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The Upper Cretaceous-Lower Tertiary succession in Egypt contains several black shale beds intercalated with a series of phosphatic ones. The trace elements (Sr, Ba, V, Ni, Cu, Cr, Co, Sc, Y, Zr, Mn, Mo, Cd & U) and REE (La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb & Lu) of the Abu Tartur black shales and intercalated phosphorite deposit are chemically analysed. This study is an attempt to relate the variation in the distribution of these elements to known aspects of origin, to their availability in the environment and to the capacity of available minerals incorporating them during their formation or subsequently. These results implied that the distribution patterns of minor and trace elements in black shales and intercalated phosphorites were controlled not only by elemental geochemical properties but also by various geological conditions during and after their-forming period, such as weathering and sedimentary history of black shale and phosphate basin, influence of sea water, magma hydrothermalism and characteristics of source area, etc.