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Name: “Amr Mohamed Hasanin Mohamed Al Attar”

Subject/ "Steel Making"

Report about / "IRON ORE"

Prof.Dr: “Hafez Ahmed Abd Alazeem”

Dr: "Lamiaa Zaky”
"Iron ores"
are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted.
The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in colour from dark grey, bright yellow,
or deep purple to rusty red. The iron itself is usually found in the form
of magnetite (Fe3O4, 72.4% Fe), hematite (Fe2O3, 69.9% Fe), goethite (FeO(OH),
62.9% Fe), limonite (FeO(OH)·n(H2O), 55% Fe) or siderite (FeCO3, 48.2% Fe).
Ores containing very high quantities of hematite or magnetite (greater than about 60%
iron) are known as "natural ore" or "direct shipping ore", meaning they can be fed
directly into iron-making blast furnaces. Iron ore is the raw material used to make pig
iron, which is one of the main raw materials to make steel—98% of the mined iron ore is
used to make steel. Indeed, it has been argued that iron ore is "more integral to the
global economy than any other commodity, except perhaps oil"

In the present study, integrated remote sensing, geological and geochemical analyses
provided three iron ore localities promising for iron mineralization namely; Kom-Ombo
(area 1) Aswan (area 2) and Lake Naser (area 3). They are found in variable altitudes at
different topographies in the post Nubia sandstones (Timsah formation) at Wadi El
Kharit, Wadi El Aweirsha, Wadi Beida and Umm Huqban. Three types of iron-ore have
been distinguished in the provided areas; (1) Ferruginous sandstone iron-ore,
(2) Oolitic iron-ore and (3) Ferruginous concretion iron-ore. Fe2O3 content in the
Ferruginous sandstones reaches up to 70.46%. In the Oolitic iron-ore the Fe2O3 content
attains 54.24%. The Ferruginous concretions displayed an Fe2O3 content up to 63.2%.
The iron concentration grade (density color degree) revealed by Landsat 8 agrees with
the results of geochemical analyses.

“Iron ore concentration in Egypt”

 EGYPTIAN IRON ORE DEPOSITS

In Egypt, economic iron ore deposits occur in two natures (or forms):

i) Iron ore deposit of sedimentary nature (Ironstone)

(Sedimentary iron ore deposit is a very limited occurrence, being found only in the 2
localities in the Western Desert and one locality in Sinai):-

• Sinai: Gabal Halal iron ore deposit

• Western Desert:
• Aswan iron Ore Deposits

• Bahariya iron Ore Depositsand

ii) The Banded Iron ore deposits (BIFs) (BIFs have being found only in the 13
localities in the central Eastern Desert).

I) Iron ore deposit of sedimentary nature:

Gabal Halal iron ore deposit

• It is located ~4 km NW Sir Hadhira, Sinai (El-Far, 1965).

• This area contain oolitic iron ores of lower Cretaceous age that extending ~8 km.
• The iron ore were found in two beds separated by 14 m sandstones:
• The lower bed (~2.65 m in thickness) is a yellowish-brown and compact bed
mainly oolitic.
• The upper bed (~5 m in thickness) is a typical oolitic iron ore. Main ore minerals:
goethite and hematite. Gangue minerals: clay minerals, quartz, calcite-dolomite,
and sulphate minerals.Iron ore deposit in Western DesertEconomic iron ore
deposit of sedimentary nature, being found in the 2 localities in the Western
Desert.
Sedimentary iron ore types only occur in

• Upper Cretaceous (Senonian) sediments.

• East of Aswan.
• Middle Eocene sediments
• north of the Bahariya oases.

Note:

• Senonian The final Cretaceous epoch which is dated at 88.5–65 Ma ( Harland et

al., 1989) and comprises the Coniacian, Santonian, Campanian, and
Maastrichtian Ages.

• Some authors do not include the Maastrichtian Age within the Senonian.

“Western Desert”
i) Aswan iron Ore Deposits:

• Economic iron has been produced from East Aswan regions since Pharaonic
times (1580 to 1380 B.C.) until 1973.
• In recent years it was the main supply of iron ores for the Egyptian iron and steel
industry till 1973 when it was replaced by Bahariya iron ore. The main
occurrence located East of Aswan(Kom-Ombo, Lake Naser), while small
deposits are also encountered in the variegated shales along the Nile Valley to
the south at Kalabsha, Garf Hussein, Kurusko, and Abu Simbil.
Compare between Aswan and Bahariya Iron Ore Deposits
 Types of iron-ore
The ore is a bedded oolitic type of Senonian age in the form of three bands

interbedded with Ferruginous sandstone and clay/Ferruginous concretion

capping Precambrian rocks.

• Three ypes of iron-ore have been distinguished in the provided areas

(Salem and El Gammal, 2015) :

(1) Ferruginous sandstone iron-ore (up to 70.46% Fe2O3content),

(2) Oolitic iron-ore (attains 54.24% Fe2O3content); and

(3) Ferruginous concretion iron-ore(up to 63.2% Fe2O3 content).

