Merra El Arech

Plant in Khouribga, Morocco with commodities Aluminum, Calcium, Iron, Magnesite, Phosphorus-Phosphates
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Nearby scientific data
  8. Ore body information
  9. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  10. Mining district
  11. Land status
  12. Ownership information
  13. Production statistics
  14. Workings at the site
  15. Links to other databases
  16. Bibliographic references
  17. General comments
  18. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10182994
MAS/MILS ID 7140150001
Record type Site
Current site name Merra El Arech
Alternate or previous names Meraa El Arech, Sidi El Maati, Meraa El Arech Nord, Merrah El Ahreck, Mera El Aresh, Meraa El Arech Sud

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -6.79002, 32.66622 (WGS84)
Elevation 800
Location accuracy 1000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Khouribga(province)

Morocco(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Morocco Khouribga

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Aluminum Critical Tertiary
Calcium Tertiary
Iron Tertiary
Magnesite Tertiary
Phosphorus-Phosphates Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Apatite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -6.79002, 32.66622

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N00S
    Dip 00E
    Thickness 7.2M
    Area 9980HA
    Depth to top 30.1M
    Field Value
    Type of Orebody #1 SEDIMENTARY
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin SEDIMENTATION
    Primary Ore Control BEDDING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. NONE
    Strike And Dip N00S:00E
    Minimum Depth to Top 15
    Total Surface Area (HA) 9980
    Date of Last Modification 830324

Comments on the geologic information

  • MINERAL IS CARBONATE FLUORAPATITE.
  • NO DEPOSIT. DEFORMATION DEPOSITS RANGE IN AGE FROM CRETACEOUS MAESTRICHTIAN TO EOCENE YPRESIAN. DEPOSIT IS SUBHORIZONTAL

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Plant
Commodity type Both
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1919
Mining method Strip-Level
Year of first production 1965
Plant type Beneficiation (Mill)
Plant subcategory Hydromet
Milling method Sizing

Mining district

District name Khourigba

Land status

Ownership category Unknown

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Office Cherifien Des Phosphates (Ocp) - Government
    Interest 100
    Home office Morocco
    Year 1981

Production statistics

  • Year 1981
    Description Phosphate Rock; 32.1 Percent P2o5 58182000 Mt Ore/Day
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major P2O5 Ore Phosphorus-Phosphates Phosphorus 5818200mt 32wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • DISCOVERY DATE IS YEAR ORE WAS FOUND ON OULAD ABDOUN PLATEAU. DRILLING DENSITY IS 10 HECTARES/HOLE

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • MINING RECOVERY = 85 PERCENT Q-MAT-2 IS RESERVES IN BEDS PRESENTLY NOT RECOVERABLE
  • SOME NEW DATA FROM 1984 BRITISH SULFUR CLIENT PRIVATE STUDY.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 9980HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method STRIP-LEVEL
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 30.1
    Primary Material Cover M-HARD ROCKS
    Hardness of Ore M-HARD ROCKS
    Capacity 32000
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Operating Days per Year 300
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1985
  • Type of workings Surface
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 2
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method STRIP-LEVEL
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 30.1
    Primary Material Cover M-HARD ROCKS
    Hardness of Ore M-HARD ROCKS
    Capacity 8000
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Operating Days per Year 300
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1985

Comments on other economic factors

  • SOME RESERVE AREAS HAVE 37 METERS OF OVERBURDEN 7.15 METERS OF INTERBEDS MUST ALSO BE STRIPPED SOME BENCHES EXCEED 12 METERS

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Development

    TODD, J.D., MOROCCO'S MAJOR PHOSPHATE DRIVE; ENGR. AND

  • Development

    MINING JOUR., JULY 1982, P.35-37.

  • Deposit

    ANONYMOUS, INTRODUCING OCP, BROCHURE, N.D., P. 108.

  • Deposit

    ANONYMOUS, 1973/77 EXPANSION PLAN, BROCHURE, N.D., P. 112.

  • Deposit

    DEVOTO, R.H. AND STEVENS, D.N., URANIFEROUS PHOSPHATE

  • Deposit

    RESOURCES OF THE FREE WORLD, U.S. DEPT. ENERGY CONTRACT,

  • Deposit

    GJBX-110 (79), 1979, P. 401-404.

  • Deposit

    TRIP REPORT OF MEETING IN CASABLANCA OFFICE OF OCP,

  • Deposit

    MAY 1981. - CONFIDENTIAL.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THIS DEPOSIT INCLUDES SIDI EL MAATI DEPOSIT. MINERAL HOLDINGS ARE BY GOVERNMENT GRANT. EVALUATED PREVIOUSLY BY DRS-EFOC INFORMATION PROVIDED BY ZELLERS-WILLIAMS, CONTRACTOR URANIUM NOT REPORTED IN ANALYSES BUT PROBABLY PRESENT

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 19-APR-95 Fantel, Richard J. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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