• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2008

As conventional oil and gas reservoirs become depleted, interests for oil sands has rapidly increased in the last decade. Oil sands are mixture of bitumen, water, and host sediments of sand and clay. Most oil sand is unconsolidated sand that is held together by bitumen. Bitumen has hydrocarbon in situ viscosity of >10,000 centipoises (cP) at reservoir condition and has API gravity between $8-14^{\circ}$. The largest oil sand deposits are in Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada. The reverves are approximated at 1.7 trillion barrels of initial oil-in-place and 173 billion barrels of remaining established reserves. Alberta has a number of oil sands deposits which are grouped into three oil sand development areas - the Athabasca, Cold Lake, and Peace River, with the largest current bitumen production from Athabasca. Principal oil sands deposits consist of the McMurray Fm and Wabiskaw Mbr in Athabasca area, the Gething and Bluesky formations in Peace River area, and relatively thin multi-reservoir deposits of McMurray, Clearwater, and Grand Rapid formations in Cold Lake area. The reservoir sediments were deposited in the foreland basin (Western Canada Sedimentary Basin) formed by collision between the Pacific and North America plates and the subsequent thrusting movements in the Mesozoic. The deposits are underlain by basement rocks of Paleozoic carbonates with highly variable topography. The oil sands deposits were formed during the Early Cretaceous transgression which occurred along the Cretaceous Interior Seaway in North America. The oil-sands-hosting McMurray and Wabiskaw deposits in the Athabasca area consist of the lower fluvial and the upper estuarine-offshore sediments, reflecting the broad and overall transgression. The deposits are characterized by facies heterogeneity of channelized reservoir sands and non-reservoir muds. Main reservoir bodies of the McMurray Formation are fluvial and estuarine channel-point bar complexes which are interbedded with fine-grained deposits formed in floodplain, tidal flat, and estuarine bay. The Wabiskaw deposits (basal member of the Clearwater Formation) commonly comprise sheet-shaped offshore muds and sands, but occasionally show deep-incision into the McMurray deposits, forming channelized reservoir sand bodies of oil sands. In Canada, bitumen of oil sands deposits is produced by surface mining or in-situ thermal recovery processes. Bitumen sands recovered by surface mining are changed into synthetic crude oil through extraction and upgrading processes. On the other hand, bitumen produced by in-situ thermal recovery is transported to refinery only through bitumen blending process. The in-situ thermal recovery technology is represented by Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage and Cyclic Steam Stimulation. These technologies are based on steam injection into bitumen sand reservoirs for increase in reservoir in-situ temperature and in bitumen mobility. In oil sands reservoirs, efficiency for steam propagation is controlled mainly by reservoir geology. Accordingly, understanding of geological factors and characteristics of oil sands reservoir deposits is prerequisite for well-designed development planning and effective bitumen production. As significant geological factors and characteristics in oil sands reservoir deposits, this study suggests (1) pay of bitumen sands and connectivity, (2) bitumen content and saturation, (3) geologic structure, (4) distribution of mud baffles and plugs, (5) thickness and lateral continuity of mud interbeds, (6) distribution of water-saturated sands, (7) distribution of gas-saturated sands, (8) direction of lateral accretion of point bar, (9) distribution of diagenetic layers and nodules, and (10) texture and fabric change within reservoir sand body.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.24-40
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• 1988

