Basin modeling of the Late Miocene Zeit source rock in the Sudanese portion of Red Sea Basin: Implication for hydrocarbon generation and expulsion history

The Late Miocene Zeit Formation is exposed in the Red Sea Basin of Sudan and represents an important oil-source rock. In this study, five (5) exploratory wells along Red Sea Basin of Sudan are used to model the petroleum generation and expulsion history of the Zeit Formation. Burial/thermal models illustrate that the Red Sea is an extensional rift basin and initially developed during the Late Eocene to Oligocene. Heat flow models show that the present-day heat flow values in the area are between 60 and 109 mW/m². The variation in values of the heat flow can be linked to the raise in the geothermal gradient from margins of the basin towards offshore basin. The offshore basin is an axial area with thick burial depth, which is the principal heat flow source.The paleo-heat flow values of the basin are approximately from 95 to 260 mW/m², increased from Oligocene to Early Pliocene and then decreased exponentially prior to Late Pliocene. This high paleo-heat flow had a considerable effect on the source rock maturation and cooking of the organic matter. The maturity history models indicate that the Zeit Formation source rock passed the late oil-window and converted the oil generated to gas during the Late Miocene.The basin models also indicate that the petroleum was expelled from the Zeit source rock during the Late Miocene (>7 Ma) and it continues to present-day, with transformation ratio of more than 50%. Therefore, the Zeit Formation acts as an effective source rock where significant amounts of petroleum are expected to be generated in the Red Sea Basin.     

苏丹哈马迪金矿地球化学特征及成因探讨

苏丹哈马迪金矿区矿石与岩石稀土配分曲线的相似性表明二者具有同源性;矿石硫同位素组成δ(34S)值为较小的负值,表明区内硫来源单一,且硫质应为深源物质;而矿石中的氢、氧同位素特征则表明金矿热液应来源于变质热液.众多事实表明,哈马迪金矿与泛非造山运动及其后的区域变质作用关系密切,成矿热液来源于围岩,属受剪切作用控制的变质热液型金矿床.     

Deep to shallow lacustrine evaporites in the Libros Gypsum (southern Teruel Basin, Miocene, NE Spain): an occurrence of pelletal gypsum rhythmites

ABSTRACT A number of non‐marine evaporite units composed of primary gypsum were deposited in saline lakes that developed in the southern Teruel Basin (NE Spain) during the Miocene. In the basin depocentre, a continuum of lacustrine evaporite lithofacies influenced by the activity of organisms is displayed. The Libros Gypsum was deposited in a deep lake, in which water stratification became unstable with progressive shoaling. Rhythmites, composed of laminae of pelletal gypsum and laminae of very fine lenticular gypsum crystals mixed with siliceous microorganisms, formed in addition to gypsum turbidites, intraformational gypsum breccias and slump structures. The pelletal laminae originated from the faecal activity of animals (crustaceans?) ingesting gypsum crystallites in the lake water during episodes of maximum evaporation, whereas the laminae of very fine lenticular gypsum mixed with microorganisms accumulated during episodes of relative dilution. In the wide marginal zones of the basin, the Libros Gypsum unit consists of massive to thin‐bedded bioturbated gypsum and thin‐bedded clotted gypsum, which formed in intermediate to very shallow (palustrine) water depths. The bioturbated gypsum lithofacies were produced by the action of diverse organisms, presumably worms and coleopterans, and chironomid larvae to a lesser extent; the massive lithofacies precipitated in very shallow water; and the thin‐bedded lithofacies formed in shallow to deeper settings. The thin‐bedded clotted gypsum is a relatively deep facies that may have diverse origins (e.g. bioturbation, compaction, disruption of soft sediments and early diagenesis). There is a well‐developed metre‐scale cyclicity in the marginal lake sequences, which is not observed in the inner lake deposits. This suggests a depth control in the various lacustrine subenvironments to record cyclic evaporitic processes. The isotopic composition of the gypsum indicates early sulphate‐reducing bacterial activity in the bottom of the lake and suggests that the sulphate was derived from the chemical recycling of Triassic evaporites of the country rocks.     

