of September 9, 1965, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer-Verlag. Violations are liable for prosecution under the German Copyright Law. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1993 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1993 The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. Typesetting Best-Set Typesetter Ltd., Hong Kong 32/3145/SPS-54321O - Printed on acid-free paper 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