BARITE is one of the main sources of the barium element. It is an industrial mineral with wide applications. It is used in the preparation of lubricating mud for drill bits for drilling gas and oil wells, as an element intended to embody paper and fabrics and as an inert substance in colored paints. It is used in metallurgy, especially in the refining process, where it serves as a metallic absorbent. BARITE is mainly formed in veins that have been affected by the action of hot water (hydrothermal).