1. Mineral Resources
  2. Online Spatial Data
  3. Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS)

Suwannee River Mine

Past Producer in Hamilton county in Florida, United States with commodities Fluorine-Fluorite, Phosphorus-Phosphates, Uranium
Map
XML
JSON
KML
A
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Public Land Survey System information
  6. Commodities
  7. Materials information
  8. Mineral occurrence model information
  9. Host and associated rocks
  10. Nearby scientific data
  11. Ore body information
  12. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  13. Mining district
  14. Mineral rights holdings
  15. Land status
  16. Ownership information
  17. Production statistics
  18. Workings at the site
  19. Links to other databases
  20. Bibliographic references
  21. General comments
  22. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10143512
MRDS ID ISM0380
MAS/MILS ID 0120470001
Record type Site
Current site name Suwannee River Mine
Alternate or previous names Suwannee River (Psc) (Occidental Chem.)

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -82.814, 30.4395 (WGS84)
Elevation 44
Location accuracy 100(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Hamilton(county)

Florida(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Genoa(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Lake City(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Valdosta(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Upper Suwannee(hydrologic unit)

Suwannee(hydrologic accounting unit)

Suwannee(hydrologic subregion)

South Atlantic-Gulf(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Florida Hamilton

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Tallahassee 001 S 015 E 01 Florida

Comments on the location information

  • 8 KM NORTH OF WHITE SPRINGS

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Fluorine-Fluorite Critical Tertiary
Phosphorus-Phosphates Primary
Uranium Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Collophane Ore
Dolomite Gangue
Montmorillonite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Kaolinite Gangue

Analytical data

Result 70-71% TP

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 244
USGS model code 34d
Deposit model name Phosphate, warm current type

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Chemical Sediment > Phosphorite
    Rock unit name Bone Valley
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Unconsolidated Deposit > Clay, Mud
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Unconsolidated Deposit > Silt
    Rock unit name Hawthorn
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Unconsolidated Deposit > Sand and Gravel
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Dolomite

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -82.814, 30.4395
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 4.4M
    Depth to top 8M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 SEDIMENTARY
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 DISSEMINATED
    Primary mode of Origin SEDIMENTATION
    Secondary mode of Origin RESIDUAL CONCENT
    Primary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Secondary Ore Control BEDDING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 UNKNOWN
    Minimum Depth to Top 1.5
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 8
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 1.5
    Date of Last Modification 961011

Comments on the geologic information

  • IN-SITU DRY DENSITY OF MATRIX = 1.47.
  • REWORKING, WEATHERING; PLIO-PLEIS; SEE: NORTH FLORIDA - SOUTH GEORGIA DISTRICT; MATRIX UP TO 5 M THICK
  • WAVELLITE, WARDITE, APATITE, CRANDALLITE, KAOLINITE, GIBBSITE, QUARTZ; PHOSPHATE LAYER ABOVE KAOLINITIC HORIZON AND COVERED BY CANGA. PHOSPHATE LAYER 7 M THICK

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Both
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1960
Mining method Strip-Level
Year of first production 1965
Plant type Beneficiation (Mill)
Plant subcategory Flotation
Milling method Flotation

Mining district

District name North Florida
District name Hard-Rock Phosphate District

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Private Lease
Type of mineral rights Fee Ownership

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner PCS Phosphate Co., Inc
    Interest 100
    Home office Canada
    Year 1996
    First year 1995
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Occidental Chemical Agricultural Products, Inc.
    ID 800183
    Interest 100
    Home office Texas
    Year 1985
    Last year 1995
  • Type Operator
    Owner Suwannee River Phosphate Division

Comments on the ownership information

  • IN OCT. 1995 POTASH CORPORATION OF SASKATCHEWAN, INC (PCS) COMPLETED PURCHASED OF THE SWIFT CREEK AND SUWANNEE RIVER MINES FROM OCCIDENTAL CHEMICAL CORPORATION.

