The physicochemical characteristics and hydrocarbon composition of crude oils of the Timan–Pechora petroliferous basin

The total hydrocarbon composition and average structural-group characteristics of typical Paleozoic crude oils of the Timan–Pechora petroliferous basin are described. The hydrocarbon (HC) types of crudes are compared, which were conventionally determined from the composition of their gasoline fractions, by mass-spectrometric analysis of the HC composition of crudes, and by structural-group analysis of crudes, based on radiospectrometric data. The analyses have shown the presence of 30 structural types of HCs with up to 43 carbon atoms. The whole series of members up to C43 are specific only for HCs with no more than three rings in the molecule. It has been established that the carbonate strata in the basin under investigation, independently of the depth of their occurrence and the age of the host deposits, generate and accumulate heavy high-resin high-sulfur oils rich in alicyclic structures and assigned by HC composition to the naphthene–methane or even naphthene type. Terrigenous reservoirs here abound in crudes of methane–naphthene type. The contents of sulfur and resinous substances and the fraction of carbon atoms in alicyclic HC structures decrease as the depth of occurrence of the host deposits grows, thus reflecting the known gradual process of “methanization” of petroleum composition.     

The Kanin–Timan–Pechora province of Late Devonian intraplate magmatism (position and size)

Investigation of the distribution of basalts, dolerites, and tuffs in the Kanin–Timan–Pechora large igneous province was completed by generalization of data of geological surveys and analysis of the data of deep drilling. The province appears like a nonisometric ellipse and extends northwestward for a distance of nearly 850 km at the width of 250–500 km. Its area is nearly 285 000 km². The area of the volcanic rocks is about 85 500 km². The volume of eruptive material alone could be equal to 1000–1200 km³. The age of formation of the traps corresponds to the late period of activity of the process and was less than 7 mln. y. The formation of the province was result of the action of short-lived and low intensity plumes. But it was one of the episodes of the Late Devonian superplume event in the East European platform. The province is separated by an amagmatic area from neighboring magmatic provinces of the same age. The distance between borders of the provinces is 200–400 km.     

High-molecular heteroatomic components of crude oils of the Timan–Pechora petroliferous basin

Based on the experimentally measured parameters of elemental composition, average molecular masses, and PRM spectrometry data, we calculated the average structural parameters of resin and asphaltene molecules in Paleozoic crude oil of some oilfields in the Timan–Pechora petroliferous basin. The values of the structural parameters of cyclic and aliphatic fragments in the molecules of resin–asphaltene components of the crudes studied here are within the ranges established earlier for high-molecular compounds of crudes from other petroliferous basins. The average structural-group characteristics of resins in crudes from carbonate reservoirs vary over narrow ranges of values independently of the age and depth of occurrence of the reservoir. The resinous fractions of crudes from terrigenous horizons show symbatic enrichment with paraffin fragments and depletion with naphthene fragments of molecules with depth. This points to the presence of a paragenesis of petroleum hydrocarbons and heteroatomic compounds in the Earth’s interior.     

Anoxia in the Domanik basin of the Timan–Pechora region

Analysis of the carbon isotopic composition in aryl carotenoid derivatives, including isorenieratene, in bitumen from domanikoid rocks of the sections cropping out along the Chut River revealed that they contain anomalously heavy carbon, which is determined by the formation of these compounds from green sulfur bacteria of the family Chlorobiaceae. These bacteria use the peculiar process of carbon fixing as HCO₃^? in the reversed tricarboxilic acid cycle. The fact of hydrosulfuric contamination of the photic water layer in the Domanik basin is confirmed by the plurality of data. Anoxity in shelf water of the middle Frasnian Timan–Pechora basin is evident from lithological features such as, for example, lamination of some rocks and mass death of the fauna.     

