TY - JOUR ID - TI - SWAB PHOSPHORITE DEPOSIT A GIANT DISCOVERY IN THE WESTERN DESERT, IRAQ AU - Khaldoun S. Al-Bassam PY - 2007 VL - 3 IS - 1 SP - 25 EP - 40 JO - Iraqi Bulletin of Geology and Mining مجلة الجيولوجيا والتعدين العراقية SN - 18114539 AB - Swab phosphorite deposit was discovered in 1986 in the Western Desert of Iraq. It is of Paleocene age and belongs to the Akashat Formation. The industrial phosphorite consists of (9  16) m thick bed of fine sand - size well sorted phosphate peloids and coated grains with calcite cement , occasionally rich in organic matter . The average P2O5 grade is about 22% and the average stripping ratio is about 3. The overburden consists of Paleocene and Eocene carbonate rocks. The strata are gently dipping towards north with little structural deformation. The new deposit, with its 3.5 billion tons of reserves, puts Iraq among the leading countries in proved phosphorite reserves.

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