Using appropriate methods of analysis, anomalously high concentrations of precious element-bearing c/a.c.s. are typically found in what are conventionally considered to be source beds for the formation of oil and gas deposits; black shales, coal deposits, and various carbonaceous accumulations. (See also.) With the addition of moderate temperature and pressure, commonly attributed to depth of burial or perhaps warm hydrothermal solutions, the widespread and abundant precious element-bearing a.c.s. potentially serves as an excellent catalyst for the conversion of carbonaceous materials to hydrocarbons. There is also evidence to indicate that this c/a.c.s.-type catalyst is capable of adsorbing thin coatings of hydrocarbons. In summary, a model may be envisioned whereby precious element-bearing a.c.s catalyzes proximal carbonaceous material in the source bed and in the process adsorbs a portion of the generated hydrocarbons. These hydrocarbon coated c/a.c.s. particles can then be solubilized and suspended in ground and formation waters and subsequently migrated to traps (oilfields) or dissipated within the geochemical environment.
In possible conjunction with the above, the produced brine water from oil and gas fields contains suspended, minute metallic particles of various precious metals. This is apparently a world-wide occurrence. To date, Ag. Au, Pt, Pd and Rh have been identified. These precious metal particles are generally less than 600 mesh in diameter and are coated with a variable thickness of an asphaltene-like substance. Using appropriate analytical methods it is easily determined that the suspended precious metal may be filtered from the brine water and that the resulting filtrate contains no conventionally detectable precious metal. Combined Ag, Au, Pt, and Pd particulate values of up to $15 US (year 2006) per 42 gallon barrel have been observed. After removing the asphaltene-like coatings, the suspended precious metals structurally consist of smooth-surface spheroids, botyroidal spheroids, irregular shaped pellets, wire-like, and tabular forms; thus suggesting the process of colloidal accretion and growth. Microscopic analysis indicates that these precious metal particles are essentially of a homogeneous metallic composition and exhibit little if any heterogeneous alloying.
It is hypothesized that these brine water suspended, precious metal particles were formed by the by the mutual attraction of like element-bearing a.c.s. (metallophilicity/relativistic bonding attraction) thus forming bulk metal size precious metal particles; in other words, metal. The c/a.c.s. bonding is concurrently relaxed and a.c.s. is released from the nucleated precious metal. Hydrocarbons that were sorbed on the c/a.c.s. are largely desorbed due to the relaxation of bonding/surface energy, “float” upwards, and subsequently combine with the main hydrocarbon accumulation. The liberated a.c.s. would largely be deposited as intergranular coatings in reservoir rocks (thus diminishing porosity), precipitated as caprock, and perhaps fill fractures associated with the structure of the trap.
A.C.J.
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