JOURNAL OF DEGRADED AND MINING LANDS MANAGEMENT ISSN: 2339-076X (p); 2502-2458 (e), Volume 5, Number 3 (April 2018): 1207-1216 DOI:10.15243/jdmlm.2018.053.1207 Review Review of the occurrence and structural controls of Baryte resources of Nigeria N.A. Labe1*, P.O. Ogunleye2, A.A. Ibrahim3, T. Fajulugbe3, S.T. Gbadema4 1 Department of Geology, Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil, Nigeria 2 Centre for Energy Research and Training, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria 3 Department of Geology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria 4 Department of Geography, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria *corresponding author: [email protected] Received 13 January 2018, Accepted 17 March 2018 Abstract: Baryte occurrences in Nigeria are spread across the Cretaceous Benue Trough which comprises of carbonaceous shales, limestone, siltstones, sandstones as well as in the northeastern, northwestern and southeastern parts of the Precambrian Basement Complex comprising of metasediments and granitoids. The mineralization is structurally controlled by NW-SE, N-S and NE-SW fractures. The common mode of occurrence for these barytes is the vein and cavity deposits type usually associated with galena, sphalerite, copper sulphide, fluorite, quartz, iron oxide as gangue minerals. Principal areas of baryte occurrences in Nigeria include Nassarawa, Plateau, Taraba, Benue, Adamawa, Cross River, Gombe, Ebonyi, and Zamfara. A large part of the vast baryte resources in Nigeria is still underexploited and further exploration work is needed to boost its exploitation. The inferred resource and proven reserve of baryte is put at over 21,000,000 and about 11,000,000 metric tons respectively. The economic evaluation of these barytes is viable having low (SG = < 3.5) to high (SG = 5.3) grades. The presence of associated minerals produces low quality barytes and as such blending and beneficiation is required to improve its quality. Keywords: Baryte, Benue Trough, Cretaceous, reserve, resource, SG To cite this article: Labe, N.A., Ogunleye, P.O., Ibrahim, A.A., Fajulugbe, T. and Gbadema, S.T. 2018. Review of the occurrence and structural controls of Baryte resources of Nigeria. J. Degrade. Min. Land Manage. 5(3): 1207- 1216, DOI: 10.15243/jdmlm. 2018.053.1207. Introduction of fluids; one containing barium and the other fluid containing sulphate (Hanor, 2000). Baryte Baryte also known as “heavy spar” or “spar” is deposits can be classified based on the mode of the principal mineral of barium with chemical occurrence into the following: formula BaSO4. It is a transparent or translucent, a. Bedded and Residual Deposits - Bedded readily cleavable, crystalline mineral having a deposits are those formed by the precipitation vitreous luster (Thrush, 1968). Baryte is a of barytes at or near the sea floor of relatively dense mineral with high specific gravity sedimentary basins. Residual deposits are (SG = 3 to 4.4) which is its most distinct feature. derived from the weathering of baryte- Baryte is an important industrial mineral which bearing rocks in which baryte is present as commonly occurs as gangue in most metallic (Fe, loose fragments embedded within residual Pb, Zn, Cu, Ag, Au) ore deposits. The mineral soil or clay. Clark et al. (1990) further occurs in diverse geological environments in a subdivided the bedded baryte deposits into host of sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous five groups based on its depositional rocks which span from Early Archean to Late environment as follows: Phanerozoic (Hanor, 2000). Most of the baryte in i. Bedded deposits with base-metal the Earth’s crust has been formed through mixing sulphides (cratonic rift type) associated www.jdmlm.ub.ac.id 1207 Baryte resources in Nigeria with alkali volcanic rocks, e.g. Meggen from 1951. Bogue (1951) reported on the baryte and Rammelsberg, Germany; Ballynoe prospect near Gabu in Ogoja Province in the and Silvermines, Ireland; Selwyn Basin, present Cross River State. Earlier works on the Canada and Red Dog, Alaska. Nigerian baryte indicate that baryte occur as ii. Bedded deposits without base-metal gangue in galena and sphalerite veins (Farrington, sulphides (continental margin type), e.g. 1952). Occurrences of baryte was also reported in Arkansas and Nevada deposits, USA; 1957 edition of the “Minerals and Industry in Jiangnan and Qinling deposits in China. Nigeria” yearbook at Lefin in Ogoja Province; iii. Bedded deposits associated with volcanic Aba-Gbandi, Keana and Akiri in Benue Province series, e.g. Kuroko type ore, Japan; and Dumgel in Adamawa Province (Oden, 2012). Buchans deposit, Canada. The Geological Survey of Nigeria in 1959 iv. Stratiform baryte deposits e.g. reported an estimated baryte reserve of 41,000 Mangampet deposit in Andhra Pradesh, tons at a depth of 20 meters for the Benue Valley India and in Nigeria Alifokpa deposit in deposits in the Azara locality. Cross River and Gidanwaya deposit in In 2008, the Nigerian Geological Survey Taraba. Agency embarked on the evaluation of newly v. Exogenetic baryte deposits: These