Genesis of Langrial Iron Ore of Hazara area, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Naghmah Haider; Sajjad Khan; Rehanul Haq Siddiqui; Shahid Iqbal; Nazar- UI-Haq

doi:10.24294/jgc.v4i2.740

Genesis of Langrial Iron Ore of Hazara area, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Naghmah Haider, Sajjad Khan, Rehanul Haq Siddiqui, Shahid Iqbal, Nazar- UI-Haq

Article ID: 740
Vol 4, Issue 2, 2021

VIEWS - 2053 (Abstract) 1227 (PDF)

Abstract

In this paper, a detailed mineralogical and genesis investigation have been carried out in the seven locations of the Iron Ore in Hazara area. Thick bedded iron ore have been observed between Kawagarh Formation and Hangu Formation i.e, Cretaceous-Paleocene boundary. At the base of Hangu Formation, variable thickness of these lateritic beds spread throughout the Hazara and Kohat-Potwar plateau. This hematite ore exists in the form of unconformity. X-ray diffraction technique (XRD), X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), detailed petroghraphic study and scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques indicated that those iron bears minerals including hematite, chamosite and quartz, albite, clinochlore, illite-montmorillonite, kaolinite, calcite, dolomite, whereas ankerite are the impurities present in these beds. The X-ray fluorescence (XRF) results show that the total Fe₂O₃ ranges from 39 to 56%, with high silica and alumina ratio of less than one. Beneficiation requires for significant increase in ore grade. The petroghraphic study revealed the presence of ooids fragments as nuclei of other ooids with limited clastic supply, which indicate high energy shallow marine depositional setting under warm and humid climate. The overall results show that Langrial Iron Ore is a low-grade iron ore which can be upgraded up to 62% by applying modern mining techniques so as to fulfill steel requirements of the country.

Keywords

Langrial Iron Ore; Cretaceous-Paleocene Boundary; Geochemistry; Hazara Area; Hangu Formation

Full Text:

PDF

References

1. Kazmi AH, Abbas SG. Metallogeny and mineral deposits of Pakistan. Islamabad: Orient Petroleum Inc.; 2001. p. 88–150.

2. Maynard JB. Geochemistry of sedimentary ore deposits. New York: Springer-Verlag; 1983. p. 305.

3. Maynard JB. Geochemistry of sedimentary ore deposits. Springer Science & Business Media; 2012.

4. Ahmad Z. Directory of mineral deposits of Pakistan. Geological Survey of Pakistan (Karachi) 1969; 15: 1–220.

5. Hallam A, Maynard JB. The iron ores and associated sediments of the Chichali Formation (Oxfordian to Valanginian) of the Trans-Indus Salt Range, Pakistan. Journal of the Geological Society 1987; 144(1): 107–114.

6. Garzanti E. Himalayan ironstones, “superplumes”, and the breakup of Gondwana. Geology 1993; 21(2): 105–108.

7. Middlemiss CS. The geology of Hazara and the Black mountain. Geological Survey of India, Memoirs 1896; 26: 302.

8. Shah SMI. Stratigraphy of Pakistan. Memoir of the Geological Survey of Pakistan 2009; 22: 121–132.

9. Kazmi AH, Abbasi IA. Stratigraphy & historical geology of Pakistan. Peshawar: Peshawar Publication; 2008. p. 245–263.

10. Yoshida M, Khan IH, Ahmad MN. Remanent magnetization of oolitic ironstone beds, Hazara area, Lesser Himalayan thrust zone, Northern Pakistan: Its acquisition, timing, and paleoenvironmental implications. Earth Planets Space 1998; 50: 733–744.

11. Fatmi AN. Lithostratigraphic units of the Kohat- Potwar Province, Indus Basin, Pakistan. Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Pakistan 1974; 10: 1–80.

12. Kazmi AH, Jan MQ. Geology and tectonics of Pakistan. Nazimabad: Graphic publishers; 1997. p. 77–121.

13. Rao DS, Kumar VTV, Rao SS, et al. Mineralogy and geochemistry of a low grade iron ore sample from Bellary-Hospet Sector, India and their implications on beneficiation deposits. Journal of Minerals and Materials Characterization and Engineering 2009; 8(2): 115–132.

14. Muwanguzi AJB, Karasev AV, Byaruhanga JK, et al. Characterization of chemical composition and microstructure of natural iron ore from Muko deposits. ISRN Materials Science 2012; 2012: 1–9.

15. Boggs S Jr. Petrology of sedimentary rocks. 2nd ed. Cambridge, England, Hardback: Cambridge University Press; 2009. p. 600.

16. Warwick PD, Javed S, Mashhadi STA, et al. Lithofacies and palynostratigraphy of some Cretaceous and Paleocene rocks, Surghar and Salt Range coal fields, northern Pakistan. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Publishing Office; 1995. p. 1–35.

17. Young TP. Phanerozoic ironstones: An introduction and review. Geological Society, London, Special Publications 1989; 46(1): ix-xxv.

18. Tucker ME. Sedimentary Petrology. 2nd ed. Oxford: Blackwell Science; 1991. p. 260.

19. Gilbert JM, Park CF Jr. The geology of ore deposits. New York: Waveland Press; 1986. p. 985.

20. Blatt H, Middleton G, Murray R. Origin of sedimentary rocks. 2nd ed. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice- Hall Inc.; 1980. p. 782.

21. Danilchik W, Shah SMI. Stratigraphy and coal resources of the Makarwal area, Trans-Indus Mountains, Mianwali District, Pakistan. United States Geological Survey, Professional Paper; (USA) 1987; 75(1341): 38.

22. Davies LM, Pinfold ES. Eocene beds of the Punjab Salt Range. Memoirs of the Geological Survey of India 1935; 24(1): 79.

23. Haque AFMM. The foraminifera of the Ranikot and Laki of Nammal Gorge, Salt Range. Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Pakistan, Paleontologia Pakistanica 1956; 1: 1–300.

24. Shah SHA. Stratigraphic observations of laterites in Pakistan and oscillation and movement of the Eurasian and Indian blocks. Geological Bulletin of the University of Peshawar 1984; 17: 101–108.

25. Schoene B, Samperton KM, Eddy MP, et al. U-Pb geochronology of the Deccan Traps and relation to the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. Science 2015; 347(6218): 182–184.

26. Krauskopf KB, Bird DK. Introduction to geochemistry. New York: McGraw-Hill; 1967. p. 721.

27. Harder H. Mineral genesis in ironstones: A model based upon laboratory experiments and petrographic observation. Geological Society, London, Special Publications 1989; 46: 9–18.

28. Schulte P, Alegret L, Arenillas I, et al. The Chicxulub asteroid impact and mass extinction at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. Science 2010; 327(597 0): 1214–1218.

29. Crowe SA, Roberts JA, Weisener CG, et al. Alteration of iron-rich lacustrine sediments by dissimilatory iron-reducing bacteria. Geobiology 2007; 5(1): 63–73.

30. Kimberley MM. Origin of oolitic iron formations. Journal of Sedimentary Research 1979; 49(1): 111–131.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24294/jgc.v4i2.740