Ben Guerir

Plant in Marrakech, Morocco with commodities Magnesite, Phosphorus-Phosphates, Uranium
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Nearby scientific data
  7. Ore body information
  8. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  9. Mining district
  10. Mineral rights holdings
  11. Land status
  12. Ownership information
  13. Production statistics
  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 10183218
MAS/MILS ID 7140190005
Record type Site
Current site name Ben Guerir
Alternate or previous names Tessaout, Nzala, Nazalet El Haracha, El Ouata

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -7.88163, 32.23285 (WGS84)
Elevation 750
Location accuracy 500(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Marrakech(province)

Morocco(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Morocco Marrakech

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Magnesite Tertiary
Phosphorus-Phosphates Primary
Uranium Tertiary

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -7.88163, 32.23285

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 11.8M
    Area 53807HA
    Depth to top 6M
    Field Value
    Type of Orebody #1 SEDIMENTARY
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin SEDIMENTATION
    Primary Ore Control BEDDING
    Secondary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 UNKNOWN
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 6
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Total Surface Area (HA) 53807
    Date of Last Modification 830404

Comments on the geologic information

  • STRIKE AND DIP: VARIABLE TO SUBHORIZONTAL STRIKE APPROX. NE-SW; 8-15 DEGREE DIP
  • LITHOLOGIC TYPE INCLUDES MARL ABOVE AND BELOW ORE PHOSPHATE HORIZONS EXPLOITED ARE: LENS A & B, BEDS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
  • MINERAL NAME (REC 01): FRANCOLITE (CARBONATE FLUORAPATITE) GANGUE MATERIAL IS SILICA, CLAY, AND CALCITE

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Plant
Commodity type Both
Significant Yes
Mining method Strip-Level
Year of first production 1981
Plant type Beneficiation (Mill)
Plant subcategory Hydromet
Milling method Washing

Mining district

District name Gantour Plateau

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Other

Land status

Ownership category Unknown

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Office Cherifien Des Phosphates (Ocp) - Government
    Interest 100
    Home office Morocco
    Year 1985

Production statistics

  • Year 1980
    Description Initial Production 500000 Mt Ore/Yr

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1968
    Total resources 900000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Phosphorus-Phosphates P2O5 29.8 wt-pct Phosphorus Major 1968

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • THIS QUANTITY IS DERIVED FROM THE FOLLOWING AREAS WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE TONNAGES: BEN GUERIR, 2028.4 EL OUATA 180 TESSAOUT 5241 NZALA 828 EL OUATA, TESSAOUT, AND NZALA ARE RESERVE AREAS THAT FLANK THE BEN GUERIR DEPOSIT
  • NEWEST OF MORROCAN MINES. SOME DATA FROM 1984 BRITISH SULFUR CLIENT PRIVATE STUDY.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 12717HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method STRIP-LEVEL
    Percent Waste Rock 10
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 6
    Primary Material Cover M-HARD ROCKS
    Hardness of Ore M-HARD ROCKS
    Capacity 15758
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Operating Days per Year 330
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1985
  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 12717HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 2
    Status of Mining Method PROPOSED
    Mining Method STRIP-LEVEL
    Percent Waste Rock 10
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 6
    Primary Material Cover M-HARD ROCKS
    Hardness of Ore M-HARD ROCKS
    Capacity 21212
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Operating Days per Year 330
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1985
  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 12717HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 3
    Status of Mining Method PROPOSED
    Mining Method STRIP-LEVEL
    Percent Waste Rock 10
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 6
    Primary Material Cover M-HARD ROCKS
    Hardness of Ore M-HARD ROCKS
    Capacity 31818
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Operating Days per Year 330
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1985

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Reserve-Resource

    ARGALL. G. BEN GUERIR: WORLD MINING, MAY 1968, PP. 24-26.

  • Deposit

    ANONYMOUS, FURTHER DETAILS OF OCP'S PLANS FOR THE FUTURE:

  • Deposit

    PHOSPHORUS & POTASSIUM, NO. 112, MAR/APR, 1981,

  • Deposit

    PP. 18-21.

  • Deposit

    ANONYMOUS, OCP UNVEILS ITS PLANS FOR THE 1980S: PHOSPHORUS &

  • Deposit

    POTASSIUM, NO. 105, JAN/FEB, 1980.

  • Deposit

    ANONYMOUS, OCP UNVEILS ITS PLANS FOR THE 1980S - PART II:

  • Deposit

    PHOSPHORUS & POTASSIUM, NO. 106, MAR/APR, 1980,

  • Deposit

    PP. 34-43.

  • Deposit

    ANONYMOUS, MOROCCO, PRODUCTION OF PHOSPHATE ROCK: E.& M. J.,

  • Deposit

    JULY 1980.

  • Deposit

    ANONYMOUS, MOROCCO CONTRACT OF THE CENTURY, MINING JOURNAL,

  • Deposit

    FEB. 10, 1978, P. 100.

  • Deposit

    ANONYMOUS, PHOSPHATE IN MOROCCO: MINING MAGAZINE, VOL. 120,

  • Deposit

    NO. 6, JUNE 1969, PP. 394-398.

  • Deposit

    ARGALL, G., BEN GUERIR: WORLD MINING, MAY 1968, PP. 24-26.

  • Deposit

    BRIGHT, V., MOROCCO; MINING ANNUAL REVIEW, 1980, P. 538.

  • Deposit

    BRITISH SULPHUR CORP., LTD., WORLD SURVEY OF PHOSPHATE

  • Deposit

    DEPOSITS, MOROCCO, 1980, PP. 134-141.

  • Deposit

    BRITISH SULPHUR CORP., LTD., WORLD SURVEY OF PHOSPHATES,

  • Deposit

    MOROCCO, 1971, PP. 101-107.

  • Deposit

    BUCYRUS ERIE, PHOSPHATE, A BIG BUSINESS IN MOROCCO: SURFACE

  • Deposit

    MINER, C.1974, PP. 6-7.

  • Deposit

    INTERNATIONAL URANIUM EVALUATION PROGRAM (IUREP), MOROCCO,

  • Deposit

    NO. 14, I.A.E.A., VIENNA, 1977.

  • Deposit

    MEW, M., REPORT OF VISIT TO MOROCCO, 29, 3, 81-3, 4, 81,

  • Deposit

    FERTECON, JUNE 1981 (CONFIDENTIAL).

  • Deposit

    U.S. BUREAU OF MINES, COMMODITY SPECIALIST, LETTER ON MOROC-

  • Deposit

    CAN PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY, JUNE 11, 1979.

  • Deposit

    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, ATTACHE REPORT, MOROCCO, REPORT

  • Deposit

    NO. MO-1919, MAY 27, 1981.

  • Deposit

    ZELLARS-WILLIAMS, NOTES OF A MEETING WITH OCP, MOROCCO, MAY

  • Deposit

    1981, (CONFIDENTIAL).

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 19-APR-1995 Fantel, Richard J. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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