Mesozoic carbonaceous clayey formations of the central russian plate: The problem of their ore potential

Polyfacial organic-reach clayey horizons in Jurassic and Cretaceous sections of the central Russian Plate exhibit a similarity to the domanik beds. These horizons are divided into three major groups of facies. The locally distributed continental facies (group 1) is characterized by the development of uranium and REE mineralization. The lagoon-marine facies (group 2) is similar in lithochemical specialization to the black shale horizon hosting multicomponent ores in southern China. The deep-sea facies (group 3) have been poorly studied, so their metal potential remains unclear. A complex of forecasting and prospecting criteria has been elaborated for revealing the metalliferous facies.