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  3. Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS)

Nauru Island

Producer in Nauru with commodity Phosphorus-Phosphates
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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. Mineral rights holdings
  11. Ownership information
  12. Reserves and resources
  13. Workings at the site
  14. Links to other databases
  15. Bibliographic references
  16. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10208098
MAS/MILS ID 6170000001
Record type Site
Current site name Nauru Island

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 166.93192, -0.53166 (WGS84)
Elevation 35
Location accuracy 1000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Nauru(country)

Geographic areas

Country
Nauru

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Phosphorus-Phosphates Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Apatite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 166.93192, -0.53166
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 7.6M
    Field Value
    Type of Orebody #1 SEDIMENTARY
    Shape of Orebody #1 IRREGULAR
    Primary mode of Origin SEDIMENTATION
    Primary Ore Control OTHER
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 UNKNOWN
    Minimum Depth to Top .1
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. .1
    Date of Last Modification 830415

Comments on the geologic information

  • PHOSPHATE DEPOSITED INTO OPENINGS LEFT AFTER LIMESTONE DISSOLVED. AVERAGE THICKNESS OF OVERBURDEN IS NEGLIGIBLE. AREA OF MINERALIZATION IS 1700 HECTARES; 1460 HECTARES ARE MINABLE. THE PHOSPHATE OCCURS IN TROUGHS AND GULLIES FORMED BY THE EXTREMELY WEATHERD CORAL LIMESTONE COUNTRY ROCK OF THE ISLAND. ORE WAS ORIGINATED FROM LARGE GUANO DEPOSITS.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Producer
Commodity type Non-metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1900
Mining method Strip-Level
Year of first production 1907
Milling method Sizing

Comments on exploration

  • EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY METHODS NOT REPORTED.

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Unknown

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Nauru Phosphate Corp. (Republic Of Nauru)
    Interest 100
    Home office Nauru
    Year 1985

Comments on the ownership information

  • NAURU PHOSPHATE CORP IS THE OPERATOR/TRUSTEE OF THE DEPOSIT, WHICH IS OWNED BY THE LOCAL POPULATION OF NAURU.

Comments on the production information

  • APPROXIMATELY 90% OF THE ROCK IS EXPORTED TO AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. OTHER MARKETS INCLUDE JAPAN, KOREA, AND INDIA. 300,000 MTPY GOES TO THE PHOSPHORIC ACID PLANT AT ISABEL, PHILIPPINES.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1980
    Measured 25000000mt ore
    Indicated 5000000mt ore
    Demonstrated 30000000mt ore
    Total resources 30000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Phosphorus-Phosphates P2O5 38.4 wt-pct Phosphorus Major 1980

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • MINING RECOVERY IS ASSUMED TO BE 90 PERCENT. M1C1=M9C4.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 1460HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method STRIP-LEVEL
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 0
    Primary Material Cover SAND, SILT
    Capacity 8758
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Operating Days per Year 300
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1985

Comments on the workings information

  • KARST TOPOGRAPHY. HIGHLY POROUS SOIL. ALTHOUGH THE AVERAGE RAINFALL IS 152 CM/YR IT ACTUALLY RANGES FROM 30 TO 457 CM/YR. AVERAGE HUMIDITY IS 70-80%.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Reserve-Resource

    CHEMICAL ECONOMICS HANDBOOK--SRI INTERNATIONAL. MARCH 1980.

  • Reserve-Resource

    BRITISH SULPHUR CORPORATION, WORLD SURVEY OF PHOSPHATE

  • Reserve-Resource

    DEPOSITS, FIFTH ED., LONDON, 1987, 274PP.

  • Deposit

    WORLD SURVEY OF PHOSPHATE DEPOSITS, 3RD EDITION, BRITISH

  • Deposit

    SULPHUR CORP., 1973.

  • Deposit

    WORLD SURVEY OF PHOSPHATE DEPOSITS, 4TH EDITION, BRITISH

  • Deposit

    SULPHUR CORP., 1980.

  • Deposit

    COMMONWEALTH FACT SHEET, NAURU, COMMONWEALTH INSTITUTE, 1975

  • Deposit

    THE NAURU PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY, PHOSPHORUS & POTASSIUM,

  • Deposit

    BRITISH SULPHUR CORP., 1972.

  • Deposit

    VISIT BY D. W. LEYSHON TO BRITISH PHOSPHATE COMMISSION.

  • Deposit

    VISIT BY D. W. LEYSHON TO NAURU PHOSPHATE CORP., MELBOURNE

  • Deposit

    AUSTRALIA.

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING, D.R.I., 1980.

  • Deposit

    ZW PERSONAL FILES.

  • Deposit

    "WORLD'S RICHEST LITTLE ISLE", THE NEW TIMES MAGAZINE,

  • Deposit

    MARCH 7, 1982, P 25.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, MARCH 20, 1987, P. 214.

  • Deposit

    INTERNATIONAL MINING, AUGUST 1987, P. 168.

  • Deposit

    GREEN MARKETS, AUGUST 24, 1987, PP 1, 7.

  • Deposit

    PHOSPHOROUS & POTASSIUM, NO. 154, MARCH/APRIL 1988, P. 7.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, FEBRUARY 24, 1989, P. 143.

  • Deposit

    PHOSPHOROUS & POTASSIUM, NO. 162, JUL/AUG 1989, P. 10.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 20-APR-95 Fantel, Richard J. 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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