WE MINE AND SALE LEAD ORE OF VARIOUS % COMPOSITION GLOBALLY,
For the benefit of those who need to know, an attempt would be made to define mineral and metal ore. Mineral is an inorganic substance found in nature with a characteristics chemical composition and in some cases, of definite crystal structure. The earth crust contains rocks of different composition with different physical properties. Some hard, some soft.
Rocks are the materials which the earths upper crusts are made of. Rocks are themselves composed of minerals. Minerals are naturally occurring elements like Gold, or a compound such as Iron Oxide. If a rock contains a mineral from which a metal can be extracted at a profit, it is call an Ore. For example, Lead Ore.
The occurrence and distribution of Lead ore in Nigeria mainly around the Beneu Trough. Economic Pb-Zn mineralization is restricted to the Southern parts of the Trough. Associated with the Pb-Zn ore are chalcopyrite, siderite, azurite, malachite and marcasite.
Upwards to the middle and upper regions of the trough are important deposits of salt, barite, Limestone, and fluorite as well as argentiferous galena and gypsum. All these deposits owe their genesis to aulacogen development which in turn is a tectonic feature.
All other forms of mineral deposits found in Nigeria are largely due to some form of secondary processes. The processes may be sedimentary or metamorphic. These include iron ore deposits, uranium, gold and many varieties of industrial minerals. A careful study of the genesis of each of these deposits will show that the ultimate source of the mineralizing ingredients (metal sulphur, oxygen etc) is from within the earths interior.
There, they are mobilized in the process of magmatism and ultimately exposed as part of primary igneous rocks, the parent of both metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. These, therefore, are remotely related to tectonism
It is estimated that Nigeria has over 10, 000, 000 tons of lead ore deposit and it is an important component in car battery production. The prospect of global economy is promising, so the automotive industry which is closely related to the lead market, is witnessing growth thereby creating more demands for the product.
