• Title/Summary/Keyword: host rocks

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Occurrence and Chemical Composition of White Mica and Chlorite from Laminated Quartz Vein of Unsan Au Deposit (운산 금 광상의 엽리상 석영맥에서 산출되는 백색운모와 녹니석의 산상 및 화학조성)

  • Yoo, Bong Chul
    • Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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    • v.34 no.1
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    • pp.1-14
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    • 2021
  • The Unsang gold deposit has been one of the three largest deposits (Daeyudong, Kwangyang) in Korea. The geology of this deposit consists of series of host rocks including Precambrian metasedimentary rock and Jurassic Porphyritic granite. The deposit consists of Au-bearing quartz veins which filled fractures along fault zones in Precambrian metasedimentary rock and Jurassic Porphyritic granite, which suggests that it is an orogenic-type deposit. Quartz veins are classified as 1) galena-quartz vein type, 2) pyrrhotite-quartz vein type, 3) pyrite-quartz vein type, 4) pegmatic quartz vein type, 5) muscovite-quartz vein type and 6) simple quartz vein type based on mineral assembles. The studied quartz vein is pyrite-quartz vein type which occurs as sericitization, chloritization and silicification. The white mica from stylolitic seams of laminated quartz vein occurs as fine or medium aggregate associated with white quartz, pyrite, chlorite, rutile, monazite, apatite, K-feldspar, zircon and calcite. The structural formular of white mica from laminated quartz vein is (K0.98-0.86Na0.02-0.00Ca0.01-0.00Ba0.01-0.00 Sr0.00)1.00-0.88(Al1.70-1.57Mg0.22-0.09Fe0.23-0.10Mn0.00Ti0.04-0.02Cr0.01-0.00V0.00Ni0.00)2.06-1.95 (Si3.38-3.17Al0.83-0.62)4.00O10(OH2.00-1.91F0.09-0.00)2.00. It indicated that white mica of laminated quartz vein has less K, Na and Ca, and more Si than theoretical dioctahedral micas. Compositional variations in white mica from laminated quartz vein are caused by phengitic or Tschermark substitution [(Al3+)VI+(Al3+)IV <-> (Fe2+ or Mg2+)VI+(Si4+)IV] and direct (Fe3+)VI <-> (Al3+)VI substitution. The structural formular of chlorite from laminated quartz vein is((Mg1.11-0.80Fe3.69-3.14Mn0.01-0.00Zn0.01-0.00K0.07-0.01Na0.01-0.00Ca0.04-0.01Al1.66-1.09)5.75-5.69 (Si3.49-2.96Al1.04-0.51)4.00O10 (OH)8. It indicated that chlorite of laminated quartz vein has more Si than theoretical chlorite. Compositional variations in chlorite from laminated quartz vein are caused by phengitic or Tschermark substitution (Al3+,VI+Al3+,IV <-> (Fe2+ or Mg2+)VI+(Si4+)IV) and octahedral Fe2+ <-> Mg2+ (Mn2+) substitution. Therefore, laminated quartz vein and alteration minerals of the Unsan Au deposit was formed during ductile shear stage of orogeny.

Structural and Compositional Characteristics of Skarn Zinc-Lead Deposits in the Yeonhwa-Ulchin Mining District, Southeastern Taebaegsan Region, Korea Part II : The Yeonhwa II Mine (연화(蓮花)-울진광산지대(蔚珍鑛山地帶) 스카른연(鉛)·아연광상(亞鉛鑛床)의 구조적(構造的) 및 성분적(成分的) 특징(特徵) 기이(其二) : 제2연화광산(第二蓮花鑛山))

  • Yun, Suckew
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
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    • v.12 no.3
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    • pp.147-176
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    • 1979
  • The Yeonhwa II zinc-lead mine is characterized by a dozen of moderately dipping tabular orebodies of skarn and zinc-lead sulfides, developed in accordance with the ENE-trending bedding thrusts and bedding planes of the Pungchon Limestone and underlying Myobong Formation, mostly along the contacts of a ENE-trending sill and a NW-trending dike of quartz mononite porphyry. The orebodies occur in three groups: (1) the footwall Wolgok orebodies with respect to the sill, (2) the hangingwall Wolgok orebodies, and (3) the Seongok orebodies extended from dike contacts into carbonate beds. Mineral compositions of these orebodies are dominated by calc-silicates (skarn) associated with ore minerals of sphalerite, galena, and chalcopyrite, as well as sulfide gangue of pyrrhotite. A pair of exo- and endo-skerns in the Wolgok footwall contact aureole between the Pungchon Limestone and quartz monzonite porphyry on the -120 level represents a well-developed symmetrical pattern of mineral zoning: a garnet/quartz zone in the center of exoskarn, two zones of pyroxene with ore minerals on both sides of the garnet/quartz zone, further outwards-an epidote/chlorite-bearing hornfelsic zone in the Myobong slate beyond a zone of unaffected limestone, and an epidote-dominated zone of endo skarn on the opposite side toward fresh quartz monzonite porphyry. These features indicate a combination of two effects on the skarn formation: (1) differences in composition of the host rocks(sedimentary and ignous), and (2) progressive outward migration of inner zones on outer zones on the course of metasomatic replacement of the pre-existing minerals. Microprobe analyses of garnet, pyroxene, pyroxenoids, epidote, and chlorite for nine major elements on a total of 23 mineral grains revealed that: the pyroxenes are hedenbergitic, in most zones, with a gradual decrease of Fe- and Mn-contents toward the central zone, whereas the garnets are andraditic in outer zones, but are grossularitic in the central zone. This indicates a reverse relationship of Fe-contents between pyroxene and garnet across the exoskarn zones. Pyroxenoids are lacking in wollastonite but are dominated by pyroxmangite, rhodonite and bustamite, indicating a Mn-rich nature in bulk chemistry. Pseudomorphic fluorite after garnet occurs abundantly reflecting a fluorine-enhanced evidence of the skarn-forming fluids. Epidote contains 0.19-0.25mole fraction of pistacite, and chlorite is Mn-rich but is Mg-poor. Sulfide mineralization took place with the most Fe-rich pyroxene rather than with garnet as indicated by the fact that the highest value of hedenbergite mole fraction occurs in the ore-bearing pyroxene zone. The Yeonhwa II ores are characterized by high zinc and low lead in metal grade, with minor quantity of copper content in almost constant grade. The hangingwall Wolgok and Seongok orebodies, that formed in a more open environment with respect to their local configurations of geologic setting, are more variable in metal grades and ratios, than are the footwall Wolgok orebodies formed in a more closed condition in a narrow interval of sedimentary beds.

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Geology of Athabasca Oil Sands in Canada (캐나다 아사바스카 오일샌드 지질특성)

  • Kwon, Yi-Kwon
    • 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.

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