Barite Mining

Intercontinental Mining is a Kazakhstan Barite Miner of High Grade/High Quality Barite for the Global Oil Services Industry & Oil Drillers in: Kazakhstan, Russia, China, India, Canada & The United States of America. Established in 1996, The Company Develops a Barite Deposit to Feed the Global Oil Demand.

The mining company, founded in 1996 provides superior customer service and tremendous value for the oil industry with high grade Specific gravity‎: ‎4.2–5 American Petroleum Institute specification API 13/ISO 13500. высокое качество, высокий класс барит для бурения нефтяных скважин компании.

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North Aurtas Barite Analysis

The field ore hardness ratio on the Protodyakonov’s scale is f=5-6, specific weight – up to 3,8 t/m3, degree of fragmentation from 1,07 to 1,48, moisture content from 0,8 to 0,04%. Ore hardness ratio is up to 1050-1200 kg/cm2. Silicon dioxide is almost absent. Radiation hygienic assessment of ore and needs in compliance with instructions on search for uranium. As per research of Aktobe Sanitary and Epidemiological Station and Almaty Republican SES of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Minutes # 106, dated June 16, 1995), as for radionuclide content, ores refer to the first class of radiological hazard and may be used in branches of construction, chemical, petroleum and other industries.

Physical and Chemical Properties Appearance : Fine, beige-coloured powder Solubility : Insoluble in oil and water pH in water : Neutral Specific gravity : 4.2 – 4.35 g/cm3 Bulk density : 2160 kg/m (135 Ibs/ft3 ) Recommended Treatment The quantity of barite needed to increase mud density is given in the formula below:

barite-mud-density-formula

Where:

W1: Initial mud weight (g/cm3);

W2: Desired mud weight (g/cm3);

V1: Initial volume of the mud (m3)

Physical Properties of Barite
Chemical Classification Sulfate
Color Colorless, white, light blue, light yellow, light red, light green
Streak White
Luster Vitreous to pearly
Diaphaneity Transparent to translucent
Cleavage Very good, basal, prismatic
Mohs Hardness 2.5 to 3.5
Specific Gravity 4.5
Diagnostic Properties High specific gravity, three cleavage directions at right angles
Chemical Composition Barium sulfate, BaSO4
Crystal System Orthorhombic
Uses Drilling mud; high-density filler for paper, rubber, plastics

Worldwide Barite Supply Constraints

During the past eight years, shortages of high-grade barite caused a rapid appreciation of barite prices. Shortages forced the American Petroleum Institute to reduce the density requirement of oilfield grade barite from 4.2 specific gravity (s.g.) to 4.1 s.g. as a means of extending the reserves of older, increasingly depleted mines.  The API is contemplating further lowering the density requirements as supply issues have not improved. Barite is used in the majority of wells drilled worldwide to control pressure, prevent cave ins and prevent the dangerous uncontrolled release of oil and gas. Currently, no suitable alternatives or substitutes exist.

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barite-processing

Barite Mine Production and Reserves China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan

Barite_Mine_production_reserves

Consumption of Barite

“With a drilling fluid market size valued at US$1.45bn in 2015-16 and estimated to reach US$2.19bn by 2022.
Consumption of barite in the Middle East in 2015 was some 1.65m tonnes with the major consumption being in Saudi Arabia (55%), followed by Kuwait (9%) and Oman (4.5%).  If the drilling fluid market in the Middle East does indeed reach the estimate of US$2.19 billion, then by the same token, consumption of barite is likely to increase by some 50% to over 2.40 million tonnes” – Abdul Seedat, Commercial Director, International Drilling Fluids and Engineering Services Ltd

The global barite market, with a CAGR of 5.8% expected between 2015 and 2023, is expected to reach an overall value of US$1.84 billion in 2023. The market’s value in 2014 was US$1.11 billion

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Uses of Barite

  1. Filler in paints and plastics
  2. Brake pads for the automotive industry
  3. Chemical industry
  4. Vehicle floor mats
  5. Copper Smelting
  6. Pharmaceutical markets
  7. Oil and gas drilling as a weighting agent in drilling fluid

Barite Substitutes

Substitutes: In the drilling mud market, alternatives to barite include celestite, ilmenite, iron ore, and synthetic hematite that is manufactured in Germany. None of these substitutes, however, has had a major impact on the barite drilling mud industry.  – U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2017.