Mineralogy of Antrim Shale, Michigan

Technical Report · Thu Jul 31 04:00:00 EDT 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5201912· OSTI ID:5201912

Ruotsala, A. P.

Semi-quantitative x-ray mineralogical determinations were made for 12 surface, 104 core, and 707 samples from oil well cuttings distributed throughout the Michigan Basin. In addition, 15 samples that had undergone retorting were checked for mineralogical changes. Gold, uranium, thorium, and rare-earth abundances were obtained for 22 samples from drill core at the Dow Chemical Company drill site in Sanilac County, Michigan. Typical Antrim Shale is composed of 50 to 60% quartz, 20 to 35% illite, 5 to 10% kaolinite, 0 to 5% chlorite, and 0 to 5% pyrite. Bedford Shale, which overlies the Antrim in eastern Michigan, has higher contents of total clays, illite, and kaolinite, and lower quartz contents. Ellsworth Shale, which grades laterally into Antrim in western Michigan, contains significant dolomite. Antrim Shale from the southern and eastern margins of the Michigan Basin contains as much as 15% kaolinite, while samples from the northern, central and western portions contain up to 5% chlorite. Illite and quartz contents tend to be highest in the deepest part of the basin, where the Antrim is thickest. Uranium content increases upward to about 40 ppM and is greatest within shales of the Antrim. Limestone interbeds contain up to about 9 ppM uranium. Highest uranium contents are found just beneath the limestone interbeds and just beneath Bedford Shale. Thorium contents, on the other hand, tend to be uniformly 10 to 12 ppM in Antrim Shale and up to 4 ppM in limestone interbeds. Gold contents range up to about 0.05 ppM in Antrim Shale and 0.01 to 0.02 ppM in limestone interbeds. Rare-earth abundances in Antrim Shale are lower than average North American shales. In the case of most rare earth elements, the overlying Bedford Shale has higher contents of most rare-earth elements.

• Research Organization: Dow Chemical Co., Midland, MI (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC01-76ET12153
• OSTI ID: 5201912
• Report Number(s): FE-2346-79
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040201* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Site Geology-- (-1989)
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ACTIVATION ANALYSIS
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ALUMINIUM SILICATES
BARYON REACTIONS
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
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COHERENT SCATTERING
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DOLOMITE
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ELEMENTS
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FOSSIL FUELS
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GREAT LAKES REGION
HADRON REACTIONS
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IRON COMPOUNDS
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MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS
METALS
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OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PYRITE
PYRITES
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RARE EARTHS
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SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SILICATES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON OXIDES
SPECTROSCOPY
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR ORES
THORIUM
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
URANIUM
USA
X-RAY DIFFRACTION