The Status Quo and Outlook of Chinese Coal Geology and Exploration Technologies

Coal is China＇s dominant energy resource. Coal geological exploration is the basis of sustainable development of coal industry. Since the late 1990s, the advances in Chinese coal geology and exploration techniques have been shown in the following aspects. （1） The basic research of coal geology has changed from traditional geological studies to earth system science; （2） Breakthroughs have been achieved in integrated exploration techniques for coal resources; （3） Evaluation of coal and coalbed methane resources provides important basis for macropolicy making for China＇s coal industry and construction of large coal bases; （4） Significant advances have been made in using information technology in coal geological exploration and 3S （GPS, GIS, RS） technology. For the present and a period of time in the future, major tasks of Chinese coal geological technology are as follows： （1） solving resources replacement problem in eastern China and geological problems of deep mining; （2） solving problem of integrated coal exploration of complex regions in energy bases of central China, and resources problems induced by coal exploitation; （3） making efforts to enhance the level of geological research and resources evaluation of coal-accumulation basins in western China; （4） strengthening geological research of clean coal technologies; （5） strengthening geological research of the problems in modern coal mining and safe production; （6） promoting information technology in coal resources and major geological investigations.     

GIS Predictive Model for Producing Hydrothermal Gold Potential Map Using Weights of Evidence Approach in Gengma Region, Sanjiang District, China

Gengma region, Sanjiang district is known to have some large-scale gold deposits. GIS predictive model for hydroghermal gold potential was carried out in this region using weights of evidence modeling technique. Datasets used include large-scale hydroghermal gold deposit records, geological, geophysical and remote sensing imagery. Based on the geological and mineral characteristics of areas with known gold occurrences in Sanjiang, several geological features were thought to be indicative of areas with potential for the occurrence of hydroghtermal gold deposits. Indicative features were extracted from geoexploration datasets for use as input in the predictive model. The features include host rock lithology, geologic structures, wallrock alteration and associated (volcanic-plutonic) igneous rocks. To determine which of the indicative geological features are important spatial predictors of area with potential for gold deposits, spatial analysis was done through the modeling method. The input maps were buffered and the optimum distance of spatial association for each geological feature was determined by calculating the contrast and studentized contrast. Five feature maps were converted to binary predictor patterns and used as evidential layers for predictive modeling. The binary patterns were integrated in two combinations, each of which consists of four patterns in order to avoid over prediction due to the effect of duplicate features in the two structural evidences. The two produced potential maps define almost similar favorable zones. Areas of intersections between these zones in the two potential maps placed the highest predictive favorable zones in the region.     

Metallic Mineral Resources Assessment and Analysis System Design

The geographic information system(GIS) providing var-ious functions such as spatial data management,graph edit-ing,spatial data analysis and graph or image input and out-put,has changed the working methods dramatically in thefield of geological research.However,due to the difference inobjects studied and the m ethods used,GIS has some short-comings when used for the geological studies,since GIS wasdeveloped specifically for geographic purposes.The develop-mentof the special GIS is one way …     

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 fifferent 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 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.     

Spatial Database of Geological Survey Extent in 20th Century in China

During the whole 20th century in China, especially the latest 50 years, we have gotten much geological information about geological mapping, geophysics, geochemistry, mineral exploration,remote sensing, environmental geology, hydrogeology, engineering geology and oceanic geology etc. by our geologists and explorers. All the information has been accmnulated and can be used as a dcision-making foundation for the future plan of geological survey. The spatial database of geological survey ex-tents has been established by using computer technology. The database contained all kinds of exploration sections and collected about 160 000 records in this database. This paper introduces the data construc-tion ,contents and applying systemof this database, and trys to let people know what kinds of geological survey were finished, when the exploration were carried out, and how and where you can get this infor-mation.     