In the Korea Ocean Nodule Development (KONOD)-1 area between the Clarion and Clipperton fracture zones of the northeastern equatorial Pacific, the pelagic sediment layer can be divided into two or three units on air-gun seismic profile. The acoustic units can be also correlated with those in the DSDP site 163 core. The topmost unit (unit I) is acoustically transparent and consists of zeolitic clay and radiolarian ooze of late Oligocene to middle Eocene age. Unit IIA is well-stratified and transparent in the lower part. consisting of the radiolarian ooze intercalated with chert beds and zeolitic clay of early Eocene to Paleocene age. Unit IIB is stratified with layers of silicified and compacted flinty-cherty nannofossil chalk (late Cretaceous) on top of the acoustic basement. Units I and IIA form the Line Islands Formation that overlies an unnamed formation of unit lIB. The entire layers and the unit I layer propressively thin northward, except near the Line Islands Ridge. The distribution of sediment layer has been controlled by the equatorial Cenozoic CCD and the northward spreading of the Pacific plate. The change of CCD corresponding to the subsidence and migration of the plate has determined the sediment composition of the DSDP 163 core passed across the equator of high sedimentation suite. The late Cretaceous sedimentary layer (unit IIB) in the 163 core was formed above the CCD south of the equator. The unit IIA resulted from rapid subsidence of the Pacific plate below the CCD in the Paleocene. The unit IIA is seen only in the west of 149 W. Both the units IIA and I were probably formed during the Pacific plate passing and after leaving the equatorial region respectively since early Eocene. In the south of the KONOD-l area, the unit I was redistributed by bottom current, a branch of the Antarctic Bottom Water flowing eastward guided by the Clipperton fracture zone. The activities of bottom currents were prolonged for a long geological time. Turbidite layers occur more than 350 km from the Hawaiian Ridge to near the Clarion fracture zone. They originated directly from the Hawaiian Ridge, filling the topographic lows.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.75-87
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• 2003

The Haman-Gunbuk mineralized area is located within the Cretaceous Gyeongsang Basin along the southeastern part of the Korean peninsula. Major ore minerals, magnetite, scheelite, molybdenite and chalcopyrite, together with base-metal sulfides and minor sulfosalts, occur in fissure-filling tourmaline, quartz and carbonates veins contained within Cretaceous sedimentary and volcanic rocks anu/or granodiorite (118{\pm}$3.0 Ma). The ore and gangue mineral paragenesis can be divided into three distinct stages: Stage 1, tourmaline+quartz+Fe-Cu ore mineralization; Stage II, quartz+sulfides+sulfosalts+carbonates; Stage 111, barren calcite. Earliest fluids are recorded in stage I and early por-tions of stage II veins as hypersaline (35~70 equiv. wt.% NaCl+KCl) and vapor-rich inclusions which homogenize from ~30$0^{\circ}C$ to $\geq$50$0^{\circ}C$. The high-salinity fluids are complex chloride brines with significant concentrations of sodium, potassium, iron, copper, and sulfur, though sulfide minerals are not associated with the early mineral assemblage produced by this fluid. Later solutions circulated through newly formed fractures and reopened veins, and are recorded as lower-salinity(less than ~20 equiv. wt.% NaCl) fluid inclusions which homogenize primarily from ~200 to 40$0^{\circ}C$. The oxygen and hydrogen isotopic compositions of fluid in the Haman-Gunbuk hydrothermal system represents a progressive shift from magmatic-hydrothermal dominance during early mineralization stage toward meteoric-hydrothermal dominance during late mineralization stage. The earliest hydrothermal fiuids to circu-late within the granodiorite stock localiring the ore body at Haman-Gunbuk could have exsolved from the crystal-lizing magma and unmixed into hypersaline liquid and $H_2O$-NaCl vapor. As these magmatic fluids moved throughfractures, tourmaline and early Fe, W, Mo, Cu ore mineralization occurred without concomitant deposition of othersulfides and sulfosalts. Later solutions of dominantly meteoric origin progressively formed hypogene copper and base-metal sulfides, and sulfosalt mineralization.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.233-242
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• 2003

The southeasternmost coastal area of the Korean peninsula has been regarded as a seismologically stable area as neither Quaternary faults nor earthquake activity has been reported. To clarify whether the active tectonic movement has occurred or not, a digital marine terrace mapping and fracture mapping have been done in the coastal area. Bed rocks are composed of the Cretaceous volcanic and sedimentary rocks and the Paleogene granite. Wave-cut platform in the area is smaller and narrower relative to that of the northern coastal area. Most of the platforms in the area have little Quaternary sediment. The platforms except the Holocene terrace (1 st terrace) can be divided into three steps. The lowest platform (2nd terrace) has an altitude of 8-11 m. The broad middle one (3rd terrace) is 17 to 22 m high. The highest terrace (4th terrace) is a narrow and sporadic bench with an altitude of about 44 m high. The lowest terrace is correlated to the 2nd terrace of the northern area, which corresponds to the oxygen isotopic stage 5a. The uplift rate calculated from a graphic method is 0.19 m/ky. This low uplift is typical of an intra-plate, suggesting that the area is tectonically stable. The elevation of the platforms tends slightly lower from the north to the south in the survey area. The decreasing altitude of the platforms towards the south is interpreted to result from a local block tilting during the Latest Pleistocene. This also indicates that the eastern coast of the Korean peninsula has been suffering a subsidence to the south.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.81-87
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• 1997

