Pannikin Mica Mine (Pannikan mine), Mount Mabel, Ambalindum Station, Harts Range, Central Desert Region, Northern Territory, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Pannikin Mica Mine (Pannikan mine)	Mine
Mount Mabel	Mountain
Ambalindum Station	- not defined -
Harts Range	Mountain Range
Central Desert Region	Region
Northern Territory	Territory
Australia	Country

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Access is either from the Old Station Well heading east of this by approximately 11 kilometres, or south from the Mount Riddock Station homestead, through a rough track which traverses the ranges south, until meeting the same east-west track, then turning east, and travelling 5 kilometres. Permission from the station owner should be obtained before heading to the area. The Pannikin mine is near the northern boundary of the Ambalindum Station.

From the main track, a side track heads south-east for approximately 2 kilometres to the small Pannikin Dam. A faint track follows the creek east, doing a semi circle to the south for less than one kilometre. It is thought the Pannikin mine is about 200 metres east, and Elbow mine the same distance south of this point, but is unconfirmed. There appears to be several small mica mines/pegmatites in the area. One may have been called Little Pannikin, based on a lease taken out by Constantine Perry in 1944, and re-leased in 1946 under Constantine's name, and in addition Louis Bertrand Power, and Maxwell Clement Flannagan. The White Lady mica mine is several kilometres south-west of the dam, with no clear access track these days.

The mine was inspected in 1945, and focuses mainly on the economic worth of the mica. Gemstones are possible, but unknown. The mine had five shafts (probably now collapsed), but little mining had occurred by this stage. The west part of the pegmatite is granitic, without commercial quantities of mica. The rest showed medium sized books of muscovite, in a mica vein, parallel to the hanging wall.

The coarse pegmatite contains plagioclase, and quartz as large masses, some pink orthoclase or microcline, as aggregates in a rough banded structure, parallel to the walls of the pegmatite. The mica is often stained with a latticework of brown, red, and yellow streaks.

It appears that there are differing spellings of the mine. Kruttschnitt, J (1951) uses Pannikans; Bonzle spells the site as Pannikan's and Owen (1945) uses Pannikin.

The coordinates provided are approximate.

Commodity List

This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.

Mineral List

3 valid minerals.

Rock Types Recorded