A 3D Geological Model Constrained by Gravity and Magnetic Inversion and its Exploration Implications for the World-class Zhuxi Tungsten Deposit, South China

The Zhuxi tungsten deposit in Jiangxi Province, South China, contains a total W reserve of about 2.86 Mt at an average grade of 0.54 wt% WO3, representing the largest W deposit in the world. Numerous studies on the metallogeny of the deposit have included its timing, the ore-controlling structures and sedimentary host rocks and their implications for mineral exploration. However, the deep nappe structural style of Taqian–Fuchun metallogenic belt that hosts the W deposit, and the spatial shape and scale of deeply concealed intrusions and their sedimentary host rocks are still poorly defined, which seriously restricts the discovery of new deposits at depth and in surrounding areas of the W deposit. Modern 3D geological modeling is an important tool for the exploration of concealed orebodies, especially in brownfield environments. There are obvious density contrast and weak magnetic contrast in the ore-controlling strata and granite at the periphery of the deposit, which lays a physical foundation for solving the 3D spatial problems of the ore-controlling geological body in the deep part of the study area through gravity and magnetic modeling. Gravity data (1:50000) and aeromagnetic data (1:50000) from the latest geophysical surveys of 2016–2018 have been used, firstly, to carry out a potential field separation to obtain residual anomalies for gravity and magnetic interactive inversion. Then, on the basis of the analysis of the relationship between physical properties and lithology, under the constraints of surface geology and borehole data, human–computer interactive gravity and magnetic inversion for 18 cross-sections were completed. Finally, the 3D geological model of the Zhuxi tungsten deposit and its periphery have been established through these 18 sections, and the spatial shape of the intrusions and strata with a depth of 5 km underground were obtained, initially realizing “transparency” for ore-controlling bodies. According the analysis of the geophysical, geochemical, and geological characteristics of the Zhuxi tungsten deposit, we discern three principles for prospecting and prediction in the research area, and propose five new?exploration?targets in?its?periphery.     

Genetic Modeling of GIS-Based Cell Clusters and Its Application in Mineral Resources Prediction

This paper presents a synthetic analysis method for multi-sourced geological data from geo-graphic information system (GIS). In the previous practices of mineral resources prediction, a usually adopted methodology has been statistical analysis of cells delimitated based on thoughts of random sam-pling. That might lead to insufficient utilization of local spatial information, for a cell is treated as a point without internal structure. We now take “cell dusters“, L e. , spatial associations of cells, as basic units of statistics, thus the spatial configuration information of geological variables is easier to be detected and utilized, and the accuracy and reliability of prediction are improved. We build a linear multi-discriminating model for the dusters via genetic algorithm. Both the right-judgment rates and the in-class vs. betweewclass distance ratios are considered to form the evolutional adaptive values of the population. An application of the method in gold mineral resoerces prediction in east Xinjiang, China is presented.     

GIS Platform-based Multi-source Information System for Evaluation of Cu, W and Au Resources in the Northern Qilian, China

Based on the information of geology, geochemistry, geophysics and remote sensing, the GIS of multi-source information is used to evaluate Cu, W and Au mineral resources in Northern Qilian, China. As the GIS evaluation system works out in the thinking of geological prospecting, its functions include file management, graph edition, database maintenance, information inquiry and comprehensive spatial analysis as well as prospecting target prognosis. Accordingly, the GIS evaluation system can be used directly and conveniently for inquiry and analysis of visual graphs or images.     

Alteration Information Extraction by Applying Synthesis Processing Techniques to Landsat ETM＋ Data： Case Study of Zhaoyuan Gold Mines, Shandong Province, China

Satellite remote sensing data are usually used to analyze the spatial distribution pattern of geological structures and generally serve as a significant means for the identification of alteration zones. Based on the Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper （ETM＋） data, which have better spectral resolution （8 bands） and spatial resolution （15 m in PAN band）, the synthesis processing techniques were presented to fulfill alteration information extraction： data preparation, vegetation indices and band ratios, and expert classifier-based classification. These techniques have been implemented in the MapGIS-RSP software （version 1.0）, developed by the Wuhan Zondy Cyber Technology Co., Ltd, China. In the study area application of extracting alteration information in the Zhaoyuan （招远） gold mines, Shandong （山东） Province, China, several hydorthermally altered zones （included two new sites） were found after satellite imagery interpretation coupled with field surveys. It is concluded that these synthesis processing techniques are useful approaches and are applicable to a wide range of gold-mineralized alteration information extraction.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111001411