are reported deposits in the present Cross River, unconsolidated alluvial or residual Benue, Nassarawa, Plateau and Taraba States. The deposits formed by erosion or weathering inferred resource of baryte in these states was put processes occurring on or near the surface at 21,123,913 metric tons (Figure 1). Further of the earth e.g. Krakow deposit, Poland. exploration activities revealed additional areas b. Veins and Cavity Filling Deposits - These with favourable geological setting for baryte are epithermal deposits which are formed by mineralization namely: Liji Hill, Gombe Town, the precipitation of hot barium-enriched Ganye, Suwa and Sabin areas northeast Nigeria in fluids in faults, joints, bedding planes, breccia addition to Dareta, Tofa Forest Reserve, Rebeku zones, solution channels and cavities. This and Yarkatsina areas in northwestern Nigeria. In type of deposits are generally smaller than the Nigeria, baryte occurs within the Precambrian bedded deposits, examples include Dreislar Basement and Cretaceous sedimentary rocks as and Rhineland-Palatinate vein deposits in vein infilling materials closely associated with Germany, Les Arcs deposit in France, lead-zinc mineralization (Nwozor and Pennine ore fields in the United Kingdom Chukwunenye, 2008; MMSD, 2008; Daspan and (Lorenz and Gwosdz, 2003) and vein deposits Imagbe 2010; Ekwueme and Akpeke, 2012; of the Benue Trough, Nigeria. Fatoye, et al., 2014; El-Nafaty, 2015). Although baryte is used for various purposes in the manufacturing industries, majority of baryte mined is consumed in the oil industry. Baryte Baryte Occurrences in Nigeria possess certain properties that make it important Occurrences in Precambrian basement rocks to the oil industries as a weighting agent. These properties include: its high specific gravity, The geology of the Basement Complex in Nigeria chemical inertness, non-corrosive, non-abrasive has been described and reviewed by various nature, overall abundance and relatively low cost. authors including Oyawoye, (1972); Rahaman Hence, the exploitation of baryte goes hand in (1976); Ajibade, (1980) and Ekwueme, (1991, hand with crude oil exploitation. In 2003, the 2003). Three major lithological units are Federal Government of Nigeria banned the distinguished within in the Basement Complex of importation of baryte and since then, a lot of Nigeria (Fig.ure 2): effort has been directed towards mining baryte i. Polymetamorphic Migmatite-Gneiss Complex locally. With the decline in oil prices in recent (Liberian to Pan-African) years, diversification of the economy is ii. The Upper Proterozoic supracrustal rocks paramount and the time to develop the Nigerian which include the Schist Belts with solid mineral sector is now. In order to boost metavolcanic units. Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP), the vast iii. The Older Granite suite of Pan-African age baryte resources/reserves in the country need to be intruding both the Migmatite-Gneiss Complex critically looked into. and the Schist Belts. The purpose of this paper is to give concise Baryte occurrences have been reported in the information on the baryte resources in Nigeria Northeastern, Northwestern and Southeastern which will encourage further research, investment sections of Nigeria’s Precambrian Basement and consequently mining/extraction. The baryte rocks. resource of Nigeria started gaining recognition as Journal of Degraded and Mining Lands Management 1208 Baryte resources in Nigeria Northeast Nigeria (Sardauna) area of Taraba State. Quartz intergrowths are common in most baryte veins Edu (2006) noted the occurrence of over 2 km hosted within granites at Tola (Adamawa). The length and width ranging from 3.5 to 5 m of veins generally dip 40oNE stretching over a length baryte veins hosted in migmatitic gneiss, of about 180 m (Halilu, 2017) with SG < 4.2 porphyritic and fine-grained granites at Juo (MMSD, 2008). Figure 1. Inferred baryte resources of some states in Nigeria (Source: MMSD, 2008). Figure 2. Geological map of Nigeria (NGSA, 2000) Journal of Degraded and Mining Lands Management 1209 Baryte resources in Nigeria Northwest Nigeria limestone, siltstone and sandstone of the Asu River and Cross River Groups). Mineralization in The Basement Complex of Northwest Nigeria this area is often associated with pyrite and consists of low-medium grade NE-SW trending chalcopyrite. In some parts, baryte occurs Schist Belts and metavolcanic rocks intruded by dominantly in dolerite and granitic gneiss as vein the Precambrian Granites. Baryte veins are infillings trending NE-SW, N-S and NW-SE with generally hosted in phyllites measuring 1.5 meters an average width of 2.18 m and depth ranging wide, greater than 100 m in length and 4 meters from 1.2 - 4.2 m with SG = 3.5 to 4.4. The barytes deep with an average SG = 4.2. The veins are within the Oban Massif (Agoi area) has a total fissure filling and follow a general structural trend reserve estimate of 1,981,177 metric tons (Obi et corresponding to the major Anka fault system in al., 2014). Occurrences of baryte has also been the region (Daspan and Imagbe, 2010).