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Sahanavo

Producer in Toamasina, Madagascar with commodity Graphite
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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. Workings at the site
  15. Links to other databases
  16. Bibliographic references
  17. General comments
  18. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10208010
MAS/MILS ID 7880100004
Record type Site
Current site name Sahanavo

Comments on the site names

  • OLD NAME: SAHANAVO VALLEY.

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 48.91775, -18.44687 (WGS84)
Location accuracy 10000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Toamasina(province)

Madagascar(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Federal lands

Federal(land status)

Geographic areas

Country State
Madagascar Toamasina

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Graphite Critical Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Amphibole Unknown
Graphite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 48.91775, -18.44687
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 LATERITE
    Shape of Orebody #1 MANTLELIKE
    Type of Orebody #2 STRATIFORM
    Primary mode of Origin RESIDUAL CONCENT
    Primary Ore Control BEDDING
    Secondary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. INTENSE
    Date of Last Modification 850903
  • Area 2400HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 2400
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Comments on the geologic information

  • ALL 8 OF THE MADAGASCAR GRAPHITE PROPERTIES STUDIED UNDER THE 1981-83 ZELLARS-WILLIAMS CONTRACT FALL WITHIN THE GEOGRAPHICALLY-DEFINED MANAMPOTSY GROUP OF DEPOSITS. THESE DEPOSITS ARE CHARACTERIZED BY OCCURRENCES OF GNEISS AND MIGMATITE WITHIN AMPHIBOLITE FACIES WHERE INTENSE WEATHERING HAS LATERIZED THE ROCKS PRODUCING UP TO 30 METERS OF RED CLAY IN WHICH THE GRAPHITE OCCURS AS DIS- SEMINATED, HIGH-QUALITY, CRYSTALLINE FLAKES. THESE CLAYS CONTAIN FROM 5 TO 15 PERCENT CARBON. DIMENSIONS OF MINERALIZATION ARE NOT KNOWN AS A NUMBER OF OREBODIES ARE INVOLVED. THE THREE ORE BEDS WITHIN THE CONCESSION AREA CAN ATTAIN A COMBINED THICKNESS OF 100 METERS INCLUDING WASTE BEDS THAT GENERALLY EXCEED 10 METERS IN THICKNESS.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Producer
Commodity type Non-metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1907
Mining method Strip-Hillside
Year of first production 1957
Milling method Flotation

Comments on exploration

  • EXPLORATION WAS DONE BY PREVIOUS OWNER PRIOR TO 1957.

Mining district

District name Manampotsy

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Federal Lease

Land status

Ownership category Federal

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Societe Miniere De La Grande Ile
    Interest 100
    Home office Malagasy Rep.
    Year 1983

Comments on the production information

  • THE PRODUCTS FROM 7 OF THE 8 GRAPHITE MINES IN MADAGASCAR ARE IDENTICAL. MAROVINTSY, SAHANAVO, SAHAMAMY, FALIARANO, AMBATOMITAMBA, ANTSIRAKAMBO, AND TSARAVONIANY ALL PRODUCE PRODUCTS WITH THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS: PRODUCT SIZE PERCENT NAME DISTRIBUTION CARBON ----------------------------------------------- LARGE 75% +40 MESH 85 FLAKE 22% -40+60 MESH 3% -60 MESH MEDIUM 25% +40 MESH 85 FLAKE 72% -40+80 MESH 3% -80 MESH FINE 25% +40 MESH 85 FLAKE 50% -40+60 MESH 20% -60+80 MESH 5% -80 MESH EXTRA PASSES 80 MESH 85 FINE (POWDER) ------------------------------------------------- THE PROPORTIONS OF EACH PRODUCT PRODUCED AT EACH MINE ARE SUMMARIZED BELOW: MINE LARGE MEDIUM FINE EXTRA NAME FLAKE FLAKE FLAKE FINE ------------------------------------------------------------ MAROVINTSY 8.5% 21.3% 39.7% 30.5% SAHANAVO 10% 70% ON REQUEST 20% SAHAMAMY 50% LARGE + MEDIUM 43% 7% FALIARANO 10% 40% 40% 10% AMBATOMITAMBA 10% 70% ON REQUEST 20% ANTSIRAKAMBO 20% 50% 20% 10% TSARAAVONIANY 10% 40% 40% 10% ------------------------------------------------------------ THE ANDASIFAHATELO PROPERTY PRODUCES ONLY ONE PRODUCT, A MEDIUM FLAKE HAVING THE SAME SIZE CHARACTERISTICS AS THE MEDIUM FLAKE DESCRIBED IN THE ABOVE TABLES, BUT HAVING A CARBON GRADE OF 92 PERCENT. FOR PURPOSES OF EVALUATION, THE LARGE AND MEDIUM FLAKE PRODUCTS FROM SAHANAVO ARE COMBINED AS GRAPHITE A, AND THE EXTRA FINE FLAKE IS GRAPHITE B. OVERALL RECOVERY IS 60%, SPLIT INTO 48% FOR GRAPHITE A AND 12% FOR GRAPHITE B. FOR THE DATABASE, HOWEVER, ONLY ONE PRODUCT INCORPORATING ALL GRAPHITE CONCENTRATES IS SHOWN.
  • NO PRODUCTION DATA ARE AVAILABLE FOR SAHANAVO.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • M1C1=M9C4. MINE RECOVERY IS ESTIMATED AT 95%, AND DILUTION IS 0%. THE RECOVERABLE TONNAGE AT 75% PROBABILITY IS 1,255,000 MT. THE ORE GRADE IS GIVEN IN WEIGHT-PERCENT CARBON.
  • RESERVE CALCULATIONS BASED ON THE GRAPHITE SECTION FROM GILTES DE MINERAUX DE MADAGASCAR, V. 1 AND 2, 1966.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method PROPOSED
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Swell Factor .6
    Primary Material Cover SAND, SILT
    Percentage 100
    Hardness of Ore SAND, SILT
    Capacity 233
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 5.92
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 260
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1983