Re–Os and U–Pb Geochronology of Porphyry and Skarn Types Copper Deposits in Jilin Province,NE China

Jilin Province in NE China lies on the eastern edge of the Xing–Meng Orogenic Belt. Mineral exploration in this area has resulted in the discovery of numerous large, medium, and small sized Cu, Mo, Au, and Co deposits. To better understand the formation and distribution of both the porphyry and skarn types Cu deposits of the region, we examined the geological characteristics of the deposits and applied zircon U–Pb and molybdenite Re–Os isotope dating to constrain the age of the mineralization. The Binghugou Cu deposit yields a zircon U–Pb age for quartz diorite of 128.1 ± 1.6 Ma; the Chang'anpu Cu deposit yields a zircon U–Pb age for granite porphyry of 117.0 ± 1.4 Ma; the Ermi Cu deposit yields a zircon U–Pb age for granite porphyry of 96.8 ± 1.1 Ma; the Tongshan Cu deposit yields molybdenite Re–Os model ages of 128.7 to 130.2 Ma, an isochron age of 129.0 ± 1.6 Ma, and a weighted mean model age of 129.2 ± 0.7 Ma; and the Tianhexing Cu deposit yields molybdenite Re–Os model ages of 113.9 to 115.2 Ma, an isochron age of 114.7 ± 1.2 Ma, and a weighted mean model age of 114.7 ± 0.7 Ma. The new ages, combined with existing geochronology data, show that intense porphyry and skarn types Cu mineralization was coeval with Cretaceous magmatism. The geotectonic processes responsible for the genesis of the Cu mineralization were probably related to lithospheric thinning. By analyzing the accumulated molybdenite Re–Os, zircon U–Pb, and Ar–Ar ages for NE China, it is concluded that the Cu deposits formed during multiple events coinciding with periods of magmatic activity. We have identified five phases of mineralization: early Paleozoic (~476 Ma), late Paleozoic (286.5–273.6 Ma), early Mesozoic (~228.7 Ma), Jurassic (194.8–137.1 Ma), and Cretaceous (131.2–96.8 Ma). Although Cu deposits formed during each phase, most of the Cu mineralization occurred during the Cretaceous.     

Effect of hot dry summer tropical climate on forage intake and milk yield in Holstein–Friesian and indigenous zebu cows in Sudan

The effects of dry summer ambient temperature on some physiological and productive responses were studied in an exotic European breed (Holstein–Friesian) and a local zebu breed (Butana ecotype) of cattle in Sudan. Rectal temperature and respiration rate were positively correlated, and dry matter intake and milk yield were negatively correlated with variation in ambient temperature. However, significant adverse effects on high ambient temperature were only observed in the exotic breed.     

Geochemistry,U–Pb Geochronology and Hf Isotope Studies of the Daheishan Porphyry Mo Deposit in Heilongjiang Province,NE China

The Daheishan porphyry Mo deposit was recently discovered in the northern segment of the Great Xing'an Range, NE China. Three main types of granitoids are identified in this deposit: granodiorite, fine‐grained granite, and porphyritic granite. The orebodies are dominantly hosted within the granodiorite and in the contact zone between the granodiorite and tuff or hornfels, while no mineralization has been found in the fine‐grained granite or the porphyritic granite. We present in situ LA‐ICP‐MS zircon U‐Pb dates for the granodiorite, fine‐grained granite, and porphyritic granite, which yielded 146.9 ± 1.1 Ma (2σ), 146.6 ± 1.7 Ma (2σ), and 149.7 ± 4.2 Ma (2σ), respectively. Their ε_Hf(t) values range from 3.9 to 12.2, associated with young crustal model ages (T_DM2) ranging from 524 Ma to 849 Ma, indicating that their parental magmas may have been generated by partial melting of the Neoproterozoic–Cambrian crustal components. The formation of the Daheishan deposit was genetically related to the subduction of the Paleo‐Pacific Plate.     