Middle Triassic pteridosperms (Pinophyta) of the Timan–Pechora basin

The collection of fossil plants sampled by geologists from VNIGRI at the end of the 20th century from Triassic continental sections drilled by many wells and cropping out in several natural localities and stored at the Museum of Petroleum Geology and Paleontology of the same institute was critically revised. The use of the epidermal method for the study of plant remains with consideration of recent publications dedicated to continental sections of Central Europe made it possible to substantially broaden the taxonomic composition of the Triassic flora and first specify the composition of its pteridosperm representatives. Unlike the Triassic floras of Western Europe, the pteridosperms the Pechora region appeared to be relatively diverse. They number 37 species of 11 genera, which are confined to the upper part of the Triassic sequence: Anguran and Naryan-Mar formations and their analogs. The Middle Triassic, mainly, Ladinian, age of these formations is reliably substantiated both by paleontological (vertebrate and palynological) data and by results of the comparative analysis of the Anguran–Naryan-Mar taphofloras and coeval European type floras dated back to the Anisian–Ladinian by marine faunal remains. The stratigraphic significance of pteridospermous plant remains becomes undoubted for continental sections of the Timan–Pechora basin, while the genera Scytophyllum, Kalantarium, and Kirjamkenia may be considered with respect to their diversity and abundance as representing orthostratigraphic taxa.     

Compositional characteristics and geochemical significance of light hydrocarbons for crude oils in Tarim Basin, China

Light hydrocarbons, especially C7 isoalkanes, cyclopentanes, cyclohexanes and n-heptane in 540 oils from the Tarim Basin were studied systematically. The results suggested the K1 values [ （2-MH＋ 2,3-DMP）/（3-MH ＋ 2,4-DMP） ] of crude oils vary from a lowest value of 0.78, to a highest value of 1.54, but the K1 values of the majority of oil samples （80%） range from 0.90 to 1.20. However, the absolute contents of （ 2-methylhexane ＋ 2,3-dimethylpentane） and （ 3-methylhexane ＋ 2,4-dimethylpentane） in the total light hydrocarbons （ C4-C7 ） show a similar variation trend. The variation of K1 values of crude oils can suggest a typical sedimentary environment for source rocks. Therefore, according to the compositional characteristics of C7 light hydrocarbons in light of the steady-state catalytic hypothesis, nonmarine oils from the Yingmaili area and marine oils from the Tazhong uplift in the Tarim Basin were genetically classified.     

Evolution process of the Late Silurian–Late Devonian tectonic environment in Qimantagh in the western portion of east Kunlun,China: Evidence from the geochronology and geochemistry of granitoids

Journal of Earth System Science - The East Kunlun Orogenic Belt has undergone a composite orogenic process consisting of multiple orogenic cycles and involving many types of magmatic rocks spread...     

History of the geological evolution of the Tsil’ma River basin (midle Timan) in the Devonian

The results of bio- and lithostratigraphic studies of the Givetian-Frasnian rocks in the Tsil’ma River basin are reported. They suggest regularities in sedimentation: distinct rhythmicity and similar succession in the structure of formations. We have identified five palynocomplexes that characterize the formations and make it possible to accomplish a confident biostratigraphic subdivision of sections. Their correlation with coeval complexes in the adjacent areas has been accomplished. The results made it possible to unravel specific features of miospore assemblages formed in the continental and coastal-marine facies.     

Devonian volcanism in the Minusa basin in the Altai–Sayan area: geological,geochemical, and Sr–Nd isotopic characteristics of rocks

