Viability of a potential quarry rock matter in Lekwesi, Umunneochi area of southeastern Nigeria using geological and geoelectrical sounding approach

Abstract

The study involves the geological and geoelectrical investigation of potential quarry rock materialat Lekwesi, Southeastern, Nigeria. 13 Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) were carried out using Schlumberger configuration with a maximum electrode spread of 55m. The mean density of the potential quarry material (diorite) was calculated to be 2.88x103 Kgm-3. Microscopic study of the diorite revealed the presence of CaCO3 veins within the diorite outcrops. The VES result shows that the length of the outcrop is about 530m and that the diorite deposit was not encountered at every location in the study area. While the mean thickness of the diorite deposit modeled to 37m was about 5.8m, the thickness of the overburden material was estimated to about 10.49m. The rock deposit of 5.8m thick and overburden thickness of more than 10.49m may not be viable for large scale quarrying.