Russian researchers have made an important discovery that explains how oil and bitumen get into diamond-bearing pipes. The results of the study refute old hypotheses and prove the organic origin of these minerals. This knowledge is of great importance for geological exploration and understanding of natural processes.
Even during the first developments diamonds In Yakutia, miners noticed an unusual phenomenon. Bitumen and other hydrocarbons were found in kimberlite pipes, known as a source of diamonds. The most striking incident occurred in 1962 at the Udachnaya pipe, when a gas torch burst out of the well. The gushing continued for several days, which made scientists wonder about the nature of this phenomenon.
Specialists from the Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry named after. V.I. Vernadsky RAS conducted a large-scale study of bitumen from the famous Mir pipe. Using modern analytical methods, including gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, scientists were able to determine the molecular composition of organic matter.
“We have established that the bitumens in kimberlites are of a biogenic nature,” explained one of the study’s authors, Felix Kaminsky. “The most likely source of this substance could be ancient plankton, in particular cyanobacteria. The carbon isotope composition of the bitumens confirms their organogenic nature.”
The answer to the main question – how organic substances got into the igneous rock – was given by an analysis of the geological structure of the pipe. It turned out that accumulations of bitumen are located in tectonic fracture zones that formed after the formation of the kimberlite pipe. Oil entered the kimberlite from the surrounding sedimentary rocks, where an ancient oil and gas bearing layer of sandstones was preserved.
This discovery has practical significance for search and exploration deposits. The study confirmed that oil and gas shows in kimberlites are of organic origin, which corresponds to modern ideas about the formation of hydrocarbons. The work of scientists will help more accurately predict the availability of minerals and better understand the geological processes of our planet.
The material was prepared with the support of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science as part of the Decade of Science and Technology.
Source: minobrnauki.gov.ru
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