Metlaoui

Producer in Tunisia with commodities Aluminum, Calcium, Chlorine, 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. Mineral rights holdings
  12. Ownership information
  13. Reserves and resources
  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 10207399
MAS/MILS ID 7230300001
Record type Site
Current site name Metlaoui

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 8.41843, 34.31594 (WGS84)
Elevation 535
Location accuracy 1000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Tunisia(country)

Geographic areas

Country
Tunisia

Commodities

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

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Apatite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 8.41843, 34.31594

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Dip 20S
    Thickness 4.5M
    Area 2716HA
    Depth to top 200M
    Field Value
    Type of Orebody #1 SEDIMENTARY
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin SEDIMENTATION
    Primary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 UNKNOWN
    Strike And Dip :20S
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 10
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Total Surface Area (HA) 2716
    Date of Last Modification 830328

Comments on the geologic information

  • MINERAL NAME IS FLUORAPATITE.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Producer
Commodity type Both
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1899
Mining method Open Stope - Room and Pillar
Year of first production 1899
Milling method Washing

Mining district

District name Gafsa Basin

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Unknown

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Cie Des Phosphates De Gafsa (Government)
    Interest 100
    Home office Tunisia
    Year 1981

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1985
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Phosphorus-Phosphates P 18 wt-pct Phosphorus Major 1985

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 100M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method ROOM AND PILLAR 10-34
    Percent Recovery 60
    Hardness of Rock SOFT NONPLASTIC WITH LITTLE WATER
    Rock Characteristics UNKNOWN
    Rock Support Chars. OTHER
    Mine Support Chars. OTHER
    Number of Shafts 5
    Number of Adits 1
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    Capacity 2364
    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

    INDUSTRIAL MINERALS, JULY 1986, PP.20-27.

  • Deposit

    AMERICAN EMBASSY TUNISIA, INDUSTRIAL OUTLOOK REPORT, 6/9/80.

  • Deposit

    BOYCE, R.L., THE TUNISIAN PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY: TRIP REPORT

  • Deposit

    MARCH 21, 1980

  • Deposit

    BRITISH SULPHUR CORP. LTD., WORLD SURVEY OF PHOSPHATE

  • Deposit

    DEPOSITS, FOURTH EDITION, 1980

  • Deposit

    CAPE, J.J., DEPOSIT EVALUATION, 1981

  • Deposit

    COMPANIE DES PHOSPHATES DE GAFSA, FIVE YEAR PLAN, TABLES FOR

  • Deposit

    YEARS 1978 THROUGH 1984

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

    DEPOSITS AND TECHNOLOGY AND ECONOMICS OF URANIUM

  • Deposit

    RECOVERY FROM PHOSPHATE RESOURCES, UNITED STATES AND

  • Deposit

    FREE WORLD, VOL. 1, JUNE 1979

  • Deposit

    INTERNATIONAL GEOLOGICAL CONGRESS, 14TH, LES RESERVES

  • Deposit

    MONDIALES EN PHOSPHATES, 2 VOLUMES, 1926

  • Deposit

    KHAMMOUMA, S., LETTER TO W.F. STOWASSER, JULY 16, 1979

  • Deposit

    LEWIS, ROBERT S., ELEMENTS OF MINING, NEW YORK: JOHN WILEY

  • Deposit

    AND SONS, INC., 1950

  • Deposit

    SRI INTERNATIONAL, CHEMICAL ECONOMICS HANDBOOK, PHOSPHATE

  • Deposit

    ROCK, MARCH 1980

  • Deposit

    STOWASSER, W.F., FIELD TRIP REPORT--TUNISIAN PHOSPHATE ROCK

  • Deposit

    MINING INDUSTRY, NOV. 24, 1976

  • Deposit

    STOWASSER, W.F., MEMORANDUM: FIELD TRIP TO PHOSPHATE

  • Deposit

    PRODUCING MINES IN TUNISIA, DEC. 18, 1979

  • Deposit

    TUNISIA BANKS ON NEW TECHNOLOGY ... P205 PRODUCTION GOALS

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, SEPT. 1980.

  • Deposit

    TUNISIA ... PLANT TO DOUBLE PHOSPHATE PRODUCTION ...,

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, MAY 1976.

  • Deposit

    U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. MRDS, MINERAL RESOURCE DATA SYSTEM.

  • Deposit

    U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. MAS, MINERALS AVAILABILITY SYSTEM.

  • Deposit

    SAINFELD, PAUL. THE LEAD-ZINC BEARING DEPOSITS OF TUNISIA.

  • Deposit

    ECONOMIC GEOLOGY. 1956. PP. 150-177.

Comments on the references

  • SHELDRICK, W.F. AND HARALD STIER, WORLD PHOSPHATE SURVEY BACKGROUND PAPERS, 1979.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit CAPACITY REPORTED AT 495,000 MT/YR.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 20-MAY-97 Fantel, Richard J. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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