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Mogbwemo/Pejebu/Lanti/Gveni/Sembeh

Producer in Sierra Leone with commodities Titanium, Zirconium
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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. 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 10280308
MAS/MILS ID 7470150004
Record type Site
Current site name Mogbwemo/Pejebu/Lanti/Gveni/Sembeh
Alternate or previous names Belebu/Bamba, Mogbwemo, Lanti, Pejebu

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -12.6986, 8.25102 (WGS84)
Elevation 45
Location accuracy 10000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Sierra Leone(country)

Geographic areas

Country
Sierra Leone

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Titanium Critical Primary
Zirconium Critical Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Garnet Unknown
Ilmenite Unknown
Rutile Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -12.6986, 8.25102
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 6M
    Depth to top 0M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 SEDIMENTARY
    Shape of Orebody #1 LENTICULAR
    Primary mode of Origin SEDIMENTATION
    Primary Ore Control BEDDING
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Date of Last Modification 840731
  • Area 1588HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 1588
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1954
Mining method Dredging
Year of first production 1967
Milling method Gravity

Mining district

District name Moyamba/Bonthe

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Nord Resources Corp.
    Interest 50
    Home office California
    Year 1994
  • Type Unknown
    Owner Consolidated Rutile Ltd
    Interest 50
    Home office Australia
    Year 1994

Comments on the ownership information

  • SIERRA RUTILE IS OWNED BY THE HOLDING COMPANY SIERRA RUTILE HOLDING, WHICH IS OWNED 50/50 BY NORD RESOURCES AND CONSOLIDATED RUTILE LTD.

Production statistics

  • Year 1967
    Description Mt Of Ore Treated Per Year/ 1.6% F.G. 4500 Mt Ore Treated Per Year
  • Year 1971
    Description Mt Of Ore Treated Per Year/ 1.8% F.G. 1050000 Mt Ore Treated Per Year
  • Year 1980
    Description Mt Of Ore Treated Per Year 5149999 Mt Ore Treated Per Year
  • Year 1981
    Description Mt Of Ore Treated Per Year 4089999 Mt Ore Treated Per Year
  • Year 1991
    Description Ilmenite Production 60371 Mt Of Ilmenite
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Titanium Titanium 60371mt
  • Year 1991
    Description Rutile Production 154800 Mt Of Rutile
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Titanium Titanium 154800mt
  • Year 1992
    Description Zircon Production 1329 Mt Of Zircon
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Zirconium Zirconium 1329mt
  • Year 1992
    Description Ilmenite Production 60000 Mt Of Ilmenite
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Titanium Titanium 60000mt
  • Year 1992
    Description Rutile Production 149000 Mt Of Rutile
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Titanium Titanium 149000mt
  • Year 1993
    Description Rutile Production 150000 Mt Of Rutile
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Titanium Titanium 150000mt
  • Year 1993
    Description Ilmenite Production 64000 Mt Of Ilmenite
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Titanium Titanium 64000mt

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1982
    Indicated 187000000mt ore
    Demonstrated 187000000mt ore
    Total resources 187000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Titanium TiO2 1.6499 wt-pct Titanium Major 1982
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1990
    Demonstrated 239342000mt ore
    Total resources 239342000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Titanium TiO2 1.57 wt-pct Titanium Major 1990

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • WAS ORIGINALLY THE MOGBWEMO MINE, THEN THE BAMBA-BELEBU MINE. BOTH WERE DEPLETED AS OF 1990. THE PEJEBU DEPOSIT WAS MINED NEXT AND EXHAUSTED IN 3/92. THE TWO DREDGES WERE THEN MOVED TO THE LANTI DEPOSIT.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 1588HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method DREDGING
    Primary Material Cover SAND, SILT
    Hardness of Ore SAND, SILT
    Capacity 34560
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Operating Days per Year 250
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1990

Comments on other economic factors

  • MINING IN THE LANTI DEPOSIT IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE UNTIL 2006. THE SEMBEHUN AREA IS BEING INVESTIGATED FOR FUTURE MINING, RESERVES AND RESOURCES ARE ESTIMATED AT 555.72 MILLION MT GRADING 1.3% REC. RUTILE. PROVEN RESERVES TOTAL 225 MILLION MT AT 1.57% REC. RUTILE. *CONTINUATION OF THE EXPANSION PROGRAM HAS BEEN APPROVED. THE PROPOSED EXPANSION WILL REQUIRE AN INVESTMENT OF $72 MILLION OVER 5 YEARS (1994-1998) AND WILL INCREASE RUTILE PRODUCTION BY APPROX. 40,000 T TO 190,000 TPY, STARTING IN 1996. THIS WILL BE ACHIEVED BY THE CONSTRUCTION AND COMMISSIONING OF A SECOND DREDGE AND WET CONCENTRATOR, TOGETHER WITH THE NECESSARY SUPPORTING INFRASTRUCTURE. $55 MILLION WAS GENERATED INTERNALLY AND THE ADDITIONAL $22 MILLION WILL BE FUNDED BY A DEVELOPMENT BANKING FUND.
  • MINING CAPACITY IS BASED ON TWO DREDGES: ONE AT 1100MT/HR AND THE OTHER AT 500 MT/HR. TOTAL 1600 MT/HR *24 HR/DAY *.90 UTILISATION = 34560 MT/DAY.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Development

