ORE CAPACITY OF THE EMYLIVSKA SECTION OF THE MEZHYRICHNY TITANIUM ORE DEPOSIT

Abstract

Information is provided on the geological structure of the Emylivska section of the Mezhyrichny titanium ore deposit, in the geological structure of which crystalline basement rocks, their weathering crust and continental and marine sediments of different ages of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic are involved: Lower Cretaceous continental (Irshanska formation), Upper Cretaceous coastal–marine (Moshno–Rudnyanska formation), Paleogene (marine and continental), Quaternary continental sediments. The mineral of the Emylivska section is ilmenite. The results of the study of the spatial distribution of the ilmenite content in different–aged and different–genetic formations of the Emylivska section (weathering crust, Irshanska, Moshno–Rudnyanska formations, overburden rocks) are presented. The direction and strength of correlations between various parameters (relief of the sole, relief of the roof, thickness, average ilmenite content) of ilmenite–bearing formations of different ages and different genetics were investigated. It was found that common to all ilmenite–bearing formations is a direct correlation of varying strength between the relief of the sole and relief of the roof and between the thickness of the sediments and the average ilmenite content in them; an inverse correlation of varying strength is present in all formations between the relief of the sole of the deposits and their thickness and between the relief of the sole of the deposits and the average ilmenite content. The most enriched in ilmenite are the weathering crust of crystalline basement rocks and continental sediments of the Irshanska suite (Aptian–Lower Albian). The weathering crust is exposed by wells to a depth of only 7 m. The Aptian–Lower Albian deposits are productive, which fill the ancient erosion–tectonic paleovalley and were formed due to erosion and redeposition of eluvium. The productive deposits are represented by heterogeneous kaolinite sands, the ilmenite content of which reaches 666.66 kg/m3. The rocks of the Moshno–Rudnyanska suite of the Turonian have a fragmentary distribution and contain ilmenite in insignificant quantities. The ilmenite content in the overburden rocks is insignificant. Attention is focused on the need for a detailed study of the ore– bearing nature of the weathering crust within the Emylivska section.