An Improved Approach to Characterize Potash-Bearing Evaporite Deposits, Evidenced in North Yorkshire, United Kingdom

摘要

Traditionally, potash mineral deposits have been characterized using downhole geophysical logging in tandem with geochemical analysis of core samples to establish the critical potassium (% K2O) content. These techniques, have been employed in a recent exploration study of the Permian evaporite succession of North Yorkshire, United Kingdom, but the characterization of these complex deposits has been led by mineralogical analysis, using quantitative X-ray diffraction (QXRD). The novel QXRD approach provides data on K content with the level of confidence needed for reliable reporting of resources and also identifies and quantifies more precisely the nature of the K-bearing minerals. Errors have also been identified when employing traditional geochemical approaches for this deposit, which would have resulted in underestimated potash grades.