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Gakara Project, Bujumbura Rural Province, Burundii
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Gakara Project | Project (Active) |
| Bujumbura Rural Province | Province |
| Burundi | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
3° 30' 7'' South , 29° 26' 57'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Project (Active) - last checked 2026
Deposit first discovered:
1936
Köppen climate type:
Other/historical names associated with this locality:
Karonge complex; Gakara REE Project
REE-bearing carbonatite (587 Ma old). A 20 x 20 km area near Gakara, 20 km SE of Bujumbura.
Discovered in 1936 by the Belgian company Somuki (Société Minière de Muhinga et de Kigali), it was mined sporadically between 1948 and 1978.
Rainbow Rare Earths was granted a mining license in March 2015, which is valid for 25 years and renewable thereafter. Rainbow has a 90% interest in the Gakara Project, with a non-dilutable 10% owned by the Burundi State. The mining permit covers a large area of over 39 km².
The mineralised veins at the Gakara Project are discrete and narrow, and the mineralised material separates easily from the less dense host rock, which, in itself, is amenable to manual digging. The veins range in thickness from a few centimetres to a few tens of centimetres. The veins have been shown to typically extend laterally for tens of metres, the longest recorded being around 40 metres, and have been observed to extend down to depths greater than 25 metres. The veins outcrop at the surface on steep slopes or river incisions, but are frequently under cover [ref: rainbowrareearths.com]
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Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsCommodity 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-localities20 valid minerals. 1 erroneous literature entry.
Rock Types Recorded
Note: data is currently VERY limited. Please bear with us while we work towards adding this information!
Rock list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities
Select Rock List Type
Alphabetical List Tree DiagramDetailed Mineral List:
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Galena | 2.CD.10 | PbS |
| ⓘ | Molybdenite | 2.EA.30 | MoS2 |
| ⓘ | Pyrite | 2.EB.05a | FeS2 |
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
| ⓘ | Goethite | 4.00. | Fe3+O(OH) |
| ⓘ | Quartz | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
| ⓘ | Tridymite | 4.DA.10 | SiO2 |
| ⓘ | Cerianite-(Ce) | 4.DL.05 | (Ce4+,Th)O2 |
| ⓘ | Cavoite ? | 4.HE.40 | CaV4+3O7 |
| Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates | |||
| ⓘ | Baryte | 7.AD.35 | BaSO4 |
| Group 8 - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates | |||
| ⓘ | Monazite-(Ce) | 8.AD.50 | Ce(PO4) |
| ⓘ | Monazite-(La) | 8.AD.50 | La(PO4) |
| ⓘ | Crandallite | 8.BL.10 | CaAl3(PO4)(PO3OH)(OH)6 |
| ⓘ | Goyazite | 8.BL.10 | SrAl3(PO4)(PO3OH)(OH)6 |
| ⓘ | Pyromorphite | 8.BN.05 | Pb5(PO4)3Cl |
| ⓘ | Rhabdophane-(La) | 8.CJ.45 | La(PO4) · H2O |
| Group 9 - Silicates | |||
| ⓘ | Cerite-(CeCa) | 9.AG.20 | (Ce7Ca2)◻Mg(SiO4)3(SiO3OH)4(OH)3 |
| ⓘ | Muscovite | 9.EC.15 | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| ⓘ | Vermiculite | 9.EC.50 | Mg0.7(Mg,Fe,Al)6(Si,Al)8O20(OH)4 · 8H2O |
| ⓘ | Kaolinite | 9.ED.05 | Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 |
| ⓘ | Microcline | 9.FA.30 | K(AlSi3O8) |
| ⓘ | Albite | 9.FA.35 | Na(AlSi3O8) |
| Unclassified | |||
| ⓘ | 'Bastnäsite' | - | (Ce/Nd/Y/REE)(CO3)F |
| ⓘ | 'Biotite' | - | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| ⓘ | 'Fluocerite' | - | |
| ⓘ | 'Monazite Group' | - | REE(PO4) |
| ⓘ | 'Rhabdophane' | - | |
| ⓘ | 'K Feldspar' | - | |
