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Pasquasia

Plant in Sicilia, Italy with commodity Potassium
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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. General comments
  20. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10206862
MAS/MILS ID 4750330006
Record type Site
Current site name Pasquasia

Comments on the site names

  • OTHER OWNER IS ITALKALKI SPA.

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Town
Geographic coordinates: 14.20178, 37.44902 (WGS84)
Location accuracy 5000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Sicilia(province)

Italy(country)

Europe(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Italy Sicilia

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Potassium Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Anhydrite Unknown
Carnallite Unknown
Kainite Unknown
Polyhalite Unknown
Sylvite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Town (1) 14.20178, 37.44902
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 29M
    Depth to top 580M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 SEDIMENTARY
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin EVAPORATION
    Primary Ore Control BEDDING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. NONE
    Minimum Depth to Top 360
    Date of Last Modification 850103
  • Area 3395HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 3395
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Comments on the geologic information

  • THE KAINITE MINERALIZATION AT PASQUASIA CONSISTS OF FINE KAINITE BEDS OF MINEABLE THICKNESS AND GRADE INTERCALATED WITH BEDS OF ROCK SALT. THESE LAYERS HAVE A VERY REGULAR SYNCLINAL FORM. THERE ARE FIVE KAINITE BEDS THAT PROVIDE MEASURABLE EXTRACTABLE RESERVES AT PASQUASIA. THE FIRST BED (AND DEEPEST) HAS AN AVERAGE THICKNESS OF 5.5 M. AT 15.8% K2O. THE SECOND BED HAS AN AVERAGE THICKNESS OF 29 M. AND IS AT PRESENT, WHERE MINERAL EXCAVATION TAKES PLACE AT PASQUASIA. THE THIRD, FOURTH, AND FIFTH BEDS HAVE THICKNESS- ES OF 4.5, 10, AND 3 METERS RESPECTIVELY WITH THE SAME CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FIRST TWO.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Plant
Commodity type Non-metallic
Significant No
Mining method Open Stope - Room and Pillar
Year of first production 1973
Plant type Beneficiation (Mill)
Plant subcategory Flotation
Milling method Flotation

Mining district

District name Enna Province

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Minerals Only

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Industria Sali Potassici E Affini (Ispea)
    Interest 100
    Home office Italy
    Year 1982
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Italkalki Spa.
    Interest 100
    Home office Italy
    Year 1982

Comments on the ownership information

  • ISPEA AND ITALKALI SHEAR OWNERSHIP OF THE PASQUASIA MILL.

Production statistics

  • Year 1973
    Description Mill Output/ Product K2so4 Production 19099 Mt Of K2so4 Product/ Yr.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Potassium Potassium 19099mt
  • Year 1973
    Description Mine Output/ Raw Kainite Production 284799 Mt Kainite Ore/ Yr.
  • Year 1978
    Description Mill Output/ Product K2so4 Production 143799 Mt Of K2so4 Product/ Yr.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Potassium Potassium 143799mt
  • Year 1978
    Description Mine Output/ Raw Kainite Production 772700 Mt Kainite Ore/ Yr.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Potassium Potassium 772700mt
  • Year 1982
    Description Mill Output/ Product K2so4 Production 142500 Mt Of K2so4 Product/ Yr.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Potassium Potassium 142500mt
  • Year 1982
    Description Mine Output/ Raw Kainite Production 896299 Mt Kainite Ore/ Yr.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Potassium Potassium 896299mt

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1979
    Indicated 80000000mt ore
    Demonstrated 80000000mt ore
    Total resources 80000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Potassium K2o 12.8 wt-pct Potassium Major 1979

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • ESTIMATED INSITU ORE RESOURCES USED IN THE 1984 PROPERTY ANALYSIS. DATA IS BASED ON THE DEPOSIT REPORT SUPPLIES BY THE CONTRACTOR.
  • THE PUBLISHED RESOURCES ESTIMATE COULD NOT BE CHECKed. THE REFERENCE COULD NOT BE FOUND.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 825M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method ROOM AND PILLAR 10-34
    Percent Recovery 40
    Hardness of Rock SOFT SEMIPLASTIC WITH LITTLE WATER
    Rock Characteristics SEMIPLASTIC OR PLASTIC
    Rock Support Chars. SUPPORTING WHEN DRY
    Mine Support Chars. POST, HEADBOARD, CAPS, ROOF BOLTS
    Number of Shafts 3
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    Capacity 5833
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Operating Days per Year 240
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1982

