Barite Mine Research Articles

The influence of an underground vein ore mine on engineering geological conditions of urbanized areas

The paper deals with some aspects of the geological factors concerning the behaviour of subsoils of the buildings overlying underground barite vein mines. According to the tectonic engagement of the surrounding rock mass and dip vein shape of the ore deposit the problem is complex and quite poorly known.

Microbial mobilization of barite

Bacteria from lake mud grown under anaerobic conditions with powdered barite present significantly increase the amount of barium that dissolves in the culture medium. Innocula of lake mud were added to a growth medium specified for sulfate-reducing bacteria. Powdered barite was added to each culture flask and flasks were purged with nitrogen, sealed and maintained at 20°C for 17 days. When the cultures were opened for analysis, hydrogen sulfide and iron sulfide had formed in all growing cultures. In cultures containing barite as the only sulfate, the barium content of the culture solutions had risen to an average of 3.3 ppm (maximum = 3.8 ppm, minimum = 1.8 ppm). Cultures containing ferrous sulfate and barite showed less than 0.1 ppm barium in solution. Cultures that had been sterilized by poisoning or autoclaving showed approximately 0.5 ppm barium in solution. Sulfate-reducing bacteria may be responsible for the high barium concentrations recorded in streams draining barite mining areas.

Mineral Hunting at the Magnet Cove Barite Mine in Walton, Nova Scotia

Mineral Hunting at the Magnet Cove Barite Mine in Walton, Nova Scotia