Critical Minerals in Pennsylvanian Black Shales of the US Midcontinent

Critical Minerals in Pennsylvanian black shales of the US Midcontinent Abstract Dark-colored (black) organic rich shales are a common lithology in the Pennsylvanian section of the Eastern and Western Interior Basins. In the Western Kentucky Coal Field, which is the southern tip of the eastern Interior (Illinois) Basin, black shales commonly overlie economically important coal beds of Desmoinesian age. In addition to having elevated amounts of organic carbon, these shales commonly contain elevated amounts of base metal elements (e.g., chromium, nickel, cobalt). The proposed work will involve the collection and testing of black shale samples, sampled from exploration drill cores and active underground mines, to better determine the composition of the shales and their potential as sources of critical and strategic elements. Acquired data will be compiled into regional database, managed and coordinated by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).