Earth Science Academic Archive - Project 18210768
Mass transfer during the conversion of Banded Iron Formation to Iron Ore

Wilkinson, Dr J J

The aim of this CONNECT B project is to develop a quantitative model for the enrichment of Banded Iron Formation to iron ore based on the Simandou deposit, a giant new iron ore system currently being explored by Rio Tinto in the Democratic Republic of Guinea, West Africa. The working hypothesis to be tested is that high grade hematite orebodies were produced by large volumes of hydrothermal fluid that stripped silica from the protolith, with subsequent further enrichment by recent supergene activity. Field and laboratory study will elucidate the primary controls on the enrichment process and geochemical mass balance analysis will quantify the mass transfer involved. The potential fractionation of iron isotopes during hypogene and supergene enrichment will be evaluated as a tool for recognition of these processes in other systems.

Keywords

'Natural resources', 'Earth surface', 'Chemistry'

Principal Investigator

Wilkinson, Dr J J

Dept of Earth Sciences,
Imperial College London,


Download

One file available for download (see note below):
The project contains the following datasets:
  • Mass transfer during the conversion of Banded Iron Formation to Iron Ore
    The aim of this CONNECT B project is to develop a quantitative model for the enrichment of Banded Iron Formation to iron ore based on the Simandou deposit, a giant new iron ore system currently being explored by Rio Tinto in the Democratic Republic of Guinea, West Africa. The working hypothesis to be tested is that high grade hematite orebodies were produced by large volumes of hydrothermal fluid that stripped silica from the protolith, with subsequent further enrichment by recent supergene activity. Field and laboratory study will elucidate the primary controls on the enrichment process and geochemical mass balance analysis will quantify the mass transfer involved. The potential fractionation of iron isotopes during hypogene and supergene enrichment will be evaluated as a tool for recognition of these processes in other systems.
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