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The vein-type barite mineralization of the Draïssa ore field, Ougarta; SW- Algeria: mineralogy, trace elements and halogens

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Abstract

The Draïssa barite vein system in the Ougarta district is located in southwestern Algeria. It is the principal mineral deposit of economic interest of the area. The mineralization is hosted by Cambrian sedimentary rocks that unconformably overlie Precambrian formations. The mineralized structures consist mostly of barite and quartz with minor sulfide minerals and trend dominantly NE-SW, NW-SE, and E-W. Siliceous alteration zones are associated with the vein system. Samples of barite ore are characterized by low total REE contents ranging from 9 to 50 ppm and positive Eu (2–2.15 ppm) and Y (1.2–11.1 ppm) anomalies, indicating hydrothermal activity during mineralization. Halogen data of the barite show that the Cl/Br molar ratio is 189:571 and the Na/Br ratio is 34:376, indicating that the sulfur was derived from seawater. The Ba-enrichment trend in the volcanic rocks of Draïssa is interpreted as possible probable source of the Ba (424–3039 ppm Ba). It appears that the barite-quartz deposits were formed in two stages. Endogenous fluids deposited the primary vein materials, consisting of quartz associated with copper sulfides. Exogenous fluids (cold seawater) became heated during ascendant fluid movement. Mineralization was governed by convective motions and the barite and galena fillings were deposited in openings created by normal faulting.

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Acknowledgments

We want to thank Jébrak Michel (University UQAM-Canada) for discussions concerning understand the development of such mineralization of Draïssa and these comments greatly improved the manuscript. We appreciate the technical support in lab work provided by Prochaka Walter (halogen at Montain universität, Leoben—Austria). The authors would like to thank their management and staff for their support in the production of this paper. Thanks are addressed also to Afalfiz Abdelhafid.

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  1. Laboratory of Metallogeny and Magmatism of Algeria (LMMA)—Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Sciences and Technology Houari Boumediene–USTHB, BP 32, 16111, Bab Ezzouar, Algiers, Algeria

    Ahmed Abderrahmane Semchaoui, Omar Kolli, Abdelhak Boutaleb & Tarek Zerrouki

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  1. Ahmed Abderrahmane Semchaoui
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  2. Omar Kolli
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Correspondence to Abdelhak Boutaleb.

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Semchaoui, A.A., Kolli, O., Boutaleb, A. et al. The vein-type barite mineralization of the Draïssa ore field, Ougarta; SW- Algeria: mineralogy, trace elements and halogens. Arab J Geosci 9, 679 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-016-2705-2

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