Hydrocarbons as ore fluids

• DOI: 10.7185/geochemlet.1745
• Publication Date: 2017-12-15T16:10:09Z
• Authors: A.A. Migdisov; X. Guo; A.E. Williams-Jones; C.J. Sun; O. Vasyukova; I. Sugiyama; S. Fuchs; K. Pearce; R. Roback
• Keywords: hydrothermal; 13. Climate action; transport; mechanism; hydrocarbons; deposition; 01 natural sciences; fluid; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences

Conventional wisdom holds that aqueous solutions are the only non-magmatic fluids capable of concentrating metals in Earth's crust.The role hydrocarbons metal concentration is relegated to providing geochemical barriers at which reduced and immobilised.Liquid hydrocarbons, however, also known be able carry appreciable concentrations metals, travel considerable distances.Here we report results an experimental determination bulk solubilities Au, Zn, U a variety crude oils temperatures up 300 °C benchtop-scale transport experiments simulate hydrocarbon-mediated re-deposition Zn 25-200 °C.It has been demonstrated obtained solubility within range typically considered sufficient for form ore bodies.It shown can efficiently transported re-deposited by hydrocarbons.These provide direct evidence ability natural mobilise available hydrocarbon-associated host rocks, them contribute ore-forming processes.