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Mineralogy, geochemistry, and reserve estimation of the Euphrates limestone for Portland cement industry at Al-Najaf area, South Iraq

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Abstract

This study deals with the mineralogical and geochemistry of the Euphrates Formation (Lower Miocene) in Bahr Al-Najaf area in order to assess the lithofacies of the Euphrates Formation for Portland cement manufacturing. Petrographic and mineralogical studies were carried out on 210 core samples, collected from 21 boreholes, and showed that calcite is the dominant mineral with few amounts of quartz, gypsum, feldspar, and a rare amount of dolomite. Clay mineral suites (palygorskite, kaolinite, montmorillonite, and illite) formed about 5% from the total mineral composition. Palygorskite precipitated directly in alkali shallow water rich with Si and Mg ions. Chemical weathering of feldspar under acidic conditions participated in formation of Kaolinite. Geochemistry showed that there is no high variation in chemical constituents with depth, and the average of CaO (51.5), MgO (0.83), SO3 (0.54), SiO2 (4.3), Fe2O3 (0.45), Al2O3 (0.93), L.O.I (40.7), Na2O3 (0.08), K2O (0.14), and Cl- (0.1) qualified the lithofacies of Euphrates Formation to be raw materials suitable for manufacturing the Portland cement. Triangle Block method is applied to estimate the reserve on square area (2 × 2 km2) which is computed to be 63 million tons of medium-tough limestone as potential probable reserve.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Earth Sciences Department, College of Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

    Mautaz Al-Dabbas & Salih Muhammad Awadh

  2. Al-Kufa Cement Plant, Kufa, Iraq

    Ayad Abed Zaid

Authors
  1. Mautaz Al-Dabbas
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  2. Salih Muhammad Awadh
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  3. Ayad Abed Zaid
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Correspondence to Salih Muhammad Awadh.

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Al-Dabbas, M., Awadh, S.M. & Zaid, A.A. Mineralogy, geochemistry, and reserve estimation of the Euphrates limestone for Portland cement industry at Al-Najaf area, South Iraq. Arab J Geosci 6, 491–503 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-011-0370-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-011-0370-z

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