Chonnam and Kyongsang clay alteration areas are distributed in volcanic fields of the Yuchon Group in late Cretaceous period. The host rock of the Chonnam alteration area is generally acidic and that of the Kyongsang alteration area is acidic to dominantly intermediate volcanics. The important difference of two alteration areas is source of fluid; the Chonnam alteration area is characterized by dominantly meteoric water and the Kyongsang alteration area is characterized by dominantly magmatic water. Accordingly, the high temperature minerals such as pyrophyllite and andalusite, and boron bearing minerals such as dumortierite and tourmaline are common in the Kyongsang alteration area. In contrast to this, the lower temperature minerals such as kaolin and alunite are common in the Chonnam alteration area. The mineralogical difference of two alteration areas were depended on the difference of the formation temperature of clay deposits. The other important geochemical difference is the chemistry of hydrothermal solution such as pH. The alteration of "acid-sulfate type" with alteration mineral assemblage of alunite-kaolin-quartz is dominant in the Chonnam alteration area, which was caused by the attack of strong acid and acid solution. In contrast to this, the that of "quartz-sericite type" with the mineral assemblage of sericite-quartz is dominant in the Kyongsang alteration area, which was caused by the attack of neutral or weak acid solution. Also, the Kyongsang and Chonnam alteration areas show the difference in structural setting; the Chonnam alteration area is commonly associated with silicic domes and the Kyongsang alteration area is commonly associated with calderas.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.443-458
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• 2005

Late Quaternary deposits of the core in the western area of the Nakdong River delta consist of four sedimentary units: Unit I, II, III and IV, in ascending order, controlled by the sea-level change since the last interglacial period. Unit I unconformable overlying Cretaceous basement rocks is composed of sandy gravel and sand deposited in a fluvial channel before the first marine transgression. Unit II composed of stiff massive mud is interpreted as a shallow marine deposits formed during the last interglacial period (probably MIS 5). The development of the fissures coated with oxidized materials in the upper part of Unit II is a feature of subaerial exposure, which indicates erosional contact with the upper Unit III. Unit III is made up of soft massive mud and soft shelly massive mud deposited in a tidal flat and a inner shelf, respectively, since the Holocene transgression (about 9,000 yr BP). Unit Ⅳ consisted of soft shell bedded mud and yellowish sandy mud was deposited in the delta environments during the regression (after about 5,000 yr BP). The lower shell bedded mud was deposited in a tidal flat and the upper sandy mud was deposited in the floodplain corresponding to present site of the Nakdong River delta.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.121-142
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• 2016

The Satkatbong pluton was studied with other plutons together, but some fundamental petrological characteristics were missing. This study mainly reports the petrography and geochemistry of the Satkatbong pluton comparing with the Daebo and the Bulguksa granitoids in south Korea. The Satkatbong pluton, which is host rock including a number of Mafic Magmatic Enclaves (MME), is north-south shaped dioritic pluton, located along the east coast of south Korea. The Satkatbong pluton seems to be unconformable with Cretaceous sedimentary rocks from fieldwork result. In geochemistry, the Satkatbong pluton, which is roughly similar with the Daebo granitoids, is classified into calc-alkali series rock and volcanic arc granitoid Tectonically. The fact that AlT value in marginal parts of amphiboles in the Satkatbong pluton is lower than other granitoids implies emplacement depth of the Satkatbong pluton was relatively shallow. The Satkatbong pluton shows different geochemical feature compared to the adjacent adakitic Yeongdeok granite. This seems to be caused by mafic mantle material expected from the occurrence of MMEs.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.91-99
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• 1999

