Geology and ore genesis data of Elba manganese deposits, southern Eastern Desert, Egypt

The manganese deposits of Egypt are logged in many different localities in the Eastern Desert. Several manganese deposits were exploited by open cast mining excavation in the Red Sea coastal plain, particularly in the area covering from south-west of Halayeb Village to around the flood-plain of Wadi Elba north-east of Abu Ramad. Our study discussed the manganese deposits in twelve areas named as wadi Bashoya, Oshbia, N-Gabal Toyo, El-Hebal, Mateet, Blownay, Adeeb, Sarara, Sirmatai, Aqilahuq, Eikwan and N-wadi Ajway. There are two types of manganese deposits it can occur either as massive manganese ore type or mangneferous sandstone ore type. The area is situated at the Abu Ramad fault system which is the major belt of shearing within the NW -SE striking fault system. It forms part of Red Sea on south Eastern Desert in NW-SE direction with sub vertical dip. The deformation history attributed to Arc accretion tectonic of the Pan African Orogeny, also lies at the eastern part of North Hamizana Shear Zone. Binary diagram between (Co + Ni) wt. % versus (As + Cu + Mo + Pb + V + Zn) wt. % display the hydrothermal origin and supported by the MnO (wt. %) Fe₂O₃ (wt. %) and ppm (Cu + Co + Ni) 1000 triangle diagram and also by the Mn (wt. %) Fe (wt. %) and 10*(Ni + Co + Cu) wt. % triangle diagram. These deposits are characterized by low concentration of Cu, Ni and Co. The geochemical composition of manganese ores reflect formation by chemical precipitation from hydrothermal solution but occurrence of colloform texture, oolites in the mangneferous types denote to the redeposition by sedimentation processes.