Kam

Producer in Tropoje, Albania with commodity Chromium
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. Workings at the site
  16. Links to other databases
  17. Bibliographic references
  18. General comments
  19. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10157954
MAS/MILS ID 4810510002
Record type Site
Current site name Kam
Alternate or previous names Lejthize, Kepenek, Zogaj, Rragasm, Kamit, Lajtheza

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 20.23515, 42.24875 (WGS84)
Elevation 800

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Tropoje(province)

Albania(country)

Federal lands

Federal(land status)

Geographic areas

Country State
Albania Tropoje

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Chromium Critical Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Olivine Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 20.23515, 42.24875

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 STRATABOUND
    Shape of Orebody #1 LENTICULAR
    Primary mode of Origin METAMORPHISM
    Secondary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Primary Ore Control FOLDING
    Secondary Ore Control FAULTING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 UNKNOWN
    Date of Last Modification 920715

Comments on the geologic information

  • THE ORE IS ASSOCIATED WITH A PERIDOTITE GABBRO COMPLEX, OCCURING IN LENSES IN WHICH EACH CONTAIN 1,000 TO 500,000 METRIC TONS OF ORE.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Mining method Open Stope - Sublevel
Milling method Handsort

Mining district

District name Letaj

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Unknown
Type of mineral rights Unknown
Type of mineral rights Unknown

Land status

Ownership category Federal

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Minera Veriore Kromit - Kam Combine
    Interest 100
    Home office Albania
    Year 1991

Production statistics

  • Year 1984
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ore Throughput (Estimated) 45000 Metric Tons Of Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Chromium Chromium 45000mt
  • Year 1985
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ore Throughput (Estimated) 45000 Metric Tons Of Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Chromium Chromium 45000mt
  • Year 1986
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ore Throughput (Estimated) 46000 Metric Tons Of Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Chromium Chromium 46000mt
  • Year 1987
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ore Throughput (Estimated) 67600 Metric Tons Of Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Chromium Chromium 67600mt
  • Year 1988
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ore Throughput (Estimated) 77000 Metric Tons Of Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Chromium Chromium 77000mt
  • Year 1989
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ore Throughput (Estimated) 77000 Metric Tons Of Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Chromium Chromium 77000mt
  • Year 1990
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ore Throughput (Estimated) 80000 Metric Tons Of Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Chromium Chromium 80000mt

Comments on the production information

  • AS OF 1988, PRODUCTS EQUAL 20,000 METRIC TONS PER YEAR OF 40 PERCENT CR2O3 FROM HANDSORTING AND 56,000 METRIC TONS PER YEAR AT 18 TO 22 PERCENT CR2O3 WHICH IS EXPORTED TO YUGOSLAVIA.
  • PRODUCTION BEGAN AT KAM DURING THE 1960S.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • C.R.U. REPORTED THAT THE AVERAGE HEAD GRADE RANGES FROM 30 TO 40 PERCENT CR2O3. HOWEVER, LOWER GRADE ORES ARE ALSO MINED AT GRADES RANGING FROM 22 TO 28 PERCENT CR2O3. TWO TYPES OF ORE EXIST AT KAM, THEY ARE AN OLIVINE-RICH ORE AND A SERPENTINE ORE. B.G.R. REPORTS THAT THE OLIVINE-RICH ORE TYPICALLY GRADES 20.5 PERCENT CR2O3, 24 PERCENT SIO2, 33 PERCENT MGO, AND 10.3 PERCENT FE2O3; AND THE SERPENTINE ORE GRADES 23 PERCENT CR2O3, 21 PERCENT SIO2, 26 PERCENT MGO, 10 PERCENT FE2O3, AND 35.8 PERCENT AL2O3. B.G.R. ESTIMATED IN 1988 THAT RESERVES WERE BETWEEN 1.2 AND 1.5 MILLION METRIC TONS.
  • ALL INFORMATION BECAME AVAILABLE IN EARLY 1990 (AFTER THE NETWORK FLOW MODEL WAS BUILT). LOCATED IN THE TROPOJA DISTRICT. KAM IS 20 KM NW OF KALIMASH (SEQ. NO. 481-000-0010). COORDINATES ARE OF TOWN OF KAM. AS OF 1988, 4 MINES OPERATING: KAM-KEPENEK, ZOGAJ, LAJTHIZA, AND RRAGAZM (NEARLY EXHAUSTED), WITH TOTAL PRODUCTION OF 76,000 MTPY ROM. 1992 ADIT COMMENT: GRADE USED IS AN AVERAGE BETWEEN 20-41%. ROM CAPACITY AS OF 1992= 60,000 MT/YR; ROM PRODUCTION AS OF 1992 = 40,000 MT/ YR.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method SUBLEVEL 10-43
    Hardness of Rock UNKNOWN
    Rock Characteristics UNKNOWN
    1st Condition of Workings UNKNOWN
    Capacity 320
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Operating Days per Year 250
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1991

