Mineralogy of oil shale in the upper part of the Parachute Creek member of the Green River formation in the eastern Uinta Basin, Utah. [X-ray diffraction studies]

Technical Report · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1976

OSTI ID:7143937

Desborough, G A

The relative abundance and distribution of major and minor minerals were determined by x-ray diffraction for samples of Green River Formation oil shale in three drill cores from the eastern part of the Uinta Basin, Utah. The samples in each core are from the same rock stratigraphic interval between the Curly bed and Wavy bed tuffs. This interval includes the Mahogany zone, which is the thickest and richest oil-shale unit with the greatest economic potential for extraction of oil. One core is from Naval Oil Shale Reserve No. 2, another is from Federal Prototype Oil Shale Lease Tract Ua, and the third is from an area nominated for a possible federal oil-shale in-situ tract. Dolomite and quartz are generally the most abundant minerals; calcite, albite, and K-feldspar are less abundant. Minor minerals in varied amounts include illite, analcime, aragonite, and smectite. Smectite is abundant in one core and has not previously been recognized in the Mahogany zone. The presence of this mineral is important, inasmuch as it will increase retorting energy requirements. Saline minerals were not detected. (auth)

• Research Organization: Geological Survey, Reston, Va. (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7143937
• Report Number(s): USGS-OFR-76-381
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040201* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Site Geology-- (-1989)
040500 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Properties & Composition
ABUNDANCE
ALBITE
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ALUMINIUM SILICATES
ANALCIME
ARAGONITE
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CALCITE
CALCIUM CARBONATES
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CARBONATE ROCKS
CARBONATES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CLAYS
COHERENT SCATTERING
COLORADO
DIAGRAMS
DIFFRACTION
DISTRIBUTION
DOLOMITE
DRILL CORES
ENERGY SOURCES
FELDSPARS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GREEN RIVER FORMATION
ILLITE
INORGANIC ION EXCHANGERS
ION EXCHANGE MATERIALS
LEVELS
MAGNESIUM CARBONATES
MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS
MAHOGANY ZONE
MINERALOGY
MINERALS
NORTH AMERICA
OIL SHALE DEPOSITS
OIL SHALES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
QUARTZ
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESOURCES
ROCKS
ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION
SCATTERING
SILICATES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON OXIDES
SMECTITE
UINTA BASIN
USA
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
ZEOLITES