Based on geological data and the geochemical and isotopic (Sr, Nd) parameters of the Devonian volcanic associations of the Minusa basin, the main regularities of volcanism development are considered, the composition of magmatic sources is studied, and the geodynamic mechanisms of their involvement in rifting are reconstructed. The early stage of formation of the Minusa basin was characterized by intense volcanism, which resulted in differentiated and, more seldom, bimodal volcanic complexes composed of pyroclastic rocks and dolerite sills. At the late stage, only terrigenous deposits accumulated in the basin. It has been established that the basites are similar in composition and are intermediate in geochemical characteristics between intraplate rocks (OIB) and continent-marginal ones (IAB). The basites, like OIB, have high contents of all lithophile elements, which is typical of enriched mantle sources, and, like IAB, show negative anomalies of Nb, Ta, Ti, and, to a smaller extent, Rb, Th, Zr, and Hf, selective enrichment in Pb and Ba (and, sometimes, Sr), and a weak REE differentiation (7 < (La/Yb)N < 17). In contrast to the basins in other segments of the Devonian Altai–Sayan rift area, the igneous associations in the Minusa basin are characterized by a worse expressed geochemical inhomogeneity of rocks and lack of high-Ti (> 2 wt.% TiO2) basites. The Sr and Nd isotope compositions of the Minusa basites deviate from the mantle rock series toward the compositions with high radiogenic-strontium and low REE contents.This points to the melting of a mantle substratum (PREMA-type) and carbonate-rich sedimentary rocks, which were probably assimilated by basaltic magma. The correlations between the contents of trace incompatible elements in rocks with SiO2 = 53–77 wt.% testify to the assimilation of crustal substrata by parental basaltic melts and the subsequent differentiation of contaminated magmas (AFC model). We propose a model for the formation of primary melts with the simultaneous participation of magmatic sources of two types: plume and fluid-saturated suprasubductional, localized beneath the active continental margin.     

Middle–Late Devonian island-arc volcanosedimentary complexes in northwestern Rudny Altai

A volcanosedimentary complex of Middle–Late Devonian deposits in northwestern Rudny Altai is described. Analysis of sedimentologic processes, the kind of manifestation and specific composition of volcanism, and petrographic and chemical compositions of sedimentary rocks permitted reconstruction of paleogeographic and geodynamic settings, which confirmed the hypothesis of the island-arc nature of the Rudny Altai zone in the Middle–Late Devonian. Also, an alternative variant of its rift nature is considered. The rift buildings are referred to as local isolated complexes confined to positive paleovolcanic structures rising above the bottom in the fore-arc basin. The denudated part of the rift system is formed mainly by slope facies. Clastics of rift buildings, together with fragments of silicite and felsic-volcanics layers, compose widespread olistostrome breccias. We have established the humid type of lithogenesis, which, together with minor sea level fluctuations, favors karst processes and the formation of red-colored and bauxite-like rocks. The coeval volcanics composing lava flows and tuff layers are mainly rhyolites and are often of ultrafelsic composition.     

The distribution of calcareous nannofossils in the late Santonian–Late Maastrichtian deposits in the southwest of Iran (Khuzestan Province)

The first data on the distribution of calcareous nannofossils in the Behbehan section, the Kuh-e-Rish, are considered. According to the distribution of nannofossils, the Upper Cretaceous deposits of the section are subdivided into nine biostratigraphic zones. CC17 (Calculites obscurus zone) indicate the Late Santonian. Biozones CC18 (Aspidolithus parcus zone), CC19 (Calculites ovalis zone), CC20 (Ceratolithoides aculeus zone), CC21 (Quadrum sissinghii zone), and CC22 (Quadrum trifidum zone) represent the Campanian. Biozone CC23 (Tranolithus phacelosus zone) indicate the Late Campanian–Early Maastrichtian. Biozones CC24 (Reinhardtites levis zone) and CC25 (Arkhangelskiella cymbiformis zone) suggest the Middle and Late Maastrichtian, respectively. In the late Late Maastrichtian, due to decreasing in water depth at the study area, Nephrolithus frequens zone (CC26) defined in Tethysian domain was not recognized. The boundary between Gurpi–Pabdeh Formations represented a non-depositional period from the late Late Maastrichtian to the end of Early Paleocene. Also, it seems that predominant conditions of the sedimentary environment of Neotethys basin with the presence of index species calcareous nannofossils specified, which itself indicates that the warm climate and high depth of the basin in Late Santonian to Late Maastrichtian, in low latitudes has been prevalent.     

