The Minerals That Make Up the Eastern Part of the Balkhab Copper Mine and Its Nearby Rocks

Abstract

Balkhab copper mine is located in the Balkhab district of Saripul province in the Mir Sayed Murad region at coordinates E 66°46’ and N 35°35’. It is approximately 150 kilometers away from the center of Saripul province and is one of the largest copper mines in the world. The studied area is depicted on the geological map of Balkhab, along with the locations of the collected samples. The purpose of this research is to determine the characteristics of the minerals comprising of the western part of the Balkhab copper mine and its neighboring stones. To write this article, In addition to field and laboratory analyses, a number of other resources mentioned in the references have been used to complete this article. The samples taken from the copper ores were subjected to mineralogical-petrographic and geochemical analysis. This research reveals that the fundamental minerals constituting the copper ore in this area include feldspar, quartz, copper, amphibole, plagioclase, pyroxene, and iron oxide. Additionally, trace amounts of other minerals, such as pyrite, biotite, and OPECs, are present. From the geochemical study, it is seen that in addition to copper, other elements such as Silicon (Si), Sulfur (S), Iron (Fe) and Aluminum (Al) are also included in the composition of copper ore, but their amounts vary. These minerals are predominantly associated with andesitic rocks, including rhyolite, basalt, and dickite. Furthermore, sedimentary rocks like sandstone, pyrite clay, and silicic clay also contain copper minerals. The results obtained from mineralogical-petrographic analysis consistently support the same findings across various studies.