Production statistics

  • Year 1970
    Description All Production Data Are Confidential 10316800 Mt Ore
  • Year 1971
    Description 11487700 Mt Ore
  • Year 1973
    Description 11171100 Mt Ore
  • Year 1974
    Description 14090300 Mt Ore
  • Year 1975
    Description 15240800 Mt Ore
  • Year 1976
    Description 18566200 Mt Ore
  • Year 1977
    Description 17044000 Mt Ore
  • Year 1978
    Description 15552000 Mt Ore
  • Year 1979
    Description 15410000 Mt Ore
  • Year 1980
    Description 15904400 Mt Ore
  • Year 1981
    Description 14626300 Mt Ore
  • Year 1984
    Description 7899900 Mt Ore
  • Year 1985
    Description 13124900 Mt Ore
  • Year 1986
    Description 13640400 Mt Ore
  • Year 2010
    Period 1970-1986
    Material This is an estimate of ore made from ore and concentrate reported for the years 1970-1986 for the Suwannee River and Swift Creek Mines. Some years concentrate was reported and some years ore. Zellars
    Ore mined 250000000mt
    Accuracy Estimate

Comments on the production information

  • THE CAPACITY IS LIMITED BY THE DRAGLINE CAPACITY. THE ACTUAL MILL DESIGN CAPACITY IS 64899 MTPD ORE. THIS MILL PRODUCES NO PEBBLE. THE 2.7% PEBBLE IN THE ORE IS GROUND IN A ROD MILL IN CLOSED CIRCUIT WITH THE WASHING/ SIZING PLANT.
  • THE EVALUATOR SUSPECTS THE ACCURACY OF SOME OF THESE DATA BECAUSE THE FIGURES ARE OCCASIONALLY HIGHER THAN THE KNOWN DRAGLINE MINING CAPACITY. IT IS POSSIBLE, HOWEVER, THAT THE WASTE-TO-ORE RATIO HAS INCREASED IN RECENT YEARS, THUS ACCOUNTING FOR THE PRESENT LOWER ORE PRODUCTION OF THE DRAGLINES.
  • 2.45 MIL TPY CONCENTRATE (1983), 15 MILLION CUBIC METERS OF MATRIX MINING CAPACITY
  • P INS B.8 C.MIL MT D.1980 E.16 % P2O5

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • REPORTED 1995 RESERVES FOR BOTH SUWANNEE RIVER AND SWIFT CREEK FROM RANDOL, 1996/97, P185, 72 M ST NO GRADE GIVEN.
  • MINE RECOVERY IS ESTIMATED AT 90%. RESOURCE IS DRY EQUIVALENT.
  • OPERATION IS COMBINED WITH THE SWIFT CREEK OPERATION UNDER NEW OWNER, PCS-WHITE SPINGS. 1995 RESERVES WERE LISTED IS RANDOL, 1996/97 AS 72M ST (65.317MMT) NO GRADE GIVEN, FOR BOTH OPERATIONS.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 6000HA
    Field Value
    Mining Method STRIP-LEVEL
    Swell Factor .91
    Percent Waste Rock 64.4
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 7.96
    Primary Material Cover SAND, SILT
    Percentage 90
    Secondary Material Cover QUICKSAND
    Percentage 10
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 0
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 42
    Capacity 37952
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Preprod. Stripping Vol. 0
    Unit Production Cost 1.17
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 365
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1985

Comments on other economic factors

  • THE MILL IS ONLY USED AT 58.48% OF CAPACITY BECAUSE THE DRAGLINES ARE NOT CAPABLE OF A HIGHER CAPACITY. LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE GIVEN ARE THE ACTUAL VALUES FOR THE MILL.
  • THE MINE STARTED OPERATION IN 1965 WITH 1 DRAGLINE. THE SECOND AND THIRD DRAGLINES BEGAN OPERATING IN 1967 AND 1974, RESPECTIVELY. THE MILL ORIGINALLY STARTED OPERATION IN 1965 AT A CAPACITY OF 1-1.25 MILLION STPY CONCENTRATE. THE MILL CAPACITY WAS INCREASED IN 1967 AND 1974. THE 1974 INCREASE CONSISTED ONLY OF AN ADDITION TO THE WASHER PLANT. THE SIZING AND FLOTATION PLANTS WERE ALREADY MORE THAN LARGE ENOUGH TO HANDLE THE MAXIMUM FEED FROM THE DRAGLINES. THE 1974 MINE EXPANSION INCLUDED A THIRD MATRIX SLURRY PIPELINE IN ADDITION TO THE 45-CU-YD DRAGLINE. CURRENT MILL OPERATIONS ARE LIMITED TO ABOUT 58% OF DESIGN CAPACITY BY THE INABILITY OF THE DRAGLINES TO SUPPLY A LARGER AMOUNT OF FEED. THEREFORE, THE CAPACITY OF THE CURRENT DRAGLINES IS THE LIMITING FACTOR ON THE OVERALL CAPACITY OF THE OPERATION.