Comments on other economic factors

  • LOW GRADE ORE, AT 22% TO 28% CR2O3 (WITH A CR:FE RATIO OF 2.1:1) IS EXPORTED DIRECTLY TO A BENEFICIATION AT DEVA, YUGOSLAVIA. THE DEVA PLANT (LOCATED NEAR THE ALBANIAN BORDER) CAN TREAT HIGH OLIVINE ORES, MAKING IT THE BEST SUITED PLANT FOR LOW-GRADE KAM ORES. ORES GRADING 30% TO 40% CR2O3 ARE TRUCKED TO MJEDE FOR TRANS-SHIPMENT TO DURRES, BY TRAIN, FOR EXPORT. SOME SEPARATION OF WASTE AND ORE TAKES PLACE UNDERGROUND, HOWEVER, ALL WASTE IS TRANSPORTED TO THE SURFACE. COMPRESSED AIR DRIVEN LOADERS ARE USED UNDERGROUND. AS OF 1988, PRODUCTION WAS 76,000 MTPY RUN-OF-MINE ORE AT 25.3% CR2O3.
  • THE ORE DOES NOT UNDERGO ANY CONCENTRATION OR BENEFICIATION METHODS OTHER THAN SCREENING AND HANDSORTING.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Commodity

    COMMODITIES RESEARCH UNIT, LTD., THE BASE METAL

  • Commodity

    INDUSTRY OF ALBANIA, LONDON, PP. A9-A10 (1991).

  • Commodity

    C. KIPPENBERGER, REPORT OF AN OFFICIAL VISIT TO ALBANIA

  • Commodity

    TO GATHER INFORMATION ON THE SITUATION IN THE MINERAL

  • Commodity

    RESOURCES SECTOR, JULY 28, 1988 TO AUGUST 11, 1988,

  • Commodity

    FEDERAL INSTITUTE FOR GEOSCIENCES (BGR) HANNOVER (1988).

  • Commodity

    MINING JOURNAL RESEARCH SERVICES, MINING IN ALBANIA: AN

  • Commodity

    EMERGING OPPORTUNITY, PP. 59-60 (MAY 1992).

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit TOTAL OPERATING DAYS PER YEAR WERE ASSUMED TO BE 250. KAM IS A STATE-RUN ENTERPRIZE, LOCATED IN THE TROPOJE DISTRICT, MINES THE CHROMITE OCCURRENCES OF THE TROPOJE ULTRABASIC MASSIF. THERE ARE FIVE MAIN DEPOSITS MINED IN THE TROPOJE MASSIF, EACH CONSIST OF TWO MAIN ORE-TYPES, OLIVINITES AND SERPENTINITES. THESE ORE TYPES ARE OUTLINED IN TABLE 6.3 IN THE MINING JOURNAL RESEARCH SERVICES REPORT ON MINING IN ALBANIA: AN EMERGING OPPORTUNITY, AND NOT IN TABLE 6.1 AS IS STIPULATED ON PAGE 59 OF THE REPORT. THE OLIVINITE ORES CONTAIN UNACCEPTABLY HIGH LEVELS OF SILICA. AT THESE LEVELS, 24%, THE SILICA GANGUE WOULD RESULT IN HIGH-VISCOSITY MELTS DURING FERROCHROME PRODUCTION. THIS PRODUCES VERY SLOW REACTION TIMES, WITH HIGH ENERGY CONSUMPTION, MAKING THE PROCESS UNECONOMIC. THE GREATEST POTENTIAL LIES IN IN THE SERPENTINITIC-ORES, WHICH CONTAIN MINIMAL SILICA, WITH HIGHER GRADES OF CHROMITE. RESERVES IN THIS DISTRICT ARE CONSERVATIVELY ESTIMATED AT 2 MILLION TONS. ANNUAL PRODUCTION FROM THE KAMIT MINE AVERAGES 65,000 TONS PER YEAR. THERE ARE SEVERAL OPTIONS OPEN TO INCREASE PRODUCTION TO 100,000 TONS PER YEAR. AT PRESENT, THE ORE FROM KAMIT IS SORTED, WITH MOST IMPURITIES REMOVED, BEFORE A PROPORTION IS EXPORTED TO YUGOSLAVIA. A PROCESSING FACILITY WITH A CAPACITY TO TREAT UP TO 100,000 TONS PER YEAR IS PLANNED TO BE CONSTRUCTED IN THE TROPOJE DISTRICT. THE TROPOJE MASSIF IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHROME-BEARING MASSIFS IN ALBANIA AND ITS POTENTIAL TO HOST ADDITIONAL DEPOSITS OF CHROMITE IS EXCELLENT.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 21-SEP-1992 Boyle, Ed U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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