Barite

specimen number:
2062578

location:
Conquista Mine, Karnes Co., Texas, USA

description:
Unusual locality example for the species, a cluster of tabular colorless gemmy crystals of barite, the entire cluster 1.3 cm tall, coming off matrix. In good condition. A previous label from the collection of Ray DeMark accompanies the specimen.

The Conquista Project, operating as a joint venture surface mining and milling facility in Karnes County, Texas, opened in late 1973 to process uranium-bearing ore and wound down its active processing operations by the 1980s before moving into long-term decommissioning and reclamation. Geologically, the region is characterized by Tertiary coastal plain strata, where roll-front uranium deposits formed within permeable sandstone host rocks of formations such as the Whitsett and Catahoula as oxidizing groundwater mobilized elements from volcanic ash. Barite and related accessory minerals commonly occur as part of the local gangue and diagenetic mineral assemblages associated with these South Texas coastal plain redox zone deposits.

Questions about this specimen?
Send an email or call us: 314-341-1811.