REE characteristics of the Fanshan alunite deposit in Zhejiang Province, China

1 Introduction Alunite [KAl3(SO4)2(OH)6] is a very important non-ferrous metal resource, so many countries throughout the world have made great investments in research on the mechanism of its formation, its geological characteristics and applications. O…     

The Late Ordovician Wufengian Sediments and the Ordovician-Silurian Boundary in Western Zhejiang Province

The Late Ordovician Wufengian sediments in western Zhejiang include three facies: 1) graptolite shale facies, composed of two parts--the upper part the Yankou Formation, with the Diplograplus bohemicus(graptolite) zone and Dalmanitina sp.(trilobite), and the lower part the yuqian Formation with four graptolite zones:(4) the Paraorthograptus yuqianensis zone,(3) the Climacograptus venustus zone,(2) the Dicellograptus szechuanensis zone and(1) the Pseudoclimacograptus anhuiensis zone; 2) mixed facies, consisting of the Wenchang Formation in its upper part and the Changwu Formation in its lower; and 3) shelly limestone facies, whose upper and lower parts are separately the Wenchang Formation and Sanjushan Formation, containing Taeniolites, Proheliolites, etc. In this region the Dalmanitina-Hirnantia bed is well exposed,and Da. and H. are associated with Diplograptus bohemicus, belonging to the late Late Ordovician.The Ordovician-Silurian boundary is drawn as follows:(1) for the graptolite facies, it lies between the Diplograptus bohemicus zone and Glyptograptus persculptus zone;(2) for the graptolite-sheny limestone facies(brachiopod fauna), it is placed between the top of the Diplograptus bohemicus zone and the base of the horizon with the Eospirifer fauna; and 3) for the shelly facies(brachiopod fauna), it is drawn between the top of the horizon with the Dalmanitina-Hirnantia fauna and thebase of the horizon with the Eospirifer fauna.     

Palynology of Yanchang Formation of Middle and Late Triassic in Eastern Gansu Province and Its Paleoclimatic Significance

INTRODUCTION The Ordos basin belongs to the marginal terraceof North China ancient land,extendingtothe QinlingSea before the Mesozoic . The basin was formed dur-ing the Middle Triassic because of the extrusionfromwest to east onthe western margin of the North Chi-na plate .It was gradually depressedinto a lake basinphase in the Middle and Late Triassic ,to form thedeeper southwestern part and shallower northeasternpart lacustrine-delta clastic sedi ments of over 1 000m,known as the Y…     

Late Devonian–early Permian accretionary orogenesis along the North Tianshan in the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt

The Palaeozoic orogenic process in the North Tianshan of the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt is controversial. Systematic field study indicates that the ophiolitic fragments of the North Tianshan are mainly thrust slices and blocks of a late Palaeozoic accretionary complex, which was intruded by granitoids. U-Pb zircon dating of plagiogranites from the North Tianshan ophiolite yielded a mean age of 343.1 ± 2.7 Ma. These are typical oceanic plagiogranites but with a supra-subduction zone (SSZ) signature. Ophiolitic basalts display N-MORB, E-MORB, and OIB compositions. One gabbro with an age of 301.9 ± 2.2 Ma shows E-MORB geochemistry mixed with N-MORB and OIB. Some andesites show clear island arc characters indicated by enrichment of LILEs relative to HFSEs. Mean ages of 344.9 ± 4.2 and 298.7 ± 2.4 Ma were obtained for a granite porphyry and a mylonitic granite, respectively. The two granitoids display an island arc geochemical signature evidenced by enrichment of LILEs and depletion of HFSEs. Combined with an eastward migration of Late Devonian to Carboniferous arc magmatism and related Cu-Au-Mo deposits, we propose that trench retreat and slab roll-back took place during subduction of the Junggar Ocean spreading ridge beneath the North Tianshan arc, and that the accretion may have lasted into early Permian time, an important late stage of the long-lived accretionary orogenesis in the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt.     

Y–REE-Rich zircons of the Timan region: Geochemistry and economic significance

Mineralogical–geochemical studies of zircon from the Ichet’yu occurrence revealed unusually high Y and HREE contents (correlative with the P content) in the inner parts and zones of approximately 10% of the grains. They represent the intermediate members of the zircon–xenotime join with a heterovalent scheme of isomorphism Zr⁴⁺ + Si⁴⁺ → (Y + HREE)³⁺ + P⁵⁺. Geochronological and mineralogical–geochemical data suggest that the Middle Timan basement (the most probable source of zircon of the Ichet’yu occurrence) is made up of the Paleoproterozoic rocks and possibly represents a continuation beneath the Mezen syneclise and Middle Timan of the Paleoproterozoic collisional structure, to which the Arkhangelsk diamond province is confined.     