    *MINING MAGAZINE, MAR. 1994, V. 170 NO. 3, P. 178.

  • Development

    *MINING ANNUAL REVIEW. JULY 1993. "SIERRA LEONE."

  • Development

    *INDUSTRIAL MINERALS. FEB. 1994. NO. 317. P. 75.

  • Development

    "SIERRA RUTILE CONTINUES EXPANSION."

  • Ownership

    *MINING JOURNAL, LONDON, NOV. 26, 1993. V.321, NO. 9252,

  • Ownership

    P.374. "MARKET NEWS."

  • Production

    *MINING JOURNAL, LONDON. APRIL 29, 1994. V.322. NO.8273.

  • Production

    P.314. "SIERRA LEONE."

  • Production

    *INDUSTRIAL MINERALS. MARCH 1995. NO. 330. P. 18-19.

  • Production

    "REBELS ROUTED AS RUTILE MINE RECAPTURED."

  • Production

    *INDUSTRIAL MINERALS. APRIL 1995. NO. 331. P. 15.

  • Production

    "NO REPRIEVE FOR SRL."

  • Production

    *AMERICAN METAL MARKETS. APRIL 25, 1995. VOL. 103, NO. 79.

  • Production

    P.1. "SIERRA LEONE FORCES RETAKE NORD RUTILE MINE."

  • Reserve-Resource

    *NORD RESOURCES ANNUAL REPORT 1990, P. 5.

  • Deposit

    E&MJ. SIERRA LEONE'S RUTILE: DOWN BUT NOT DEAD. JUNE

  • Deposit

    1981, PP. 214-218.

  • Deposit

    INDUSTRIAL MINERALS. WORLD PRODUCERS OF TITANIUM

  • Deposit

    MINERALS. JANUARY 1968.

  • Deposit

    INDUSTRIAL MINERALS. SIERRA LEONE RUTILE PRODUCTION

  • Deposit

    BEGINS. JULY 1979, P. 14.

  • Deposit

    LYND, LANGTRY, AND STANLEY LEFOND. TITANIUM MINERALS.

  • Deposit

    1975. INDUSTRIAL MINERALS AND ROCKS. 4TH ED., PUBLISHED BY

  • Deposit

    AIME, 1975.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL. SHERBRO SUSPENDS OPERATIONS. APRIL 23,

  • Deposit

    1971, P. 311.

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE. SIERRA RUTILE. JUNE 1981, PP. 458-463.

  • Deposit

    SPENCER, R.V. AND F.R. WILLIAMS. THE DEVELOPMENT OF A

  • Deposit

    RUTILE MINING INDUSTRY IN SIERRA LEONE. EIGHTH COMMONWEALTH

  • Deposit

    MINING AND METALLURGICAL CONGRESS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND,

  • Deposit

    1965. PUBLISHED IN PUBLICATIONS - VOLUME 6: PROCEEDINGS -

  • Deposit

    GENERAL, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, 1967, PP. 1337-1341.

  • Deposit

    U.S. BUREAU OF MINES. THE MINERAL INDUSTRY OF SIERRA

  • Deposit

    LEONE. MINERALS YEARBOOK. 1976. P. 921

  • Deposit

    U.S. BUREAU OF MINES. TITANIUM MINERALS YEARBOOK. 1979,

  • Deposit

    P. 945.

  • Deposit

    WEST AFRICA. SIERRA RUTILE'S SECOND LOAD. FEBRUARY 11,

  • Deposit

    1980, P. 281.

  • Deposit

    *MINING JOURNAL, LONDON, APRIL 29, 1994. V. 322, NO. 8273,

  • Deposit

    P. 314. "SIERRA LEONE-RUTILE EXPANSION."

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT THE SIERRA LEONE TITANIUM (RUTILE) DEPOSITS ARE CONSIDERED THE RICHEST IN THE WORLD. HEADQUARTERS OF NORD RESOURCES IN CALIFORNIA WAS VISITED IN 1991

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 27-APR-95 Fantel, Richard J. / Kaiser, Robin C. 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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