| ⓘ | 'Florencite' | - | |
| ⓘ | 'Rhabdophane Group' | - | (REE,Ca,Th)(PO4) · H2O |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | ⓘ Biotite | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| H | ⓘ Cerite-(CeCa) | (Ce7Ca2)◻Mg(SiO4)3(SiO3OH)4(OH)3 |
| H | ⓘ Crandallite | CaAl3(PO4)(PO3OH)(OH)6 |
| H | ⓘ Goethite | Fe3+O(OH) |
| H | ⓘ Goyazite | SrAl3(PO4)(PO3OH)(OH)6 |
| H | ⓘ Kaolinite | Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 |
| H | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| H | ⓘ Rhabdophane-(La) | La(PO4) · H2O |
| H | ⓘ Vermiculite | Mg0.7(Mg,Fe,Al)6(Si,Al)8O20(OH)4 · 8H2O |
| H | ⓘ Rhabdophane Group | (REE,Ca,Th)(PO4) · H2O |
| C | Carbon | |
| C | ⓘ Bastnäsite | (Ce/Nd/Y/REE)(CO3)F |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | ⓘ Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
| O | ⓘ Baryte | BaSO4 |
| O | ⓘ Bastnäsite | (Ce/Nd/Y/REE)(CO3)F |
| O | ⓘ Biotite | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| O | ⓘ Cerianite-(Ce) | (Ce4+,Th)O2 |
| O | ⓘ Cerite-(CeCa) | (Ce7Ca2)◻Mg(SiO4)3(SiO3OH)4(OH)3 |
| O | ⓘ Crandallite | CaAl3(PO4)(PO3OH)(OH)6 |
| O | ⓘ Goethite | Fe3+O(OH) |
| O | ⓘ Goyazite | SrAl3(PO4)(PO3OH)(OH)6 |
| O | ⓘ Kaolinite | Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 |
| O | ⓘ Microcline | K(AlSi3O8) |
| O | ⓘ Monazite Group | REE(PO4) |
| O | ⓘ Monazite-(Ce) | Ce(PO4) |
| O | ⓘ Monazite-(La) | La(PO4) |
| O | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| O | ⓘ Pyromorphite | Pb5(PO4)3Cl |
| O | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| O | ⓘ Rhabdophane-(La) | La(PO4) · H2O |
| O | ⓘ Tridymite | SiO2 |
| O | ⓘ Vermiculite | Mg0.7(Mg,Fe,Al)6(Si,Al)8O20(OH)4 · 8H2O |
| O | ⓘ Cavoite | CaV34+O7 |
| O | ⓘ Rhabdophane Group | (REE,Ca,Th)(PO4) · H2O |
| F | Fluorine | |
| F | ⓘ Bastnäsite | (Ce/Nd/Y/REE)(CO3)F |
| F | ⓘ Biotite | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| Na | Sodium | |
| Na | ⓘ Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
| Mg | Magnesium | |
| Mg | ⓘ Biotite | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| Mg | ⓘ Cerite-(CeCa) | (Ce7Ca2)◻Mg(SiO4)3(SiO3OH)4(OH)3 |
| Mg | ⓘ Vermiculite | Mg0.7(Mg,Fe,Al)6(Si,Al)8O20(OH)4 · 8H2O |
| Al | Aluminium | |
| Al | ⓘ Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
| Al | ⓘ Biotite | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| Al | ⓘ Crandallite | CaAl3(PO4)(PO3OH)(OH)6 |
| Al | ⓘ Goyazite | SrAl3(PO4)(PO3OH)(OH)6 |
| Al | ⓘ Kaolinite | Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 |
| Al | ⓘ Microcline | K(AlSi3O8) |
| Al | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Al | ⓘ Vermiculite | Mg0.7(Mg,Fe,Al)6(Si,Al)8O20(OH)4 · 8H2O |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | ⓘ Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
| Si | ⓘ Biotite | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| Si | ⓘ Cerite-(CeCa) | (Ce7Ca2)◻Mg(SiO4)3(SiO3OH)4(OH)3 |
| Si | ⓘ Kaolinite | Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 |
| Si | ⓘ Microcline | K(AlSi3O8) |
| Si | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| Si | ⓘ Tridymite | SiO2 |
| Si | ⓘ Vermiculite | Mg0.7(Mg,Fe,Al)6(Si,Al)8O20(OH)4 · 8H2O |
| P | Phosphorus | |
| P | ⓘ Crandallite | CaAl3(PO4)(PO3OH)(OH)6 |
| P | ⓘ Goyazite | SrAl3(PO4)(PO3OH)(OH)6 |
| P | ⓘ Monazite Group | REE(PO4) |
| P | ⓘ Monazite-(Ce) | Ce(PO4) |
| P | ⓘ Monazite-(La) | La(PO4) |
| P | ⓘ Pyromorphite | Pb5(PO4)3Cl |
| P | ⓘ Rhabdophane-(La) | La(PO4) · H2O |
| P | ⓘ Rhabdophane Group | (REE,Ca,Th)(PO4) · H2O |
| S | Sulfur | |
| S | ⓘ Baryte | BaSO4 |
| S | ⓘ Galena | PbS |
| S | ⓘ Molybdenite | MoS2 |
| S | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| Cl | Chlorine | |
