Prospects of the Ergeni Formation for Ti-Zr Commodities, Ergeni Plateau

The Ti-Zr placers of the Ergeni Plateau belong to the potential Ergeni placer region in the structure of the Cis-Caucasus placer province. The Ergeni placer region contains the Umantsevo-Malye Derbety, Sadovy-Obilnoe, Balkovskii-Kegulta, Remontnoe, and Buratinskoe placer fields. The vertical section of the Ergeni sediments is subdivided into three parts based on lithological-mineralogical, facies, and structural-textural features. The most productive upper part of the section is composed of fine-to-small-grained sands, which consist of 0.10- to 0.25-mm grains (60-70%) with up to 3-5% of the heavy fraction in some section parts. The analysis of paleomorphological schemes of the eastern part of the Ergeni placer region showed that the areas of occurrence of large linear erosion-tectonic depressions, which are inherited by local redeepened depressions within stable morphostructures, can be considered rather favorable for burial and exposure at the pre-Quaternary stage. The results of study of the mineral spectrum of the heavy fraction of the Sadovy-Obilnoe placer field and its comparison with known Ti-Zr deposits including adjacent territories are provided. The recommendations on the comprehensive use of the Ergeni sands and directions for further studies are proposed.