The Oolitic iron-ore shows P2O5and S contents exist in relatively higher proportions
than in the ferruginous sandstone and ferruginous concretions. This is due to the
particular bioactivity in the marine environment of formation of the Oolitic ore.

Its low manganese content may be attributed to the low pH exhibited by theleaching
solutions, which dissolved the slightly basic iron with small amounts ofstrongly acidic
manganese.

In spite of the less contents of Fe2O3 = 54.24 and Fe = 37.94 in the Ooloitic iron ore
relative to the other ore types, it is considered as an important type due to its
dominance and distribution in the east of Aswan district, as well as the deficiency in
silica and MnO add a promise potential to the Ooloitic iron ore.
Iron ore prospection East Aswan,

1) Ferruginous sandstone

occurred andwas distributed in the lower parts of Timsah Fm which was composed of
fluviatile near-shore marine and locally eolian fine-tomedium-grained sandstone with
interbedded channel and soil deposits.

Iron ore was found as inliers and caps andin the paleosole surfaces of the Nubian
sandstone beds, forming hematite andgoethite strata having thickness varying from 50
cm to 4 m occurring at Gabal Timsah, Wadi Timsah and Wadi Anid.

The iron ore is syn-genetic bedded of Senomanian age, formed under lacustrine

environment. The gangue minerals associated with the iron ore deposits include quartz,
gypsum, glauconitic, and clay minerals. The hand specimens exhibit fine beddingand
plugs in red and brown to black colors including limonite patches in yellow color.
2) Oolitic iron-ore is the more dominant,

Most important and valuable iron ore type in the study district in spite of its low content
of theFe2O3 relative to the other types.

It is found as compact beds vary in thicknesses from 1–3 m. distributed and alternated
through the upper parts of the Temsah Fm in Gabal Abu Hashim, Gabal Nugur and
Gabal Naag areas of dark-red, Oolitic hematite.The oolites are cemented by pure
amorphous hematitic material and ferruginous silica; therefore the iron-content of the
matrix is less than that of oolites. In the hand specimens, the Oolitic hematitic grains are
easily seen by the naked eye varying in sizes in different specimens and even in the
same specimen.

3) Ferruginous concretion iron-ore

The Ferruginous concretion iron-ore form hard compact masses of concretion beds and
substratum rich in iron-ore, found as ferric-duricrust surfaces between isolated Nubia
sandstone hills and mountains through Wadis Timsah, Quffa, Anid, Umm Udi and Abu
Aggag.

The ferric-duricrust beds formed from fragments accumulation of ferruginous sandstone,

Oolitic iron-ore and ferruginous concretions which was already formed due to the action
of surface water on the valleys floor (in wadi fill). The thicknesses of the glauconitic
coarse grains hs. Hematitic rich Oolites hs. ferric-duricrust beds vary from 10 to 60 cm,
showing fantastic outlines formed by precipitations from aqueous solution in porous
sedimentary rocks. Due to the denudation of the sandstone containing hematite
concretions and owing to their resistance to weathering, they were often seen
accumulating in great quantities in places on the ground surface giving it black and red
colors. In the hand specimens, the concretions show hematite-goethite rich grain
aggregations cemented in coarse grained matrix of black and brown colors.

II) Western Desert:Bahariya iron Ore Deposits

• The Bahariya oasis is located in central plateau of Western Desert between 27° 48/28°
30/ N and 28° 55/- 29° 10/ E.

• Its northern edge is located along the contact between the stable and unstable
shelves.

• The iron ore of El Harra belongs to El Harra member of El Haffuf Formation;

whereas El Gedida iron ore belongs to Naqb Formation.
• The area is covered by Bahariya Formation (unfossiliferous varicolored
sandstone of Cenomanian age) followed by El Heiz Formation (brownish
limestone and sandy clay beds), and El Haffuf Formation of sandstone, sandy
clay, and ferruginous beds, which are partly taken by the iron ore deposit,
Khuman Formation (chalky limestone), and Naqb Formation of thick limestone
 beds with few marl and clay associations.The iron content in the ironstone
deposits ranges from 30% to 58% Fe,and the manganese content ranges from
0.7% to 7.66% Mn .
• The stratigraphic position of Naqb Formation is partly taken by iron ore deposits
at El Gedida, El Harra, and Ghorabi; where El Gedida iron ore member belongs
to iron deposits of Lower Middle Eocene (Naqb Formation) and the upper
Eocene (Abu Maharik Formation. The ore is localized in the crest of anticline.

“Iron ore - Statistics & Facts”

Iron is the most commonly used metal worldwide. It is primarily used by theconstruction,
engineering, automotive, and machinery industry, often as the main ingredient in steel.
Thus, the supply of iron ore is an important factor for the global economy. Based on
the production of usable iron ore, Australia and Brazil are some of the largest producers
in the world. In 2017, Australia produced an estimated 880 million metric tons of iron
ore, while Brazil's production came to an estimated 440 million metric tons.