Where is barite mined in Kazakhstan?
Barite is a mineral, natural barium sulfate with the chemical formula BaSO4. Contains impurities of Sr and Ca, sometimes there are varieties with high contents of Pb and Ra (so-called radiobarite). The name of the mineral comes from the Greek. barus – “heavy”. In ancient times, due to its high specific gravity, miners called it “heavy spar” and treated it as a type of gypsum. In 1797 in France, Delamethrie described this mineral as an independent mineral species, calling it “stonesbarytiquespure” In 1808, a new chemical element was isolated from barite, which was called “barium”. Initially, according to the classification of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA), the name of this mineral was regarded as “barytite”, and only in 1971 the name “baryte” was officially approved. Synonym: heavy spar. The colors of barite are very diverse. In its pure form, without impurities, this mineral is colorless; microscopic gas-liquid inclusions give it a milky white or gray color. Depending on the impurities, barites can be red, yellow, brown, bluish, greenish, as well as dark gray and even black. There are zonally colored varieties. In nature, barite forms beautiful well-formed individual crystals, spectacular intergrowths, druses, parallel intergrowths and various aggregates. Crystals, as a rule, have a tabular and lamellar appearance. Prismatic, needle-shaped and columnar forms are less common. One of the most beautiful aggregates of lamellar barite crystals, shaped like a flower, is called “barite rose”. Doubles are rare. Hatching is often observed on the crystal faces. Barite aggregates are granular, fine-fiber, radial-radiate, kidney-shaped-spherulite, platy, cryptocrystalline. It is also found in the form of dense, continuous, earthy masses. Barite is also known in the form of stalactites and other sinter forms, spherical and ellipsoidal nodules in sedimentary rocks.
Hardness 3 – 3,5.
The luster is glassy, pearlescent on the cleavage planes.
Cleavage in three directions (perfect, average and imperfect). The fracture is uneven. Barite is insoluble in hydrochloric acid even when heated. In powder form, this mineral slowly dissolves in concentrated sulfuric acid; when water is added, barium sulfate precipitates and the solution becomes cloudy. Satellite minerals: galena, quartz, calcite, stibnite, hematite, marcasite, siderite, pyrite, fluorite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, etc. The origin of barite is predominantly hydrothermal. It accompanies ore veins or sometimes forms quite thick independent deposits. Barite is also found in sedimentary rocks, in which it usually forms concretions of a radial structure and geodes. Occasionally, barite forms large sheet-like deposits in siliceous strata. Barite often occurs in almond-shaped voids in a number of mafic volcanics. The resistance of this mineral to erosion allows it to be found in placers, as well as in weathering zones in areas with a dry climate, often in association with gypsum. Deposits of barite are numerous and known throughout the world. Some of the largest and most significant deposits of this mineral are located in the USA, China, India, and Kazakhstan. Barite is mined in Mexico, Canada, Italy, Germany, Great Britain, Austria, Spain, Greece, Morocco, Algeria, etc. In Russia, deposits are industrially developed in the Kemerovo region (Quartzitovaya Sopka), Chelyabinsk region (Molodezhnoe) and Khakassia (Tolcheinskoye), as well Large deposits of barite have been explored in the Polar Urals. The best Russian collection samples of barite come from the deposits of the North Caucasus. This is, first of all, the famous Elbrus mine in Karachay-Cherkessia with its honey and smoky transparent barite crystals, often growing on red-orange orpiment. Also very popular among collectors are druses of split barite crystals from the Belorechensky deposit in the Republic of Adygea. Currently, commercial development is not carried out at any of these fields. Baryte contains about 65% barium oxide (BaO) and is the main source of this metal. Barite is widely used in many industries: cement (production of weighted and heat-resistant cements), oil and gas production and geological exploration (weighting agent for drilling fluids during deep drilling), glass (production of special especially strong and transparent barite glasses with good optical properties), chemical (production of barium salts, barium preparations, hydrogen peroxide), paint and varnish (production of barium white, enamel, glaze), industrial rubber and paper (filler in the production of linoleum, oilcloth, rubber, etc.), in metallurgy, road construction, nuclear industry (protection from X-ray radiation) and medicine (a diagnostic tool for radiography of the gastrointestinal tract). In the Middle Ages, ground barite was often mixed into flour due to its high density. The falsification became so widespread that a ban on barite mining was even introduced in Germany. Transparent barite crystals are used in optical instruments, as well as as a collection, ornamental and jewelry material. Crystals of good quality and rich color are cut into step-cuts or made into cabochons. Since ancient times, barite has been highly valued among the Indian tribes of North America and was used in religious rites. There was a belief that this stone, especially in yellowish-golden