The geochemistry of platinum group elements in marine oil shale—A case study from the Bilong Co oil shale, northern Tibet, China

Abstract The Bilong Co oil shale zone is located in the South Qiangtang depression. This zone, together with the Shengli River-Changshe Mountain oil shale zone in the North Qiangtang depression, northern Tibet plateau, represents the potentially largest marine oil shale resource in China. Seventeen samples including oil shale and micritic limestone were collected from the Bilong Co oil shale area to determine the concentrations, distribution patterns, occurrences and origins of platinum group elements (PGEs) in marine oil shale. The oil shale samples from the Bilong Co area exhibit very low total PGE contents ranging from 1.04 to 2.96 ng/g with a weighted mean value of 1.686 ng/g, while the micritic limestone samples from the Bilong Co area exhibit a little lower PGE value ranging from 0.413 to 1.11 ng/g. PGEs in oil shale samples are characterized by high contents in Pd (average 0.79 ng/g), Os (average 0.123 ng/g) and Pt (average 0.644 ng/g) compared with Ru (average 0.068 ng/g), Rh (average 0.033 ng/g) and Ir (average 0.026 ng/g). The highest values for individual PGEs are not uniformly distributed in the section. Clearly, the PGEs are generally enriched in the oil shale samples near the boundary between micritic limestone and oil shale. The individual PGEs in oil shale samples from the Bilong Co area exhibit various modes of occurrence. Ruthenium and Pt occur mainly in pyrite, while Pd is associated mainly with organic matter and Mg-minerals. Rhodium and Os are controlled mainly by pyrite and organic matter. Iridium is present mainly in other Fe-bearing minerals, rather than pyrite. The PGEs in the Bilong Co oil shale are mainly of seawater origin and possibly influenced by terrigenous supply.