Geology and The Origin of Mokhdan CelestiteOccurrence ? Boushehr Province, Iran

   General:
     Celestite mineralization is known from 25 km southeast of Ahram ( Tangestan ) city in I3oushehr Province , Iran, in two localities; one occurs in 3 km southeast of Mokhdan village, and another one in 6 km southeast
of that village. Celestite mineralization occurs in Lower to Middle Miocene Mishan Formation at northeastern flank of Khurmuj anticline.
Celestite is found in both localities as concretions dispersed in a red many bed.
Microscopic investigations indicate that celestite concretions consist of relatively fine crystals of that mineral containing aboundant inclusions of gypsum and carbonate material; hence, celestite has a replasive origin.
Chemical analysis of some celestite samples reveales that the SrSO content is more than 98% , so celestite has a good commercial quality.
Celestite and gypsum bearing muds have precipitated from sea water in result of evaporitic conditions dominated in sedimentary basin. During diagenesis, due to processes such as cementing of celestite crystals , growth of larger grains around finer ones, etc. celestite concretions formed. Replacement of gypsum by celestite have also occurred in this stage