Abstract
The Gilan-e-Gharb block is known as a prospective area for hydrocarbon resources in the form of oil, gas in deep potential and natural bitumen (Gilsonite) on the surface. Natural bitumen is not clearly detectable by geochemical or geophysical methods. Hereupon, identifying high potential areas for further exploration, attempted with the help of AHP-Fuzzy and TOPSIS methods. The comprehensive database of geological and geostructural records, satellite imagery analysis by remote sensing and mine indexes counted as the inputs for this method. First, the lithological unit as the main mineralization hosts determined with respect to the dominant geological structures as a factor of controlling natural bitumen placement (fold, fracture and faults) in the Gilan-e-Gharb block. The Gachsaran, Asmari, Pabdeh and Gurpi Formations identified as the most important lithological units for mineralization. Placement and distribution of natural bitumen mineralization in the form of mine indexes are added to the geology database. Finally, we assigned appropriate weights to applied information layers using Analytical Hierarchy Processing (AHP) based on knowledgeable information and field studies to synthesize exploratory data. Then, we used the FTOPSIS method to define the Positive Ideal Solution (FPIS, A+) that allows maximizing the beneficial characteristics and minimizing the impediment characteristics and the Negative Ideal Solution (FNIS, A-) that minimizes the beneficial characteristics and maximizes the impediment characteristics. This method, as a new approach in the exploration of minerals with a shortage of data, is applicable to other mineral deposits.
Highlights
When crude oil escapes from the depths of the earth over time and evaporates because of exposure to the atmosphere, the black mineral known as natural bitumen or Gilsonite is remained (Pruitt, 1961; Meyer et al, 2007; Akbari Nasrekani et al, 2018; Rahimi et al, 2019)
The objective of this paper is to show Analytical Hierarchy Processing (AHP)-Fuzzy TOPSIS ability to process relevant data and produce a prospective map of natural bitumen, thereby, can be used for further exploration in a mine developing area
More than 90% of the natural bitumen accumulation areas are located in the Gilan-e-Gharb block, which shows the bituminous prospectivity of this zone (Rahimi et al, 2019)
Summary
When crude oil escapes from the depths of the earth over time and evaporates because of exposure to the atmosphere, the black mineral known as natural bitumen or Gilsonite is remained (Pruitt, 1961; Meyer et al, 2007; Akbari Nasrekani et al, 2018; Rahimi et al, 2019). This heavy hydrocarbon material is classified into various groups, such as asphaltic pyrobitumen, nonasphaltic pyrobitumen, asphaltites, etc. There are some elements like trace and rare earth elements into the natural bitumen and oil sands, which makes them more valuable as a by-product (Tsoy, 2015; Rahimi et al, 2016; Shekarian et al, 2017)
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