Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Master's Theses Graduate College 8-1987 Possible Role of Petroliferous Materials in Sulfide Precipitation at the Frank R. Millikan Mine, Southeast Missouri Clark Alan Niewendorp Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses Part of the Geology Commons Recommended Citation Niewendorp, Clark Alan, "Possible Role of Petroliferous Materials in Sulfide Precipitation at the Frank R. Millikan Mine, Southeast Missouri" (1987). Master's Theses. 1251. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/1251 This Masters Thesis-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. POSSIBLE ROLE OP PETROLIFEROUS MATERIALS IN SULFIDE PRECIPITATION AT THE FRANK R. MILLIKAN MINE, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI by Clark Alan Niewendorp A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of The Graduate College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science Department of Geology Western Michigan University Kalamazoo Michigan August 1987 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. POSSIBLE ROLE OF PETROLIFEROUS MATERIALS IN SULFIDE PRECIPITATION AT THE FRANK R. MILLIKAN MINE, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI Clark Alan Niewendorp, M.S. Western Michigan University, 1987 The Millikan Mine's ore body contains ubi.qui.tous amounts of petroliferous materials occurring as blebs, coal-like pods and veinlets, and seeps coating mine stope walls. Emplacement of hydrocarbons into the ore occurred before the final episode of mineralization ceased, based on growth of dendritic galena in some coal-like bitumen and other paragenetic relationships. Growth of dendritic galena in a hydrocarbon substance suggests that hydro­ carbons provided sulfur for galena mineralization by either abiogenetic reduction of sulfate or thermochemical evolution of organic sulfur. Texturally, it also suggests that the presence of hydrocarbons may have been respon­ sible for some zones of rapid precipitate mineralization. One possible source for the petroliferous materials could be the ore-hosting rocks, based on the host rock's en­ richment of organic carbon and its association with bituminous seeps. Hydrocarbons may also have been a source for nickel, cobalt, and cadmium. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Mr. H. A. Krueger, Vice- President of Underground Mine Operations for Kennecott Minerals Company, and Mr. M. C. Young, General Manager of Ozark Lead Company's Frank R. Millikan Mine, for permis­ sion to conduct this study. I wish to thank my advisor, Dr. J. Grace, and com­ mittee members, Dr. T. Straw and Dr. W. Harrison, for their reviews. A portion of the laboratory work was supported by a grant from The Graduate College of Western Michigan University, which is gratefully acknowledged. The Ozark Lead Company also underwrote some of the labora­ tory and photographic print expense. There is no way to express my thanks to Mr. K. G. Larsen, Chief Geologist/Technical Supervisor, and Mr. C. W. Clendenin, former Senior Mine Geologist at the Millikan Mine, to whom I owe a special debt for the conception of this work, his sustained interest, constructive criticism, and advice. I am proud and honored to have worked with you and for you. Thanks are owed to John Boyle and Jim Barnett for their help. Use gf.Dr. G. R. Lowell's ore microscope at South­ east Missouri State University and his helpful discussion of microscopic results is greatly appreciated. ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Electron Microprobe results used in this work were carried out in the laboratory of Claudia Garparrini, Mininel Scientific Ltd., Toronto, Ontario. Organic carbon and trace metal analysis was conducted by Rinehart Labor­ atories, Inc., Arvada, Colorado. Thanks, Dr. Grace for running X-Ray powder diffrac­ tion. Of all the people who have contributed to this work, my wife, Joyce, deserves the most thanks. If not for her encouragement and support, this work would not be poss­ ible. I dedicate this work to Joyce. Clark Alan Niewendorp iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. INFORMATION TO USERS This reproduction was made from a copy of a document sent to us for microfilming. While the most advanced technology has been used to photograph and reproduce this document, the quality of the reproduction is heavily dependent upon the quality of the material submitted. 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Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Order Number 1331809 Possible role of petroliferous materials in sulfide precipitation at the Frank R. Millikan Mine, southeast Missouri Niewendorp, Clark Alan, M.S. Western Michigan University, 1987 V U MI 300 N. Zeeb Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48106 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. PLEASE NOTE: In all cases this material has been filmed In the best possible way from the available copy. Problems encountered with this document have been identified here with a check mark V . 1. Glossy photographs or pages___ 2. Colored illustrations, paper or print f 3. Photographs with dark background _ ^ 7 4. Illustrations are poor copy_______ 5. Pages with black marks, not original copy ______ 6. 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TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................ ........ ii LIST OF TABLES ........................... vii LIST OF FIGURES ............................. viii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION . ....................... 1 Purpose .................. 1 Location, History, and Production ............. ....... 2 Previous W o r k .................... 4 II. STRATIGRAPHY ............................. 1 0 Regional ............................. 10 Mine Stratigraphy .................... 12 Depositional Models ........ 14 Depositional Framework ........... 16 Host Rocks ............. 17 III. STRUCTURE ......................... 19 R e g i o n a l ............................... 19 Mine Structure ......................... 21 Gravity Sliding .................... 22 Wrench Faulting .................... 22 Solution-Induced Brecciation ....... 24 IV. MINERALOGY AND PARAGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS . 27 iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Table of Contents— Continued CHAPTER V. FIELD RELATIONSHIPS ............. 31 Introduction ........................ 3 1 Bitumen