Mineralogical and Geochemical Studies of Oil Shale Deposits in the Cretaceous/Paleogene succession at Quseir Area, Egypt

Abstract

Cretaceous/Paleogene succession in Quseir area represents one of the most important economic sedimentary rocks, which contain phosphate and oil shale beds. Oil shale samples selected from nine mines around Quseir area were subjected to mineralogical, petrographical and geochemical analyses. As raveled by X-ray diffraction analysis, the oil shale samples are composed of calcite, quartz, dolomite, smectite, kaolinite, gypsum and pyrite. The petrographical investigation of the studied oil shales indicates the dominance of two microfacies: calcareous foraminiferal claystone and Calci-mudstone. The EDX results of oil shale samples show that the pyrite found as framboidal-disseminated particles in smectite. The high ratio of the sulfur and organic carbon contents in the selected mines indicate highly reducing environment. Five mines (El-Nakheil, Abu Tundub, Abu Tundub Bahree, El Beida and Hammadat) are markedly rich in organic content and can be considered as good to excellent source rock.