Revised grade and tonnage model of carbonatite deposits

8 Pages·0.102 MB·English

by  Singer D.A.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Revised grade and tonnage model of carbonatite deposits
by
Donald A. Singer1
Open-File Report 98-235
This report is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with
U.S. Geological Survey editorial standards or with the North American
Stratigraphic Code. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for
descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S.
Government.
'U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Rd, Menlo Park, CA 94025
1998
COMMENTS This model applies to the descriptive model of carbonatite
deposits (No. 10) by Singer (1986a) and should replace the grade and
tonnage model in that volume (Singer, 1986b). Data used in this model are
presented in Table 1. In some cases, other estimates of grades or tonnages
were available, but their quality was questionable and so they were not used
here.
Figure 1 presents a plot of the tonnages of these deposits. Figures 2 and 3
present plots of the niobium and rare-earth grades respectively. In each
figure the cumulative proportion of deposits versus the tonnage or grade of
the deposits is plotted. Individual symbols represent the deposits. In Figure
4 tonnage is plotted against both niobium and rare-earth grades. This plot
demonstrates the lack of correlations among these variables and the lack of
any distinct groupings of these deposits. Locally these carbonatite
complexes may contain economically interesting grades of uranium,
thorium, titanium, iron, copper, vermiculite, zirconium or phosphorus;
frequently, the :; . : ommodities are in different zones than the niobium
or rare-earth-ricl: parts of the complex. In addition, adjacent deposits can be
either niobium or rare-earth rich, such as at Catalao I and Catalao II.
References used for data sources
Adams, J.W., and Staatz, M.H., 1973, Rare-earth elements, in Brobst, D.A.,
and Pratt, W.P., eds., United States mineral resources: U.S. Geological
Survey Professional Paper 820, p. 547-556.
Anhaeusser, C.R., and Maske, S., eds., 1986, Mineral deposits of southern
Africa: Volumes I & II: The Geological Society of South Africa, 2376 p.
Drew, L.J., Qingrun, Meng, and Weijun, 1990, The Bayan Obo iron-rare-
earth-niobium deposits, Inner Mongolia, China: Lithos, v. 26, p. 43-65.
Heinrich, E.W., 1980, The geology of carbonatites: Reprinted. Rand
McNally, Chicago, 585 p.
Hughes, F.E., ed., 1990, Geology of the mineral deposits of Australia-Papua
New Guinea, Volumes I & II: Melbourne, The Australasian Institute of
Mining and Metallurgy, 1828 p.
Jackson, W.D., and Christiansen, Grey, 1993, International Strategic
Minerals Inventory summary report-Rare-earth oxides: U.S. Geological
Survey Circular 930-N, 68p.
Kamitani, Masaharu, ed., 1986, Preliminary report of the resource
assessment of rare metals: a proposal for a future project: Geological Survey
of Japan, 169 p. (in Japanese )
Kogarko, L.N., Kononova, V.A., Orlova, M.P., and Woolley, A.R., 1995,
Alkaline rocks and carbonatites of the world: Part Two: Former USSR:
Chapman & Hall, London, 226 p.
Olsen, J.C., Shawe, D.R., Prey, L.C., Sharp, W.N., and Hewlett, D.F., 1954,
Rare earth mineral deposits of the Mountain Pass district, San Bernardino
County, California: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 261, 75 p.
Schobbenhaus, Carlos, and Silva Coelho, Eduardo, eds., 1986, Principals
depositos minerais do Brazil: Vol. II: Ferro e metais da industria do aco:
Ministerio das Minas e Energia, Brazil, 501 p. (in Portuguese)
Singer, D.A., 1986a, Descriptive model of carbonatites, in Cox, D.P., and
Singer, D.A., eds., Mineral deposit models: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin
1693, p. 51.
Singer, D.A., 1986b, Grade and tonnage model of carbonatite deposits, in
Cox, D.P., and Singer, D.A., eds., Mineral deposit models: U.S. Geological
Survey Bulletin 1693, p. 52-53.
Singer, D.A., Mosier, D.L., and Menzie, W.D., 1993, Digital grade and
tonnage data for 50 types of mineral deposits-Macintosh version: U. S.
Geological Survey Open-File Report 93-280, 1 disk, 52 files.
Tuttle, O.F., and Gittins, J., eds., 1966, Carbonatites: New York, John
Willey&Sons, 591 p.
Woolley, A.R., 1987, Alkaline rocks and carbonatites of the world: Part 1:
North and South America: University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas, 216 p.
Table 1. Grades and tonnages of carbonatite deposits.
(Tonnages in millions of metric tons, niobium, rare-earth, and phosphate grades in
percent of X2O3. Zero indicates no grade reported. Location codes: BRZL Brazil,
BURN Burnai, CINA China, CNON Canada British Colombia, CNON Canada Ontario,
CNQU Canada Quebec, INDA India, KNYA Kenya, MLWI Malawi, MNGL Mongolia,
NAME Namibia, NRWY Norway, SAFR South Africa, TNZN Tanzania, UGND
Unganda, USCA United States California, USCO United States Colorado, ZIRE Zaire)
DEPOSIT LOCATION Tonnes/106 Nb2Os grade% RE2O5 grade % P2O5 %
Amma Dongar INDA 105 0 3 0
Araxa BRZL 462 2.48 0.033 15
Argo CNON 62.5 0.52 0 0
Bayan Obo CINA 750 0.1 4.1 0
Bingo ZIRE 7.1 2.86 0 0
Catalao I BRZL 21 0.98 1.02 8.9
Catalao II BRZL 2 2.18 0 0
Dominion Gulf CNON 33 0.39 0 0
Iron Hill USCO 36.3 0.25 0.01 0
James Bay CNON 36.3 0.52 0 0
Kangankunde MALI 11 0 0.62 0
Lueshe ZIRE 30 0.35 0 0
Manitou Island CNON 4.85 0.756 0 0
Martison Lake CNON 145 0.35 0 20
Mountain Pass USCA 90 0 5 0
Mrima Hill KNYA 50.8 0.67 0.59 0
Mushgia Khudag MONO 6.1 0 1.37 0
Nemogos (Lackner Lake) CNON 10 0.23 0 7
Nemogosenda Lake CNON 20 0.47 0 0
Oka CNQU 221 0.23 0.1 0
Ondurukurme NAME 8 0.3 3 0
Panda Hill TNZN 272 0.3 0 0
Palabora SAFR 652 0 0.15 9
Pocos de Caldas BRZL 6 0 3 0
Salitre II BRZL 200 2 0 0
Sandkopsdrif SAFR 57 0.15 1 3.2
Seis Lagos BRZL 2890 2.81 0 0
Serra Negra BRZL 60 1.5 0 0
Sove NRWY 55.3 0.23 0 0
St. Honore (Soquem) CNQU 16 0.69 0.0088 0
Sukula UGND 118 0.25 0 0
Tapira BRZL 166 1.18 0.03 8.3
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Figure 4--Niobium and rare-earth grades versus tonnages of carbonatite deposits.