Depositional setting impact on the Portland cement production quality of the Dam Formation, Saudi Arabia
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Saudi Digital Library
Abstract
The Dam Formation is a major source of the main raw material for the cement industry in eastern Saudi Arabia. In this study, the depositional setting impact on the Portland cement grade of limestone of the Dam Formation was investigated at twelve different locations in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. Based on field study, geochemical and mineralogical analysis, this study concluded that for Portland cement production, the very warm water lagoon with moderate circulation environment found in northern and northwestern part of the Dam Formation at Al-Nuairyah, Mulajah and Al-Sarrar areas, is the best environment; and the hypersaline tidal pond environment in the middle is a good environment. However, the muddy lagoons, the tidal pond, the tidal channel environments in the southern part are unsuitable because of their high silica contents and the dolomatization potentials. This study also provides current regional geological updates of the Dam Formation through a new morphological elements model to explain the rapid lateral and vertical variation of the Dam Formation along with a generalized thickness map for the Dam Formation in Saudi Arabia.