BELA OPHIOLITES AND ASSOCIATED MINERALIZATION IN SOUTHERN PART OF AXAL BELT OF PAKISTAN

An integrated geophysical and the geological investigations for the Bela Ophiolites of Southern Axial-belt of Baloachistan, have been carried out to evaluate the tectonic phases and the mineral potentials associated with the ophiolites. The subsurface extension of the Bela Ophiolites was detected in the west upto the half of the eastern Bela Plain. Likewise, the southern continuation of the Bela Ophiolites was also observed to continue towards submarine Murray Ridge of the Arabian sea. The gravity models supplemented with magnetic and seismicity data, have been proposed to illustrate the subduction of Bela-Makran micro-oceanic plate under the irregularly rifted western margin of the Indo-Pakistan continental plate. The on-going nature of the deformation tectonics in the region, has also been discussed. The presence of fossil Failed-Rift crustal feature exhibiting prominent subsurface ‘horst and graben’ structures, the origin of southern Indus Basin and the reactivation of transcurrent faults, the think-skin deformation along with western part of Indus Basin and the Southern Axial-belt, have analyzed and evaluated. The inferred NE-SW trending Nal-Jabbri Tanscurrent Zone appears to play an important role in segmenting the Neo-Tethyan makran oceanic plate and in diverting the movement of one of the segments towards east.The models, generated after the analyses of integrated geophysical investigations and geological studies, illustrate the possible mode of origin of mineral deposits associated with Bela Ophiolites. Good prospects for metallic and non-metallic mineral deposits are expected in Bela Ophiolite Zone and the associated rocks of Jurassic age. The possibilities of new larger discoveries of oil and gas occurrences, particularly in Indus and Hingol Basins, are also expected to be quite high. Table of Contents