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  3. Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS)

Befandriana

Past Producer in Madagascar with commodity Chromium
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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. 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 10256316
MAS/MILS ID 7880150003
Record type Site
Current site name Befandriana
Alternate or previous names Zafindravoay

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Claim
Geographic coordinates: 48.16776, -16.49702 (WGS84)
Elevation 914
Location accuracy 5000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Madagascar(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country
Madagascar

Comments on the location information

  • ZAFINDRAVOAY DEPOSIT LOCATED 22KM SSW OF TOWN OF BEFANDRIANA

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Chromium Critical Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chromite Unknown
Pyroxene Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Claim (1) 48.16776, -16.49702
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 50M
    Depth to top 20M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 OTHER
    Shape of Orebody #1 LENTICULAR
    Primary mode of Origin MAGMATIC DIFFER
    Primary Ore Control IGNEOUS
    Secondary Ore Control FAULTING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. INTENSE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 OTHER
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 2
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Date of Last Modification 830718

Comments on the geologic information

  • GEOLOGIC INFORMATION ON THE PRESENT OCCURRENCES BEING MINED IN THE ZAFINDRAVOAY-BEFANDRIANA AREA IS SCARCE. 1981 OPERATIONS CONSISTED OF TWO OPEN PITS-ONE 20 METERS DEEP AND THE OTHER 30 METERS DEEP-WITHIN 3 KM OF ONE ANOTHER. DEPTH (WIDTH? THICKNESS?) OF ORE BODIES BEING MINED ARE SAID TO BE 50 METERS. AN EARLY DESCRIPTION (1962) WAS OF BLOCKS OF CHROMITE FLOAT OCCURRING OVER A 1000 X 250 METER AREA WITH SMALL LENSES OF CHROMITE OUTCROPPING. CHROMITE BODIES CONTAINED WITHIN PYROXENITES.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant No
Discovery year 1970
Year of first production 1975
Milling method Sizing

Mining district

District name Befandria

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Kraomita Malagasy
    Home office Malagasy Rep.
    Year 1981
  • Type Owner
    Owner Government Of Malagasy Rep.
    Interest 100
    Home office Malagasy Rep.
    Year 1981

Production statistics

  • Year 1980
    Description Chromite Output-Conc. Out 32.3%; Input-30.6% 50000 Mt Ore/Yr
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Chromium Chromium 50000mt 32wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • AVAILABLE SOURCES OF INFORMATION GIVE CONFLICTING DATA ON PRODUCTS. INFORMATION FROM COMPANY OFFICIALS INDICATES THAT 30% OF PRODUCTION IS +5 MM FRIABLE ROM, AND 70% IS WASHED FINES. TEX REPORT CLAIMS THAT AT LEAST SOME OF PRODUCTION IS LUMP ORE.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • REPORTED COMPANY RESRVE(Q-MAT 1 TONNAGE) WOULD ONLY LAST ABOUT 2 YEARS INTO 1983 AT REPORTED 1981 CAPACITY. BECAUSE OF THIS, THE PROPERTY WAS NOT ANALYZED FOR OVERALL AVAILABILITY OF CHROMITE.
  • WAS ANALYZED IN ORIGINAL AVAIL. STUDY BUT EXCLUDED IN UPDATED STUDY DUE TO LIKELY EXHAUSTION OF RESERVES (OPERATION WAS SHUT DOWN IN 1982).

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method STRIP-HILLSIDE
    Percent Waste Rock 71.4
    Hardness of Ore M-HARD ROCKS
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 5
    Capacity 250
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 15.5
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 200
    Operating Shifts per Day 1
    Year of Information 1981

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING YEARBOOK. 1977. PP. 151-152.

  • Deposit

    THE TEX REPORT. "CHROME MINES IN MADAGASCAR." TOKYO. 1978.

  • Deposit

    PP. 108-109.

  • Deposit

    PERSONAL COMMUNICATION WITH MINE OFFICIALS. AUGUST 1981.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 14-DEC-94 Eastern Field Operations Center (EFOC) 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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