| Basis for focus area |
Area of known barite production and potential barite reserves. |
| Identified resources |
Historical production of barite. |
| Production |
9 million tons total barite (1939-1983) from district, with 8 million tons coming from the Chamberlain Creek deposit, which was the leading United States barite producer from 1944 to 1966. |
| Status |
Past mining. |
| Estimated resources |
Reserves estimated to be in the millions of tons (Mike Howard, Arkansas Geological Survey website nonmetallic mineral resources). |
| Geologic maps |
Haley and others (2009), scale 1:100,000; Haley and Stone (2006), scale 1:125,000. |
| Geophysical data |
Inadequate aeromagnetic and aeroradiometric coverage. |
| Favorable rocks and structures |
Bedded deposits in lower Stanley Shale (Mississippian), on flanks or in synclines and in stacked thrust sheets. Growth faults provide conduits for hydrothermal fluids. |
| Deposits |
Hatfield district; Chamberlain Creek (at Magnet Cove), Fancy Hill (MRDS dep_id: 10211276). |
| Evidence from mineral occurrences |
MRDS. |
| Geochemical evidence |
About 100 springs were sampled as a general geochemical survey in the barite mineralized area of the Ouachita Mountains. Approximately 83% of the sites within 1.7 km of known barite mineralization in were characterized by anomalous barium concentration, and 67% within 3.4 km (Steele and Wagner, 1984). |
| Geophysical evidence |
None. |
| Evidence from other sources |
None. |
| Comments |
Fancy Hill (1970-1979) was prospected by Milchem but never mined afterwards. The Arkansas Geological Survey was given all of the drill core, mine maps, geologic maps, and technical drawings of the Fancy Hill Barite deposit by Milchem. This includes drilling logs, core analysis, and calculated ore grades. Drill hole logs and profiles are available as a download from Arkansas Geological Survey website. |
| Cover thickness and description |
Exposed at the surface (open-pit mines); other mined to depth of 500 feet. |
| Authors |
Angela Chandler. |
| New data needs |
None requested at this time. |
| Geologic mapping and modeling needs |
Last mapped for COGEO. |
| Geophysical survey and modeling needs |
Currently scheduled for Earth MRI. |
| Digital elevation data needs |
Lidar adequate. |
