Improving the reliability of the forecast of the quality of carbonate raw materials

Background. Selective mining of non-metallic raw materials provides the possibility of shortening the chain of processing and beneficiation operations, while reducing mining waste. Geological and technological mapping facilitates implementation of this approach for many types of raw materials. Implementation of selective mining of carbonate rock deposits requires preliminary forecasting of karst formations in the strata of primary rocks.

Aim. Development of a methodology for geological and technological mapping and to carry out its implementation in the carbonate rock deposits of the Donbass junction zone with the Priazovsky block of the Ukrainian shield.

Materials and methods. The research materials involved the data obtained during geological exploration works on a scale of 1:200,000, documentation of the core of exploration wells, chemical analyses of core and technological samples during the exploitation of carbonate rock deposits.

Results. The location of carbonate rock deposits at the junction of two tectonic structures, i.e., Donbass and the Priazovsky block of the Ukrainian shield, which had different signs of the vertical component of tectonic movements during the geological history of the region, led to the block structure of the carbonate strata. The depth of the crystalline basement and the thickness of the carbonate strata installed in the blocks make it possible to determine the spatial position of the blocks with a complete geological section. The large depth of the crystalline basement and the stable position of the block ensured a significant thickness of the carbonate column and the preservation of high-quality primary carbonate rocks. A regression equation between the depth of the crystalline basement and the thickness of the carbonate column is derived, which provides a preliminary forecast of the location of blocks of high-quality carbonate raw materials. This formed the basis for the development of a methodology for identification of blocks of homogeneous carbonate raw materials with subsequent breakdown by grades. The implementation of this methodology in the areas of the Novotroitsk field is described.

Conclusion. The block tectonic structure of the geological formation of the Donbass junction zone with the Priazovsky block of the Ukrainian shield is associated with the preservation of primary rocks and the quality of carbonate raw materials. Geological and technological mapping of carbonate raw materials should be carried out after a detailed analysis of the tectonic structure, which ensures the identification of zones of epigenetic transformations of primary carbonate rocks. It is rational to draw the boundaries of the varietal blocks of carbonate raw materials within the boundaries of individual blocks of the geological structure of the region, rather than within the boundaries of the deposit.

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