Solid bitumen occurrences in the Arruda sub-basin (Lusitanian Basin, Portugal): Petrographic features

From the results obtained by optical microscopy (fluorescence and reflectance) it was possible to distinguish three types of solid bitumen. They were labeled as solid bitumen A, present in all the samples, solid bitumen B and solid bitumen C, these ones observed in some of them. They correspond to allochthonous (migrated) bitumens. In blue incident light, some bitumen do not show fluorescence while others reveal fluorescence that range from yellow (solid bitumen B) to dark brown (solid bitumen A). All bitumens are optically isotropic. Bitumen reflectance varies between 0.70 and 2.60% Rr, and the vitrinite reflectance ranges from 1.11 to 1.48% Rr. Based on the % Rr values, the solid bitumen identified in these samples are classified as impsonite (epi- and cata-) or pyrobitumen. No relation can be established with confidence for the reflectance of bitumens with the reflectance of vitrinite.