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Guri Kuq Including: See Alt Names

Producer in Pogradec, Albania with commodities Cobalt, Iron, Nickel
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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. Nearby scientific data
  8. Ore body information
  9. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  10. Mineral rights holdings
  11. Ownership information
  12. Production statistics
  13. Workings at the site
  14. Links to other databases
  15. Bibliographic references
  16. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10206943
MAS/MILS ID 4810370002
Record type Site
Current site name Guri Kuq Including: See Alt Names
Alternate or previous names Guri Kuq Includes the Following:, Cervanake, Gradishta, Guri Pergjrgjur, Hudenisht, An Alternate Name For Guri Kuq, Is Guri I Kuq.

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 20.66851, 40.88209 (WGS84)
Location accuracy 10000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Pogradec(province)

Albania(country)

Geographic areas

Country State
Albania Pogradec

Comments on the location information

  • LATITUDE AND LONGIDUDE VALUES ARE APPROXIMATE. GURI KUQ IS COMPRISED OF FIVE MINES: CERVENAKE, GRADISHTA, GURI KUQ, GURI PERGJRGJUR, AND HUDENISHT MINES.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Cobalt Critical Tertiary
Iron Secondary
Nickel Critical Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Unknown
Galena Unknown
Goethite Unknown
Hematite Unknown
Manganite Unknown
Pyrite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 20.66851, 40.88209
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 12M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 LATERITE
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin METAMORPHISM
    Primary Ore Control BEDDING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 UNKNOWN
    Date of Last Modification 920727

Comments on the geologic information

  • THE GURI KUQ DEPOSIT CONSISTS OF A 12 METER LATERITIC LAYER OF HEMATITE AND GOETHITE WITH SMALL AMOUNTS OF MAGNETITE, ALL FORMED BY THE CHEMICAL WEATHERING OF SERPENTINIZED PERIDOTITE.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Mining method Filled Stopes - Inclined Cut and Fill
Year of first production 1978
Milling method Heavy Media

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Unknown

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Minera Guri Kuq
    Interest 100
    Home office Albania
    Year 1991

Production statistics

  • Year 1984
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Hudenisht'S Ore Throughput (Estimated) 60000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1984
    Description Guri Pergirgjur'S Ore Throughput (Est.) 100000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1984
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Guri Kuq'S Ore Throughput (Estimated) 200000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1984
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Gradishta'S Ore Throughput (Estimated) 30000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1984
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cervenake'S Ore Throughput (Estimated) 100000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1985
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Hudenisht'S Ore Throughput (Estimated) 60000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1985
    Description Guri Pergirgjur'S Ore Throughput (Est.) 100000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1985
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Guri Kuq'S Ore Throughput (Estimated) 200000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1985
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Gradishta'S Ore Throughput (Estimated) 30000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1985
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cervenake'S Ore Throughput (Estimated) 100000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1986
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Hudenisht'S Ore Throughput (Estimated) 60000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1986
    Description Guri Pergjrgjur'S Ore Throughput (Est.) 100000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1986
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Guri Kuq'S Ore Throughput (Estimated) 200000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1986
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Gradishta'S Ore Throughput (Estimated) 30000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1986
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cervenake'S Ore Throughput (Estimated) 100000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1987
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Hudenisht'S Ore Throughput (Estimated) 60000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1987
    Description Guri Pergjrgjur'S Ore Throughput (Est.) 100000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1987
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Guri Kuq'S Ore Throughput (Estimated) 200000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1987
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Gradishta'S Ore Throughput (Estimated) 30000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1987
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cervenake'S Ore Throughput (Estimated) 100000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1988
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Hudenisht'S Ore Throughput (Estimated) 60000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1988
    Description Guri Pergjrgjur'S Ore Throughput (Est.) 100000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1988
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Guri Kuq'S Ore Throughput (Estimated) 200000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1988
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Gradishta'S Ore Throughput (Estimated) 30000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1988
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cervenake'S Ore Throughput (Estimated) 100000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1989
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Hudenisht'S Ore Throughput (Estimated) 60000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1989
    Description Guri Pergjrgjur'S Ore Throughput (Est.) 100000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1989
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Guri Kuq'S Ore Throughput (Estimated) 200000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1989
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Gradishta'S Ore Throughput (Estimated) 30000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1989
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cervenake'S Ore Throughput (Estimated) 100000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1990
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Hudenisht'S Ore Throughput (Estimated) 60000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1990
    Description Guri Pergjrgjur'S Ore Throughput (Est.) 100000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1990
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Guri Kuq'S Ore Throughput (Estimated) 200000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1990
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Gradishta'S Ore Throughput (Estimated) 30000 Metric Tons Of Ore
  • Year 1990
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cervenake'S Ore Throughput (Estimated) 100000 Metric Tons Of Ore

