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

Mrima Hill

Plant in Kenya with commodities Niobium (Columbium), REE, Thorium
Map
XML
JSON
KML
B
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. Mineral rights holdings
  12. Land status
  13. Ownership information
  14. Reserves and resources
  15. Workings at the site
  16. Links to other databases
  17. Bibliographic references
  18. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10183091
MAS/MILS ID 7790050001
Record type Site
Current site name Mrima Hill
Alternate or previous names Mrima Hill Carbonatite, Jombo ?

Comments on the site names

  • ALSO MAY BE CALLED JOMBO OR MRIMA HILL CORBONATITE.

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 39.26116, -4.47801 (WGS84)
Elevation 300
Location accuracy 1000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Kenya(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Federal lands

Federal(land status)

Geographic areas

Country
Kenya

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Niobium (Columbium) Critical Primary
REE Critical Tertiary
Thorium Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Apatite Unknown
Barite Unknown
Brookite Unknown
Ilmenite Unknown
Monazite Unknown
Perovskite Unknown
Pyrochlore Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 39.26116, -4.47801
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 30M
    Length 24000M
    Width 16000M
    Depth to top 90M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 DISSEMINATED
    Shape of Orebody #1 DOMELIKE
    Type of Orebody #2 LATERITE
    Shape of Orebody #2 MASSIVE
    Shape of Orebody #3 IRREGULAR
    Primary mode of Origin RESIDUAL CONCENT
    Secondary mode of Origin MAGMATIC DIFFER
    Primary Ore Control CONTACT ZONE
    Secondary Ore Control OTHER
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. INTENSE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 ADV ARGILLIC
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #2 INTERM ARGILLIC
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #3 CARBONITIZATION
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 30
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Date of Last Modification 910627

Comments on the geologic information

  • THE AGE OF INTRUSION IS STATED AS POST-JURASSIC TO MID-PLIOCENE. DEFORMATION AND MINERALIZATION OCCURED DURING THE LATED STAGES OF INTRUSION.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Plant
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1952
Mining method Open Pit
Plant type Beneficiation (Mill)
Plant subcategory Flotation
Milling method Flotation

Mining district

District name Mrima Hill

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Unknown

Land status

Ownership category Federal

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Mrima Industrial Minerals
    Interest 100
    Home office Kenya
    Year 1982

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1959
    Measured 30000000mt ore
    Demonstrated 30000000mt ore
    Total resources 30000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Niobium (Columbium) Cb2O5 0.72 wt-pct Niobium (Columbium) Major 1959
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1959
    Measured 760000000mt ore
    Indicated 520000000mt ore
    Demonstrated 1280000000mt ore
    Total resources 1280000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Niobium (Columbium) Cb2O5 0.7 wt-pct Niobium (Columbium) Major 1959
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1966
    Indicated 37897654mt ore
    Demonstrated 37897654mt ore
    Total resources 37897654mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Niobium (Columbium) Cb2O5 0.67 wt-pct Niobium (Columbium) Major 1966
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1966
    Inferred 34019438mt ore
    Total resources 34019438mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Niobium (Columbium) Cb2O5 0.7 wt-pct Niobium (Columbium) Major 1966

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Swell Factor 0
    Percent Waste Rock 0
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 90
    Primary Material Cover SAND, GRAVEL
    Percentage 100
    Hardness of Ore HARDPAN
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 7.3
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 45
    Capacity 1600
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Operating Days per Year 260
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1982

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Reserve-Resource

    COETZEE, G.L. AND C.B. EDWARDS, "THE MRIMA HILL CARBONATITE

  • Reserve-Resource

    COAST PROVINCE, KENYA," TRANSACTIONS OF THE GEOLOGICAL

  • Reserve-Resource

    SOCIETY OF SOUTH AFRICA, VOL. 62, 1959, PP. 373-397.

  • Reserve-Resource

    BINGE, F.W., JOUBERT, P., "THE MRIMA HILL NIOBIUM DEPOSIT,

  • Reserve-Resource

    COAST PROVINCE, KENYA," MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES

  • Reserve-Resource

    MINES AND GEOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT, REPUBLIC OF KENYA, #2,

  • Reserve-Resource

    1966, P. 51.

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE, "KENYAN REO DEVELOPMENT," AUG.1979,P.127.

  • Deposit

    BINGE, F.W., THE MRIMA HILL NIOBIUM DEPOSIT (1966)

  • Deposit

    KENYA MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES.

  • Deposit

    DESOUZA, PARAISO, O. ET AL., "ARAXA NIOBIUM MINE," MINING

  • Deposit

    MAGAZINE, FEBRUARY 1982.

  • Deposit

    HARRIS, P.M. AND JACKSON, D.V., "INVESTIGATION INTO THE

  • Deposit

    RECOVERY OF NIOBIUM FROM THE MRIMA HILL DEPOSIT,"

  • Deposit

    INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY, V. 75, 1966.

  • Deposit

    HEINRICH, E.W., "THE GEOLOGY OF CARBONATITES," RAND MCNALLY,

  • Deposit

    1966, PP. 478-480.

  • Deposit

    MORGAN, G.A., THE MINERAL INDUSTRY OF KENYA MINERAL YEAR

  • Deposit

    BOOK 1980 US BUREAU OF MINES.

  • Deposit

    PERRAULT, G., AND MANKER, E.A., GEOLOGY & MINERALOGY OF

  • Deposit

    NIOBIUM DEPOSITS NIOBEC, 1981.

  • Deposit

    WALSH, I, AND DUBOIS, CGB, "MINERALS OF KENYA," GEOLOGICAL

  • Deposit

    SURVEY OF KENYA, BULL. #11, 1970, P. 55.

  • Deposit

    US STATE DEPARTMENT BACKGROUND NOTES ON KENYA, SEPT. 1982.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 06-JAN-95 Buckingham, David A. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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

Maps centered on this site