shades, helped to establish contact with the souls of ancestors. Today, barite is considered a stone of intuition and the “personal psychologist” of its owner. It has a beneficial effect on a person’s inner world, helps to make wise and informed decisions, reveals creative potential, strengthens relationships and attracts good luck. As a talisman, this mineral is recommended for bankers, financiers, and scientists. According to lithotherapists, barite helps to cope with stressful conditions and mental trauma, having a calming effect on the human nervous system, giving hope even in the most hopeless situations. This stone is able to generally protect the body from negative external influences. From the point of view of astrologers, barite is best suited for people born under the signs of Aries, Leo, Sagittarius and Capricorn. The company “Global Chemicals Industries”, founded in 2011, is a young, dynamically developing company in the field of barite production. The main consumers of Global Chemicals Industries are oil and gas companies. Treated barite is used when drilling oil and gas wells as a weighting agent to control hydrostatic pressure. The barite processing plant is the largest and most high-tech facility in the CIS for the production of drill grade barite. The product meets global standards such as API barite processing, ISO 9000 series, ISO 14000 series environmental standard and OHSAS 18000 occupational safety standard. The “production complex for processing barite ores” in Karazhal with a capacity of 200 tons per year is fully automated. Mouat specialists in the USA have developed a technology for the production of products, as well as metal alloys, specifically for the ores of the Bestobe deposit, taking into account the climatic and geological conditions of the region. Barite is mined near the plant at the Bestobe deposit in the Karaganda region of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The quarry parameters are 000 meters long and 436 meters wide. The plant’s ore reserves are approximately 364 tons, which can provide approximately 2 million tons of finished barite. Finished products are dispatched from a railway siding owned by Global Chemicals Industries.
Strategy
The strategy of Global Chemicals Industries is to become a leading manufacturer and supplier of barite in the markets of Kazakhstan, the CIS and Europe through high-tech equipment and high productivity. When reaching the design capacity of 200 thousand tons in 2016, up to 70% of products will be exported to foreign markets: Russia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and oil-producing countries of Northern Europe (Norway, Denmark, Scotland). The company has acquired the best production equipment (Mouat, Williams) and automation systems (Siemens) in the industry. In Kazakhstan, Global Chemicals Industries will successfully cooperate with the largest oil producing operators such as TCO (Tengiz), NCOC (Kashagan), KPO (Karachaganak) and others. The company’s clients include global oilfield service giants such as Schlumberger and Halliburton.
Mission and values
- Professionalism – we are leaders thanks to our high professionalism, we are open to everything new and are constantly developing, attracting the best professionals in our field.
- Innovativeness – we use the best industry technologies in the world and provide high performance.
- Customer focus and flexibility – we create the best conditions for cooperation and supply of our products to our customers
- Ethical – we comply with high ethical standards in business relations, respect the culture and values of the society in which we do business, we value our reputation.
About the plant “Karazhal Operating”
Company LLP “KARAZHAL OPERATING” was created in January 2015. And is an affiliated company of LLP GLOBAL CHEMICALS INDUSTRIES.
The purpose of creating a LLP “KARAZHAL OPERATING” is the implementation of a project for the production and sale of barite weighting material BASO4. For this purpose the Company LLP “KARAZHAL OPERATING” A fully automated plant was built for processing, grinding and purifying barite ore with a capacity of 200 tons/year. The designer and manufacturer of the plant and production line equipment is the company “MOUAT”(USA), which has extensive experience (more than 40 years) and its own developments in the design and production of processing equipment.
Class B barite weighting material, grade KB-3 according to GOST 4682-84 and 13 A API with a high density of more than 4.2 g/cm3, is an important raw material for the manufacture of drilling fluids to ensure continuous work in deep wells in oil and gas regions.
Advantage of LLP “KARAZHAL OPERATING” is that the barite weighting material complies with international API and EPA standards.
Certificates:
- Certificate of conformity of finished products – Certification is a procedure whose purpose is to confirm the safety of products. Products can be considered safe if they meet the requirements set for them in regulatory and technical documentation regarding safety. Such documents are technical regulations, standards, technical conditions, codes of practice, etc. A document officially confirming product compliance with established requirements is a certificate of conformity.
- STKZ Certificate – Issued to goods that were produced in the Republic of Kazakhstan for the possibility of further sale.
