Khneifiss

Prospect in Syria with commodities Phosphorus-Phosphates, Fluorine-Fluorite, Uranium
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Host and associated rocks
  7. Nearby scientific data
  8. Geologic structures
  9. Ore body information
  10. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  11. Mining district
  12. Ownership information
  13. Reserves and resources
  14. Links to other databases
  15. Bibliographic references
  16. General comments
  17. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10024701
MRDS ID ISM0437
Record type Site
Current site name Khneifiss
Alternate or previous names South Mine, Central Mine, Al Abtar

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 38.00143, 34.16553 (WGS84)
Relative position CENTROID, ABOUT 5 KM

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Syria(country)

Geographic areas

Country
Syria

Comments on the location information

  • ABOUT 55 KM SSW FROM PALMYRA

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Phosphorus-Phosphates Primary
Fluorine-Fluorite Critical Primary
Uranium Primary

Comments on the commodity information

  • PHOSPHATE

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone
    Rock unit name Maestrichtian;Campanian;Campanian
    Rock description Maestrichtian;Campanian;Campanian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Chemical Sediment > Chert

Nearby scientific data

(1) 38.00143, 34.16553

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description E-W Fault, Sinistral

Ore body information

  • Depth to top 14M

Comments on the geologic information

  • ; APATITE (FRANCOLITE), CLAY MINERALS, CALCITE, SILICA; LATE CAMPANIAN-MAESTRICHTIAN SEQUENCE (FROM TOP TO BOTTOM): LIMESTONES, VARIEGATED, ARGILLITES AND GAIZES, WITH CHERT INTERCALATIONS AND MINOR PHOSPHORITE BEDS (0.15-1 M THICK), MAESTRICHTIAN; PHOSPHORITE (43.4-76.1 % BPL) AVERAGE THICKNESS 3.36 M, CONTAINING LIMESTONE, INCLUSIONS; LIMESTONES & CHERTS, AVERAGE THICKNESS 2.92 M; PHOSPHORITE (42.2-75.6 % BPL) THICKNESS UP TO 12 M, AVERAGE 3.92 M; CHERTS WITH MINOR INTERCALATIONS OF PHOSPHORITES AND LIMESTONE INCLUSIONS; 2 PHOSPHATE BEDS (OUT OF 5) ARE EXPLOITED

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Prospect
Commodity type Both
Significant No
Discovery year 1958
Year of first production 1971
Year of last production 1982

Mining district

District name Palmyra District

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner General Co. For Phosphate And Mines (Gecopham)

Comments on the production information

  • CAPACITY IN 1975 WAS 400,000 TONNES OF A 70 BPL MARKETABLE PRODUCT

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1975
    Total resources 204000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Phosphorus-Phosphates Bpl 62.9 wt-pct Phosphorus Major 1975

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • CLASSIFIED AS "TOTAL RESERVES" RR41: SOUTHERN DEPOSIT; RR42: NORTHERN DEPOSIT. TOTAL KHNEIFISS RESERVES AMOUNT TO ABOUT 18 MILLION TONNES. PORTION OF MINEABLE RESOURCES IS RELATIVELY SMALL. BREAKDOWN AFTER REPORTER'S OPINION: ABOUT 4 MILLION TONNES R1E; ABOUT 6 MILLION TONNES R1M; SOME 8 MILLION TONNES R2S
  • R1E1 REFERS TO SOUTH PORTION; R1E2 REFERS TO NORTH PORTION

Comments on development

  • NON-GEOLOGIC CONSTRAINTS ON DEVELOPMENT OR EXPANSION IN 1-5 YRS. (). DEVELOPMENT(UNKNOWN); EXPLORATION(YES); BENEFICIATION FLOWSHEET SHOWS FINAL PRODUCT OF +32 % P2O5 OF -2 MM SIZE, AND AN INTERMEDIATE PRODUCT CONTAINING 24 % P2O5 BEING STOCKPILED AT PRESENT. CONCENTRATE IS TRANSPORTED IN 35 TON TRUCKS TO TARTOUS. DEVELOPMENT OF MINE WITH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM ROMANIA. KHNEIFIS ROM- ORES CONTAIN 60.7 % BPL ON THE AVERAGE, ORES ARE RELATIVELY HIGH IN CHLORINE CONTENT. CHEMISTRY: 1) ORE: 52.4-63.3 % BPL, 24-29 % P2O5; 2) CONCENTRATE, SHIPMENTS 1974: 69.5-73.0 % BPL, 31.81-33.39 % P2O5, 51.28-51.8 % CAO; 3.14-3.99 % F, 0.21-0.24 % CL, 0.24-0.64 % AL2O3, 3.11-4.06 % SIO2, 4.83-7.79 % LOI. SOURCE OF INFO FOR 2): MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM & MINERAL RESOURCES, SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC, 1975: MINERAL EXPLORATION & DEVELOPMENT IN SYRIA. HUNTING GEOL.& GEOPH. LTD., REPORT ON CONSULTANCY

Reference information

Bibliographic references

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THIS RECORD WAS COMPILED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIC MINERALS INVENTORY. THE DATA WERE USED IN PREPARATION OF THE USGS CIRCULAR 930 SERIES OF REPORTS. MINERAL RESOURCE CATEGORIES AND CODES HEREIN ARE FROM THE INTERNATIONAL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM RECOMMENDED BY THE UNITED NATIONS GROUP OF EXPERTS ON DEFINITIONS AND TERMINOLOGY FOR MINERAL RESOURCES. (SEE NATIONAL RESOURCES FORUM, V. 4, NO. 3, P. 307-313.). SURFACE DRY SELECTIVE CRUSHING, AND SCREENING

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-DEC-1982 Krauss, Ulrich H. Bundesanstalt Fuer Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffee (Germany)

Beyond USGS

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