Geology and the barite potential of the Raymond Widel Area, Cooper County, Missouri

Author

German Francisco

Abstract

"The Raymond Widel barite prospect is two miles northeast of Blackwater Town, in parts of Sections 23, 24, 25, and 26, T49N, R19W, Cooper County, Missouri. Reported in the area since the 1850's barite-galena deposits have been sporadically mined.

The Burlington-Keokuk and Warsaw formations of Mississippian age are exposed. The former is composed of coarse-grained limestone with abundant fossils, and the latter is a fossiliferous cherty limestone. These reach a thickness of over 200 feet. Local structures are not significant, but regional fold and fault structures are present outside the area.

Exploration drilling consisted of 31 drill holes ranging from 10 to 80 feet in depth. Soil depths from 0 to 10 feet, residuum from 4 to 20 feet and the top of the bedrock from 10 to 25 feet from the surface were recorded.

Soils were collected and later geochemically analyzed for copper, lead, zinc and barium content by: (1) atomic absorption spectrophotometric method for Cu, Pb, and Zn, and by (2) x-ray fluorescence for the Ba content. Copper, lead and zinc anomalies do not entirely coincide in space but show a marked preference for the southern part. Two barium anomalies occur in the central and south-central parts.

Barite occurs as: (1) residual deposits, (2) bedded replacement, and (3) open-space filling. Residual barite comprises the largest group. Bedded replacement barite occurs in Burlington-Keokuk limestone.

Barite, galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, limonite, calcite, and chert are the minerals. The paragenetic sequence indicate galena deposited first, followed by pyrite and/or chalcopyrite, and later barite. Sphalerite was not observed. Limonite is an oxidation product"--Abstract, pages ii-iii.

Advisor(s)

Proctor, Paul Dean, 1918-1999

Committee Member(s)

Hagni, Richard D.
Clifford, Roger

Department(s)

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering

Degree Name

M.S. in Geology

Comments

Plate 1, folded in a back pocket of the manuscript, is included here in the pdf and as a supplementary file for greater detail.

Publisher

University of Missouri--Rolla

Publication Date

1977

Pagination

ix, 81 pages

Note about bibliography

Includes bibliographical references (pages 65-69).

Rights

© 1977 German Francisco, All rights reserved.

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

File Type

text

Language

English

Thesis Number

T 4369

Print OCLC #

6003496

Electronic OCLC #

1051042731

Recommended Citation

Francisco, German, "Geology and the barite potential of the Raymond Widel Area, Cooper County, Missouri" (1977). Masters Theses. 3290.
https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/masters_theses/3290