Comments on other economic factors

  • ORE IS FIRST CONCENTRATED BY FLOATATION IN ONE PLANT, THEN TRANSFERRED TO THE CONVERSION PLANT. CORVILLO ALSO TRANSPORTS ITS UPGRADED ORE TO THE PASQUASIA CONVERSION PLANT. THEREFORE CAPACITIES FOR "K1" ARE FOR FEED FROM COR- VILLO AND PASQUASIA.
  • PRESENTLY THE COMPANY USES EXPLOSIVES, BUT THIS METHOD IS SOON TO BE REPLACED BY CONTINUOUS MINING METHODS. ALSO, THE NEW EXTRACTION METHOD WILL BE MORE MECHANIZED AND WILL UTILIZE A RAMP INSTEAD OF A SHAFT FOR ORE EXTRACTION AND EQUIPMENT/PERSONNEL ACCESS.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    RIORGANIZZAZIONE DEL BACINO ESTRATIVO DI SALI POTASSICI

  • Deposit

    DELLA SICILIA; ASSOCIAZIONE MINERARIA SUBALPINA, TORINO,

  • Deposit

    ITALY; JUNE 1979; DIRETTORE RESPONSABILE: LELIO STRAGIOTTI.

  • Deposit

    SALVATORE ADAMO AND LAMBERTO RAMBERTI; L'INDUSTRIA

  • Deposit

    ESTRATTIVA DEL POTASSIO IN ITALIA ; 1977.

  • Deposit

    NOTIZZE DI CARATTERE STORICO INDUSTRIALE SULLA ATTIVITA

  • Deposit

    DEL SALI POTASSICI IN SICILIA; I.S.P.E.A., SERVIZIO GEOLOG-

  • Deposit

    ICO; OCT. 1977.

  • Deposit

    LAMBERTO RAMBERTI; I GIACIMENTI SALINI SICILIANI, CARA-

  • Deposit

    TTERI GENECITI STRATIGRAFICI E PALEOAMBIENTALI; ASSOCIAZIONE

  • Deposit

    MINERARIA SUBALPINA; JUNE 1980.

  • Deposit

    BOLLETTINO REGIONALE MINERARIO, NO.23; PUBLISHED BY

  • Deposit

    REGIONE SICILIANA CORPO REGIONALE DELLE MINERE, PALERMO,

  • Deposit

    SICILY; 1980.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit IN THE FIRST YEARS OF MINING AT PASQUASIA, SYLVINITE AND CARNALLITE WERE PRODUCED AND POTASSIUM CHLORIDE WAS PRODUCED FROM THE PLANT. AFTER FURTHER DEVELOPMENT, MINING WAS EX- TENDED TO THE KAINITE BEDS AND PRESENTLY THIS IS THE ONLY MINERAL MINED. THE CARNALLITE-TO-KCL PLANT WAS ABANDONED AND A KAINITE-TO-K2SO4 CONVERSION PLANT BEGAN OPERATION IN 1973. THE PASQUASIA OREBODY IS ONE OF MANY EVAPORATIVE DEPOSITS ALIGNED IN A BELT 550 KM LONG THAT RUNS NE-SW FROM THE CENTER OF SICILY (NICOSIA) TO THE SEA (SCIACCA). PASQUASIA IS LOCATED IN THE"PASQUASIA POLE", WHICH EN- COMPASSES ALL SICILIAN POTASH MINING OPERATIONS WHICH DEPEND ON THE PASQUASIA PLANT FOR CONVERSION OF THEIR ORE TO K2SO4 LAT-LONG:FOR THE TOWN OF SILICIA: OWNER ALSO KNOWN AS "ISPEA";

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 06-JAN-95 Buckingham, David A. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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

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