Vol 46, No 2 (2023)
Geophysics
The deep structure of the Kuznetsk deflection and Kamzhelinsky block junction zone of the Kuznetsk Alatau according to magnetotelluric sounding data
Abstract
The Kelbes-Zolotokitat region is one of the oldest gold-placer nodes in the Kuznetsk Alatau (Western Siberia, Russia). The production target in this area nowadays is mainly shallow valley alluvial placers. However, it is assumed that placer deposits accumulate a minor part of the region's gold resources, while large primary gold sources still remain undetected. Neither deep structure of gold ore regions, nodes and fields in the junction zone between the Kuznetsk deflection and the Kamzhelinsky block nor the regional distribution patterns of gold mineralization reflected in physical fields have been given proper investigation and analysis. The paper deals with the results of magnetotelluric studies together with the analysis results of potential geophysical fields in order to search for an ore-controlling structure hosting primary gold sources. The selected complex of methods is efficient for studying crustal heterogeneities spatially associated with orebearing structures in the Kuznetsk Alatau. A conductive heterogeneity with the vertical thickness up to 7 km caused by the endogenous channels of basement rocks fluid-magmatic processing and limited by deep-penetrating fault zones has been distinguished on the geoelectric section. The identified signs of intrusive magmatism in the area of the Kuznetsk deflection is also a significant result. The depth of the top of the granitoid body is 5 km. The watershed zone of the Konyukhta and Sukhaya rivers is marked as promising for further research using a detailed observation network.
Earth sciences and subsoil use. 2023;46(2):148-159
148-159
Cryohydrogeological settings appraisal by shallow near-field TEM sounding: a case study of the western part of the Yakut artesian basin
Abstract
The complexity of exploration, reserve estimation and development of groundwater fields in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) (Russia) is due to the variety of location conditions and thickness of permafrost rocks, as well as the structure of sediments containing aquifers. The relevance of the study is determined by the necessity to give a scientifically based prediction and search for the sources of technical water supply to be used in oil well drilling and provision of a reservoir pressure maintenance system. The article presents the analysis results of the materials of shallow near-field transient electromagnetic soundings carried out on the territory of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in the period from 2016 to 2022. Description is given to the research methodology, conditions for determining the permafrost rocks in the geoelectric section, their morphological features in the territories located along the western border of the Yakut artesian basin with the involvement of drilling materials from 75 hydrogeological wells. The sparse geothermal knowledge of the area is noted. It was traced that the depth of the permafrost base decreases from northeast to southwest from 400 to 150 m. Within the Middle Botuoba field, discontinuous distribution of frozen strata has been mapped, talik zones with different water abundance have been identified, and a number of identified water supply facilities are operated. Cartographic materials obtained in the course of the research allowed to specify significantly the structure of cryohydrogeological systems of a number of oil and gas fields in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The research results are of scientific and practical importance when predicting the areas with complicated well drilling associated with permafrost drilling (destruction of well walls, drilling tool sticking, gas shows), as well as when determining the location areas of interpermafrost and subpermafrost aquifers and minimizing the risks of drilling dry hydrogeological wells.
Earth sciences and subsoil use. 2023;46(2):160-181
160-181
Comparative analysis of low-altitude magnetic survey sensitivity using unmanned aerial vehicles and land magnetic survey
Abstract
The subject of the study is the problem of the decline degree of the information content of geophysical data when switching from land surveys to low-altitude geophysical survey using unmanned aerial vehicles. The research involves a comparative analysis of the information content of the unmanned aerial vehicle survey results and those of the land magnetic survey. The conducted research allowed to present the observed values of the magnetic field obtained by both survey methods within the same area as well as the final information products in the form of the results of filtering and three-dimensional data inversion. It is shown that visual analysis of maps of the full vector of magnetic field strength gives the impression of a lower information content of magnetic survey performed by unmanned aerial vehicles. However, the data having been processed create final information products of identical information content. This concerns both the results of three-dimensional modeling of the effective magnetic susceptibility, and maps and plots of the anomalous magnetic field after filtering in a sliding window. The negative impact of geological interference from morainic deposits on ground data is also shown. Local magnetic anomalies based on unmanned aerial vehicle survey results can confidently correlate with land survey anomalies, whereas the data collected during low-altitude aeromagnetic survey using unmanned aerial vehicles have a lower error probability. The conclusions refer to a specific case and cannot be unambiguously applied to any geological situation, however, the authors believe in the typicality of this example.
