Economic potential of raw material occurrences

At

South Western Desert, Egypt

By

Geologist

Mohamed Nabih Attia

Geological and mining consultant

Master Gold Company for Mining and Manufacturing alloys and goldsmiths

Abstract:-

The most interesting occurrences of raw materials in south western desert were recorded such s as Gold , Iron Ore, Kaolin, White Sand and Ornamental Stone.  The Iron Ore are suitable for use in steel factory,  Kaolin for ceramics ,plastic and rubber  industries and white sand for glass and optical glass industries.

The mineralization outcrops for iron is confined to the Banded Iron Formation, as well as gold mineralization is confined to quartz veins, alteration zones.BIF and sulphide bearing mafic and felsic dykes, while kaolin and white sand are related to different types of sedimentary rock units. So that the mineral resources could be classified as metallic and nonmetallic ores.

Gold, (0.3 - 8.5g/t)" BI:F (Fe2o3 29.21- 76.98%), Kaolin (A1203 18.2 – 26.6 %), white, sand; (Sio2 94.9 – 98.42 %) and different types
of granites ( ornamental stone).

Introduction

The study area is located between lat 22—23N and long 25—27 E, built up mainly of Precambrian rock overlies unconformably by Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary  rock units.

The mineralization outcrops for iron is confined to the Banded Iron Formation , as well as gold mineralization is confined to quartz, veins, alteration zones and sulphide bearing mafic and felsic dykes, while kaolin and white sand are related to different types of sedimentary rock units. So that the mineral resources could be classified as metallic and nonmetallic ores.

1- Metallic ores»

The metallic ores includes iron and gold.,
1-1- Iron Ores.

The iron ores are confined to Banded Iron Formation (BIF) crops out as highly folded and faulted beds within the Archean to Early Proterozoic rocks. The thickness of the formation ranges from few meters to several tenth of meters and attains several kilometers in length along strike, The mineralogical composition revealed that this formation is built up mainly of iron rich bands alternate with silica rich bands. The iron rich bands are composed of goethite ,hematite, magnetite whereas the silica rich bands are formed from quartz, chert and jasper. Disseminated sulphid grains are encountered in both silica and iron bands.

Chemical analyses of BIF samples in Oxides Percent. Table (1)