Recent work has established the strong association between Sedex type mineral deposits, Mississippi Valley lead-zinc type deposits (MVT) and petroleum filled breccia reservoirs in Northwestern Alberta, Southern Northwestern Territories and Northeastern British Columbia. Results of this work demonstrates a paragenetic sequence of events in this area that has resulted in mappable zonation of these natural resources. These events are the result of migration of low temperature hydrothermal fluids expelled outward from the basin center along major fault systems and carrier beds. These fluids initially caused the formation of petroleum-filled breccia reservoirs, followed by the MVT deposits and finally the development of Sedex deposits along the edges of the basins.

This type of zonation can be used to explain the location of natural resource deposits in other areas and subsequently provide an exploration strategy. A specific example is the southern Cincinnati Arch area in Central Tennessee and Kentucky where identifiable MVT deposits are adjacent to petroleum productive breccias. The lack of identifiable Sedex type deposits suggests that there can be regional variations in the paragenetic sequence. There is no Precambrian shield or mountain range proximal to a basin edge to allow these deposits to develop. However, the northern end of the Cincinnati Arch System in Michigan and Ontario, a similar sequence to the British Columbia and Alberta area can be demonstrated. The Albion-Scipio and Wood-Hancock complex represents low-temperature hydrothermal, petroleum filled breccias. Numerous MVT subeconomic deposits exist in Southwestern Ontario and Ohio and Sedex deposits exist on the edge of the shield area in Central Ontario.

If we apply this concept to areas that have not been explored for potential petroleum productive filled breccias or breccia type reservoirs, it can be utilized as an exploration strategy. An example would be the Arkoma Basin where on its northern edge is the Virbunum trend in Southeastern Missouri. This deposit is a MVT deposit which has produced approximately 5% of the world's Pb-Zn. Up-dip are economic Sedex type deposits that produce barite in Central Missouri. Numerous transform faults have been implied or mapped from the Virbunum trend area into the deeper part of the Arkoma Basin. Based on the British Columbia-Alberta and Cincinnati Arch models it can be implied that the Arkoma Basin may have potential for hydrocarbon productive breccias down-dip in Arkansas. This exploration strategy may also have applications in other areas such as Nevada, Utah, Illinois Basin and Wyoming, where MVT or Sedex deposits have been identified. Other criteria needed to define this type of zonation are unknown. The concept requires further work but may prove to be a useful exploration tool.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90937©1998 AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition, Salt Lake City, Utah