Abstract
The Gangfelum Banded Iron Formation (BIF) is located within the basement complex of northeastern Nigeria. It is characterized by alternate bands of iron oxide and quartz. Petrographic studies show that the BIF consist mainly of hematite, goethite subordinate magnetite and accessory minerals including rutile, apatite, tourmaline and zircon. Chemical data from inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) show that average Fe2O3(t) is 53.91 wt.%. The average values of Al2O3 and CaO are 1.41 and 0.05 wt.% respectively, TiO2 and MnO are less than 0.5 wt. % each. The data suggested that the BIF is the oxide facies type. Trace element concentrations of Ba (67-332 ppm), Ni (28-35 ppm), Sr (13-55 ppm) and Zr (16-25 ppm) in the Gangfelum BIF are low and similar to the Maru and Muro BIF in northern Nigeria and also the Algoma iron formation from North America, the Orissa iron oxide facies of India and the Itabirite from Minas Gerais in Brazil. The evolution of the Gangfelum BIF involved metamorphism of chemically precipitated or rhythmically deposited iron-rich sediments into hematite-quartz rocks. The banding of the BIF suggested a break in iron precipitation probably due to iron oxide deficiency.
Highlights
The Banded Iron Formations (BIFs) occur within the Precambrian basement complex of Nigeria around the Lokoja-Okene-Kabba, Maru, Muro and Birnin Gwari schist belts (Figure 1)
The polished thick sections of the BIF ore samples prepared in the Department of Geology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria were examined under a reflected light ore microscope
The thin iron-rich layers containing hematite, goethite and magnetite alternating with thicker quartz-rich layers were observed in the hand specimen
Summary
The Banded Iron Formations (BIFs) occur within the Precambrian basement complex of Nigeria around the Lokoja-Okene-Kabba, Maru, Muro and Birnin Gwari schist belts (Figure 1). These rocks are commonly associated with the metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks of Late Proterozoic age. Olade (1978) classified the Itakpe ore deposit around Okene (Figure 1) into a massive magnetite, a banded to granular hematite-magnetite, and a homogenous hematite-magnetite ores. This ore deposit is regarded as a product of high grade amphibolite facies metamorphism of iron-rich sediments (Olade, 1978). This work was carried out to investigate the petrography, geochemistry and origin of the iron ore mineralization in the Gangfelum District, Adamawa area, northeastern Nigeria
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