TITLE:
Petro-Mineralogical Analysis of Sedimentary Phosphate of Marine Origin, Case of the Locality of El Kouif (Algerian-Tunisian Confines)
AUTHORS:
Salim Boulemia, Messaoud Hamimed, Salah Bouhlel, Jaloul Bejaoui
KEYWORDS:
Sedimentary Phosphate, Paleo-Eocene, Tebessa, Apatite, Allochems
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Geology,
Vol.5 No.3,
March
25,
2015
ABSTRACT: The sedimentary phosphate
of marine origin mark the Paleo-Eocene period in the region of Tebessa, as
elsewhere in northern Africa. The study sector of El Kouif is considered as a
part of the eastern Saharan Atlas. The lithological description of the studied
Cups has allowed showing a bundle of phosphate take by carbonate formations
sprinkle of flint. The grain size analysis of sandyphosphoritesrevealed phospharenite deposits which
were generally heterometric and misclassified. Moreover, the mineralogical and
magnetic analysis of some samples of phosphatic sands showed a predominance of
light minerals. As well as the sorting and morphoscopic observation led the
isolation of coprolites, of fossil teeth of fish and lithoclasts but mainly
ovoid phosphatic pellets. The XRD analysis confirmed the presence of apatitic
minerals (Hydroxyapatite, Fluroapatite, francolite and Dahlias), of carbonates
(Calcite, Magnesium calcite,Ankerite,
dolomite), the quartz, opal-CT and even sulphides and gypsum. Thepetrographicanalysis of phosphate samples has
permit to surround primordially, a phosphatic pellets rich in organic matter,
devoid of nucleus and others nucleated. The phases of connections are clay,
carbonate or silica. The notable amounts of allochems have an impact on
textures of typewackstone, packstone, and sometimesgrainstonefor bio-pel-microspars.