Comments on the production information

  • C.R.U. REPORTS THAT THE PRODUCTION LEVELS, WHICH ARE INCLUDED FOR 1989, HAVE BEEN UNCHANGED SINCE 1984. PRODUCTION FIGURES ARE ESTIMATED. THE MINES ARE LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 6 KILOMETERS NORTHWEST OF POGRADEC. MINING JOURNAL RESEARCH SERVICES REPORT THAT THE GURI KUQ OPERATION, WITH ITS HEAD OFFICE IN POGRODEC, COMPRISES FIVE MINES PRODUCING UP TO 500,000 TONS PER YEAR OF NICKEL-IRON ORE. THE MOST IMPORTANT RESOURCE IS THE GURI KUQ DEPOSIT. THE RESERVES IN THIS REGION TOTAL 40 MILLION TONS, GRADING AN AVERAGE .9 PERCENT NICKEL, 42 PERCENT IRON, .006 PERCENT COBALT, AND .03 PERCENT P2O5. MINING IN GURI KUQ IS SIMILAR TO THE PERRENJAS OPERATIONS WITH OPEN-STOPING AND SUB-LEVEL STOPING AS THE MAIN TECHNIQUES USED. A PARTICULAR PROBLEM AT GURI KUQ, WHICH NEEDS SPECIAL ATTENTION, IS THE DILUTION OF HEAD-GRADES DURING BLASTING AND MUCKING-OUT OF THE ORE. DETAILED GRADE CONTROL AND PRECISE BLASTING TECHNIQUES MAY SOLVE THIS PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE. THE PROCESSING PLANT NEAR GURI KUQ HAS A DESIGN CAPACITY OF 700,000 TONS PER YEAR, BUT CURRENTLY ONLY PROCESSES 200,000 TONS PER YEAR OF ORE. THIS PLANT, WHICH WAS DESIGNED AND BUILT IN THE 1970S WITH CHINESE ASSISTANCE, NEEDS EXTENSIVE REFITTING. THE SEPARATION AND SEDIMENTATION SYSTEM CURRENTLY USED IS HIGHLY INEFFICIENT IN COMPARISON TO MODERN HEAVY LIQUID SEPARATION TECHNIQUES. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT PRODUCTION CAPACITY COULD BE LIFTED, TO OVER 500,000 TONS PER YEAR, BY CAPITAL INVESTMENT.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method INCLINED CUT AND FILL 10-65
    Hardness of Rock UNKNOWN
    Rock Characteristics UNKNOWN
    Rock Support Chars. UNKNOWN
    1st Condition of Workings UNKNOWN
    Capacity 1960
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Operating Days per Year 250
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1991

