Hydrocarbon-metal associations in the Western Cordillera, central Peru

There are a large number of solid bitumen veins in Central Peru which are known to be ubiquitously enriched in vanadium. The bitumen was emplaced as a viscous fluid under pressure, directly influenced by the igneous and tectonic activity in the Western Cordillera. The close association of the bitumen veins with the bituminous Pariatambo Formation suggests that a genetic relationship exists, i.e. the bitumen was sourced from the shale. Organic geochemical and elemental data from bitumen samples are characteristic of a fairly high maturity oil. Preliminary investigations suggest that the vanadium presence within the bitumen may be attributed to syn-sedimentary vanadium accumulation and subsequent transport within the migrating bitumen (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.