Subdivisions of the Central-East Asia Multi-Energy Minerals Metallogenetic Domain and Types of Those Basins

Abstract

More than 82 percent of confirmed sandstone-type uranium deposits coexist with confirmed oil-gas or coalfields in the world, which reflects a ubiquitous phenomenon of coexistence and accumulation of multi-energy minerals including oil, gas, coal and uranium in the same basin. It happens mostly in the Central-east Asia energy basins. Across China, Mongolia and some central Asian countries, the giant Central-east Asia metallogenetic domain (CEAMD) stretches for more than 6000 km, from Songliao Basin of China in the east to Caspian Sea in the west. We have divided CEAMD into four mineralization zones according to the different characteristics of regional structures, basins evolution and mineralization conditions: Songliao-Ordos, Alashan-Hexi corridor, Xinjiang and Central Asia. There are remarkable differences in the basic characteristics, evolution process, energy minerals occurrence conditions of the energy basins in these mineralization zones. The authors propose that the relatively stable regional tectonic background and moderate (weaker) structural deformation are probably the necessary conditions for the formation, coexistence and preservation of large and medium-scaled sandstone-type uranium deposits, oil-gas fields and coalfields. This indicates that primarily large to medium scale intracraton basins, intermediate massif basins are suitable to co-exist with medium to small scale residue basins and accumulates oil-gas, coal and uranium in great volumes. Medium scale rift basins which developed in the late of Mesozoic were also provided with relatively good conditions for accumulation/mineralization and coexistence of multi-energy minerals.