Sources of Fertilizer Minerals in South America A Preliminary Study By J. F. HARRINGTON, D. E. WARD, and V. E. McKELVEY GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1240 Geology and technology of fertilizer­ mineral deposits ofphosphates, potash, and sulfur and suggestions for further exploration in South America UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1966 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STEWART L. UDALL, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY William T. Pecora, Director Library of Congress catalog-card No. GS 66-306 First printing 1966 Second printing 1967 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printin~ Office Washin~ton, D.C. 20402 - Price 60 cents (paper cover) CONTENTS Page Abstract_ ________ _ Introduction ______________________________ _ 2 Analysis of the gC'ologic C'nvironment _________________ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3 Acknowledgments_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 4 Phosphate deposits_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ G Mineralogy__ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 5 Geology______________________________________ _________ G Igneous apatites__________________________________________ G Marine phosphates________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 7 Residual phosphorite_______________________________________ 10 River-pebble deposits______________________________________ lO Phosphatizcd rock______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 10 Guano___________________________________________________ 10 Othertypes_______________________________________________ 11 Technology of phosphate_____________________________________ 11 Treatment methods____________________ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 11 Phosphate-fertilizer manufacture____________________________ 12 Transportation____________________________________________ 12 Factors in appraising exploitability _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 12 Mining methods___________________________ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 13 Potash deposits____________________________________ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 13 Mineralogy___________________________________________________ 14 Geology______________________________________________________ 14 Bedded potash deposits_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 14 Brines and salt crusts______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 16 Other potash sources__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 16 Technology___________________________________________________ 17 Treatment methods________________________________________ 17 Mining methods___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 18 Sulfur sources, geology, and technology_____________ _________________ 19 Frasch-produced sulfur from salt domes__________________________ 19 Sulfur in recent volcanic rocks__________________________________ 20 Pyrites_______________________________________________________ 21 Smelter gas___________________________________________________ 21 Gypsum and anhydrite_________________________________________ 22 Coal_________________________________________________________ 22 Other sedimentary deposits_____________________________________ 22 Petroleum, natural gas, and bituminous rocks_____________________ 22 III IV CONTEN.'DS Page Survey of fertilizer minerals in South America ________________________ - 23 Argentina____________________________________________________ 23 Sulfur____________________________________________________ 24 Volcanjc type_________________________________________ 24 Sulfuric acid__________________________________________ 26 Potash___________________________________________________ 26 Phosphate________________________________________________ 26 Phosphorite___________________________________________ 26 Apatite_ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ 27 Thomas slag__________________________________________ 27 Bol~ia_______________________________________________________ 27 Sulfur____________________________________________________ 28 Phosphates_______________________________________________ 28 Brazil________________________________________________________ 29 Phosphates_______________________________________________ 29 Olinda phosphorite deposits_____________________________ 29 Araxa apatite deposit_ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ __ __ __ __ _ _ __ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ 31 Jacupiranga apatite deposit_____________________________ 32 Serrote apatite deposit_ __ __ __ _ _ _ __ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ __ __ __ _ 33 Guariruva apatite deposit______________________________ 33 Ipanema apatite deposit________________________________ 34 Monteiro apatite deposits_______________________________ 34 Annitapolis, Tapira, and Ipira apatite deposits____________ 34 Pirocaua phosphate____________________________________ 35 Trauira Island phosphate_______________________________ 35 Guano deposits________________________________________ 36 Potash___________________________________________________ 36 Sergipe rock salts______________________________________ 36 Potash from sea water, feldspars, and other sources________ 38 Sulfur____________________________________________________ 38 Chile_________________________________________________________ 39 Phosphates_______________________________________________ 39 Igneous apatite deposits________________________________ 39 Guano_______________________________________________ 39 Marine phosphate rock_________________________________ 40 Sulfur____________________________________________________ 40 Smelter gases and sulfide_------------------------------ 40 Volcanic-type sulfur deposits____________________________ 41 Potash___________________________________________________ 42 Colombia_____________________________________________________ 42 Sulfur____________________________________________________ 43 Phosphates_______________________________________________ 43 High-phosphorus slag__________________________________ 43 Sedimentary phosphorites ____ -------------------------- 43 Phospha tized rock_____________________________________ 44 Current phosphate reconnaissance___________________________ 44 Potash___________________________________________________ 45 Ecuador______________________________________________________ 45 Geology and future prospects ___ ---------------------------- 45 CONTENTS V Sur\·ey of fertilizer minerals in South America-Continued Page Peru_________________________________________________________ 47 Phosphates_______________________________________________ 47 Sechura Desert phosphorite_____________________________ 47 La Oroya phosphorite___________________________________ 49 Submarine phosphates__________________________________ 49 Guano_______________________________________________ 51 Potash___________________________________________________ 52 Sechura Desert potash brines___________________________ 52 Other salt deposits______________________________________ 54 Suliur____________________________________________________ 54 Venezucla____________________________________________________ 55 Phosphates_______________________________________________ 55 Riecito phosphorite_____________________________________ 56 Lobatera phosphorite, Tachira State______________________ 56 Other Cretaceous phosphorites__________________________ 57 Sulfur____________________________________________________ 57 Potash___________________________________________________ 58 Summary and outlook_____________________ ________________________ 58 Present consumption___________________________________________ 58 Phosphate resources_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 59 Potash resources_______________________________________________ 60 Sulfur resources_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 61 Nitrates______________________________________________________ 61 Steps toward expanded production and usc_______________________ 62 Bibliography______________________________________________________ 64 ILLUSTRATION PLATE 1. Principal known deposits and prospects of phosphate, potash, and sulfur in South America________________________ In pocket TABLES Page TABLE l. Characteristics of principal types of phosphate deposits________ 8 2. Stratigraphic column for the Coastal Province of Ecuador_____ 46 3. Comparison of analyses of typical washed pellets from Sechura, Peru__________________________________________________ 49 4. Comparison of the composition of Sechura phosphate with that of north Africa and the United States____________________ 50 5. Summary of reserve estimates of phosphate rock, Sechura de- posit, Peru_____________________________________________ 51 6. Generalized section of the Middle Miocene Zapayal Formation (marine) in depression area 2, Sechura deposit, Peru________ 51 SOURCES OF FERTILIZER MINERALS IN SOUTH AMERICA-A PRELIMINARY STUDY BY .T. F. H.\RRINGTON~ D. E. WARD, and V. E. McKELVEY ABSTRACT People in many South American countries are largely dependent for food upon their own agricultural output. Diminishing crop productivity from worn-out depleted soils is :-;erious. Essential fertilizers needed to rejuvenate depleted soil:-: are phosphates, nitrogen, potash, sulfur, and limt>. together with minor amounts of such elements as manganese and boron. South Amerif'a's consumption of fertilizer minerals is in large