Drilling grade barite is produced from commercial barium sulfate-containing ores. It may be produced from a single ore or a blend of ores and may be a straight-mined product or processed by beneficiation methods, i.e., washing, tabling, jigging or flotation. It may contain accessory minerals other than the barium sulfate (BaSO4) mineral. Because of mineral impurities, commercial barite may vary in color from off-white to grey to red or brown. Common accessory minerals are silicates such as quartz and chert carbonate compounds such as siderite and dolomite, and metallic oxide and sulfide compounds. Although these minerals are normally insoluble, they can under certain conditions, react with other components in some types of drilling fluids and cause adverse changes in the drilling fluid properties.
