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Esparza Pamplona

Plant in Navarra, Spain with commodity Potassium
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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. Mining district
  11. Mineral rights holdings
  12. Land status
  13. Ownership information
  14. Production statistics
  15. Workings at the site
  16. Links to other databases
  17. Bibliographic references
  18. General comments
  19. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10231280
MAS/MILS ID 4690610001
Record type Site
Current site name Esparza Pamplona
Alternate or previous names Esparza

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -1.68135, 42.74911 (WGS84)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Navarra(province)

Spain(country)

Europe(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Spain Navarra

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Potassium Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Anhydrite Unknown
Carnallite Unknown
Halite Unknown
Sylvanite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -1.68135, 42.74911
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 3.5M
    Area 450HA
    Depth to top 500M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 SEDIMENTARY
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin EVAPORATION
    Primary Ore Control BEDDING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. NONE
    Total Surface Area (HA) 450
    Date of Last Modification 910927

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Plant
Commodity type Non-metallic
Significant No
Discovery year 1927
Mining method Caving Methods - Longwall Caving
Year of first production 1963
Plant type Beneficiation (Mill)
Plant subcategory Flotation
Milling method Flotation

Mining district

District name Navarra

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Minerals Only

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Potasa De Navarra Sa (Subsidiary Of Ini)
    Interest 100
    Home office Spain
    Year 1982

Production statistics

  • Year 1967
    Description Concentrate Production 229000 Mt K20 From Sylvinite
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Potassium Potassium 229000mt
  • Year 1971
    Description Concentrate Production 21000 Mt K20 From Carnallite
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Potassium Potassium 21000mt
  • Year 1971
    Description Concentrate Production 171000 Mt K20 From Sylvinite
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Potassium Potassium 171000mt
  • Year 1977
    Description Concentrate Production 22000 Mt K20 From Carnallite
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Potassium Potassium 22000mt
  • Year 1977
    Description Concentrate Production 200000 Mt K20 From Sylvinite
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Potassium Potassium 200000mt
  • Year 1982
    Description Concentrate Production 193000 Mt K20 From Sylvinite
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Potassium Potassium 193000mt

Comments on the production information

  • FIRST PRODUCTION AT ESPARZA OCCURRED IN 1963, MAKING IT THE FIRST POTASH MINE IN THE NAVARRA REGION, ALTHOUGH POTASH RESERVES WERE CONFIRMED IN 1927. MINING AND PROCESSING WAS BASED SOLELY ON SYLVINITE UNTIL 1970, AT WHICH TIME CARNALLITE MINING AND REFINING WAS INITIATED. THIS WAS ULTIMATELY TERMINATED IN 1977.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • ESTIMATED INSITU ORE RESOURCES USED IN THE 1984 PROPERTY ECONOMIC ANALYSIS. DATA BASED ON THE DEPOSIT REPORT SUPPLIED BY THE CONTRACTOR.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 600M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method LONGWALL CAVING 10-108
    Percent Recovery 75
    Hardness of Rock SOFT SEMIPLASTIC WITH LITTLE WATER
    Rock Characteristics SEMIPLASTIC OR PLASTIC
    Rock Support Chars. SUPPORTING WHEN DRY
    Mine Support Chars. POST, HEADBOARD, CAPS, ROOF BOLTS
    Number of Shafts 3
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    Capacity 8640
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Operating Days per Year 250
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1982

Comments on the workings information

  • THE PRINCIPAL INCLINED SHAFT FOR ORE EXTRACTION IS NEAR THE VILLAGE OF ESPARZA AND OTHER SHAFTS ARE LOCATED AT BERIAIN AND GUENDOLAIN. THE MAXIMUM SLOPE ENCOUNTERED IN THE SHAFTS IS ABOUT 15 DEG.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    BRITISH SULPHUR,"WORLD SURVEY OF POTASH RESOURCES,".THIRD

  • Deposit

    EDITION, 1979

  • Deposit

    BRITISH SULPHUR,"SPAIN: POTASH EXPORTS CONTINUE TO RISE",

  • Deposit

    P&K NO. 125.

