Black shales – an unconventional source of noble metals and rhenium

Abstract

The content of noble metals and rhenium in the Lower Paleozoic black shales of the eastern Baltic paleobasin in Russia was estimated. Shales are enriched in platinoids (PGM to 0.12 g/t) and rhenium (to 1.54 g/t). The main accessory elements of noble metals and Re are U, V, Mo, Cu, and Ni. Black shales consist of organic (9-26 rel.%), clay (40-60 rel.%), and silt-sandy (25-50 rel.%) components and a nodule complex (2-5 rel.%) (carbonate, sulfide, phosphate and silicate nodules). Noble metals occur sporadically in the silt-sandy admixture as native forms and intermetallics: Aunat, Au-Ag, Au-Cu, Au-(Cu)-Hg, Au-Hg, Ag-Cu, Pt-Fe. Micromineral phases of noble metals were found in diagenetic sulfides: Aunat, chalcopyrite with Au admixture, pyrite with platinoid admixture. Clay fraction is 10-fold enriched in noble metals as compared to shale – to 0.28 g/t Au, 0.55 g/t Pt, 1.05 g/t Pd, and 1.56 g/t Re. Organic matter sorbs noble metals to a limited extent but accumulates rhenium. Pore space of black shales contains a colloidal salt component (submicron fraction) which is represented by particles smaller than 1,000 nm. The share of submicron fraction in black shales is 0.1-6 wt.%. The submicron fraction contains on average: PGM – 14 g/t, Au – 0.85 g/t, and Re – 4.62 g/t. The geochemical resource of noble metals (Au, Pt, Pd), Re and the accessory elements (U, V, Mo, Cu, and Ni) for black shales as a whole and their submicron fraction was estimated. Black shales are recommended as an integrated source of raw materials.

Keywords

• ordovician black shales
• baltic paleobasin
• noble metals
• rhenium
• accessory elements
• submicron fraction
• geochemical resource