Geochemical Signature and Metalogeny of BIFs and Associated Iron Ore of Zatua Hills, Haut-Uele Province (DR Congo)

Zatua Hills are located in the northeastern part of the DR Congo in Haut Uélé Province, formerly known as Province Orientale. This part of DR Congo is identified by the high elevated zone, which has remained a witness to a stable zone not affected by the ancient erosion process. BIFs are most abundant and are dated to the Neoarchaean and Late Kibalian, hosted in the Upper Congo Granites Massifs of the DR. Congo. Zatua Hills consist of dolerite, phyllade, clay-rich sediment, poor itabirite, enriched BIFs, friable hematite, hard hematite, and mineralized and unmineralized breccias. Field study and geochemistry analysis by XRF, XRD, and ICP-MS are executed in order to know the geochemistry signature and paragenesis of Zatua Hills and the probably process could lead the BIFs to iron ore. The geochemistry analysis by XRF, XRD, and ICP-MS shows that Iron ore content has an iron rate between 57% and 69% with less deleterious elements such as Si, P, and Al. These deleterious elements are secondary and have silicium composition (probably quartz or chert, goethite, and Kaolinite), aluminum (probably gibbsite, variscite, cadwaladérite, goethite, and Kaolinite), phosphorous (probably variscite), and hydrated minerals, which are grown LOI in the samples. Hypogen and supergen processes are played in BIFs for iron ore conversion and, respectively, silica dissolution and leaching. Metamorphism was also impacted and marked by the Ti element (anatase) in samples, contributing to the crystallization of martite to hematite after magnetite oxidation.

Petrographic Characteristics and Metalogeny of Zatua Hills BIFs, Haut-Uele Province (DR Congo)

Zatua Hills are located at Haut Uélé Province of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), between northern Bafwasende and southern Paulis (Isiro) Squarred Degrees. Belonging to greenstone belt of Ngayu, that area is identified by the high elevated zone which is remained the witness of stable zone, not affected by the ancienst erosion process. Zatua Hills are in the superior Kibalian formation dated to Neoarchaen, hosted in Upper Congo Granites Massifs of DRC covering a large central zone of NE of DRC, and consisting to dolerite, phyllade, clay rich sediment, poor Banded Iron Formations (BIFs), enriched BIFs, friable hematite, hard hematite, mineralized and unmineralized brechias. Magnetite, martite and hematite are associated to some secondary minerals such as goethite, gibbsite, kaolinite, strengite, variscite and others clay minerals present in BIFs. Petrographic analysis made from the samples collected in situ showed, as well as BIFs and iron ore associated, that magnetite was much abundant oxide mineral which is oxided to martite before to stabilize to hematite during the deposition time. Having about hundred meters of thickness, the rich iron ore of this area content, in the majority less deleterious elements which, are harmful in metallurgic process of iron. These secondary minerals were precipitated at various degrees in the leached cavities of rocks between martite and hematite aggregates to botryoidal texture and, are rich to Al, and are mainly consisting to gibbsite and solid solution series of variscite-strengite (AlPO4·2H2O and FePO4·2H2O). Low degree of metamorphism played when magnetite was converted to martite, with the presence of variscite and anatase like witnesses of this event in which, martite was crystalized to hematite.

Sedimentological Study of Alluvial Deposits on the Congolese Coast: Highlighting the Erosive Character of the Holocene Wet Climatic Phases

A granulometric, mineralogical, morphoscopic and exoscopic study and Rock-Eval analysis carried out on samples taken in the Loango Bay and at Kivesso on the Congolese coast have made it possible to highlight the highly erosive character of the well-documented wet phases ca 9000 - 3000 years B.P. and ca 320 B.P. in the sub-region. Supported by carbon-14 dating, total organic carbon analyses highlight two major phases of peat deposit emplacement. The first, ca. 7000 years B.P., corresponds to the beginning of the deposition of the yellow formation in the entire Loango Bay;the second, ca. 320 years B.P., is contemporary with the deposition of peat in the Kivesso sector. The granulometric analysis of the sediments shows that they are essentially sandy-clay and very poor in silt, alternating with beds of silty clay sometimes rich in organic matter. These sands have a predominant mode of 0.200 mm and an average varying between 0.150 and 0.300 mm. They constitute the flood phase of the carrier current. They are associated with a population of mode 0.125 mm sometimes 0.050 mm with an average varying between 0.100 mm and 0.126 mm which corresponds to the settling phase. Morphoscopic examination showed several varieties of quartz that argue for a source of supply close to the depositional sites.

Characterization and Geotechnical Classification of Soils and Lateritic Gravelly Materials along the Songololo-Lufu Road Axis (Kongo Central Province, DR Congo)

This study aims to characterize from a geotechnical point of view, the soils as well as the lateritic gravels along the Songololo-Lufu road route in the Kongo Central Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Ten soil samples and eight lateritic gravel samples were analysed and tested in the laboratory. For each sample, identification parameters were determined such as particle size analysis, natural water content, Atterberg limits (plasticity index and consistency index), but also compaction and lift parameters such as optimal water content, maximum dry density and CBR lift index. All materials and soils have been classified according to the Congolese Road Standard (NRC) and according to the American HRB classification. The test results show us that clay soils almost always contain between 70% and 90% fine fraction;the grained fraction represents less than 30% in clay samples. For lateritic gravels soils, the percentage of fine elements varies between 35% and 15%;in sand around 20%;the gravelly fraction represents a little more than 50% of the soil. The majority of soil facies encountered define a plasticity index lower than 15. As for the consistency index, we obtained values greater than 1, both for clayey soils and for gravelly soils. The classification according to NRC defined for these soils the types Ae1 and Ae2 for the clayey facies and the types GL1 and GL2 for the gravelly soils, while that of the HRB identified the classes and subclasses A-6 and A-7-6 for clayey soils, and subclass A-2-6 for gravelly soils. The optimal water content values obtained range between 10.2% and 23.10%;the maximum dry densities are between 1.66 and 2.07 t/m3 and the CBR index is between 6 and 26. As for the lateritic gravels materials of the Songololo region, the percentage of fine elements generally remains between 12% and 31%;the plasticity index is between 8 and 18;the optimal dry density is around 2 t/m3;the optimal water content is between 9.8% and 14.5% and the CBR index is between 27 and 82. The Songololo-Lufu lateritic gravels are characteristic of laterites in the savannah region, with a high gravel fraction at the expense of the fine fraction, but low parameters such as the liquid limit and plasticity index.