| Cl | ⓘ Pyromorphite | Pb5(PO4)3Cl |
| K | Potassium | |
| K | ⓘ Biotite | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| K | ⓘ Microcline | K(AlSi3O8) |
| K | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Ca | Calcium | |
| Ca | ⓘ Cerite-(CeCa) | (Ce7Ca2)◻Mg(SiO4)3(SiO3OH)4(OH)3 |
| Ca | ⓘ Crandallite | CaAl3(PO4)(PO3OH)(OH)6 |
| Ca | ⓘ Cavoite | CaV34+O7 |
| Ca | ⓘ Rhabdophane Group | (REE,Ca,Th)(PO4) · H2O |
| Ti | Titanium | |
| Ti | ⓘ Biotite | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| V | Vanadium | |
| V | ⓘ Cavoite | CaV34+O7 |
| Fe | Iron | |
| Fe | ⓘ Biotite | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| Fe | ⓘ Goethite | Fe3+O(OH) |
| Fe | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| Fe | ⓘ Vermiculite | Mg0.7(Mg,Fe,Al)6(Si,Al)8O20(OH)4 · 8H2O |
| Sr | Strontium | |
| Sr | ⓘ Goyazite | SrAl3(PO4)(PO3OH)(OH)6 |
| Y | Yttrium | |
| Y | ⓘ Bastnäsite | (Ce/Nd/Y/REE)(CO3)F |
| Mo | Molybdenum | |
| Mo | ⓘ Molybdenite | MoS2 |
| Ba | Barium | |
| Ba | ⓘ Baryte | BaSO4 |
| La | Lanthanum | |
| La | ⓘ Monazite-(La) | La(PO4) |
| La | ⓘ Rhabdophane-(La) | La(PO4) · H2O |
| Ce | Cerium | |
| Ce | ⓘ Bastnäsite | (Ce/Nd/Y/REE)(CO3)F |
| Ce | ⓘ Cerianite-(Ce) | (Ce4+,Th)O2 |
| Ce | ⓘ Cerite-(CeCa) | (Ce7Ca2)◻Mg(SiO4)3(SiO3OH)4(OH)3 |
| Ce | ⓘ Monazite-(Ce) | Ce(PO4) |
| Nd | Neodymium | |
| Nd | ⓘ Bastnäsite | (Ce/Nd/Y/REE)(CO3)F |
| Pb | Lead | |
| Pb | ⓘ Galena | PbS |
| Pb | ⓘ Pyromorphite | Pb5(PO4)3Cl |
| Th | Thorium | |
| Th | ⓘ Cerianite-(Ce) | (Ce4+,Th)O2 |
| Th | ⓘ Rhabdophane Group | (REE,Ca,Th)(PO4) · H2O |
Geochronology
Mineralization age: Neoproterozoic : 586.8 ± 3.7 MaImportant note: This table is based only on rock and mineral ages recorded on mindat.org for this locality and is not necessarily a complete representation of the geochronology, but does give an indication of possible mineralization events relevant to this locality. As more age information is added this table may expand in the future. A break in the table simply indicates a lack of data entered here, not necessarily a break in the geologic sequence. Grey background entries are from different, related, localities.
| Geologic Time | Rocks, Minerals and Events | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precambrian | |||||||
| Proterozoic | |||||||
| Neoproterozoic | |||||||
| Ediacaran |
| ||||||
Localities in this Region
- Bujumbura Rural Province
- Gakara Project
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
AfricaContinent
- East African Rift System (EARS)Zone (Tectonic)
- Albertine RiftZone (Tectonic)
Somali PlateTectonic Plate
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
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References
Van Wambeke, L. (1977) The Karonge rare earth deposits, Republic of Burundi: New mineralogical-geochemical data and origin of the mineralization. Mineralium Deposita, 12 (3) 373-380 doi:10.1007/bf00206173
Nakai, S., Masuda, A., Lehmann, B. (1988) La-Ba dating of bastnaesite. American Mineralogist, 73 (9-10) 1111-1113
Lehmann, Bernd, Nakai, Shun'ichi, Höhndorf, Axel, Brinckmann, Jörn, Dulski, Peter, Hein, Ulrich F, Masuda, Akimasa (1994) REE mineralization at Gakara, Burundi: Evidence for anomalous upper mantle in the western Rift Valley. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 58 (2) 985-992 doi:10.1016/0016-7037(94)90520-7
Berger, Vladimir I.; Singer, Donald A.; Orris, Greta J. (2009) Carbonatites of the World, Explored Deposits of Nb and REE—Database and Grade and Tonnage Models . Open-File Report 2009-1139. US Geological Survey doi:10.3133/ofr20091139
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Gakara Project, Bujumbura Rural Province, Burundi