MINERALOGICAL ANALYSES OF CUTTINGS
F R O M SANDIA WIPP
.
DRILL HOLE 8 9
-J. E. T a g g a r t a n d J.
Renault
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D r . Frank E. Kottlowski
Director
S t a t e B u r e a u of Mineand
N i n e r a lR e s o u r c e s
Campus S t a t i o n
S o c o r r o , New Nexico 87801
DearFrank:
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T h ep u r p o s e o f t h i s l e t t e r i s t o a u t h o r i z e y o u t o p l a c e
on open f i l e t h e r e s u l t s o f x - r a y a n a l y t i c a l work done
on. c u t t i n g s ' f r o m ERDA No. 9 . T h i s 2889 f o o t h o l e was
d r i l l e d in S e c t i o n 20, T.Z2S., K . 3 1 E . as p a r t o f t h e
on
s i t ee v a l u a t i o np r o g r a mb e i n gc o n d u c t e db yS a n d i a
b e h a l f o f ERDA f.or t h e Waste I s o l a t i o n P i l o t Program.
P l e a s ee x t e n d o u r t h a n k s t o D r s . . J a c k R e n a u l t a n d J o e
T a g g e r t f o r t h e e x c e l l e n t work t h e yh a v ed o n e
f o r us.
Sincerely,
. .
IVendell D. Weart
WasteManagementSystems
Department 1 1 4 0
copy 'to:
1141. L . R . Mill
5730 G . B. Grisvrold
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T h i s l o g i s a summa'ry o f m i n e r a l o g i c a l a n a l y s e s o f c u t t i n g s
R31e.
T22s,
SE c o r n c ro f
WIPP D r i l l h o l e . # 9 l o c a t e d a t t h e
f r o mS a n d i a
sec 2 0 ,
S a m p l e s were r u n o n a P h i l l i p s d i f r e c t o m e t e r u s i n g
monochromat i c C u m x - r a d i a t i o n a t
4 0 KV 2 0 Ma,
2 0 p e rm i n u t e , .s t r i pc h a r ts p e e d
1" p e r m i n u t e ,
1 x l o 3 c o u n t sp e rs e c o n d
f u l l scale.
s c a n n i n ga t
0.5
'
x
lo3
2O.
to
. .
M i n e r a l st h a ta r ec l e a r l yp r e s e n ta r en o t e da sp r e s e n t :
t h o s et h a ty i e l dv e r ys m a l lp e a k sa r em a r k e da s
a t r a c e ;a n d
t h o s et h a ta r ed i f f i c u l tt od i s t i g u i s hf r o mt h eb a c k g r o u n da r e
a p o s s i b l et r a c e .T h o s em a r k e da sp r e s e n to rt r a c e ,
l a b e l e da s
h a v ee x c e l l e n tr e l i a b i l i t yw h i l et h o s et h a ta , r em a r k e da s
p o s s i b l et r a c es h o u l dn o tb er e l i e d
o n t o oh e a v i l y .
Two i n t e r f e r e n c e sw e r ee n c o u n t e r e d :l a r g ea m o u n t so f
h a l i t eo b s c u r e st h ed e t e r m i n a t i o no ff e l d s p a r .L i k e w i s e
polbliteobscuresthepresenceofdolomite.
T h er e a d e r
from
i s r e m i n d e dt h a tt h es a m p l e sa r ec u t t i n g s
a d r i l lh o l ea n di n v o l v es a m p l el a gt i m ea n d .u p h o l ec o n t a m i n a t i o n .
T h ep r e s e n c eo fm i n o ra m o u n t s
o ft h eh o l e
of q u a r t z i n t h e b o t t o m h a l f
may v e r yw e l lb eb e c a u s eo f. u p h o l ec o n t a m i n a t i o n .
T h ed e p t h so nt h e s ea n a y l s e s
r e c e i v e d .F o rd e p t ha d j u s t m e n t ss e e
a r e r e c o r d e de x a c t l y
U.S.G.S.
as
w e l lr e c o r do fJ o n e s , '
MadsenandFuqua.
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ita!. ,-a<<:..'::
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inso1.uLil.e resieiics of t;Lit.t.inij.sfrom S a n d r i a W.IIPP Dzill
of'sec.20. T. 22
5 9 located at theSE corner
hole
R. 3 1 E.
S.,
Snmples were r u n on a. P h i l . 3 . i p s X-r*y diffractometer
using
KV and 2 0 Ma, 2O 20
monochromatic CuK-Alpha radiation, 40
per
minute
0; 5 x
speed,
1" per
scan
to 1 x lo3 counts
lo3
minute
per
chart
second
speed,
full
scale,
and
divergence, antiscatter, and receiving slits
o'f lo, 4O 'and
lo respectively.
.
Identification
.
becomes
more
difficult
as
the
number
of different phases increases in the sample. The technique
is routine up to
7 or 9 phases. Because of various
sources
of
contamination,
some
samples
have
11
many
as
as
phases. At present contamination levels only the trace
phases
are
affected.
Minerais
those
and
that
those
that
yield
that
are
very
are
clearly
small
difficult
present
peaks
to
are
are
noted
marked
distinguish
as
as
from
present:
,
a
trace:
the
background are labeled as
a possible trace. Those marked
as
present
that
too
are
or
trace,
marked
as
have
excellent
possible
trace
reliability
should
not
while
those
be
on relied
heavily.
Three major interferences were encounterea: halite
obscures
the
determination
of feldspar,
bassanite
obscures
the determination of calcite, and mica in large amounts.
obscures
In
.
the
addition
amountsof barite.
determination
of small
the
cuttings
have
contaminated75%
up
been
to
with materials from outside the drill hole. This material
is minor until concentrated in the insoluble portion
of the
'
sample. The contamination consists mostly of fiberous
material (what appearsto be pulp fiber; cotton'fiber,and
thread) with traces of insects, paint chips and rust flakes.
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It is believed that the fiberous material is responsible .
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C.;:L.PI:~~:~.L:US
X-ray patterns. The ?resenceof talc in some of the
rcsidues couLd be natural, but also
may be
used
during
The
the
manufacture
presence
of
of
from Lhe sizing
cloth
sample bags.
significant
amounts
of bassanite
in
the insoluble residueswas unexpected. While it is very
possible
is
a
that
the
strong
bassanite
possibility
natural,
I think that there
is
that
it
was
produced
from
anhydrite
when.the s o l u b l e phases were disolved. Under reduced
pressure
and
slightly
elevated
temperature
in a
brine,
bassanite may be an equilibrium phase.
If this questionis
important I suggest
bassanite
be
that
some
of
treated
at standard
.
.
the
samples
temperature
and
with
reported
pressure
with an excess of water. The insoluble residue could then
be
X-rayed
to
determine
if
bassanite
is
present.
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