Characterization of Quality of Raw Material for the Production of Cement from the Folwark Deposit in the Opole Cretaceous Trough (Western Part of Upper Silesia. Poland)

Authors: K. Probierz, M. Łozińska, M. Kaliski

The quality of material used for cement production, which comes from a Cretaceous marl bed „Folwark” in the Opole Cretaceous basin in the west part of the Upper Silesia, Poland is discussed in the paper. Lateral variability of reservoir parameters within the lithostratigraphic series was analyzed with statistical and geostatic methods.

Various interpolation methods were used for mapping, and an optimum interpolation method was selected. Variability of qualitative parameters (% content of CaO, MgO, SiO2, Al2O3 and Fe2O3) and thickness of beds in the studied reservoir were analyzed. A chemical and mineral analysis of petrographic types of reservoir rocks was made. The CaO content, being the main parameter of technological evaluation of a mineral, varied from 21.10 to 52.02%, average 35.72%.

The results of analysis revealed that this parameter had the least variability. The top series 6 had the greatest variability (Tab. 1). It follows from the geostatistical methods that a non-random factor had an influence on the variability of parameters.

The Gaussian theoretical model turned out to best describe the empirical distributionof reservoir parameters variability. Directional semivariograms revealed anisotropy of deposit. The following petrographic variation were found in the deposit: marl limestones, marl limestones with increased CaO content, marls with increased SiO2 content, clayey marls, clayey marls with increased SIO2 content and marl clays.

Formation of these variations in the deposit “Folwark” depended on the share of silica components of orogenic and allogenic origin during sedimentation processes. Therefore, petrographic types of reservoir rocks differ mainly in depth and temperature in the sedimentation basin.

The quality of the exploited parts of deposit depends on the share of specific lithostratigraphic series in the exploited level.