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Tintenbar Diatomite Deposit

Past Producer in New South Wales, Australia with commodities Diatomite, Gemstone
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Mineral occurrence model information
  8. Host and associated rocks
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Ore body information
  11. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  12. Mining district
  13. Ownership information
  14. Links to other databases
  15. Bibliographic references
  16. General comments
  17. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10023632
MRDS ID I001009
Record type Site
Current site name Tintenbar Diatomite Deposit
Alternate or previous names Snow Queen Mine

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 153.46524, -28.82979 (WGS84)
Relative position 9 KM NORTHWEST OF BALLINA IN PARISH TEVEN.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

New South Wales(province)

Australia(country)

Australia(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Australia New South Wales

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Diatomite Primary
Gemstone Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • THE PRECIOUS OPALS ARE PRONE TO CRAZING AND ARE SMALL. DIATOMITE FROM THIS DEPOSIT EXHIBITS A HIGH DEGREE OF FRAMENTATION WHICH PROBABLY RESTRICTS ITS USE AS A FILTER AID. "MELOSIRA GRANULATA" AND "PINNULARIA SP. AF. MAJOR"

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Diatomite Ore
Limonite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Opal Unknown

Analytical data

Result 85.2-85.7% SIO2
Result 2.2-2.6% AL2O3. 6.5-10.2% FREE QUARTZ

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 222
USGS model code 31s
Deposit model name Lacustrine diatomite

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Mafic Volcanic Rock > Basalt
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Diatomite

Nearby scientific data

(1) 153.46524, -28.82979
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • General form STRATIFORM

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Non-metallic
Significant No
Year of first production 1916
Year of last production 1975
Production years INTERMITTANT

Mining district

District name Lismore-Ballina Area

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner J. H. And C.A . Johnson 2000)
    First year 1979

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • THE SIZE OF THE DEPOSIT CANNOT BE DETERMINED DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE BASALTIC OVERBURDEN, BUT THE DEPOSIT IS BELIEVED TO BE OF MODERATE SIZE.

Comments on the workings information

  • UP TO 1 M OF WATER WAS PRESENT IN THE MINE DURING THE 1980'S.

Comments on development

  • MINING LEASE ML 793.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    HOLMES, G.G., STANLEY, C., SWEENEY, V., 1989, DIATOMITE IN NEW SOUTH WALES: GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF NEW SOUTH WALES MINERAL RESOURCES 46, 161 P

  • Production

    HOLMES AND OTHERS, 1989.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit PRECIOUS OPAL IS FOUND IN SOME OF THE VESICALES OF THE BASALT, BUT ARE SMALL AND HARD TO EXTRACT. GRAY COMMON OPAL IS FOUND BETWEEN LAYERS OF PARTLY RESILICIFIED DIATOMITE. THE DIATOMITE IS GOOD-QUALTITY, MASSIVE, FLAT-LYING, AND AT LEAST 4.5 M THICK. THE DIATOMITE LIES BETWEEN 2 LAYERS OF PORCELLANITE WHICH IN TURN ARE OVERLAIN AND UNDERALIN BY VESICULAR BASALT. THE PORCELLANITE IS PROBABLY DIATOMITE ALTERED BY GROUNDWATER AND (OR) HEAT AND PRESSURE. EXPOSED TO AIR, THE DIATOMITE SHOWS A SURFACE BLACKENING EFFECT. SLIGHT LIMONITE STAINING IS PRESENT THROUGHOUT THE DEPOSIT. THE DEPOSIT HAS EXTENSIVE BASALTIC OVERBURDEN. THE DIATOMITE WAS DEPOSITED IN A LAKE WHICH FORMED ON THE UNEVEN SURFACES OF THE EARLIER LAVA FLOWS. SIMILAR SMALL DEPOSITS ARE POSSIBLE ELSEWHERE.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-AUG-1991 Orris, Greta J. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

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