Late Devonian OIB alkaline gabbro in the Yarlung Zangbo Suture Zone: Remnants of the Paleo-Tethys?

The Yarlung Zangbo Suture Zone (YZSZ) is believed to be composed of material largely derived from the destruction of the Neo-Tethys that occurred from early Mesozoic to early Cenozoic. We report here geochronological and petrological data obtained for newly discovered alkaline gabbro blocks embedded in a mélange zone of the western YZSZ. Single zircon U–Pb analyses from one representative gabbro sample by SIMS (Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry) yielded a combined crystallization age of about 363.7 ± 1.7 Ma (1σ). In situ Hf isotopic analyses yielded ε_Hf(t) values of + 2.6 to + 5.5, suggesting an enriched mantle source. All of the gabbro samples show typical Ocean Island Basalt (OIB) affinity with little or no continental crust contamination. They also display strong geochemical similarities with the Hawaii basalts and the Xigaze seamount basalts suggestive of their intra-oceanic setting. These observations, in combination with the Early Carboniferous layered gabbros reported at Luobusa, indicate that these rocks could represent remnants of the Paleo-Tethys. We propose that a branch ocean separating the Western Qiangtang terrane and the Lhasa terrane from the Gondwana continent might have been present during the Late Devonian and the Early Carboniferous, providing new constrains on the configuration of Paleo-Tethys in Tibetan Plateau during early Late Paleozoic.     

Paleobotanic and lithologic characteristics of Middle Devonian sediments in the Hlubočepy section (Czech Republic)

This paper discusses for the first time the palynological and lithologic characteristics of Middle Devonian sediments of the Srbsko Formation in the Hlubočepy section (Czech Republic). The Eifelian/Givetian boundary in this formation is analyzed from literature and personal data.     

Geodynamics of the Active Margin of Northeast Asia in the Late Cretaceous–Paleogene

Geotectonics - Late Cretaceous to Paleogene suprasubduction systems of Northeast Asia’s active margin are considered in order to determine key objects for the analysis of the geodynamic...     

The Origin and Features of Late Sinian Phosphatic Stromatolites in Fuquan, Guizhou Province

The phosphatic stromatolite discussed in this paper is a columnar type, comprised chiefly of collophane and subordinately of microcrystalline apatite. The column is composed of alternations of dark, cryptocrystalline laminae formed by the biological processes of algae and bacteria, and light, microcrystalline laminae formed by chemical precipitation. The intercolumnar filler, showing a concave anti-stromatolitic structure, is composed of alternations of loose laminae formed by mechanical deposition, and dense, crypto-, microerystalline laminae formed by chemical precipitation and algal bacterial organic process.Under the SEM, the column differs clearly from the intercolumnar filler in ultramicro-fabric. The three basic types of ultramicro-laminae that can be distinguished in the column are: prismatic apatite laminae of chemical origin, elastic apatite laminae of mechanical origin and branched-tubular apatite laminae of algal-bacterial origin, of which the first and second categories constitute light laminae and the third, dark laminae. The dark and light laminae were formed during the alternation of flourishing and dormant periods of algae and bacteria.Under the SEM. the clastic texture is obvious in the loose laminae of the intercolumnar filler. Andfour types of ultramicro-apatite assemblages can be distinguished in the dense laminae, i. e., the framboidal and the tubular apatite of algal-bacterial origin, the framboidal-prismatic and the framboidaltubular-prismatic apatite of chemical organic origin. The alternation of the loose and the dense laminae depends upon the changes of the energy in the water.In the stromatolites, no replacement phenomena have been found and there exists abundant prismatic apatite kept in the initial form of upward-crystallization, and especially, in the forms of algae and bacteria(framboidal, tubular and branched). All these undoubtedly indicate that the stromatolites were originally formed by algae and bacteria.The ultramicro-fabric features indicate that the collophane is not a simple mineral, but a disorderly arranged aggregateof ultramicro-granular apatite.