Abstract The Jura region of France and Switzerland has significant hydrocarbon potential. This arcuate fold-and-thrust belt, located in front of the Western Alps, is composed of Mesozoic rocks, which overlie the North Swiss Basin Complex filled with Permo-Carboniferous sediments of Late Westphalian–Lower Permian (Autunian) age. The existence of three small producing gas fields, and the presence of recorded oil and gas shows in a number of petroleum wells, indicate the presence of an active petroleum system. Shows occur in stratigraphic horizons that lie beneath the regional Triassic evaporite seal. Very effective Permo-Carboniferous oil-prone source rocks include algal organically rich Autunian shale beds and Stephanian-aged bituminous shales. Carboniferous and Permian coals are also present, which would be excellent sources of gas. The primary reservoir target is the fluviatile Triassic Bunter Sandstone Formation, which is widely developed across the area and thickens to the NE. Reservoir quality is best developed in the cleaner channel sands. The La Chandelière oil field, discovered in 1989 by Exxon, is crucial evidence of the oil potential and trapping mechanism. Geochemical analysis demonstrates that the 41° API oil at La Chandelière is derived from Lower Permian Autunian shales. The trapping mechanism, interpreted from seismic and confirmed by structural modelling, is that of an unreactivated Mesozoic-aged structural high bounded by thrust faults, resulting in a large-scale rollover within the core of the structure. This combination of critical elements sets up the Paleozoic-sourced oil play within the Jura Mountains of France and Switzerland. The Jura is not generally regarded as a major petroleum province. It is a region of complex structuring and mountainous terrain. Switzerland, a country renowned for its beautiful mountain scenery, has no major oil and gas discoveries. However, this poorly explored region has active petroleum systems with good hydrocarbon shows and a number of small gas fields demonstrating hydrocarbon generation. Good-quality source rocks and excellent reservoir development have been proven by drilling, and seismic interpretation has demonstrated the existence of large closures at reservoir level. The La Chandelière oil discovery, in the French Jura, proves the presence of a Paleozoic-sourced oil play.

Abstract The Haile gold mine is located in southern Lancaster County, South Carolina, near the town of Kershaw. Gold was discovered at the site in 1827, and four periods of mining have yielded 360,000 ounces of gold. The mine is located between the past producing Ridgeway and Brewer mines that, when all are combined, constitute a significant amount of historical gold production in the southeastern United States. These mines are hosted within Neoproterozoic to lower Cambrian Carolina terrane rocks and are dominated by volcanic and epiclastic units that have experienced greenschist facies metamorphism. Saprolitic weathering is present in the near-surface portions of the deposit and is locally covered by Cretaceous-aged Coastal Plain sediments. The gold mineralization at the Haile mine is hosted within silicified meta-sediments containing fine-grained disseminated pyrite and pyrrhotite and is a replacement type-epithermal deposit. Re-Os ages from molybdenite associated with the mineralization indicate that the deposit formed shortly after major, arc-related volcanic activity. Haile currently has a measured and indicated resource of 4.03 million ounces at an average grade of 1.77 g/t Au with an additional inferred resource of 801,000 ounces at an average grade of 1.24 g/t Au. Included in the resource is a reserve of 2.02 million ounces of gold at an average grade of 2.06 g/t. Mine construction began in May 2015, and gold production is expected by the end of 2016. The construction cost is expected to be US$380 million. Ore will be extracted from eight open pits with mill extraction and the current mine life is 14 years.

Abstract The Late Devonian early tetrapods in East Greenland occur in the Celsius Bjerg Group. Key occurrences are located in a detailed stratigraphic section used here to interpret the sedimentary palaeoenvironments. The palaeoenvironment for the Britta Dal Formation (which contains both Ichthyostega and Acanthostega ) is reinterpreted. The Britta Dal Formation channels have flat bases, are poorly channelized, are of low sinuosity and are part of a very major distributory system that periodically experienced extreme flooding. The tetrapod fossils were recovered from an ephemeral system that was not permanently habitable in the immediate area. Plant megafossils are poorly preserved casts and impressions dominated by lycopsids and fern-like plants. The overbank siltstones are dominated by arid soil forming processes and comprise a spectacular sequence of vertisols. The 1174 m in situ Ichthyostega locality in Paralleldal was relocated and occurs just below the midpoint of the second megacycle in the Britta Dal Formation.