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Moa Nickel ore field, Moa-Baracoa District, Holguín Province, Cubai
Regional Level Types
Moa Nickel ore fieldOre Field (Active)
Moa-Baracoa DistrictDistrict
Holguín ProvinceProvince
CubaCountry

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PhotosMapsSearchMineralogy
06272440017272297716719.jpg
Arriving in Moa, coming from Baracoa

Moa Nickel ore field, Moa-Baracoa District, Holguín Province, Cuba
02567270017272069305537.jpg
View of the Moa chromium-nickel mining area, ca. 1920.

Punta Gorda deposit, Moa Nickel ore field, Moa-Baracoa District, Holguín Province, Cuba
06272440017272297716719.jpg
Arriving in Moa, coming from Baracoa

Moa Nickel ore field, Moa-Baracoa District, Holguín Province, Cuba
02567270017272069305537.jpg
View of the Moa chromium-nickel mining area, ca. 1920.

Punta Gorda deposit, Moa Nickel ore field, Moa-Baracoa District, Holguín Province, Cuba
05494630017272058436446.jpg
Arriving in Moa, coming from Baracoa

Moa Nickel ore field, Moa-Baracoa District, Holguín Province, Cuba
02567270017272069305537.jpg
View of the Moa chromium-nickel mining area, ca. 1920.

Punta Gorda deposit, Moa Nickel ore field, Moa-Baracoa District, Holguín Province, Cuba
Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
20° 38' 30'' North , 74° 54' 9'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
20.64193,-74.90260
GRN:
N14W50
Type:
Ore Field (Active) - last checked 2020
Köppen climate type:
Aw : Tropical savanna, wet
Mindat Locality ID:
208403
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:208403:2
GUID (UUID V4):
0
Other/historical names associated with this locality:
Moa Bay


The Moa nickel laterite deposits are located south, west and south-east of the city of Moa.

Originally Moa Nickel (the leaseholder) held the right to mine limonite, but has since 2013 the right to mine saprolite underlying the limonite.

The deposit is worked via opencut and comprises numerous mines.

Moa Bay district, composed of 11 ore deposits, has total mineral resources (measured, indicated, and inferred) of 198.54 Mt at a grade of 1.07% Ni and 0.12% Co. From 1959 through 2022, the Moa Bay district produced a total of 1.217 Mt of Ni and 0.055 Mt of Co, and in 2022 they together produced 32,268 t of nickel and 3,368 t of cobalt.

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Commodity List

This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded from this region.


Mineral List

Mineral list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities

14 valid minerals.

Rock Types Recorded


Rock list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities

Select Rock List Type

Alphabetical List Tree Diagram

Detailed Mineral List:

ⓘ Asbolane
Formula: (Ni,Co)2-xMn4+(O,OH)4 · nH2O
ⓘ 'Chlorite Group'
ⓘ Chromite
Formula: Fe2+Cr3+2O4
ⓘ 'Clinopyroxene Subgroup'
ⓘ Enstatite
Formula: Mg2Si2O6
ⓘ Forsterite
Formula: Mg2(SiO4)
ⓘ 'Garnierite'
ⓘ Gibbsite
Formula: Al(OH)3
ⓘ Goethite
Formula: Fe3+O(OH)
ⓘ Hematite
Formula: Fe2O3
ⓘ 'Kerolite'
Formula: (Mg,Ni)3Si4O10(OH)2 · nH2O (n ~ 1)
ⓘ 'Limonite'
ⓘ Lithiophorite
Formula: (Al,Li)MnO2(OH)2
ⓘ Lizardite
Formula: Mg3(Si2O5)(OH)4
ⓘ Maghemite
Formula: (Fe3+0.67◻0.33)Fe3+2O4
ⓘ Magnetite
Formula: Fe2+Fe3+2O4
ⓘ 'Olivine Group'
Formula: M2SiO4
ⓘ 'Orthopyroxene Subgroup'
ⓘ 'Pyroxene Group'
Formula: ADSi2O6
ⓘ Quartz
Formula: SiO2
ⓘ 'Serpentine Subgroup'
Formula: D3[Si2O5](OH)4
ⓘ 'Serpentine Subgroup var. Bastite'
Formula: D3[Si2O5](OH)4 D= Mg, Fe, Ni, Mn, Al, Zn
ⓘ 'Smectite Group'
Formula: A0.3D2-3[T4O10]Z2 · nH2O
ⓘ Spinel
Formula: MgAl2O4
ⓘ Talc
Formula: Mg3Si4O10(OH)2

