Genesis of langrial iron ore of hazara area, khyber pakhtunkhaw, parkistan

Abstract

The Iron Ore of Hazara area has been studied at seven locations for detail mineralogical and genesis investigations. Thick bedded iron ore have been observed between Kawagarh Formation and Hangu Formation i.e Cretaceous-Paleocene boundary. At the base of Hangu Formation variable thickness of these lateritic beds spread throughout the Hazara and Kohat-Potwar plateau. This hematite ore exists in the form of unconformity. X-Ray Diffraction technique (XRD), X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (XRF), detailed petroghraphic study and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) techniques indicated that iron bearing minerals are hematite, chamosite and quartz, albite, clinochlore, illite-montmorillonite, kaolinite, calcite, dolomite and ankerite are the impurities present in these beds. The X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) results show that the total Fe2O3 ranges from 39 to 56% and it has high silica and alumina ratio is less than one. Beneficiation requires for significant increase in ore grade. The petroghraphic study revealed the presence of ooids fragments as nuclei of other ooids with limited clastic supply which indicate high energy shallow marine depositional setting under warm and humid climate. The overall results show that Langrial Iron ore is a low-grade iron ore and can be upgraded up to 62% by applying modern mining techniques to fulfill steel requirements of the country.