Fontsante Mine

Past Producer in France with commodity Fluorine-Fluorite
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. Mineral rights holdings
  11. Ownership information
  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 10134279
MAS/MILS ID 4270850001
Record type Site
Current site name Fontsante Mine
Alternate or previous names Fontsante

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Main Entrance
Geographic coordinates: 6.40199, 43.78224 (WGS84)
Elevation 246
Location accuracy 10000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

France(country)

Europe(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country
France

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Fluorine-Fluorite Critical Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Fluorite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Main Entrance (1) 6.40199, 43.78224

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 125M
    Length 300M
    Width 2.5M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 FISSURE VEIN
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Primary Ore Control FRACTURING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. INTENSE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 SERICITIC
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Date of Last Modification 850801

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Non-metallic
Significant No
Mining method Shrinkage Methods
Year of first production 1946
Milling method Flotation

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Unknown

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Secme
    Interest 100
    Home office France
    Year 1982

Comments on the production information

  • THE CONTRACTOR ESTIMATED PAST PRODUCTION OF 57,000 MT/YR FOR THE YEARS 1968 AND 1969, WITH PRODUCTION OF 115,000 MT/YR FROM 1971 TO 1982.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1982
    Indicated 612299mt ore
    Demonstrated 612299mt ore
    Total resources 612299mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Fluorine-Fluorite CaF2 40 wt-pct Fluorine Major 1982

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • RESERVE ESTIMATED BY SECME MINE MANAGEMENT.
  • ACID GRADE FLUORSPAR. DEPLETED AND CLOSED MID-1987 (IM 6/88).

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method SHRINKAGE METHODS
    Percent Waste Rock 9
    Percent Recovery 90
    Hardness of Rock HARDROCK WITH LITTLE WATER
    Rock Characteristics UNKNOWN
    Rock Support Chars. UNKNOWN
    Mine Support Chars. POST, HEADBOARD, CAPS, ROOF BOLTS
    1st Condition of Workings UNKNOWN
    Capacity 460
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 18.88
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 250
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1982

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    INDUSTRIAL MINERALS. APRIL 1993. NO. 307. P.47.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit DATA CONTAINED IN THIS FILE WAS COLLECTED BY DAMES & MOORE UNDER U.S. BUREAU OF MINES CONTRACT #JO225010 IN 1983. THE FONTSANTE MINE IS FAMOUS AS BEING A SOURCE OF CELLAITE (MGF2) PARTICULARLY IN THE FILON BLAC VEIN CENTRAL TO ABOUT 10 VEINS IN THE COMPLEX. THE CONTRACTOR STATES TO HIS KNOWLEDGE NO PREMIUM IS PAID FOR THE CELLAITE (MGF2), BUT THAT ITS INCLUSION APPEARS TO AID IN THE MARKETABILITY OF THE ACID GRADE SPAR. THE CELLAITE IS CONSIDERED A BONUS.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 27-DEC-94 Kilgore, Catherine C. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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