Mineral Resources of El-Bahariya Oasis

Iron Ore Glauconite Barite Ochre

High-Mn High-Ba Iron ore

Iron ore
 Geology of El-Bahariya Oasis

M. Eocene ironstone

El-Bahariya Fm.

M. Eocene ironstone

El-Bahariya Fm.
 Geology of El-Bahariya Oasis
A B

An overview of El-Gedida iron mine illustrates the sequence of Middle Eocene (iron
ore) and Upper Eocene (El-Hamra Formation) (A), and clear appearance of Qatrani
sediments unconformably overlies El-Hamra deposits (B).
 High-Mn iron ore
 Occurrence and stratigraphy of high-Mn iron ore.
A B

Upper part-
High – Mn iron Field photo of the high-Mn
ore iron ore on the western side of
Kaolinite El-Gedida mining area (A)
showing the partition of the
iron ore in to upper, middle,
Middle part and lower parts. These
partitions are also illustrated
Lower part on generalized section (B)
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 High-Mn iron ore
 Petrography

High–Mn iron ore of El–

Gedida mining area in
general, iron minerals in
particular.

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 High-Mn iron ore
 Mineralogy
B
A

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Photo of a representative sample of the middle part of the

iron ore section (A) showing remnants of glauconite (look at
arrow), and XRD pattern of this part of the studied section (B).
 High-Mn iron ore
 Adding value methods
Magnetic
roasting (650 ºc
for 80 mint.)

Size reduction and High-Mn iron ore Wet low intensity

sieving (-mesh (46.37% Fe & magnetic
#100) 7.53% Mn) separation

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Blending with
Um Bogma Mn
ore (68.87% Mn
& 2.11% Fe)
 High-Mn iron ore
 Adding value methods
Chemical analyses of the magnetic concentrate obtained from the high-Mn iron ore

Mg ---- Magnetite

180
Wt ---- Wustite
Rh ---- Rhodochrosite
XRD pattern of El-Gedida high-Mn iron ore
Mg
160
Mg Cp ---- Cryptomelane (after roasting) show beginning
Bx ---- Bixbyite
Pr ---- Pyrochroite transformation of magnetite in to wustite
140
Qt ---- Quartz that in turn may be responsible for the high
Gt ---- Glauconite
120
concentration of iron in the non-magnetic
Counts (a.u.)

100 fraction.
. 80
Mag .
Rh Pr
60
Mag
Bx
40 Qt
Cp Gt Pr
20 Qt Wt Wt

0
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

2
 High-Mn iron ore

Comparison between the blend results of El-Gedida

high-Mn iron ore with Um Bogma manganese ore and
the standard specifications for ferromanganese alloys
. issued by Indian Bureau of Mines (2014).
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 Glauconite deposits
 Stratigraphy and Occurrence
A B

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Sandy glauconite of the eastern side of El-Gedida
. mine with field photo
of the sandy deposits (A) and stratigraphic column (B).
 Glauconite deposits
 Stratigraphy and Occurrence
A B

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Clayey glauconite of the eastern side of El-Gedida
. mine with field photo
of the clayey deposits (A) and stratigraphic column (B).
 Glauconite deposits
 Stratigraphy and Occurrence
A B

C D

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Field photos of sandy (A) and clayey (C) glauconite of the western side of El-Gedida mine
with generalized stratigraphic columns (B&D) of both sandy and clayey deposits
respectively.
 Glauconite deposits
 Petrography

Photomicrographs of sandy glauconite

deposits, eastern wadi of El-Gedida mine
area.

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 Glauconite deposits
 Economic potential of glauconite deposits
Major oxides (100%) of the glauconite head samples

Magnetic
separation

concentrations
Glauconite deposit of major
Size reduction and
as potassium elements and
sieving
fertilizer heavy metals

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pH and salinity
 Glauconite deposits
 Economic potential of glauconite deposits
1- Physical properties of glauconite deposits as K-fertilizer:

Figure 5.38: XRD patterns of the magnetic Figure 5.39: XRD patterns of the non - magnetic
. concentrate of the eastern Wadi Glauconite. concentrate of the eastern Wadi Glauconite.
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 Glauconite deposits
 Economic potential of glauconite deposits
1- Physical properties of glauconite deposits as K-fertilizer:

Table 5.9: Comparison between the amount of glauconite Table 5.10: Distribution of particle size, weight %, cumulative
grains and that of impurities after magnetic separation. wt. % and chemical analyses of the eastern Wadi glauconite.