Earth sciences and subsoil use. 2023;46(2):182-189
182-189
Geology, prospecting and exploration of solid minerals, minerageny
Formation features of the Svirsk fresh groundwater deposit
Abstract
The object of the study is the Svirsk deposit of fresh groundwater located in the central part of the Irkutsk artesian basin of the second order, which is a part of the Angara-Lena artesian basin of the first order (Irkutsk region, Russia). Geologically, the area under investigation is located within the Pre-Sayan depression, which is complicated by the Irkutsk basement bench. The studied Svirsk hydraulic depression is confined to the tectonic crush zone of the Lower Cambrian carbonate rocks stripping from the mouth of the Kotikha river valley to the mouth of the Kamenka river valley between the bedrock slope and the Angara river (Bratsk reservoir since 1967). The purpose of this study is to study the formation features, supply sources and hydrogeochemical conditions of the deposit based on the analysis of hydrogeological work carried out over the period from 1968 to 2012. The research methodology includes the search for a site with high reservoir properties and high quality of groundwater meeting drinking requirements, which is located in the influence area of constant head boundaries (attracted resources of the Angara river) using a comprehensive geomorphological analysis. The described deposit is characterized by the aquifer thickness from 13 to 38.7 m, composed of karst carbonate deposits. The water conductivity coefficient is 1284–2500 m2/day, well flow rates vary from 4.88 l/s (422 m3/day) to 18.2 l/s (1572 m3/day) with a decrease of 0.78–1m respectively. The qualitative composition of groundwater meets the standards, whereas outside the field, quality indicators deteriorate. The authors have studied the neotectonic formation conditions of the deposit of underground drinking water, whose quality meets the requirements of the centralized water supply, the main source of which is the attracted resources of the Bratsk reservoir.
Earth sciences and subsoil use. 2023;46(2):190-200
190-200
Formation stages of the Kholodninskoye pyrite-polymetallic deposit ore zone
Abstract
The Kholodninskoe pyrite-polymetallic deposit (Baikal-Patom plateau, Russia) was discovered in 1968, but the questions of its genesis still remain controversial. It is assumed that the explosive activity of volcanic apparatuses of the southern part of the Baikal-Muya zone as well as underwater exhalations of the scattered spreading zone of the back-arc basin could have most likely influenced the geochemical features of amagmatic deposits of the Bodaibo and Patom zones. To investigate the influence of underwater hydrothermal activity on the geochemical features of Neoproterozoic carbonbearing sediments of the Baikal Mountain region, the Olokit zone, which is a fragment of the spreading zone of the backarc basin, was chosen. According to the geochemical parameters, the sediments of the Itykit and Ondokskaya formations hosting the Kholodninskoye deposit fall into the sedimentation area of DalnyaTaiga period paleobasins. Having compared the development of sulfide mineralization of ore objects of the Bodaibo and Olokit structural-formation zones, the authors suggest the unity of deposit formation processes within the Baikal Mountain area. The presence of framboidal pyrite indicates that the early stages of ore formation of the Kholodninskoe hydrothermal-stratiform polymetallic deposit were synchronous with sedimentation. The source of deposit ore zone enrichment with zinc lead, silver and other elements typical for low- and medium-temperature associations was a hydrothermal solution of the scattered spreading zone of back-arc basins. It is likely that the explosive and exhalation activities of the southern Baikal-Muya zone within the studied region also spread further northward, thus influencing the formation of siderochalcophilic geochemical specialization of amagmatic black shale strata of the Bodaibo and Patom zones.
Earth sciences and subsoil use. 2023;46(2):201-211
201-211
Applied mining and petroleum field geology, geophysics, mine surveying and subsoil geometry
Adaptive data mining as a tool to predict mining machinery and equipment assembly life
Abstract
Mining industry is one of the most important economic sectors in the modern world. Complex working conditions, high loads and the need for continuous monitoring of equipment technical condition require highly qualified specialists and effective tools to analyze large data volumes. Failure analysis of mining machinery and equipment is one of the important processes to determine and eliminate the causes of failures in order to improve the reliability and safety of machinery and equipment operation. The use of modern methods of statistical data processing makes this process more efficient and accurate. The development of a tool for failure analysis of mining machines and equipment can be very beneficial to mining companies. By analyzing the data on mining machines and equipment failures, identifying the primary causes of failures and providing corrective recommendations, the analysis tool can prevent equipment failures, improve machine safety and performance. The development of this tool requires an interdisciplinary approach as it should be user-friendly and scalable. In this regard, the purpose of the study is to present a creation method of an adaptive tool for the Microsoft Excel-based analysis of mining machine failures. The authors consider the basic operation principles of this tool, its functional composition and application potential under various operating conditions of mining equipment. Much attention is paid to the description of the main operation algorithm of the program, which makes it possible to efficiently process large volumes of data, produce accurate results and display them in the form convenient for reliability level estimation and transition to the forecasting of mining machinery and equipment assembly life. Further improvement of the tool for adaptive analysis of data on mining machine operation, within the framework of this study, can be performed by adding new parameters or automation of the troubleshooting processes using neural networks.