  • Deposit

    RIOS, J.M.,"SALINE DEPOSITS OF SPAIN", GEOL. SOC. OF AMER

  • Deposit

    SPECIAL PAPER 88, 1968.

  • Deposit

    ANON.,"SPAIN: SOLVAY SELLS CONTROL OF POTASH PRODUCER",

  • Deposit

    INDUSTRIAL MINERALS, FEB. 1983.

  • Deposit

    ANON.,"PROTEST AT POTASH MINES...", EUR. CHEM. NEWS, MAR.

  • Deposit

    1981.

  • Deposit

    ANON.,"SPANISH POTASH- PROBLEMS FOR NAVARRA", INDUSTRIAL

  • Deposit

    MINERALS, FEB. 1981.

  • Deposit

    ANON.,"POTASAS DE NAVARRA LIFTS SALES", EUR. CHEM. NEWS,

  • Deposit

    JUNE 1981.

  • Deposit

    ANON., UNTITLED, P&K NO. 103, 1979.

  • Deposit

    BOLETIN DE ESTADISTICA, NO. 437, SEP.-OCT. 1982, EXCERPTS

  • Deposit

    "SALARIOS".

  • Deposit

    ANON.,"MONOGRAFIAS DE SUSTANCIAS MINERALES- SALES

  • Deposit

    POTASICAS", INSTITUTO GEOLOGICO Y MINERO DE ESPANA, 1977.

  • Deposit

    ESTADISTICA MINERA DE ESPANA, 1979, EXCERPT:"EXTRACCION

  • Deposit

    DE MINERALES NO METALICOS", 1980.

  • Deposit

    ESTADISTICA MINERA DE ESPANA, 1980, EXCERPT:"EXTRACCION

  • Deposit

    DE MINERALES NO METALICOS", 1981.

  • Deposit

    ESTADISTICA MINERA DE ESPANA, 1981, EXCERPT:"EXTRACCION

  • Deposit

    DE MINERALES NO METALICOS", 1982.

  • Deposit

    USBM MINERALS YEARBOOK 1975, EXCERPT:"SPAIN- NONMETALS:

  • Deposit

    FERTILIZER MATERIALS".

  • Deposit

    ANON., UNTITLED, INDUSTRIAL MINERALS, MAY 1982.

  • Deposit

    MOYA, JOSE,"LA INDUSTRIA ESPANOLA DE LA POTASA", 1983

  • Deposit

    (SPANISH VERSION OF REF.1, PUBLISHED ELSEWHERE

  • Deposit

    ANON.,"RESTRUCTURING OF ERT WILL BE..." GREEN MARKETS,

  • Deposit

    NOVEMBER 14, 1983.

  • Deposit

    ANON., UNTITLED, FERTILIZER INTERNATIONAL NO. 172.

  • Deposit

    STOUT, K.S.,"MINING METHODS AND EQUIPMENT", MCGRAW-HILL,

  • Deposit

    NY, 1980.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit DUE TO WORLDWIDE POTASH PRICE SLUMPS , FISCAL PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY POTASAS DE NAVARRA, AND THE FACT THAT RESERV- ES ARE NEAR EXHAUSTION, THE MINE OPERATION WAS TO CLOSE EARLY IN 1981. HOWEVER, DUE TO LABOR AND GOVERNMENT PRESSURE THE OPERATION REMAINS ACTIVE WHILE INTENSIVE EXPLORATION ACTIVITIES ARE CARRIED OUT. THEREFORE IT IS LIKELY THAT NEW- LY IDENTIFIED RESERVES WILL BE EXPLOITED IMMEDIATELY. AT PRESENT, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT ADAQUATE RESERVES ARE DEMONSTRATED TO SUSTAIN OPERATIONS THROUGH 1984. LAST YEAR OF PRODUCTION ON ETD WAS 1984

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 03-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.

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