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Northern Pennine Fluorspar Ore Field

Producer in Durham, United Kingdom with commodities Fluorine-Fluorite, Lead, Barium-Barite, Quartz
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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. Controls for ore emplacement
  11. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  12. Mining district
  13. Ownership information
  14. Reserves and resources
  15. Links to other databases
  16. Bibliographic references
  17. General comments
  18. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10069448
MRDS ID W006983
Record type Site
Current site name Northern Pennine Fluorspar Ore Field

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -2.18085, 54.73233 (WGS84)
Relative position MOST MINES ARE IN WEST DURHAM NEAR ST. JOHNS CHAPEL, HUNSTANWORTH AND ROOKHOPE OR IN WEST YORKSHIRE (GREENHOW HILL AND GRASSINGTON MOOR DISTRICTS) WEST OF PATELEY BRIDGE

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Durham(province)

United Kingdom(country)

Europe(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
United Kingdom Durham
United Kingdom Northumberland
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
United Kingdom

Comments on the location information

  • LAT. AND LONG. ARE FOR ST. JOHNS CHAPEL. DURHAM AREA MINES INCLUDE BLACKDENE, GROVERAKE, RED BURN, SIKEHEAD, WEST WHITEHEAPS; ALL IN WEST DURHAM. ALSO, ALLENHEADS MINE IN SOUTH NORTHUMBERLAND AND TWO DISTRICTS IN WEST YORKSHIRE: GREENHOW HILL AND GRASSINGTON MOORE.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Fluorine-Fluorite Critical Primary
Lead Secondary
Barium-Barite Critical Tertiary
Quartz Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • THE ROOKHOPE BOREHOLE DRILLED IN 1960 - 61 UNCOVERED A REPLACEMENT DEPOSIT OF 32% CAF2 BETWEEN 210 - 215 M.

Analytical data

Result WEST DURHAM AREA: CAF2 - 60%, PBS - 2%. WEST YORKSHIRE AREA: CAF2 - 35%, BASO4 - 12 TO 15%, PBS 1 TO 2%

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite
    Rock unit name Whinn Sill (Intrusive Quartz-Dolerite)
    Rock description Whinn Sill (Intrusive Quartz-Dolerite)
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pennsylvanian
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Mississippian
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pennsylvanian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Sandstone
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone
    Rock unit name Yoredale Facies-L.S., S.S., Shales;Millstone Grit-Marine Mudstone & Shale, Thin L.S. Beds
    Rock description Yoredale Facies-L.S., S.S., Shales;Millstone Grit-Marine Mudstone & Shale, Thin L.S. Beds

Nearby scientific data

(1) -2.18085, 54.73233
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure description Joints And Faults Trending Ene, Nnw, Wnw

Ore body information

  • General form PINCH AND SWELL (VEINS)
  • General form PINCH AND SWELL (VEINS)

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Joint And Fault Control

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Both
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Year of first production 1897

Mining district

District name Northern Pennine District

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner British Steel Corp.
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Weardale Lead Co. And Weardale Mining Co. - Red Burn And Greenhow

Comments on the production information

  • ITEMS 1, 2 - RED BURN MINE. ITEMS 3 TO 10 - BRITISH STEEL CORP. MINES. TOTAL ANNUAL BSC. OUTPUT IN 1970 WAS 38,600 MET. TONS FLUORSPAR. SMALL OPERATORS PRODUCE ABOUT 2030 MET. TONS ANNUALLY. MOST OF THE DISTRICT'S MINES WERE ORIGINALLY LEAD MINES, THE TAILINGS OF WHICH ARE STILL BEING REWORKED FOR FLUORSPAR.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1970
    Total resources 4000000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Fluorine-Fluorite CaF2 60 wt-pct Fluorine Major 1970

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • ORE CONTAINS 2% PBS

Comments on the workings information

  • MOST OF THE DEPOSITS ARE FISSURE FILLINGS ON THE RED VEIN WHICH IS 11 KM LONG, UP TO 10 M. WIDE WITH DISCONTINUOUS LENSES OF ORE. THE ROOKHOPE BOREHOLE UNCOVERED A REPLACEMENT DEPOSIT BETWEEN 210 AND 215 M. THE WHITHEAPS AND GROVERAKE MINES HAVE SHAFTS 183 M. DEEP.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    BLUNDEN, J., 1975, THE MINERAL RESOURCES OF BRITAIN: HUTCHINSON & CO. LTD., LONDON, P. 241 - 260

  • Deposit

    NOTHOLT, A.J.G. AND HIGHLEY, D.E., 1971, FLUORSPAR: INST. GEOL. SCIENCES, MINERAL RESOURCES CONSULTATIVE COMM., MINERAL DOSSIER NO. 1, 31 P.

  • Production

    BLUNDEN, J., 1975, THE MINERAL RESOURCES OF BRITAIN

  • Reserve-Resource

    NOTHOLT, A.J.G., HIGHLEY, D.E., 1971, FLUORSPAR

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit First Production Year: ALLENHEADS - WWI, WEST WHITEHEAPS - 1924, GROVERAKE - 1897, BLACKDENE - 1952 WITH LEAD MINED MUCH EARLIER IN ALL MINES

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JUL-1975 Schruben, Paul G. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

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