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
ⓘChromite4.BB.05Fe2+Cr3+2O4
ⓘMagnetite4.BB.05Fe2+Fe3+2O4
ⓘSpinel4.BB.05MgAl2O4
ⓘMaghemite4.BB.15(Fe3+0.67◻0.33)Fe3+2O4
ⓘHematite4.CB.05Fe2O3
ⓘQuartz4.DA.05SiO2
ⓘGoethite4.FD.10Fe3+O(OH)
ⓘGibbsite4.FE.10Al(OH)3
ⓘLithiophorite4.FE.25(Al,Li)MnO2(OH)2
ⓘAsbolane4.FL.30(Ni,Co)2-xMn4+(O,OH)4 · nH2O
Group 9 - Silicates
ⓘForsterite9.AC.05Mg2(SiO4)
ⓘEnstatite9.DA.05Mg2Si2O6
ⓘTalc9.EC.05Mg3Si4O10(OH)2
ⓘLizardite9.ED.15Mg3(Si2O5)(OH)4
Unclassified
ⓘ'Chlorite Group'-
ⓘ'Limonite'-
ⓘ'Serpentine Subgroup
var. Bastite'		-D3[Si2O5](OH)4 D= Mg, Fe, Ni, Mn, Al, Zn
ⓘ'Kerolite'-(Mg,Ni)3Si4O10(OH)2 · nH2O (n ~ 1)
ⓘ'Clinopyroxene Subgroup'-
ⓘ'Pyroxene Group'-ADSi2O6
ⓘ'Garnierite'-
ⓘ'Orthopyroxene Subgroup'-
ⓘ'Smectite Group'-A0.3D2-3[T4O10]Z2 · nH2O
ⓘ'Serpentine Subgroup'-D3[Si2O5](OH)4
ⓘ'Olivine Group'-M2SiO4

