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Critical mineral potential of Indian phosphorites: Evidence of REE enrichment in Ediacaran sediments from the Cuddapah Basin.

Harshitha G, Gonzalez-Alvarez I, Manikyamba C, D'Andres J, Yadav JK, Mukherjee MK.

JOURNAL OF GEOCHEMICAL EXPLORATION

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gexplo.2025.107918 

Phosphorite deposits are increasingly recognized as significant and potential sources of Rare Earth Elements (REE) in addition to phosphorus. This study evaluates the REE enrichment and accumulation processes in sedimentary phosphatic bands within the Owk Shale Formation from the late Proterozoic Kurnool Group of the Cuddapah basin, while also discussing REE prospectivity in phosphorites across various phosphogenic episodes. The comprehensive mineralogical, bulk-rock geochemical, fluorapatite mineral chemical and Raman spectroscopic results of these phosphorites indicated that the initial REE uptake was enhanced by early diagenetic processes involving MREE scavenging through redox-controlled Mn cycling.

Fig: SEM-BSE image showing two phases of apatite: REE poor and F-, REE rich.

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