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

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

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

  1. ↑ Misra, Kula (2000). Understanding Mineral Deposits. Kluwer Academic Publishers. p. 23. ISBN 0-045530092.
  2. ↑ Zablon, Andrew (10 December 2013). "Tanzania to map its phosphate deposits". East African Business Week. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  3. ↑ Kamp, Adolph. De standvastige tinnen soldaat (The Steadfast Tin Soldier): (History of) N.V. Billiton Maatschappij 1860-1960. p. 111.
  4. ↑ Misra, Kula (2000). Understanding Mineral Deposits. Kluwer Academic Publishers. p. 23. ISBN 0-045530092.
  5. ↑ "Panda Hill Niobium". http://www.cradleresources.com.au. Retrieved 2015-01-29. External link in |website= (help)
  6. ↑ "Significant Resource Upgrade for Panda HIll Niobium Project" (PDF). http://www.cradleresources.com.au. Retrieved 2015-01-29. External link in |website= (help)
  7. ↑ Montiea, Bruce (7 November 2014). "Development of Africa’s first niobium project under way". Mining Weekly. Creamer Media. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  8. ↑ KIISHWEKO, ORTON (21 July 2014). "Dar to benefit from various minerals". Daily News. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  9. ↑ Jager, E; et al. "A hydrated barium-strontium pyrochlore in a biotite rock from Panda HIll, Tanganyika" (PDF). http://www.minersoc.org. Retrieved 2015-01-29. External link in |website= (help)
  10. ↑ "Bariopyrochlore (of Hogarth 1977)". http://www.mindat.org/min-527.html. External link in |website= (help);
  11. ↑ Harris, P (June 1965). "Pandaite from the Mrima Hill Niobium Deposit (Kenya)" (PDF). Mineralogical Magazine 270 (35): 277 to 290. doi:10.1180/minmag.1965.035.270.03. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
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