Constraining the Genesis of Barite Deposits of the Gombe Hill, Using Stable Isotopes and Fluid Inclusion Studies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62050/ljsir2025.v3n2.561Keywords:
Barite, Sinistral, Displacement, Paleogeographic, Stable isotopes, MicrothermometryAbstract
The opening of the Benue Trough as well as the sinistral displacement of the strike slip fault that displaced the whole inlier has been well documented in recent times. Fractures formed are believed to have occurred at the time of the opening of Benue Trough in the Cretaceous. Large sedimentary basins were developed with carbonates and continental platforms that provided ideal conditions for the formation of suits of sandstone hosted, stratiform deposits such as barite, celestine and fluorite of Cretaceous age. Barite is the economic mineral and the shape of the ore bodies is considered massive, the gangue minerals are calcite, traces of celestine and silica. A fluid inclusion and stable isotope analysis (S and O) for barite was conducted. The result shows a melting ice temperature between −24 °C and −15 °C (salinities of 13.6 to 24 wt. % NaCl equiv.) and a homogenization temperature ranged between 60 °C to 155 °C. Isotopic analysis of barite showed δ34SVCDT ranges from +18.1‰ to +19.8‰. Sulfur and Oxygen isotope data for the barite from the study area is consistent with a sulfur source formed during the Cretaceous, which coincides with the age of the Bima Formation. The oxygen isotope analysis showed a range between δ18OVSMOW 9.9‰ and 12.2‰ for the mineral. Fluid inclusion microthermometry and isotopic measurements lead us to conclude that brines from the Upper Benue Basin led to the replacement of evaporite strata (gypsum) by barite and its subsequent deposition within veins and fractures of the Bima Formation.
Downloads
References
ABUBAKAR, M. B. JAURO, A., AGHO, M. O., ABAYEH, O. J., AND OBAJE, N. G. (2008): Petrographic studies and coking properties of Lamza, Chikila and Lafiya-Obi coals of the Benue Trough, Nigeria. Journal of Mining and Geology 44(1), 37 – 43.
AKANDE, S. O., ABIMBOLA, A. F., (1987). Aspects of the genesis of Lead-Zinc- Fluorite-Baryte mineralization in the Nigerian Benue Trough. In: Matheis G, Schandelmeier H (eds.) Current research in African Earth Sciences. Balkema, Rotterdam. Pp. 365 – 369.
AKANDE, O., ZENTELLI, M., REYNOLDS, P. H., (1989). Fluid inclusion and stable isotope studies of Pb-Zn-fluorite-barite mineralization in the lower Nigeria. Mineralium Deposita vol. 24, pages183–19.
AKANDE S.O., HORN E.E., REUTEL C. (1988). Minerology, fluid inclusion and genesis of the Arufu and Akwana Pb ZnF mineralization, middle Benue Trough, Nigeria. Journal of African Earth Sciences (and the Middle East). Vol 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/0899-5362(88)90063-2
ALONSO-GARCIA, MONTSERRAT, S., FRANCISCO, J., KUCERA M., FLORES, J., CACHO I., ANDERSEN N., (2011). Benthic foraminifer stable carbon and oxygen isotope record of IODP Site 306-U1314 [dataset]. PANGAE https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.820259,
BENKHELIL, J. (1986). Structure and Geodynamic Evolution of the Intracratonic Benue Trough (Nigeria). Elf Nig. Ltd., Nigeria, Bull Centres Rech. Explor. Prod. Elf-Aquitaine (BCREDP) 12, 29-128.
BENKHELIL, J. (1989). The Origin and Evolution of the Cretaceous Benue Trough (Nigeria). Journal of African Earth Sciences (and the Middle East), Vol. 8, pp. 251-282.
BETHKE, P.M, (1984). Controls on base- and precious-metal mineralization in deeper epithermal environments. U.S. Geol. Surv. Open-File Rep. 84–890
BUKAR, F., BABA, S., SHETTIMA, B. AND KYARI, A. M. (2011). Geology And Geochemistry Of Gypsum Deposits In Fika And Fune Local Government Area Of Yobe State, Nigeria: Implication To Industrial Applications. Borno Journal of Geology VOL, 8, NO.1.
EL-NAFATY, J. M., (2015). Geology and petrography of the rocks around Gulani Area, Northeastern Nigeria. Journal of Geology and Mining Research. Vol. 7(5), pp. 41 – 57.
FARRINGTON, J. L., (1952). A preliminary description of the Nigerian Lead-Zinc field. Geol. 47(6):583-608.
GARBA, I., (2000). Origin of Pan-African mesothermal gold mineralization at Bin Yauri, Nigeria. Journal of African Earth Sciences. 31(2):433-449. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0899-5362(00)00098-1
GREINERT, J., BOLLWERK, S., DERKACHEV, A.N., BOHRMANN, G., SUESS, E., (2002). Carbon and oxygen isotopic data of carbonates from Core SLR 37-1, HYC 25-1 and an aragonite crust from station DR 35-1 [dataset]. PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.769673,
GOODFELLOW, W.D., LYDON, J.W., AND TURNER, R.J.W., (1993). Geology and genesis of stratiform hosted sediment (SEDEX) zinc-lead-silver sulphides in Kirkham R. V., Sinclair, W.D., Thorpe I.I., and Duke, J.M., eds., Mineral deposit modelling, special paper 40, Geological Association of Canada. P 201-205.
GONZÁLEZ-SÁNCHEZ, F., PUENTE-SOLÍS, R., GONZÁLEZ-PARTIDA, E., CAMPRUBÍ, A. (2007). Estratigrafía del noreste de México y su relación con los yacimientos estratoligados de fluorita, barita, celestina y Zn–Pb. Bol. Soc. Geol.Mex. 59, 43–62.
