Definition(s)
Barite (Baryte)
Natural barium sulfate (BaSO4) used for increasing the density of drilling fluids. NOTE International Standards require a minimum specific gravity of 4,20 for barite, but do not specify that the material must be barium sulfate. Commercial ISO 13500 barite can be produced from a single ore or a blend of ores, and can be a straight-mined product or processed by flotation methods. It can contain accessory minerals other than barium sulfate (BaSO4). Because of mineral impurities, commercial barite can vary in colour 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.
Source: API RP 13C, Recommended Practice on Drilling Fluids Processing Systems Evaluation, Upstream Segment, Fourth Edition, December 2010. Global Standards