Barite

Barite (spelled also baryte) is a barium-bearing mineral (BaSO4). It is mined both as an industrial mineral and as an ore of barium. This is somewhat unusual situation. Another
mineral mined as an ore and industrial mineral is zircon. Barite as the main barium-bearing phase in the crust is not uncommon mineral.

Intergrown tabular crystals (rosette) from Morocco. Width of sample 10 cm.

Baryte is usually quite close to ideal composition although solid solution to celestine (SrSO4) is possible. Pure mineral is colorless, white or gray, but impurities (mainly iron compoun
sulfides and organic matter) often give it slight yellowish or reddish hue. Blue coloration is usually due to radiation by radium atoms (Ra may replace Ba in the crystal structure be
are similar in size).

Barite may occur in well-formed crystals grown in hydrothermal veins. In these veins it is often accompanied by galena and sphalerite — lead and zinc ores, respectively. Other m
commonly occur with baryte are pyrite, quartz, fluorite, carbonates and other sulfidic ore minerals.

In the majority of cases it is found in various mineral aggregates. The most notable ones are platy and intergrown rosettes which are called desert roses or barite roses (gypsum
similar rosettes). Barite from sedimentary rocks may resemble marble – light-colored, massive and crystalline, but it is easily recognizable by its weight. It is strikingly heavy (spe
about 4.5) for a mineral without metallic appearance (even the name baryte itself comes from Greek barys which means heavy). Crystals may be mistaken for feldspar, but again we
away and it is also significantly softer mineral (hardness about 3 on Mohs scale). Calcite and barite crystals may look alike, but calcite reacts vigorously with dilute HCl while bari
react. It also occurs in various sedimentary rocks as cavity-filling concretions. It may be a residual mineral in clayey sediments in weathered limestones (limestone dissolved and ca
insoluble barite and clay left behind). Barite may be a cementing mineral in sandstones.
Crystals may be mistaken for other more common minerals like feldspar or calcite, but barite is much heavier. Width of sample 8 cm.

Barite is the principal ore of barium. Barium has very high number of applications. It is known to have more than 2000 industrial uses. However, the majority of barite mined is
extract barium. It is valuable in its native form because of high density. It is mostly used by oil & gas industry as an ingredient of drilling mud. This slurry is pumped into the drill stem
gas and other fluids from entering the wellbore during drilling operations. The drilling mud also lubricates and cools the drilling bit and carries rock cuttings back to the surface, but th
accomplished by any drilling fluid. It is added to the mud only to increase its density.

Barite may sometimes resemble marble. Width of the sample from Kazakhstan 14 cm.

One peculiar use is swallowing it in chemically purified form (blanc fixe) in substantial quantities to make the gastrointestinal tract (or throat) more visible in X-ray images. It is some
think about that because barium compounds are usually very toxic. This practice is considered to be of low risk because barite is very insoluble and chemically inert mineral. Blanc
used as a filler in paper and cosmetics and as a pigment. Playing cards, for example, are filled with barite to make them heavier.
Barite concretions from the Cretaceous marine shale (Bearpaw Formation, Saskatchewan, Canada). Largest concretion is slightly over 4 cm in diameter. Photo taken by Howard All
comments).

2 comments to Barite

Howard Allen
September 4, 2015 at 22:45

I’m glad to see you back to blog posting–great stuff, as usual!

I’ve found spherical barite concretions (radial acicular crystals), from about 1 cm to 5 cm in diameter in Cretaceous marine shale (Bearpaw Formation, Saskatchewan, Canada). It
surprising how heavy these things feel when you pick them up!

If I may, I should help to clarify your description of the use of barite in oil and gas drilling. (I worked as a geologist in the drilling industry for over 30 years). Barite is added to drilling
the sole purpose of increasing the mud density and hence the hydrostatic pressure of the mud column, to counter-balance downhole formation pressures. As you indicated, this pr
gas–and other fluids: water, oil–from entering the wellbore during drilling operations; in some circumstances it can also help to prevent shale and other incompetent rocks (like coa
sloughing into the hole. Barite’s role in carrying rock cuttings to the surface is negligible, as this should be accomplished by any drilling fluid (viscosity and “gel strength” are the imp
properties for this), whether barite is included or not.

(BTW, there’s a minor typo in your second paragraph: celestine should be SrSO4.)

Cheers!

Siim
September 5, 2015 at 16:15

Glad to see you back here too and thanks for clarifying this issue for me. BTW, I barely noticed your comment. Spam robots unfortunately love my blog and write awful number of c
every day. This is why I can no longer allow the comments to be published instantly. Do you have a photo of the barite concretions? I’d be glad to use it if you like the idea.

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