GONZÁLEZ-SÁNCHEZ, F., CAMPRUBÍ, A., GONZÁLEZ-PARTIDA, E., PUENTE-SOLÍS, R., CANET, C., CENTENO-GARCÍA, E., ATUDOREI, V. (2009). Regional stratigraphy and distribution of epigenetic stratabound celestine, fluorite, barite, and Zn–Pb deposits in the MVT province of Northeastern Mexico. Mineral. Deposita 44, 343–361.
GONZÁLEZ-SÁNCHEZ, F, GONZÁLEZ-PARTIDA, E, CARLES, C, VIOREL, A, PURA, A, MORALES-PUENTE, P, CIENFUEGOS-ALVARADO, E, GONZÁLEZ-RUIZ, L. (2015). Geological setting and genesis of strata bound barite deposits at Múzquiz, Coahuila in northeastern Mexico. Ore Geology Reviews.
HARUNA, A. I, (2013). Geology and Economic Potential of Barite Mineralization on Gombe Inlier, Gombe State, Nigeria. Grin Publishers, e-book.
HARUNA, A. I, AMEH, D. P, MOHAMMED, A. A, UMAR, U. S. (2017). Uranium Mineralization on In Gubrunde Horst, Upper Benue Trough, North-East, Nigeria. Journal of Geosciences and Geomatics, Vol. 5, No. 3, 136-146.
HARUNA, I. V. (2017). Lithologic Features and Uranium Possibilities of The Granites of Pupule, Adamawa Massif N.E. Nigeria. Global Journal of Geological Sciences Vol. 15, 57-64. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/gjgs.v15i1.5
JAZULI, A. A AND MOISULE A. M. (2015). Environmental Impact of Gypsum Mining In Some Selected Communities of Fika Local Government Area of Yobe State, Northeastern Nigeria. Journal of Environmental Sciences and Resources Management Vol. 7, Number 2.
MAURIN JC, BENKHELIL J, ROBINEAU B (1985). Fault rocks of the Kaltungo Lineament (Northeastern Nigeria) and their relationship with the Benue Trough. J. Geol. Soc. London 143:587-599.
OLADE, M. A. AND MORTON, R. D., (1985). Origin of lead-zinc-mineralization in the southern Benue Trough, Nigeria, fluid inclusion and trace element studies. Mineral. Deposita 20: 76– 80.
OLADE, M. M. (2019). Solid Mineral Deposits and Mining in Nigeria: - A Sector in Transitional Change. Achievers journal of scientific research. VOL. 2 (1). Pp 1 – 15.
OFFODILE, M.E. (1976). The geology of the Middle Benue Trough, Nigeria, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Uppsala, 4:22-136.
OHMOTO, H., RYE, R.O, (1979). Isotopes Of Sulfur and Carbon. In: Barnes, H.L. (Ed.), Geochemistry of Hydrothermal Ore Deposits, 2nd ed. Wiley, New York, pp. 509 – 567.
PAYTAN, A, SARAH, M, KIM, C, KASTNER, M. (2002). Origin Of Marine Barite Deposits: Sr and S Isotope Characterization. Geological Society of America. Vol. 30; no. 8; p. 747–750.
ROEDDER, E. (1981). Problems in the use of fluid inclusions to investigate fluid-rock interaction in igneous and metamorphic processes. Fortschr. Mineral., v.59, pp.267
ROEDDER, E. (1984) Fluid Inclusions. Reviews in Mineralogy, Mineralogical Society of America, Vol. 12, p. 644
RYE, R. O., & OHMOTO, H. (1974). Sulfur and carbon isotopes and ore genesis: A review. Economic Geology and the Bulletin of the Society of Economic Geologists, 69(6), 826–842. doi:10.2113/gsecongeo.69.6.826
ROLLINSON, H.R. (1993). Using geochemical data: Evaluation, presentation, interpretation. Longman Scientific and Technical, Wiley, New York, 352.
SALEH I. B, JIA-X. Z, K. L, MUSA B. G, RAYMOND T. P. (2024). Pb-Zn-Ba Deposits in The Nigerian Benue Trough: A Synthesis on Deposits Classification and Genetic Model. Ore Geology Reviews. 166.
SHARMA, R. VERMA, P. AND RANDALL, W.L. (2006). Sulphur isotopic study on barite mineralization of the Tons valley, Lesser Himalaya, India: Implication for source and formation process. Current Science, Vol.90, No.3
TOURET, J.L.R. (2001). Fluid inclusions in metamorphic rocks. Lithos, v.55, pp.1-25.
TURCHYN, A.V. AND SCHRAG, D.P. (2004). Oxygen isotope constraints on the sulfur cycle over the past 10million years. Science, 303, 2004-2007.
UDEH, B. C. (2021). Characterization of Ashaka Limestone for Potential Diversification of Its Applications. International Journal of Innovation Scientific Research and Review Vol. 03, Issue, 12, pp.2080-2082.
VANDI, K. D, NTEKIM, E. E, HAFIZULLAH, A. A. (2019). Petrochemistry and manganese mineralization potentials of the calc-alkaline granitoids from Northeastern Hawal Massif, North-Eastern Nigeria. Science Forum (Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences), Vol. 16, pp. 18-42.
ZABORSKI, P., UGODULUNWA, F., IDORNIGIE, A., NNABO, P. AND IBE, K. (1997). Stratigraphy, Structure of the Cretaceous Gongola Basin, Northeastern Nigeria. Bulletin Centre Researches Production Elf Aquitatine, 22: 153 – 185.

Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Lafia Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.