正Three-dimensional geological modeling(3DGM) assists geologists to quantitatively study in three-dimensional(3D) space structures that define temporal and spatial relationships between geological objects.The 3D property model can also be used to infer or deduce causes of geological objects.3DGM technology provides technical support for extraction of diverse geoscience information,3D modeling,and quantitative calculation of mineral resources.Based on metallogenic concepts and an ore deposit model, 3DGM technology is applied to analyze geological characteristics of the Tongshan Cu deposit in order to define a metallogenic model and develop a virtual borehole technology;a BP neural network and a 3D interpolation technique were combined to integrate multiple geoscience information in a 3D environment. The results indicate:(1) on basis of the concept of magmatic-hydrothermal Cu polymetallic mineralization and a porphyry Cu deposit model,a spatial relational database of multiple geoscience information for mineralization in the study area(geology,geophysics,geochemistry,borehole,and cross-section data) was established,and 3D metallogenic geological objects including mineralization stratum,granodiorite, alteration rock,and magnetic anomaly were constructed;(2) on basis of the 3D ore deposit model,23,800 effective surveys from 94 boreholes and 21 sections were applied to establish 3D orebody models with a kriging interpolation method;(3) combined 23,800 surveys involving 21 sections,using VC++ and OpenGL platform,virtual borehole and virtual section with BP network,and an improved inverse distance interpolation(IDW) method were used to predict and delineate mineralization potential targets (Cu-grade of cell not less than 0.1%);(4) comparison of 3D ore bodies,metallogenic geological objects of mineralization,and potential targets of mineralization models in the study area,delineated the 3D spatial and temporal relationship and causal processes among the ore bodies,alteration rock,metallogenic stratum,intrusive rock,and the Tongshan Fault.This study provides important technical support and a scientific basis for assessment of the Tongshan Cu deposit and surrounding exploration and mineral resources.     

Progress in China's Unconventional Oil & Gas Exploration and Development and Theoretical Technologies

The new century has witnessed a strategic breakthrough in unconventional oil gas.Hydrocarbon accumulated in micro-/nano-scale pore throat shale systems has become an important domain that could replace current oil gas resources.Unconventional oil gas plays an increasingly important role in our energy demand.Tight gas,CBM,heavy oil and asphaltic sand have served as a key domain of exploration development,with tight oil becoming a 'bright spot' domain and shale gas becoming a 'hotspot' domain.China has made great breakthroughs in unconventional oil gas resources,such as tight gas,shale gas,tight oil and CBM,and great progress in oil shale,gas hydrate,heavy oil and oil sand.China has an estimated(223-263)×10~8t of unconventional oil resources and(890-1260)×l0~(12)m~3 of gas resources.China has made a breakthrough for progress in unconventional oil gas study.New progress achieved in fine-grained sedimentary studies related to continental open lacustrine basin large-scale shallow-water delta sand bodies,lacustrine basin central sandy clastic flow sediments and marine-continental fine-grained sediments provide a theoretical basis for the formation and distribution of basin central reservoir bodies.Great breakthroughs have been made in unconventional reservoir geology in respect of research methodology technology,multi-scale data merging and physical simulation of formation conditions.Overall characterization of unconventional reservoirs via multi-method and multi-scale becomes increasingly popular and facilitates the rapid development of unconventional oil gas geological theory,method and technology.The formation of innovative,continuous hydrocarbon accumulation theory,the establishment of the framework of the unconventional oil gas geological theory system,and the determination of the implications,geological feature,formation mechanism,distribution rule and core technology of unconventional oil gas geological study lays a theoretical foundation for extensive unconventional oil gas exploration and development.Theories and technologies of unconventional oil gas exploration and development developed rapidly,including some key evaluation techniques such as 'sweet spot zone' integrated evaluation and a six-property evaluation technique that uses hydrocarbon source,lithology,physical property,brittleness,hydrocarbon potential and stress anisotropy,and some key development engineering technologies including micro-seismic monitoring,horizontal drilling completion and "factory-like" operation pattern, "man-made reservoir" development,which have facilitated the innovative development of unconventional oil gas.These breakthroughs define a new understanding in four aspects:①theoretical innovation;② key technologies;③ complete market mechanism and national policy support;and ④ well-developed ground infrastructure,which are significant for prolonging the life cycle of petroleum industry,accelerating the upgrade and development of theories and technologies and altering the global traditional energy structure.     

