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Solomon - Serenity
Western Australia, WA, Australia
Main commodities: Fe


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The Serenity channel iron deposit (CID) is located approximately 60 km NNW of Tom Price and 85 km due west of Wittenoom in the Pilbara region of Western Australia and is part of the Solomon Project of the Fortescue Metals Group.

See the Hamersley Basin Iron Province record for the regional setting.

The deposit lies within a large palaeo-channel incised into late Neoarchaean to early Paleoproterozoic Hamersley Group sediments and iron formations.   The exposed incised sequence includes the Dales Gorge, Whaleback shale and Joffre members of the Brockman Iron Formation which host the large Banded Iron Formation (BIF) hosted iron deposits of the Hamersley Ranges.   For details of the basement stratigraphy see the  Hamersley Basin Iron Province  record.

The channel systems hosting the CIDs are of the order of 1 to 2 km in width and several tens of km in length, incised into the bedrock geology.   During the period of Tertiary weathering and erosion of the basement BIFs, iron rich sediments were deposited into these channels and were subsequently buried by younger sediments, indurated and preserved.

The CID deposits can be subdivided into an upper 'Hard Ore CID' and a lower 'Ochreous CID', with intercalated clay lenses are observed as semi-discreet bands often several metres thick and of a poddy nature although often traceable between drill holes.

Some of the younger, late Tertiary cover has also been derived from the same BIFs and constitute Detrital Iron (Canga) Deposits.

Inferred resource estimates at November 2007 (Fortescue Metals Group, 2007) are quoted at:

Upper + Lower CID - 1.014 Gt @ 56% Fe, 7.3% SiO2, 3.8% Al2O3, 0.081% P, 8.06% LOI,
    including,
Upper CID - 337 Mt @ 56.7% Fe, 6.3% SiO
2, 2.9% Al2O3, 0.079% P, 9.2% LOI.

These estimates are based upon a minimum grade of 52.5% Fe and a minimum thickness of 2 m.

The most recent source geological information used to prepare this decription was dated: 2007.    
This description is a summary from published sources, the chief of which are listed below.
© Copyright Porter GeoConsultancy Pty Ltd.   Unauthorised copying, reproduction, storage or dissemination prohibited.


  References & Additional Information
   Selected References:
Clarke N, Kepert D, Simpson C and Edwards D  2009 - Discovery of the Solomon Iron Deposits: in   Proceedings, Iron Ore 2009 Conference, 27-29 July 2009, Perth, Western Australia, The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Melbourne,    pp. 51-57
Clout, J.M.F., Counsell, C. and Simpson, C.,  2017 - Chichester and Solomon bedded and channel iron deposits: in Phillips, G.N., (Ed.), 2017 Australian Ore Deposits, The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy,   Mono 32, pp. 351-358.


Porter GeoConsultancy Pty Ltd (PorterGeo) provides access to this database at no charge.   It is largely based on scientific papers and reports in the public domain, and was current when the sources consulted were published.   While PorterGeo endeavour to ensure the information was accurate at the time of compilation and subsequent updating, PorterGeo, its employees and servants:   i). do not warrant, or make any representation regarding the use, or results of the use of the information contained herein as to its correctness, accuracy, currency, or otherwise; and   ii). expressly disclaim all liability or responsibility to any person using the information or conclusions contained herein.

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