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Witkop Fluorspar Mine, Witkop Farm, Ottoshoop, Mahikeng Local Municipality, Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality, North West, South Africai
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
25° 42' 38'' South , 26° 5' 7'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Zeerust | 17,708 (2012) | 19.3km |
| Mahikeng | 14,000 (2013) | 47.4km |
| Mmabatho | 76,754 (2018) | 47.8km |
| Lichtenburg | 65,863 (2012) | 49.6km |
| Tlhareselele | 804 (2012) | 50.4km |
Other/historical names associated with this locality:
Marico Fluorspar Mine
An opencast mine located east of Ottoshoop. The deposit lies within the Marico Fluorspar field, an area of expansive outcropping and subcropping of low to medium grade fluorspar in dolomite. The bulk of the fluorspar mineralisation occurs as a number of discontinuous zones in the Frisco Formation of the Malmani Subgroup of the Transvaal Sequence. The predominant host rock for most of the ore is a grey, medium-grained, sparry dolomite.
Witkop Fluorspar Mine was established as a major acidspar producer by Phelps Dodge, in the Groot Marico district of western North West province to the south of Zeerust, commencing in 1971. The current extensive holdings comprise a contiguous block and three adjacent satellites, totalling some 95km², which embrace extensive dolomite-hosted stratiform fluorite mineralisation, upon which open-pit mining and processing operations are based. These holdings are made up of the amalgamated original properties of Phelps Dodge and the Barlow Rand subsidiary, Marico Fluorspar, which were consolidated as the Witkop Fluorspar Mine before Phelps Dodge sold the entire package to Sallies in 1999. (Source: Industrial Minerals, Fluorspar illuminated, October 2012 issue).
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsCommodity List
This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.Mineral List
11 valid minerals.
Detailed Mineral List:
| ⓘ Calcite Formula: CaCO3 |
| ⓘ Cerussite Formula: PbCO3 |
| ⓘ Fluorite Formula: CaF2 |
| ⓘ Galena Formula: PbS |
| ⓘ Goethite Formula: Fe3+O(OH) |
| ⓘ Hematite Formula: Fe2O3 |
| ⓘ Hemimorphite Formula: Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O |
| ⓘ 'Manganese Oxides' |
| ⓘ Pyrite Formula: FeS2 |
| ⓘ Pyromorphite Formula: Pb5(PO4)3Cl |
| ⓘ Sphalerite Formula: ZnS |
| ⓘ Tremolite Formula: ◻Ca2Mg5(Si8O22)(OH)2 |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Sphalerite | 2.CB.05a | ZnS |
| ⓘ | Galena | 2.CD.10 | PbS |
| ⓘ | Pyrite | 2.EB.05a | FeS2 |
| Group 3 - Halides | |||
| ⓘ | Fluorite | 3.AB.25 | CaF2 |
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
| ⓘ | Goethite | 4.00. | Fe3+O(OH) |
| ⓘ | Hematite | 4.CB.05 | Fe2O3 |
| Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates | |||
| ⓘ | Calcite | 5.AB.05 | CaCO3 |
| ⓘ | Cerussite | 5.AB.15 | PbCO3 |
| Group 8 - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates | |||
| ⓘ | Pyromorphite | 8.BN.05 | Pb5(PO4)3Cl |
| Group 9 - Silicates | |||
| ⓘ | Hemimorphite | 9.BD.10 | Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O |
| ⓘ | Tremolite | 9.DE.10 | ◻Ca2Mg5(Si8O22)(OH)2 |
| Unclassified | |||
| ⓘ | 'Manganese Oxides' | - | |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | ⓘ Goethite | Fe3+O(OH) |
| H | ⓘ Hemimorphite | Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O |
| H | ⓘ Tremolite | ◻Ca2Mg5(Si8O22)(OH)2 |
| C | Carbon | |
| C | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| C | ⓘ Cerussite | PbCO3 |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| O | ⓘ Cerussite | PbCO3 |
| O | ⓘ Goethite | Fe3+O(OH) |
| O | ⓘ Hematite | Fe2O3 |
| O | ⓘ Hemimorphite | Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O |
| O | ⓘ Pyromorphite | Pb5(PO4)3Cl |
| O | ⓘ Tremolite | ◻Ca2Mg5(Si8O22)(OH)2 |
| F | Fluorine | |
| F | ⓘ Fluorite | CaF2 |
| Mg | Magnesium | |
| Mg | ⓘ Tremolite | ◻Ca2Mg5(Si8O22)(OH)2 |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | ⓘ Hemimorphite | Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O |
| Si | ⓘ Tremolite | ◻Ca2Mg5(Si8O22)(OH)2 |
| P | Phosphorus | |
| P | ⓘ Pyromorphite | Pb5(PO4)3Cl |
| S | Sulfur | |
| S | ⓘ Galena | PbS |
| S | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| S | ⓘ Sphalerite | ZnS |
| Cl | Chlorine | |
| Cl | ⓘ Pyromorphite | Pb5(PO4)3Cl |
| Ca | Calcium | |
| Ca | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| Ca | ⓘ Fluorite | CaF2 |
| Ca | ⓘ Tremolite | ◻Ca2Mg5(Si8O22)(OH)2 |
| Fe | Iron | |
| Fe | ⓘ Goethite | Fe3+O(OH) |
| Fe | ⓘ Hematite | Fe2O3 |
| Fe | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| Zn | Zinc | |
| Zn | ⓘ Hemimorphite | Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O |
| Zn | ⓘ Sphalerite | ZnS |
| Pb | Lead | |
| Pb | ⓘ Cerussite | PbCO3 |
| Pb | ⓘ Galena | PbS |
| Pb | ⓘ Pyromorphite | Pb5(PO4)3Cl |
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
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Witkop Fluorspar Mine, Witkop Farm, Ottoshoop, Mahikeng Local Municipality, Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality, North West, South Africa