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El Pao

Producer in Bolivar, Venezuela with commodities Iron, Manganese
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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. Geologic structures
  11. Ore body information
  12. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  13. Mining district
  14. Ownership information
  15. Production statistics
  16. Reserves and resources
  17. Links to other databases
  18. Bibliographic references
  19. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10078534
MRDS ID W026905
Record type Site
Current site name El Pao

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -62.6019, 8.05006 (WGS84)
Elevation 650
Relative position 50 KM SE OF PUERTO ORDAZ ON EAST BANK OF CARONI RIVER AND 50 KM E OF ITS CONFLUENCE WITH ORINOCO RIVER. 45 KM S OF CIUDAD GUAYANA.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Bolivar(province)

Venezuela(country)

South America(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Venezuela Bolivar

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Iron Primary
Manganese Critical Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Clay Ore
Goethite Ore
Hematite Ore
Limonite Ore
Magnetite Ore
Specularite Ore
Apatite Gangue
Pyroxene Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Corundum Unknown

Analytical data

Result CHEMISTRY OF RESERVES IN PERCENT: FE 61
Result SIO2 2
Result S 0.02
Result AND P 0.05

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 188
USGS model code 28b
Deposit model name Algoma Fe

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock > Quartzite
    Rock unit name Imataca Complex
    Rock description Imataca Complex
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoarchean
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoarchean

Nearby scientific data

(1) -62.6019, 8.05006
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description El Pao Fault
Type of structure Local
Structure description Two Deep Structural Basins, The Long Axes Of Which Are At Right Angles To One Another, Joined By A Tight Cross-Anticline.

Ore body information

  • General form LENSES
    Thickness 100M

Comments on the geologic information

  • TWO FLAT SYNCLINES WITH AXES N80E AND OTHER N20E AROUND PYROXENE-HORNBLENDE GRANULITE. ALL ENCLOSED IN FELDSPAR-QUARTZ GRANULITE.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Medium
Significant No
Discovery year 1920
Year of first production 1950

Mining district

District name El Pao District, Imataca Iron Belt

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Bethlehem Steel Co. ; Venezuelan Government 1975-
    First year 1930
    Last year 1975
  • Type Operator
    Owner Iron Mines Of Venezuela (Bethlehem Steel Co.)
    First year 1976
  • Type Operator
    Owner Corporacion Venezolana De Guayana

Production statistics

  • Year 1965
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^Assumed Shipping Grade Ore (63 - 65 % Fe)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Iron Iron 64wt-pct
  • Year 1978
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^64% Dry Iron
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Iron Iron 64wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • SHIPPED ORE: 62.2% FE; 1-2.5% SIO2; 3.5-4.0% AL2O3; 0.06% P; 3.66% LOI

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1970
    Measured 97000000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Iron Fe 61 wt-pct Iron Major 1970
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1981
    Total resources 45000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Iron Fe 64 wt-pct Iron Major 1981

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • DEPOSIT PROJECTED TO BE COMPLETELY DEPLETED BY 1994.

Comments on the workings information

  • EXACT SIZE IS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE AS THE DEPOSIT CONSISTS OF 16 CONCESSIONS OF 500 HECTARES EACH. MINING IS BY THE OPEN PIT METHOD WITH 13 METER BENCHES. ORE IS TREATED IN PLANTS NEAR PIT. REMOVE 1.16 TONS OF OVERBURDEN TO 1 TON OF ORE. MAXIMUM AREA 1000 X 500 M WITH MAXIMUM DEPTH 1350 M PLUS 700 X 500 M.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    ALVARADO, BENJAMIN, 1970, IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF SOUTH AMERICA, IN SURVEY OF WORLD IRON ORE RESOURCES -- OCCURRENCE AND APPRAISAL: NEW YORK, UNITED NATIONS, P. 302-380.

  • Deposit

    KALLIOKOSKI, J., 1965, THE METAMORPHOSED IRON ORE OF EL PAO, VENEZUELA: ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, V. 60, P. 100-116.

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE, 1981, IRON ORE MINING IN VENEZUELA: V. 145, NO. 1, P. 18-25.

  • Deposit

    RODRIGUEZ M., S.E., 1986, RECURSOS MINERALES DE VENEZUELA: BOLETIN DE GEOLOGIA, REPUBLICA DE VENEZUELA, MINISTERIO DE ENERGIA Y MINAS, DIRECCION GENERAL SECTORIAL DE MINAS Y GEOLOGIA, V. 15, NO. 27, 228 P.

  • Deposit

    INSTITUTO INTERNACIONAL DE INTEGRACION, 1986, GEOGRAFIA ECONOMICA, AREA DE RECURSOS MINERALES: LA PAZ, INSTITUTO INTERNACIONAL DE INTEGRACION, 716 P.

  • Deposit

    ZULOAGA, GUILLERMO, 1935, THE GEOLOGY OF THE IRON DEPOSITS OF THE SIERRA DE IMATACA, VENEZUELA: AM. INST. MIN. METALLURGY TRANS., V. 115, P. 307-340.

  • Other Database

    CIMRI

  • Production

    ALVARADO, BENJAMIN, 1970; RODRIGUEZ M., 1986, P. 141.

  • Reserve-Resource

    ALVARADO, BENJAMIN, 1970.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAR-1973 Cooper, Margaret U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-JUN-1977 Shaffer, Glenn L. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-MAY-1990 Bolm, Karen S. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-SEP-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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