1. Mineral Resources
  2. Online Spatial Data
  3. Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS)

Minjingu

Producer in Arusha, Tanzania with commodity Phosphorus-Phosphates
Map
XML
JSON
KML
B
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. Ownership information
  11. Production statistics
  12. Reserves and resources
  13. Workings at the site
  14. Links to other databases
  15. Bibliographic references
  16. General comments
  17. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10280588
MAS/MILS ID 7830050005
Record type Site
Current site name Minjingu

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 35.78451, -3.66479 (WGS84)
Elevation 1000

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Arusha(province)

Tanzania(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Tanzania Arusha

Comments on the location information

  • THE LOCATION OF THE MINE IS APPROXIMATE; THE LAT/LON IS THAT OF A NEARBY TOWN LOCATED EAST OF LAKE MANYARA.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Phosphorus-Phosphates Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Apatite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 35.78451, -3.66479
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 2M
    Length 200M
    Width 200M
    Area 45HA
    Depth to top 5M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 SEDIMENTARY
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin SEDIMENTATION
    Primary Ore Control BEDDING
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Total Surface Area (HA) 45
    Date of Last Modification 910626

Comments on the geologic information

  • THE DEPOSIT IS COMPRISED OF TWO TYPES OF PHOSPHATE; "HARD" AND "SOFT" ORE. THE SOFT PHOSPHATE IS CONCENTRATED ON THE NORTHERN SLOPES OF MINJINGU HILL, WHILE THE HARD ORE OCCURS ON THE SOUTHERN SLOPES OF THE HILL. THE THREE ORE BEDS ARE INTERBEDDED WITH LIGHT GREENISH CLAY AND OCCUR TO DEPTHS OF 15-20M. THE AVERAGE THICKNESS OF THE FIRST ORE BED IS 2.5M WITH AN AVERAGE P2O5 GRADE OF 23%; THAT OF THE SECOND BED IS 1.5M WITH AN AVERAGE GRADE OF 24.6%; THE TICKNESS OF THE THIRD IS 1.2M WITH AN AVERAGE GRADE OF 24.5%. AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF THE HILL, THE PHOSPHATE BEDS OUTCROP IN A MASSIVE ZONE.
  • THE PHOSPHATE IS IN THE FORM OF APATITE

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Producer
Commodity type Non-metallic
Significant No
Discovery year 1956
Mining method Open Pit
Year of first production 1983
Milling method Flotation

Comments on exploration

  • THE MINJINGU DEPOSIT WAS DISCOVERED BY CHANCE DURING AN AREAL GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY IN 1956, WHICH REVEALED A RADIOACTIVE ANOMOLY OVER MINJINGU KOPJE, A SMALL HILL EAST OF LAKE MANYARA.

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Kone Corp.
    Home office Finland
    Year 1985
  • Type Owner
    Owner Tanzania State Mining Co.
    Home office Tanzania
    Year 1985

Production statistics

  • Year 1985
    Description 14536 Mt Of Conc Produced
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Phosphorus-Phosphates Phosphorus 14536mt
  • Year 1985
    Description 21039 Mt Ore Mined
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Phosphorus-Phosphates Phosphorus 21039mt

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1984
    Indicated 10000000mt ore
    Demonstrated 10000000mt ore
    Total resources 10000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Phosphorus-Phosphates P2O5 18.5 wt-pct Phosphorus Major 1984

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • ORE RESERVES WERE PROVED IN 1959 AND ARE ESTIMATED TO BE 10 MIL MT AT 20% P2O5 (MINABLE ORE WITHIN 60M OF THE SURFACE).

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 45HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Percent Waste Rock 60
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 5
    Primary Material Cover SAND, GRAVEL
    Hardness of Ore SAND, GRAVEL
    Capacity 500
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Operating Days per Year 330
    Operating Shifts per Day 1
    Year of Information 1985

Comments on other economic factors

  • THREE ORE BEDS IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE DEPOSIT CONTAIN RESERVES OF 1.4 MIL MT AT 24.6% P2O5.
  • TWO TYPES OF ORE ARE MINED AT MINJINGU; TYPES "A" AND "B". TYPE "A" IS FOUND IN A MASSIVE ZONE, VARTING FROM HARD, COMPACT ORE TO SOFT FRIABLE ORE. TYPE "B" ORE IS FOUND THE OUTER BEDS UP TO 5M THICK, INTERBEDDED WITH CLAY. THIS ORE IS SOFT AND FINE-GRAINED SELECTIVE MINING IS THE KEY TO THE VIABILITY OF THE MINE, DUE TO THE DIFFICULTY IN SEPARATING THE CLAY FROM THE APATITE ORE.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Reserve-Resource

    BRITISH SULPHUR CORP., WORLD SURVEY OF PHOSPHATE DEPOSITS,

  • Reserve-Resource

    FIFTH ED., 1987, PP132-133.

  • Deposit

    "MINJINGU PHOSPHATE MINE AND MILL", INTERNATIONAL MINING,

  • Deposit

    NOV. 1984, PP. 28-30

  • Deposit

    MINING ANNUAL REVEIW, 1985, P.440.

  • Deposit

    INTERNATIONAL MINING, AUG. 1987, P. 96.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit MINJINGU WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE 1985 MAP. AS SUCH, THE ONLY SOURCES FOR THE INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THIS LISTING WERE PUBLISHED ARTICLES AND REFERENCE RESOURCES.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 02-OCT-1992 Fantel, Richard J. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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

Maps centered on this site