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 Glauconite deposits
 Economic potential of glauconite deposits
1- Physical properties of glauconite deposits as K-fertilizer:

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 Glauconite deposits
 Economic potential of glauconite deposits
2- Chemical properties of glauconite deposits as K-fertilizer:

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 High-Ba iron ore
 Stratigraphy and Occurrence
A Qatrani Formation
B

Iron ore member of Naqb-

Qazzun sequence

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Field view of the high-Ba iron ore (A) at the
. high central area, El-Gedida
mine and generalized stratigraphic section (B)
 High-Ba iron ore
 Petrography

High–barite iron ore of the El–

Gedida mining area in general, iron
minerals in particular.

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 High-Ba iron ore
 Mineralogy

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XRD patterns of bulk powdered sample of High – barite iron ore, El –
Gedida mine area, El – Bahariya Oasis, Western Desert.
 High-Ba iron ore
 Hydrometallurgy of high-Ba iron ore (30.31% Fe & 36.99% BaO)
Effect of acid concentration on the leaching process.

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 High-Ba iron ore
 Hydrometallurgy of high-Ba iron ore (30.31% Fe & 36.99% BaO)
Effect of acid concentration on the leaching process.

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 High-Ba iron ore
 Hydrometallurgy of high-Ba iron ore (30.31% Fe & 36.99% BaO)
Effect of time on the efficiency of leaching process.

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 High-Ba iron ore
 Hydrometallurgy of high-Ba iron ore (30.31% Fe & 36.99% BaO)
Effect of time on the efficiency of leaching process.

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 High-Ba iron ore
 Hydrometallurgy of high-Ba iron ore (30.31% Fe & 36.99% BaO)
Effect of temperature on the efficiency of leaching process.

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 High-Ba iron ore
 Hydrometallurgy of high-Ba iron ore (30.31% Fe & 36.99% BaO)
Effect of temperature on the efficiency of leaching process.

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 Barite deposits
 Mode of Occurrence
A B

Field view of detrital and cavity-filling barite deposits at the high-central area (A) and
. Ghorabi mine (B)
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 Barite deposits
 Petrography

Detrital and cavity-filling barite

of El-Gedida and Ghorabi
mining areas.

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 Barite deposits
 Adding value to barite deposits

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 Barite deposits
 Adding value to barite deposits

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 Barite deposits
 Adding value to barite deposits

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 Barite deposits
 Adding value to barite deposits
Reflectance measurement of the detrital barite Reflectance measurement of the cavity-filling
(before and after the cleaning process). barite (before and after the cleaning process).

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 Ochre deposits
 Stratigraphy and Occurrence
A B

Field photographs of yellow ochre occurring as pockets within the

Lutetian iron ore (A) and pills (B) during the process of storage at
western side of El-Gedida mining area.
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 Ochre deposits
 Adding value to ochre deposits

Head sample

Size reduction
Leaching with
& sieving
distilled water

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 Ochre deposits
 Adding value to ochre deposits
Concentration of major oxides of the ochre head sample
(before water washing) in weight percent (wt %).
1600 G G------Goethite
1400 He----Hematite
G
1200
Qt-----Quartz
1000 G

Intensity (a.u.)
K------Kaolinite
800
Ha----Halite

K
600 G
G G

Qt

Qt
400 G G

Ha
He
He
200 G

10 20 30 40 50

2

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 Ochre deposits
 Adding value to ochre deposits
Size fraction distribution of the studied ochre.

Mesh Wt. % Fe (t)% SiO2% Cumulative wt.%

(µm) (retained) chemical assays of the studied ochre (after washing).

-100 +90 10.57 66.14 1.69 10.57

-90 +80 11.35 65.64 1.80 21.92

-80 +75 44.57 65.15 1.92 66.49

-75 +63 21.85 63.87 3.24 88.49

-63 11.66 63.29 3.75 100

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 Ochre deposits
 Adding value to ochre deposits

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