Comments on other economic factors

  • COMBINED ANNUAL PRODUCTION OF THE FIVE MINES IS 490,000 METRIC TONS PER YEAR. OPERATING DAYS PER YEAR WERE ASSUMED TO BE 250. FIVE MINES EXPLOIT THE DEPOSIT. THEY ARE LOCATED 5 KILOMETERS APART AND ARE ORIENTED IN AN ARC NEAR THE SHORE OF LAKE OHRID. GURI KUQ IS THE DEEPEST MINE AND HAS A VERTICAL SHAFT. ORE AT THE FURI KUQ MINE IS TRANSPORTED VIA AN INCLINE VERSES THE MAIN SHAFT. ALL OF THE MINES WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GURI KUQ, ACCESS UNDERGROUND WORKINGS VIA ADITS FROM HILLSIDES. THE MINES HAVE WEAK FOOTWALLS AND AN IRREGULAR FOOTWALL CONTACT, WHICH INCREASES DILUTION. ORE IS MINED UP-DIP, OVER THE WHOLE HEIGHT OF THE OREBODY. THE BLASTED ORE IS REMOVED BY A SERIES OF SCRAPERS TO RAISES 50 TO 180 METERS LONG. APPROXIMATELY 650 PEOPLE WORK IN THE MINES, AND APPROXIMATELY 450 PEOPLE WORK ON THE SURFACE ABOVE THE UNDERGROUND MINES. PRODUCTION AT THE GURI KUQ MINES COULD BE INCREASED BY 50 PERCENT TO 300,000 METRIC TONS PER YEAR IF A SUITABLE MARKET CAN BE FOUND FOR THE ORE. BGR REPORTS THAT THE ORE BODY AT THE GURI KUQ MINE IS BETWEEN 20 AND 22 METERS THICK AND IS MINED ALONG 2 KILOMETERS OF THE STRIKE AND 1 KILOMETER ALONG THE DIP, WHICH IS 25 TO 35 DEGREES. BGR ESTIMATES RESERVES AT THE FIVE MINES IN THE GURI KUQ COMPLEX ARE: 1. GURI KUQ = 65 MILLION METRIC TONS WITH 24% IRON, .97% NICKEL, AND .06% TO .75% COBALT. 2. CERVENAKA = 6 MILLION METRIC TONS WITH 42% IRON AND .95% NICKEL. 3. GURI PERGJEGJUR = 500,000 METRIC TONS WITH 48% TO 58% IRON AND .46% TO 1.0% NICKEL. 4. HUDENISHT = 3 MILLION METRIC TONS WITH 47% TO 50% IRON AND .9% TO .94% NICKEL. 5. GRADISHTA = 200,000 METRIC TONS WITH 45% IRON AND .8% NICKEL. BGR FURTHER REPORTED MINE CAPACITIES AS FOLLOWS: 1. GURI KUQ => 300,000 METRIC TONS OF ORE PER YEAR. 2. CERVENAKA => 60,000 TO 100,000 METRIC TONS OF ORE PER YEAR. 3. GURI PERGJEGJUR => 50,000 TO 80,000 METRIC TONS OF ORE PER YEAR. 4. HUDENISHT => 30,000 TO 50,000 METRIC TONS OF ORE PER YEAR. 5. GRADISHTA => 30,000 TO 40,000 METRIC TONS OF ORE PER YEAR.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Commodity

    COMMODITIES RESEARCH UNIT, LTD., THE BASE METAL INDUSTRY

  • Commodity

    OF ALBANIA, LONDON, 55 PP. (1991).

  • Commodity

    C. KIPPENBERGER, REPORT OF AN OFFICIAL VISIT TO ALBANIA

  • Commodity

    TO GATHER INFORMATION ON THE SITUATION IN THE MINERAL

  • Commodity

    RESOURCES SECTOR, JULY 28, 1988 TO AUGUST 11, 1988,

  • Commodity

    FEDERAL INSTITUTE FOR GEOSCIENCES AND NATURAL RESOURCES

  • Commodity

    (BGR) HANNOVER, 53 PP.

  • Commodity

    MINING JOURNAL RESEARCH SERVICES IN CO-OPERATION WITH

  • Commodity

    THE ALBANIAN MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY, MINES, AND ENERGY, MINING

  • Commodity

    IN ALBANIA: AN EMERGING OPPORTUNITY, P. 70 (MAY 1992).

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 10-MAR-97 Bleiwas, Donald U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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

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