Comments on other economic factors

  • MILL-TO-PORT TRANSPORTATION COST INCLUDES $51.07 FOR TRANSPORTATION AND $28.60 FOR WAREHOUSING ON A PER MT BASIS. THE DISTANCE IS 86 KM.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    BESAIRIE, HENRI. GITES DE MINERAUX DE MADAGASCAR.

  • Deposit

    VOL. 1, 1966, TANANARIVE, MADAGASCAR, PP. 187-216.

  • Deposit

    VOL. 2, 1966, TANANARIVE, MADAGASCAR, MAPS 43-52.

  • Deposit

    MURDOCK, T.G. MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE MALAGASY REPUBLIC.

  • Deposit

    BUMINES IC 8196, 1963, PP. 112-121.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit COST DATA FOR THIS PROPERTY WERE GATHERED UNDER BUREAU OF MINES CONTRACT J0225019, "THE DEVELOPMENT OF ENGINEERING AND COST DATA FOR FOREIGN GRAPHITE PROPERTIES"; THE CONTRACT WAS AWARDED TO ZELLARS-WILLIAMS, INC. IN SEPTEMBER 1982. ALL GRAPHITE MINES IN MADAGASCAR USE THE SAME MINING METHOD. SMALL OPEN PITS (GENERALLY 1 TO 5 IN NUMBER) ARE MINED BY FRONT-END LOADER OR BULLDOZER WITHOUT BLASTING. THE OVERBURDEN IS EITHER HAULED AWAY BY TRUCK OR, IF IT IS VERY THIN, IS WASHED WITH THE ORE. THE ORE IS EITHER TRUCKED TO A FIELD WASHER OR IS WASHED INTO A SLUICE BY A WATER GUN FOR GRAVITY FLOW TO THE FIELD WASHER. WATER GUNS ARE FED BY WATER PUMPED FROM A NEARBY RIVER. MILLING IS A TWO-STAGE PROCESS CARRIED OUT AT A "POSTES DE DEBOURBAGE" (FIELD WASHER) AND THEN AT A "RAFFINAGE" (REFINERY). AT THE FIELD WASHER, THE ORE IS FIRST SLURRIED USING A WATER GUN IF NOT ALREADY IN SLURRY FORM. A GRIZZLY IS THEN USED TO REMOVE STONES THAT ARE +5 MM IN SIZE. OCCASIONALLY THE ORE IS ALSO DESLIMED BY SCREEN- ING AT ABOUT 50 MESH. DIESEL FUEL OIL AND ALCOHOL-BASED FROTHERS ARE THEN ADDED PRIOR TO ROUGHER FLOTATION. THE ROUGHER CONCENTRATES VARY FROM 62 TO 67 PERCENT CARBON. TAILS ARE DISCHARGED BY GRAVITY INTO THE NEARBY RIVER. THE ROUGHER CONCENTRATE FLOWS BY GRAVITY TO THE REFINERY WHERE IT IS GROUND IN A BALL MILL, FLOATED, AND DRIED IN A ROTARY DRYER. THE DRIED CLEANER CONCENTRATE IS SIZED USING VIBRATING SCREENS AND BAGGED. ROD MILLS ARE USED AT SOME OPERATIONS INSTEAD OF BALL MILLS.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 27-MAY-86 Z&W Inc 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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