Gold mineralization in oil fields of the South Caspian Basin. Discussion paper

The basis of idea of the gold content of the South Caspian oil-and-gas bearing basin is the notion regarding the forming of gold-bearing catagenic solutions by the oil-gas generating Paleogene -Lower Miocene sediments which within the zone Volga-Don-Pre-Caucasus-Trans Caspian enclose the complex sulphide-phosphatic-rare metal-uranium deposits.In iron sulphides there are constant gold, cobalt, nickel, molybdenum, rhenium, rare copper, zinc, plumbum and arsenic, but in pyritiferous horizons of some regions there are often inclusions of native mineralsgold, bismuth, tin and copper.The detail geologic-geophysical and isotopic-geohemical studies have showed that in the South-Caspian sedimentary basin in "oil-gas window" the catagenic aqueous solutions enriched with ore components were intensively generated along with formation of liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons.It is proved by high content and constant presence of gold, silver, copper, molybdenum, zinc, arsenic and other metals in oils, bitumens and formation waters.This stimulated the study of possibility of ore accumulations forming in the paleo-sources of the fluids' catagenic discharge and confirmed our predictions regarding the noble metal and oil paragenesis in the South Caspian sedimentary basin.The top-cut concentrations of gold and palladium as well as the indicators of the epithermal mineralization of gold of the Carlin-type -arsenic and barium -were revealed within the zone.Such study for gold exploration within the South Caspian basin was performed for the first time.The obtained results open the basin's prospects as the gold-oil-bearing one.The revealed gold-ore mineralization represents a discovery of a new genetic type of gold-ore mineralization in Azerbaijan also known worldwide as stratiform Carlin-type with microdissiminated, low content and significant reserves of gold.