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
Hⓘ Asbolane(Ni,Co)2-xMn4+(O,OH)4 · nH2O
Hⓘ GibbsiteAl(OH)3
Hⓘ GoethiteFe3+O(OH)
Hⓘ Lithiophorite(Al,Li)MnO2(OH)2
Hⓘ LizarditeMg3(Si2O5)(OH)4
Hⓘ TalcMg3Si4O10(OH)2
Hⓘ Serpentine Subgroup var. BastiteD3[Si2O5](OH)4 D= Mg, Fe, Ni, Mn, Al, Zn
Hⓘ Kerolite(Mg,Ni)3Si4O10(OH)2 · nH2O (n ~ 1)
Hⓘ Smectite GroupA0.3D2-3[T4O10]Z2 · nH2O
Hⓘ Serpentine SubgroupD3[Si2O5](OH)4
LiLithium
Liⓘ Lithiophorite(Al,Li)MnO2(OH)2
OOxygen
Oⓘ Asbolane(Ni,Co)2-xMn4+(O,OH)4 · nH2O
Oⓘ ChromiteFe2+Cr23+O4
Oⓘ EnstatiteMg2Si2O6
Oⓘ ForsteriteMg2(SiO4)
Oⓘ GibbsiteAl(OH)3
Oⓘ GoethiteFe3+O(OH)
Oⓘ HematiteFe2O3
Oⓘ Lithiophorite(Al,Li)MnO2(OH)2
Oⓘ LizarditeMg3(Si2O5)(OH)4
Oⓘ Maghemite(Fe3+0.67◻0.33)Fe23+O4
Oⓘ MagnetiteFe2+Fe23+O4
Oⓘ QuartzSiO2
Oⓘ SpinelMgAl2O4
Oⓘ TalcMg3Si4O10(OH)2
Oⓘ Serpentine Subgroup var. BastiteD3[Si2O5](OH)4 D= Mg, Fe, Ni, Mn, Al, Zn
Oⓘ Kerolite(Mg,Ni)3Si4O10(OH)2 · nH2O (n ~ 1)
Oⓘ Pyroxene GroupADSi2O6
Oⓘ Smectite GroupA0.3D2-3[T4O10]Z2 · nH2O
Oⓘ Serpentine SubgroupD3[Si2O5](OH)4
Oⓘ Olivine GroupM2SiO4
MgMagnesium
Mgⓘ EnstatiteMg2Si2O6
Mgⓘ ForsteriteMg2(SiO4)
Mgⓘ LizarditeMg3(Si2O5)(OH)4
Mgⓘ SpinelMgAl2O4
Mgⓘ TalcMg3Si4O10(OH)2
Mgⓘ Serpentine Subgroup var. BastiteD3[Si2O5](OH)4 D= Mg, Fe, Ni, Mn, Al, Zn
Mgⓘ Kerolite(Mg,Ni)3Si4O10(OH)2 · nH2O (n ~ 1)
AlAluminium
Alⓘ GibbsiteAl(OH)3
Alⓘ Lithiophorite(Al,Li)MnO2(OH)2
Alⓘ SpinelMgAl2O4
Alⓘ Serpentine Subgroup var. BastiteD3[Si2O5](OH)4 D= Mg, Fe, Ni, Mn, Al, Zn
SiSilicon
Siⓘ EnstatiteMg2Si2O6
Siⓘ ForsteriteMg2(SiO4)
Siⓘ LizarditeMg3(Si2O5)(OH)4
Siⓘ QuartzSiO2
Siⓘ TalcMg3Si4O10(OH)2
Siⓘ Serpentine Subgroup var. BastiteD3[Si2O5](OH)4 D= Mg, Fe, Ni, Mn, Al, Zn
Siⓘ Kerolite(Mg,Ni)3Si4O10(OH)2 · nH2O (n ~ 1)
Siⓘ Pyroxene GroupADSi2O6
Siⓘ Serpentine SubgroupD3[Si2O5](OH)4
Siⓘ Olivine GroupM2SiO4
CrChromium
Crⓘ ChromiteFe2+Cr23+O4
MnManganese
Mnⓘ Asbolane(Ni,Co)2-xMn4+(O,OH)4 · nH2O
Mnⓘ Lithiophorite(Al,Li)MnO2(OH)2
Mnⓘ Serpentine Subgroup var. BastiteD3[Si2O5](OH)4 D= Mg, Fe, Ni, Mn, Al, Zn
FeIron
Feⓘ ChromiteFe2+Cr23+O4
Feⓘ GoethiteFe3+O(OH)
Feⓘ HematiteFe2O3
Feⓘ Maghemite(Fe3+0.67◻0.33)Fe23+O4
Feⓘ MagnetiteFe2+Fe23+O4
Feⓘ Serpentine Subgroup var. BastiteD3[Si2O5](OH)4 D= Mg, Fe, Ni, Mn, Al, Zn
CoCobalt
Coⓘ Asbolane(Ni,Co)2-xMn4+(O,OH)4 · nH2O
NiNickel
Niⓘ Asbolane(Ni,Co)2-xMn4+(O,OH)4 · nH2O
Niⓘ Serpentine Subgroup var. BastiteD3[Si2O5](OH)4 D= Mg, Fe, Ni, Mn, Al, Zn
Niⓘ Kerolite(Mg,Ni)3Si4O10(OH)2 · nH2O (n ~ 1)
ZnZinc
Znⓘ Serpentine Subgroup var. BastiteD3[Si2O5](OH)4 D= Mg, Fe, Ni, Mn, Al, Zn

Localities in this Region

Cuba
Cuba

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

Cuba
North America
North America PlateTectonic Plate
The CaribbeanRegion

This page contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list. If you know of more minerals from this site, please register so you can add to our database. This locality information is for reference purposes only. You should never attempt to visit any sites listed in mindat.org without first ensuring that you have the permission of the land and/or mineral rights holders for access and that you are aware of all safety precautions necessary.

References

Lazarenkov, V. G., Tikhomirov, I. N., Zhidkov, A. Ya., Talovina, I. V. (2005) Platinum Group Metals and Gold in Supergene Nickel Ores of the Moa and Nikaro Deposits (Cuba) Lithology and Mineral Resources, 40 (6) 521-527 doi:10.1007/s10987-005-0049-1
Elias, M., O'Callaghan, P., Vargas, A.M., Buban, K. (2019) Moa Nickel Project, Cuba, NI 43-101 Technical Report. Prepared by CSA Global Pty Ltd for Sherritt International Corporation.
[1]Domínguez-Carretero, Diego, Proenza, Joaquín A., Villanova-de-Benavent, Cristina, Aiglsperger, Thomas, Tauler, Esperança, Rojas-Purón, Arturo, Duque, Nathalia, González-Jiménez, José-María, Garcia-Casco, Antonio, Galí, Salvador (2024) The Geology, Geochemistry, and Mineralogy of the Moa Bay Ni Laterite Mining District, Cuba. Economic Geology, 119 (7). doi:10.5382/econgeo.5101
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