Accessing Multi-Source Geological Data through Network in MORPAS Software System

MORPAS is a special GIS (geographic information system) software system, based on the MAPGIS platform whose aim is to prospect and evaluate mineral resources quantificationally by synthesizing geological, geophysical, geochemical and remote sensing data. It overlays geological database management, geological background and geological abnormality analysis, image processing of remote sensing and comprehensive abnormality analysis, etc.. It puts forward and integrative solution for the application of GIS in basic-level units and the construction of information engineering in the geological field. As the polularization of computer networks and the request of data sharing, it is necessary to extend its funictions in data management so that all its data files can be accessed in the network server. The paper utilizes some MAPGIS functions for the second development and ADO (access data object) technique to qccess multi-source geological data in SQL Server databases. Then remote visiting and congruous management will be realized in the MORPAS system.     

Potential and Suitability Evaluation of CO2 Geological Storage in Major Sedimentary Basins of China, and the Demonstration Project in Ordos Basin

From 2010 to 2012, the China Geological Survey Center for Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology Survey (CHEGS) carried out the project “Potential evaluation and demonstration project of CO2 Geological Storage in China”. During this project, we developed an evaluation index system and technical methods for the potential and suitability of CO2 geological storage based on China’s geological conditions, and evaluated the potential and suitability of the primary basins for CO2 geological storage, in order to draw a series of regional scale maps (at a scale of 1:5000000) and develop an atlas of the main sedimentary basins in China. By using these tools, we delineated many potential targets for CO2 storage. We also built techniques and methods for site selection and the exploration and assessment of CO2 geological storage in deep saline aquifers. Furthermore, through cooperation with the China Shenhua Coal to Liquid and Chemical Co., Ltd., we successfully constructed the first coal-based demonstration project for CO2 geological storage in deep saline aquifers in the Yijinhuoluo Banner of Ordos in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, which brought about the basic preliminary theories, techniques, and methods of geological CO2 storage in deep saline aquifers under China’s geological conditions.     

Three Practical Methods for Analyzing Slope Stability

Since the environmental capacity and the arable as well as the inhabitant lands have actually reached a full balance, the slopes are becoming the more and more important options for various engineering constructions. Because of the geological complexity of the slope, the design and the decision-making of a slope-based engineering is still not practical to rely solely on the theoretical analysis and numerical calculation, but mainly on the experience of the experts. Therefore, it has important practical significance to turn some successful experience into mathematic equations. Based upon the abundant typical slope engineering construction cases in Yunnan, Southwestern China, 3 methods for analyzing the slope stability have been developed in this paper. First of all, the corresponded analogous mathematic equation for analyzing slope stability has been established through case studies. Then, artificial neural network and multivariate regression analysis have also been set up when 7 main influencing factors are adopted.     

Potential and Suitability Evaluation of CO2 Geological Storage in Major Sedimentary Basins of China, and the Demonstration Project in Ordos Basin

From 2010 to 2012, the China Geological Survey Center for Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology Survey (CHEGS) carried out the project “Potential evaluation and demonstration project of CO2 Geological Storage in China”. During this project, we developed an evaluation index system and technical methods for the potential and suitability of CO2 geological storage based on China’s geological conditions, and evaluated the potential and suitability of the primary basins for CO2 geological storage, in order to draw a series of regional scale maps (at a scale of 1:5000000) and develop an atlas of the main sedimentary basins in China. By using these tools, we delineated many potential targets for CO2 storage. We also built techniques and methods for site selection and the exploration and assessment of CO2 geological storage in deep saline aquifers. Furthermore, through cooperation with the China Shenhua Coal to Liquid and Chemical Co., Ltd., we successfully constructed the first coal-based demonstration project for CO2 geological storage in deep saline aquifers in the Yijinhuoluo Banner of Ordos in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, which brought about the basic preliminary theories, techniques, and methods of geological CO2 storage in deep saline aquifers under China’s geological conditions.     

