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Holle St. Paul

Plant in Congo (Brazzaville) 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. Workings at the site
  16. Links to other databases
  17. Bibliographic references
  18. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10231861
MAS/MILS ID 7630000001
Record type Site
Current site name Holle St. Paul
Alternate or previous names St. Paul Deposit

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 12.08473, -4.58135 (WGS84)
Location accuracy 1000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Congo (Brazzaville)(country)

Geographic areas

Country
Congo (Brazzaville)

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Potassium Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Anhydrite Unknown
Carnallite Unknown
Halite Unknown
Sylvanite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 12.08473, -4.58135
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 3M
    Depth to top 334M
    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 288
    Date of Last Modification 850103
  • Area 2800HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 2800
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Comments on the geologic information

  • THE ST. PAUL DEPOSIT IS LOCATED WITHIN ONE OF THE THREE INTERCONNECTED EVAPORITE BASINS LINING THE WEST CENTRAL AFRICAN COAST. TEN EVAPORITE CYCLES EXIST IN THE CONGO BASIN NUMBERED 1 TO 10, THE MOST IMPORTANT FOR SYLVINITE RESERVES IS CYCLE 9. THESE CYCLES REPRESENT PERIODS OF DEPOSITION AND EVAPORATION AS THE AREA CHANGED FROM MARINE TO CONTINENTAL ENVIRONMENTS. AT HOLLE 3 BEDS IN THE CYCLE WERE MINED; BEDS 3, 7, AND 8. BED 3 IS LOCATED AN AVERAGE OF 10 TO 20M. BELOW BEDS 7/8.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Plant
Commodity type Non-metallic
Significant No
Discovery year 1960
Mining method Open Stope - Room and Pillar
Year of first production 1964
Plant type Beneficiation (Mill)
Plant subcategory Flotation
Milling method Flotation

Mining district

District name Tchivouba River

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Minerals Only

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Peoples Republic Of The Congo
    Interest 100
    Home office Congo
    Year 1982

Production statistics

  • Year 1969
    Description Mine Output @ 31% K2o 159999 Mt Of Ore Mined/Yr.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Potassium Potassium 159999mt 31wt-pct
  • Year 1971
    Description Mine Output @ 31% K2o 1029999 Mt Of Ore Mined/Yr.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Potassium Potassium 1029999mt 31wt-pct
  • Year 1973
    Description Mine Output @ 31% K2o 1110000 Mt Of Ore Mined/Yr.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Potassium Potassium 1110000mt 31wt-pct
  • Year 1974
    Description Mine Output @ 31% K2o 1139999 Mt Of Ore Mined/Yr.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Potassium Potassium 1139999mt
  • Year 1976
    Description Mine Output @ 31% K2o 1039999 Mt Of Ore Mined/Yr.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Potassium Potassium 1039999mt 31wt-pct
  • Year 1977
    Description Mine Output @ 31% K2o 409999 Mt Of Ore Mined/Yr.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Potassium Potassium 409999mt 31wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • IN 1977 WHILE BORING A CARNALLITE TRIAL GALLERY AN AQUI ER WAS PUNCTURED AND WITHIN 36 HOURS THE MINE WAS FLOODED. CPC ABANDONED THE PROJECT AND THE CONGOLESE GOVERNMENT ASSUMED PROPERTY OWNERSHIP. FOUR ALTERNATIVES HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED IN FEASIBILITY STUDIES TO REDEVELOP THE MINE. THESE ARE; 1) DEWATER THE MINE AND RESUME SYLVINITE MINING; (2) SEAL THE MINE AND EXPLOIT SYLVINITE BY SOLUTION MINING; (3) DEWATER THE MINE AND EXPLOIT CARNALLITE; OR; (4) SEAL THE MINE AND EXPLOIT CARNALLITE BY SOLUTION METHODS. IT HAS BEEN ASSUMED THAT ALTERNATIVE #1 WILL BE CHOSEN AND MINING WILL START IN 1988.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • ESTIMATED INSITU ORE RESOURCES USED IN THE 1984 PROPERTY ECONOMIC EVALUATION. DATA BASED ON INFORMATION FROM THE DEPOSIT REPORT.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 420M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method ROOM AND PILLAR 10-34
    Percent Recovery 45
    Hardness of Rock SOFT SEMIPLASTIC WITH EXCESSIVE WATER
    Rock Characteristics SEMIPLASTIC OR PLASTIC
    Rock Support Chars. SUPPORTING WHEN DRY
    Mine Support Chars. UNKNOWN
    Number of Shafts 1
    1st Condition of Workings FLOODED
    Capacity 5052
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Operating Days per Year 288
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1982

Comments on other economic factors

  • DUE TO ERATIC CONTACT BETWEEN SYLVINITE AND CARNALLITE, MINING HAD NEVER REACHED CAPACITY.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    BRITISH SULPHUR, WORLD SURVEY OF POTASH RESOURCES,

  • Deposit

    3RD EDITION, 1979.

  • Deposit

    DE RUITER, P.A.C.,"THE GABON AND CONGO BASINS SALT DE-

  • Deposit

    POSITS," ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, VOL. 74, 1979, PP. 419-431.

  • Deposit

    LEHMANN, E.K.,"REPORT ON THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT BY THE

  • Deposit

    COMPAGNIE DES POTASSES DU CONGO OF THE ST. PAUL DEPOSIT, RE-

  • Deposit

    PUBLIC OF THE CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE)," PREPARED FOR THE INTER-

  • Deposit

    NATIONAL FINANCE CORPORATION, WASHINGTON, D.C.; JUNE 1966.

  • Deposit

    LEHMANN, E.K.,"REPORT ON THE GEOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT OF

  • Deposit

    THE SAINT PAUL POTASH DEPOSIT OF THE COMPAGNIE DES POTASSES

  • Deposit

    DU CONGO," PREPARED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR RECON-

  • Deposit

    STRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT, INDUSTRIAL PROJECTS DEPARTMENT,

  • Deposit

    WASHINGTON,D.C.; FEBRUARY, 1970.

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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