A high-resolution seismic profile acquired across the northeastern boundary of the Pungam Basin, one of the Cretaceous sedimentary basins in Korea, has been interpreted to delineate subsurface geological structures across the basin boundary. We identified boundary faults and unconformity surfaces of the basin and divided sediment body into three seismic depositional units (Units I, II, and III from youngest to oldest). Inferred from fault geometry and type, northeastern part of the Pungam Basin has been formed by a strike-slip fault whereas the normal faults near the boundary were formed by transtensional movement along a fault zone. A 350-400 m thick sediment layer is overlying the Precambrian gneiss. Bedding planes of Unit III are dipping westward and are closely related to an anticline in the acoustic basement. Unit II is also tilted westward, suggesting that the eastern part of the fault zone was uplifted after deposition of lower part of the sedimentary body. Afterward, the uplifted sediment layers were eroded and transported to the western part of the basin. Chaotic reflection pattern of sedimentary Units II and III may suggest that strike-slip movement along the fault zone deformed basin-filled sediments.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.413-428
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• 2010

The Gukjeon Pb-Zn mine was recognized as skarn deposits which replaced the limestone layer of the Jeongkansan Formation by intrusion of biotite granite in late Cretaceous. The Jeongkansan Formation is mainly composed of tuffaceous shale, and interlayers of sandstone, andesitic tuff, limestone, and conglomerate. The limestone layer is located in the lower part of the Jeongkansan Formation with 6~8 m in thickness and about 500 m in length. The Gukjeon deposits are divided into the Jukgang ore bodies once mined underground and the eastern ore bodies. Main ores are sphalerite and galena, in association with small amounts of chalcopyrite, arsenopyrite, pyrite, and pyrrhotite, etc. Skarns mainly consist of clinopyroxenes and Ca-garnets, associated with actinolite, chlorite, axinite, and calcite, etc. The Jukgang ore bodies show symmetrical distribution of zoning outward, representing clinopyroxene (hedenbergite) zone, clinopyroxene-garnet (grossular) zone, garnet (andradite) zone, and alteration zone of hornfels. $Fe^{2+}$ contents in clinopyroxenes increase with decreasing sphalerite grade. Sphalerite ores are found in all zones and $Fe^{2+}$ contents in sphalerite increase in the same way as those in clinopyroxenes, implying that clinopyroxene and sphalerite are closely related each other. It is concluded that the Gukjeon ores occurred in the ore rich zone of high grade sphalerite with less pyrite in assoication with clinopyroxene.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.249-264
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• 1998

The Creataceous volcanic rocks distributed in the southeastern part (Kyeongsang basin) of Korea peninsula are composed of basalt, basaltic andesite, andesite, dacite and rhyolite. The variation of major elements show that contents of MgO, CaO, $FeO^T$, $Al_2O_3$, $TiO_2$ and $P_2O_5$ decrease with increasing of $SiO_2$, but $K_2O$ contents are increased slightly, $Na_2O$ widely dispersed. We can show slightly inflection point and low frequency of dacites in range between 63-65 wt.% $SiO_2$, while continuous trend exit in variation diagram. Variation trends in Harker diagrams for the major, minor, trace and REEs suggest that the BAV (basaltic to andesitic volcanics) and DRV (dacitic to rhyolitic volcanics) are not related to a simple crystal fractionation process. In the regime of under 65 wt. % in silica content, fractionation of olivine and clinopyroxene is predominant, while that of plagioclase happens strongly higher than 65 wt.% (e.g., $SiO_2$, vs. Eu and Sr, MgO vs. $Al_2O_3$ and CaO). The latter means low-pressure fractional crystallization for DRV. On the discriminant diagram, DRV are located in more mature environment than BAV. The $(Ce/Sm)_N$ vs. CeN digram shows that these two classes cannot be related to crystal fractionation. If they had been produced by fractionation, although they plotted in a slightly elongate cluster along the same horizontal trend, DRV should lie to the right of these primitive compositions. These diagrams clearly rule out a simple fractionation throughout from BAV to DRV. BAV had been influenced greatly subductiong slab as shown by K/Yb vs. Ta/Yb. We suggest that BAV primitive magma generated higher degree of partial melting than DRV primitive magma. LILE (K, Ba, $Rb{\pm}Th$) enriched characteristics as shown in BAV are inherited from subducting slab fluids and/or higher degree of partial melting of mantle material. However, lower degree of partial melting of mantle relative to BA V and contamination at high-level magma reservoir caused LILE enrichment to DRV.