苏丹默鲁特盆地石油开发项目数字地形测量技术分析

以苏丹默鲁特盆地石油开发项目的地形测量工程为例,分析国外的石油开发项目地形测量工作涉及的各个方面。文章从测量工程的坐标和投影系统选择、适用作业规范、控制设计和标石埋设、地形图分幅、图面表示、成果质量控制等多方面阐述分析了其特殊性,并总结了一些经验,以期为以后的此类工程提供借鉴意义。     

The Zaghawa and the Midob of North Darfur – A comparison of migration behaviour

Two ethnic groups of North Darfur, the Zaghawa and the Midob, are being compared as regards their migration behaviour and their identification in their destination areas. Both groups have severely suffered as a result of the drought phase of the last three decades, during which more than half of the Zaghawa and Midob have migrated southwards and to the towns. Despite the similarity of the two ethnic groups, being non-Arab agropastoralists who are socially and politically marginalised both within Darfur and within the Sudan, they show marked differences in their migration behaviour and ethnic solidarity. The Zaghawa migrants are considerably more economically successful than the Midob migrants. The main reasons are: – The Zaghawa started their outmigration earlier than the Midob. Thus, they could establish ethnically-based networks in Libya and the Gulf countries, to which Zaghawa migrants can resort to make a good start in their destination areas. By the time the Midob started their migration in the 1980s, the conditions of employment in the Arab oil countries had worsened. – The Zaghawa show a strong clan solidarity. They readily lend money to young members of their clan to cover the high costs of travelling to the Arab oil countries for work, where many of them have already established themselves. – The Midob, both in the Sudan and abroad, have much less resources available. The only country open for them outside the Sudan is Libya. Lacking capital, the Midob go there on camels, mostly illegally. Having no connections in Libya, except those to other poor Midob there, they usually try to work in herding sheep and goats, which is not a lucrative profession. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

青藏高原东北缘地壳S波速度结构与泊松比及其意义

利用甘肃地震台网16个台站记录的远震资料,采用最大熵谱反褶积方法,得到了各个台站的接收函数. 采用接收函数扫描法和线性反演方法对研究区的壳幔结构进行了研究,这两种接收函数方法得出的结果具有很好的一致性. 青藏高原东北缘地壳厚度变化剧烈,祁连块体为50～55 km、柴达木块体和河西走廊为45 km左右（合作台除外）,由北向南,Moho界面呈中央下凹的准对称状. 研究区地壳VP/VS介于1.66～1.85（σ=0.215～0.294,均值0.254）,其均值接近或略低于全球平均值;S波速度结构可见壳幔过渡带具有明显的突跳,结合其他地球物理学证据,推断该区可能不存在岩浆底侵作用和地壳部分熔融现象. 该区地壳VP/VS值与地壳厚度呈反相关关系,推断该区地壳的主要组成成分以中酸性岩石为主,其45～55 km厚的地壳可能主要是通过上地壳的叠置形成的.     

Geochemistry of the Late Paleozoic radiolarian cherts within the NE Jiangxi ophiolite melange and its tectonic significance

Major and trace elements are presented for the late Paleozoic radiolarian cherts, which were spatially associated with the NE Jiangxi ophiolite melange. These chert samples show relatively low SiO₂ (78.40%-89.28%) and high Al₂O₃ (3.42%-11.02%). Low Si/Al ratios (6.3-23) and tight negative correlation between Si/Al and Al₂O₃ of the samples indicate that they are muddy cherts containing high and variable contents of pelitic detritus. Geochemically, they are characterized by Al₂O3/(Al2O3+Fe₂O3) = 0.51-0.90, shale-normalized La_n/Ce_n = 0.76-1.11, Ce/Ce* = 0.91-1.22, V<20_μg/g, V/Y<2.6 and Ti/V>40, resembling those of cherts formed in the continental margin regimes. It is therefore concluded that these late Paleozoic radiolarian muddy cherts were most likely formed in a continental margin regime, and not genetically related to the ophiolite suite in NE Jiangxi. It is also unlikely that an oceanic basin existed between the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks during the late Paleozoic.