Zhiyong Ni , Hengwang Cui , Huan Chen , Kai Shi , Weng Zhang , Ganggang Shao
{"title":"Enhanced solubility of gold in crude oil at high temperatures: new insights into ore genesis","authors":"Zhiyong Ni , Hengwang Cui , Huan Chen , Kai Shi , Weng Zhang , Ganggang Shao","doi":"10.1016/j.oregeorev.2025.106715","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Gold’s exceptional conductivity and corrosion resistance make it indispensable in various industries, yet its transport and deposition mechanisms remain a subject of exploration. While hydrothermal fluids are traditionally considered the primary medium for gold mobilization, recent evidence suggests hydrocarbons could also transport metals under specific conditions. This study investigates the solubility of gold in crude oil with varying compositions at temperatures up to 250 °C, focusing on the role of sulfur (S) content and Total Acid Number (TAN). Crude oils from the Bohai Bay Basin, China, were exposed to gold wires for durations of up to 30 days in a quartz tube and titanium alloy tube setup. Results reveal that gold solubility increases with temperature and time, with maximum concentrations observed at 250 °C. The highest solubility (19.8 ppm) was observed in the oil sample with the highest sulfur (S) and Total Acid Number (TAN) content. Furthermore, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) analysis indicates that gold (Au) exhibits a strong affinity for carbon-, oxygen-, and sulfur-containing compounds in crude oil, suggesting the formation of thiol or organic acetate complexes. Post-experiment SEM analysis revealed significant surface erosion of gold wires, supporting the hypothesis of enhanced gold dissolution in hydrocarbons at elevated temperatures. These findings challenge conventional ore genesis models by highlighting hydrocarbons as a potential medium for metal transport in organic-rich and petroleum-bearing environments, offering new perspectives for understanding hydrocarbon-driven gold mineralization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19644,"journal":{"name":"Ore Geology Reviews","volume":"184 ","pages":"Article 106715"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Ore Geology Reviews","FirstCategoryId":"89","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169136825002756","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"GEOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Gold’s exceptional conductivity and corrosion resistance make it indispensable in various industries, yet its transport and deposition mechanisms remain a subject of exploration. While hydrothermal fluids are traditionally considered the primary medium for gold mobilization, recent evidence suggests hydrocarbons could also transport metals under specific conditions. This study investigates the solubility of gold in crude oil with varying compositions at temperatures up to 250 °C, focusing on the role of sulfur (S) content and Total Acid Number (TAN). Crude oils from the Bohai Bay Basin, China, were exposed to gold wires for durations of up to 30 days in a quartz tube and titanium alloy tube setup. Results reveal that gold solubility increases with temperature and time, with maximum concentrations observed at 250 °C. The highest solubility (19.8 ppm) was observed in the oil sample with the highest sulfur (S) and Total Acid Number (TAN) content. Furthermore, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) analysis indicates that gold (Au) exhibits a strong affinity for carbon-, oxygen-, and sulfur-containing compounds in crude oil, suggesting the formation of thiol or organic acetate complexes. Post-experiment SEM analysis revealed significant surface erosion of gold wires, supporting the hypothesis of enhanced gold dissolution in hydrocarbons at elevated temperatures. These findings challenge conventional ore genesis models by highlighting hydrocarbons as a potential medium for metal transport in organic-rich and petroleum-bearing environments, offering new perspectives for understanding hydrocarbon-driven gold mineralization.
期刊介绍:
Ore Geology Reviews aims to familiarize all earth scientists with recent advances in a number of interconnected disciplines related to the study of, and search for, ore deposits. The reviews range from brief to longer contributions, but the journal preferentially publishes manuscripts that fill the niche between the commonly shorter journal articles and the comprehensive book coverages, and thus has a special appeal to many authors and readers.