Comments on development

  • NON-GEOLOGIC CONSTRAINTS ON DEVELOPMENT OR EXPANSION IN 1-5 YRS. (). DEVELOPMENT(UNKNOWN); EXPLORATION(UNKNOWN); ORE GRADE 31-32 % P2O5 (70-71 % BPL)

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    CONCEPTUAL MINE PLAN, SUWANNEE RIVER MINE, SUBMITTED TO FLORIDA DEPT. NATURAL RESOURCES, 1984, 9 PP.

  • Reserve-Resource

    RANDOL MINING DIRECTORY, 1996/97, U.S. MINES & MINING COMPANIES, P185.

  • Deposit

    SMITH, R.C., FOUR CORNERS MINE, W.R. GRACE AND INTERNATIONAL MINERALS AND CHEMICALS CORP., HILLSBOROUGH, MANATEE, AND POLK COUNTIES, FLORIDA, BUMINES MAS PROPERTY EVALUATION FILE REPORT, 1985, 17 PP.

  • Deposit

    GUIDEBOOK, A.I.M.E. FIELD TRIP TO OCCIDENTAL MINES, 1977, 11 PP.

  • Deposit

    ZELLARS-WILLIAMS, INC. EVALUATION OF THE PHOSPHATE DEPOSITS OF FLORIDA USING THE MINERALS AVAILABILITY SYSTEM, FINAL REPORT JUNE, 1978.

  • Deposit

    GENERAL HIGHWAY MAP, HAMILTON COUNTY, FLORIDA, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, 1969.

  • Deposit

    GENOA, CYPRESS CREEK, FARGO, BENTON, WHITE SPRINGS WEST, WHITE SPRINGS EAST QUADRANGLES, FLORIDA, U.S.G.S., 1962, 1955, 1955, 1969, 1961, 1961.

  • Deposit

    PERSONAL COMMUNICATION WITH F.W. MYERS, R.M. GUNDZIK, J.T. GRIBBLE, AND M.R. FELDER, OCCIDENTAL CHEMICAL CO., DURING SITE VISIT, JAN. 1985.

  • Deposit

    SAWYER, M.B., HOPEWELL MINE, HOPEWELL LAND CORP./NORANDA GROUP, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FLORIDA, BUMINES MAS PROPERTY REPORT, 1985, 14 PP.

  • Deposit

    FORT GREEN MINE, AGRICO, PERS. COMMUN. WITH COMPANY OFFICIALS BY M.R. DALEY, BUMINES, MAS, JAN. 1985.

  • Deposit

    NORALYN/PHOSPHORIA MINE, INTERNATIONAL MINERALS AND CHEMICAL CO., PERS. COMMUN. WITH COMPANY OFFICIALS BY L.M. OSMONSON, BUMINES, MAS, JAN. 1985.

  • Deposit

    DAVIS, M.P., SUWANNEE RIVER MINE, BUMINES MAS SUMMARY FILE REPORT, SEPT. 1979, 21 PP.

  • Deposit

    CO., PERS. COMMUN. WITH COMPANY OFFICIALS BY L.M. OSMONSON, BUMINES, MAS, JAN. 1985.