Earth sciences and subsoil use. 2023;46(2):212-225
212-225
Submersible pumpset failure prediction using artificial intelligence methods
Abstract
It is well-known that large amounts of data are collected and processed during the operation of electric submersible pumps. To optimize the work of mining control center operators, it is recommended to use an automated emergency prevention system. In this way, operators will be able to receive timely information about possible equipment failures, which in its turn will increase the service life of the equipment and reduce operating costs for repairs. The purpose of the present research is to develop a model predicting submersible pumping equipment failures using the method of artificial intelligence. To identify the most accurate model, the paper compares the following forecasting methods: the nearest neighbour method and the linear classifier building method. The presented correlation was created on the basis of 30 parameters obtained from 272 wells of the Eastern Siberia field. Being used, it enabled error-free prediction of failures and complications in pumping equipment operation depending on the gas factor and frequency. Thus, the developed model can be used by oil and gas enterprises to predict failures and accidents in the operation of submersible pumping equipment. The conducted study shows that the prediction accuracy of the required parameter in the developed artificial intelligence model exceeds the results of conventional statistical methods. The model also can be useful for future optimization of processes when field planning and developing. Artificial intelligence is the best prediction method of submersible pumping equipment failures, due to its high speed and accuracy, cognitive technologies are widely used in big data processing.
Earth sciences and subsoil use. 2023;46(2):226-233
226-233
Personalia
Geology from hand to hand (to the 85th anniversary of the Professor Aleksey Ivanovich Trubachev)
Abstract
This article is devoted to the Professor Aleksey Ivanovich Trubachev who is one of the most famous graduates of the Irkutsk Polytechnic Institute (now Irkutsk National Research Technical University), and his role in the formation of a young geologist. Summarized published materials of the author of the article and his memoirs were transformed into an essay on the life and creative activity of Aleksey Ivanovich Trubachev. Immediately after the graduation, he was sent to Trans-Baikal Integrated Research University (Chita) and joined a group of researchers investigating the unique Udokan deposit of copper sandstones and shales, which was headed by a well-known scientist, Deputy Director of the Institute Leonid Frantsevich Narkelyun. The largest works of A.I. Trubachev deal with the study of the material composition of the Udokan deposit ore bodies, the results of which are reflected in his candidate's dissertation defended at the Irkutsk Polytechnic University and in his doctoral dissertation defended in Novosibirsk. In all his works A.I. Trubachev proved the primary sedimentary genesis of the stratiform ores of the Udokan deposit, which was confirmed by the results of detailed exploration. In 1974, he started his teaching career. Today Aleksey Ivanovich is a professor at the Department of Minerals and Secondary Raw Materials Processing at the Trans-Baikal State University. For the period of his professional career, he has published 376 works, including 18 monographs, 19 teaching aids and textbooks on mineralogy, petrography and industrial mineralogy. A.I. Trubachev is actively involved in the creation of the unique mineralogical museum at the TransBaikal State University. The article pays special attention to the role of A.I. Trubachev in the formation of a young geologist during field works at the Udokan deposit. Field production practice is a major in the formation of a young geologist. In this case the most important things are the trust of the field mentor and early independent routing. Geologists and scientists like Professor A.I. Trubachev with extensive field and pedagogical experience certainly belong to the golden fund of the scientific and pedagogical personnel of Siberia.
Earth sciences and subsoil use. 2023;46(2):234-243
234-243
Anniversaries
On the 50th anniversary of the Kerulen International Geological Expedition
Abstract
The purpose of the presented article is to summarize the results of the half-century work of the Kerulen International Geological Expedition engaged in industrial, educational and research activities in Russia, Mongolia and China. The Irkutsk Polytechnic Institute (currently Irkutsk National Research University) began to train Mongolian students in 1961. Due to the difficulties of training Mongolian students, a preparatory department was organized, where future students could master the Russian language. The author deals with the relevant issues of Russian-Mongolian cooperation in the fields of higher education and science at the Irkutsk Polytechnic Institute. On the basis of archival materials and published works, the training processes of academic, scientific and engineering staff for Mongolia have been analyzed. The article presents the results of a large-scale mapping on the territory of 2500 km2 based of which the deposits of coal, fluorite, tungsten, tin and placer gold were discovered. The paper also gives a comprehensive assessment of the practical and research activities of the expedition presented in the materials of the 21 scientific conferences held every 2 years in Russia, Mongolia and China.
Earth sciences and subsoil use. 2023;46(2):244-256
244-256