Application of GIS to Geo-anomaly-Based Delineation of Mineral Resources

The geo-anomaly-based delineation of mineral resourcesusing GIS (Zhao et al.,1 996,1 995;Zhao and Chi,1 991 )takes the geological anomalous ore-forming theory as its theo-retical basis,the conceptual model of geology and mineral re-sources and the corresponding spatial analysis model as its ge-ological foundation,the GIS as its basic tool for the analysisof mineral resources prediction,and the analyses of favorableprospecting index and the spatial correlation of geologicalanomalies assemblag…     

Expert System for Statistical Prediction of Mineral Deposits on Middle and Large Scales

The expert system for statistical prediction of mineral deposits on middle and large scales takes the system of scientific exploration theories, criteria and methods proposed by Professor Zhao Pengda as the field expert knowledge. At present the developed system focuses on two aspects: synthetic exploration and quantitative exploration. Among the three basic theories for the prediction of deposits, it highlights the applications of seeking anomaly theory. This system is characteristic in the determination of geological background, the study of geological anomalies and the delineation of geological background, the study of geological anomalies and the delineation of mineralization anomalies. The system combines closely the knowledge base, method base and database ,integrates the input and output information of multi-sources and multi-variables, data , graphs and imagine processing system and inquiring system as a whole . So the system can meet in general all kinds of demands in statistical prediction of m     

Geological and Geochemical Evidence for Discriminating Anatectic and Subsolidus Migmatites in the Dabieshan Complex,Northeastern Hubei Province

Based on the geological and geochemical information about migmatites,the following lines of evidence have been proposed for discriminating the anatectic leucosome in the Dabieshan Complex:(1)its width is larger than that derived from the subsolidus genesis,cutting across regional foliation,thus giving rise to complicated folds and wider selvages;(2)it is composed of melanic and accessory minerals in addition to quartz and feldspars;(3)the significant dfference in anorthites of plagioclase between paleosome and leucosome;(4)temperature and pressure(P/T) conditions revealed by the mineral compositions and assemblages are over those for the onset of anatexis;and (5)it is enriched in the major elements(e.g.Al2O3.Fe2O3and TiO2)and immobile and incompatible elements(e.g.LREE,Th,Hf and Zr).Finally,by combining the geological and geochemical features with the statistical data for the spatial distribution of minerals and mass-balance in the migatites,it is concluded that anatexis is the cardinal mechanism of migmatization in the Dabieshan Complex.     

RS and GIS‐based Statistical Analysis of Secondary Geological Disasters after the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake

Abstract: Using RS and GIS means, this article analyzes the general geological characteristics and the structural belt distribution features in Wenchuan County, Sichuan province, P.R. China as well as the characteristics of the large-scale landslides, mud-rock flows, earthquake lakes, etc., after the earthquake on May 12, 2008. Based on the above work, comprehensive indoor and outdoor research is launched on disaster distribution characteristics and their relationship with earthquakes, terrains, strata, lithology, and structures. Weights of evidence method is utilized to quantitatively analyze and evaluate the spatial distribution of secondary geological disasters after the earthquake occurred. 3 remedying grades for secondary geological disasters are derived from the results of the weights of Evidence, followed by suggestions given to remedy earthquake secondary disasters.     

The Triassic Palogeography and Stratigraphy of Yunnan

With many years residence in Kunming and from several geological trips to different parts in Yunnan, we have obtained some information of the Triassic stratigraphy and its distribution. As a whole the Triassic formations are well developed and widely distributed in this province. They consist of both continental and marine