Panda Hill Carbonatite
The Panda Hill Carbonatite is an apatite and pyrochlore bearing sovite carbonatite located in the Mbeya District of Tanzania. The deposit was found in the mid-1950s by the then Geological Survey of Tanganyika (now Tanzania). Niobium ore occurs largely in pyrochlore bearing sovite (carbonatite composed largely of calcite) and dolmite-rich carbonatite.[1]
The deposit also contains lesser phosphate mineralisation associated with apatite.[2]
History[edit]
Panda Hill was first developed for niobium in the late 1950s and early 1960s by the then N. V. Billiton.[3] A pilot mill and small open pit mine operated from 1957 to 1960 that produced concentrate that was then shipped to the Netherlands for further processing.[4]
The deposit is currently under development by Cradle Resources[5] to mine niobium by open pit mining methods. The project has reported resources of 96 million tonnes of mineralisation at an average grade of 0.52% Nb2O5.[6] If successful the Panda Hill niobium deposit will be the first niobium mine in Africa.[7][8]
Pandaite[edit]
The Panda Hill carbonatite is also notable as being the source location of the mineral pandaite - a hydrated barium-strontium pyrochlore associated with biotite-rich contact metamorphic rocks.[9] Jager et al. recommended the name pandaite after analysing rock samples from Panda Hill in 1958 with the following formula described: (Ba0.30Sr0.22Ca0.05Ce0.04Na0.03Fe0.02K0.01Th0.01)(Nb1.83Ta0.004Ti0.17)O5.61(H2O)0.80
Other later recorded occurrences include at Mt Kukisvumchorr in the Khibiny Massif (Kola Peninsula) in Northern Region, Russia;[10] and at the Mrima Hill niobium deposit in Kenya within a residuum consisting mainly of goethite/limonite and gorceixite.[11]
References[edit]
- ^ Misra, Kula (2000). Understanding Mineral Deposits. Kluwer Academic Publishers. p. 23. ISBN 978-0-045530090.
- ^ Zablon, Andrew (10 December 2013). "Tanzania to map its phosphate deposits". East African Business Week. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
- ^ Kamp, Adolph. De standvastige tinnen soldaat (The Steadfast Tin Soldier): (History of) N.V. Billiton Maatschappij 1860-1960. p. 111.
- ^ Misra, Kula (2000). Understanding Mineral Deposits. Kluwer Academic Publishers. p. 23. ISBN 978-0-045530090.
- ^ "Panda Hill Niobium". cradleresources.com.au. Archived from the original on 2015-02-26. Retrieved 2015-01-29.
- ^ "Significant Resource Upgrade for Panda Hill Niobium Project" (PDF). cradleresources.com.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-02-28. Retrieved 2015-01-29.
- ^ Montiea, Bruce (7 November 2014). "Development of Africa's first niobium project under way". Mining Weekly. Creamer Media. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
- ^ KIISHWEKO, ORTON (21 July 2014). "Dar to benefit from various minerals". Daily News. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
- ^ Jager, E; et al. "A hydrated barium-strontium pyrochlore in a biotite rock from Panda Hill, Tanganyika" (PDF). minersoc.org. Retrieved 2015-01-29.
- ^ "Bariopyrochlore (of Hogarth 1977)".
- ^ Harris, P (June 1965). "Pandaite from the Mrima Hill Niobium Deposit (Kenya)" (PDF). Mineralogical Magazine. 270 (35): 277–290. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.618.7860. doi:10.1180/minmag.1965.035.270.03. Retrieved 25 February 2015.