  • Deposit

    E&MJ, INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORY OF MINING, 1979, NEW YORK

  • Deposit

    The British Sulphur Corp. Ltd., 1980: World Survey Of Phosphate Deposits, 4th Ed.: London, The British Sulphur Corp. Ltd., 1980

  • Deposit

    UPPER SUWANNEE RIVER, EVALUATION OF A PROPOSED DRI AS AN AREA OF CRITICAL STATE CONCERN, FLA. DIV. STATE PLANNING. 1974 U.S.G.S. LAND USE& LAND COVER MAP. 1974.

  • Deposit

    OCCIDENTAL (DIV. HOOKER CHEM) 10-K REPORT. 1977.

  • Deposit

    OWENS-ILLINOIS. NORTH FLA. LAND PROSPECTUS. 1962.

  • Deposit

    British Sulphur Corporation Limited, 1964. A world survey of phosphate deposits. The British Sulphur Corp. Ltd., London, 206 pp.

  • Deposit

    Cathcart, J.B., 1989a. The phosphate deposits of Florida, with a note on the deposits in Georgia and South Carolina, USA. In A.J.G. Notholt, R.P. Sheldon and D.F. Davidson (eds), Phosphate deposits of the world, Volume 2-- Phosphate rock resources. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 62-70.

  • Deposit

    Van Kauwenbergh, S.J., Cathcart, J.B. and McClellan, G.H., 1990. Mineralogy and alteration of the phosphate deposits of Florida. US Geol. Survey, Bulletin, 1914, 46 pp.

  • Deposit

    Orris, G.J., and Chernoff, C.B., 2004, Table of world phosphate deposits, in Hein, J.R., ed., Life cycle of the Phosphoria Formation: From deposition to the post-mining environment: Elsevier, Amsterdam, Handbook of exploration and environmental geochemistry v. 8, CD-ROM.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit AREA GIVEN AS POTENTIALLY DISTURBED INCLUDES THE ON-SITE ACID PLANT AND GYPSUM DISPOSAL SITES. TOTAL LAND HOLDING IS ABOUT 13,070 HECTARES. SUWANNEE RIVER MINE ALSO OCCURS ON CYPRESS CREEK, FARGO, BENTON, AND WHITE SPRINGS EAST AND WEST QUADS. VISIT TO THE SITE IN JANUARY, 1985.
General This is the same property listed by Orris and Chernoff (2004) as Deposit_No 964.
Deposit The MRDS RECORD WAS COMPILED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIC MINERALS INVENTORY. THE DATA WERE USED IN PREPARATION OF THE USGS CIRCULAR 930 SERIES OF REPORTS. MINERAL RESOURCE CATEGORIES AND CODES HEREIN ARE FROM THE INTERNATIONAL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM RECOMMENDED BY THE UNITED NATIONS GROUP OF EXPERTS ON DEFINITIONS AND TERMINOLOGY FOR MINERAL RESOURCES. (SEE NATIONAL RESOURCES FORUM, V. 4, NO. 3, P. 307-313.).

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 11-OCT-96 Sawyer, Michael B. U.S. Bureau of Mines
Updater 15-NOV-10 Causey, J. Douglas U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 04-NOV-02 Nicholson, S.W. U.S. Geological Survey Reformated date column; calculated latitude and longitude in decimal degrees; added Location Precision, Continent, Country, State, Commodity Code, Ore Minerals Code fields; changed Major Commodity field
Reporter 31-DEC-78 Saam, Henning, G. Bundesanstalt Fuer Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffee (Germany)
Reporter 01-OCT-81 Sutphin, David M. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

Current status (per MSHA)

StatusAbandoned since 02/14/2003
MSHA mine ID0800183
Mine name (MSHA)SUWANNEE RIVER MINE
Current operatorPcs Phosphate - White Springs
Current controller (parent)Nutrien LTD
Mine typeSurface (Metal / non-metal)

MSHA cross-reference per the original MRDS record. Mine status and operator reflect MSHA's last published Mines export (February 2025); MSHA's public bulk feed has been unavailable since, so this may be out of date. See the Mine Data Retrieval System for current status.

Open MSHA's Mine Data Retrieval System for inspections, accidents, and violations for this mine.

Maps centered on this site