Economically the Sivas Basin Natural Anhydrite Potential, Reserve Estimation and Geochemical Characteristics, Central Anatolia, Türkiye

This study focuses on the economization of natural anhydrite, which has a wide range of uses and is environmentally friendly, in Türkiye. Anhydrite, which is one of the most common evaporitic minerals in the world, has almost no usage area in Türkiye. Evaporite deposits consisting of gypsum, anhydrite, halite, bassanite and selenite are prominent in the country, especially in Tertiary period sedimentary basins. The Sivas basin is one of these important Tertiary basins. Mining operates in the basin are carried out only on gypsum and anhydrite is not utilized. This study is carried out on the geological and geochemical characteristics of anhydrite, which is prominent with its usage areas in the world, its potential in the basin and its economic importance. The geochemical and mineralogical analyses are carried out on anhydrite samples taken from the basin. Anhydrite formations up to 300 meters in thickness are detected in the evaporite deposits that outcrop in most of the basin. In addition, a block model is extracted from the drilling data of a mining company operating in the basin and the reserve is calculated. As a result, it is concluded that the Sivas basin has a high potential in terms of anhydrite and should be brought to the national economy.