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

Kara Tau Deposits

Producer in Kazakhstan 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. Mining district
  11. Mineral rights holdings
  12. Land status
  13. Ownership information
  14. Production statistics
  15. Reserves and resources
  16. Workings at the site
  17. Links to other databases
  18. Bibliographic references
  19. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10134223
MAS/MILS ID 4590000131
Record type Site
Current site name Kara Tau Deposits
Alternate or previous names Kara Tau Phosphate Basin, Karatau Group

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Town
Geographic coordinates: 70.50075, 43.14811 (WGS84)
Elevation 1500
Location accuracy 5000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Kazakhstan(country)

Geographic areas

Country
Kazakhstan

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Phosphorus-Phosphates Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Apatite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Town (1) 70.50075, 43.14811
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N45W
    Dip 85N
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 SEDIMENTARY
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin UNKNOWN
    Primary Ore Control BEDDING
    Strike And Dip N45W:85N
    Date of Last Modification 910708

Comments on the geologic information

  • THE ORE BEDS FOLLOW THE AXIS OF THE LESSER KARA TAU FOLD ZONE. THE DIP OF THE BEDS IS STEEP (APP. 85 DEG.), BUT DIP DIRECTION IS UNKNOWN. THE PHOSPHATIC INTERVAL IN THE KARA TAU PHOSPHATE BASIN, WHICH IS 50-100M THICK, COMPRISES THE CHULAK TAU SUITE. THIS OVERLIES A DOLOMITE-SILICEOUS SEQUENCE. MORE THAN 75% OF THE TOTAL RESOURCES IN THE REGION ARE CONTAINED IN THE FIVE DEFINED DEPOSITS IN THE KARA TAU.
  • THE ORIGIN OF THE DEPOSIT WAS PROBABLY A MARINE STRAIT 100- 150KM WIDE EXTENDING IN A GENERAL NW-SE DIRECTION. FAULTING AND FOLDING OCCUR EXTENSIVELY AND HAVE GIVEN RISE TO CONSIDERABLE REPETITION OF OUTCROPS.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface-Underground
Development status Producer
Commodity type Non-metallic
Significant No
Discovery year 1936
Mining method Open Pit
Year of first production 1942
Milling method Sizing

Mining district

District name Kara Tau Basin

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Minerals Only
Type of mineral rights Other

Land status

Ownership category Unknown

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Government Of Kazakhstan
    Interest 100
    Home office Kazakhstan
    Year 1992

Production statistics

  • Year 1980
    Description Phosphate Ore Input 23%; Output Is 28% 12000000 Mt Ore/Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Phosphorus-Phosphates Phosphorus 1200000mt 25wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • FROM THE KARA TAU REGION, THE PHOSPHATE ROCK PRODUCT IS TRANSPORTED VIA RAIL TO VARIOUS REFINERIES, DEPENDING ON THE GRADE OF THE CONCENTRATE. LOWER GRADE ORE IS TRANSPORTED TO THE ELECTRIC FURNACES AT DZHAMBUL AND CHIMKENT FOR PHOSPHOROUS PRODUCTION. HIGHER GRADE ROCK IS USED MAINLY IN THE CENTRAL ASIAN FERTILIZER PLANTS AT ALMAYK, CHARDZHOU, AND SAMARKAND.
  • ORIGINALLY, THE KARA TAU DEPOSITS WERE EXPLOITED FOR DIRECT APPLICATION PHOSPHATES. SINCE 1964, LARGER SCALE OPERATIONS WERE UNDERTAKEN TO EXPAND FERTILIZER PRODUCTION IN THE USSR. HOWEVER, DUE TO THEIR REMOTE LOCATIONS, THE EXPECTED PRODUCTION FROM THE MINES HAS NOT BEEN MET. ADDITIONALLY, TECHNICAL PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH BENE- FICIATION HAVE ALSO BEEN INCURRED, DUE TO HIGH SILICA CONTENT.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1987
    Inferred 8000000000mt ore
    Total resources 8000000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Phosphorus-Phosphates P2O5 21 wt-pct Phosphorus Major 1987
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1977
    Measured 264000000mt ore
    Indicated 272000000mt ore
    Demonstrated 536000000mt ore
    Inferred 264000000mt ore
    Total resources 1440000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Phosphorus-Phosphates P2O5 23 wt-pct Phosphorus Major 1977

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Capacity 21818
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Operating Days per Year 330
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1985
  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 431M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method SUBLEVEL CAVING 10-75
    Number of Shafts 2
    Capacity 8485
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Operating Days per Year 330
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1985

Comments on other economic factors

  • THE CAPACITY OF EACH SURFACE OPERATION IS AS FOLLOWS: AK SAY (SURF/UNDG) 1 MIL MT ORE/YR TJE SAY 1 MIL MT ORE/YR DZHANATAS 4-5 MIL MT ORE/YR KOK DZHON 1 MIL MT ORE/YR THE LARGEST MINE IN THE KARA TAU REGION IS DZHNANATAS
  • THE CAPACITY OF EACH UNDERGROUND MINE IS AS FOLLOWS: MOLODEZNIY (CHULAK TAU) 2-3 MIL MT ORE/YR. AK SAY(SURF/UNDG) 1 MIL MT ORE/YR.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    BRITISH SULPHUR CORPORATION, WORLD SURVEY OF PHOSPHATE

  • Deposit

    DEPOSITS, FIFTH ED., 1987, PP. 224, 237-239.

  • Deposit

    E & MJ, SOVIET BUREAUCRATS SQUABBLE OVER USE OF

  • Deposit

    PHOSPHATE ROCK, APRIL 1980.

  • Deposit

    E & MJ, RUSSIAN MINING SECTO PROBLEMS NEGLECTED BY

  • Deposit

    BUREAUCRATS(PRAVDA), DECEMBER 1980, P. 13.

  • Deposit

    ISMA, NEWS ITEM REGARDING PHOSPHATES AT OKTYNBINSK, USSR,

  • Deposit

    1981

  • Deposit

    MINING ANNUAL REVIEW, EASTERN EUROPE PHOSPHATE, 1981,

  • Deposit

    PP. 590-591

  • Deposit

    OFFICIAL STANDARD NAMES, U.S.S.R., VOL. II, C-J, UNITED

  • Deposit

    STATES BOARD ON GEOGRAPHIC NAMES. PAGE 329.

  • Reserve-Resource

    STRISHKOV, E.M., 1977, MINERAL INDUSTRIES OF THE USSR,

  • Reserve-Resource

    BUREAU OF MINES, US DEPT. OF INTERIOR, PUBLICATION MP-2,

  • Reserve-Resource

    19PP.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 06-JAN-1995 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