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Gara Djebilet iron deposit, Tindouf District, Tindouf Province, Algeriai
Regional Level Types
Gara Djebilet iron depositDeposit
Tindouf DistrictDistrict
Tindouf ProvinceProvince
AlgeriaCountry

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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
26° 52' 55'' North , 7° 0' 1'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
26.88222,-7.00028
GRN:
N18W05
Type:
Deposit
Köppen climate type:
BWh : Hot deserts climate
Mindat Locality ID:
296328
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:296328:3
GUID (UUID V4):
0


Minette-type oolitic iron ore.

The Gâra Djebilet mine is a large iron mine located in western Algeria in the Tindouf Province. Gâra Djebilet represents one of the largest iron ore reserves in Algeria and in the world having estimated reserves of 1.7 billion tonnes of ore grading 30% iron metal.

In February 2026, a 1000-km-long train track, constructed to transport the ore to the city of Bechar, was officially opened.

The 1.7 billion tons of iron-rich, exploitable deposits in Gara Djebilet are spread across two significant lenses: the so-called "west" lens, with 780 million tons, and the so-called "center" lens, with 900 million tons. These three lenses have different sizes (7-90 km2), and their thickness is not constant and varies up to about 30 m. The deposits are still present as mesas of mostly argillaceous and sandy sediments interbedded with flat-lying (1.5- 2° north dipping) oolitic iron-stone lenses. Three zones may be distinguished within the main body of iron ore: 1- the lower non-magnetitic ore (3-10 m thick, Fe = 54.6%); 2- the magnetitic ore (6-10 m thick, Fe = 57.8%), which corresponds to the main economic ore; and 3- the upper non-magnetitic ore (4-12 m thick, Fe = 53%).

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Commodity List

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


Mineral List


9 valid minerals.

Rock Types Recorded


Select Rock List Type

Alphabetical List Tree Diagram

Detailed Mineral List:

ⓘ 'Apatite'
Formula: Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
ⓘ 'Apatite var. Collophane'
Formula: Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
ⓘ Chamosite
Formula: Fe2+5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
ⓘ Chamosite var. Bavalite
Formula: (Fe,Mg,Al)6(Si,Al)4O10(OH)8
ⓘ 'Chlorite Group'
ⓘ Fluorapatite
Formula: Ca5(PO4)3F
ⓘ Goethite
Formula: Fe3+O(OH)
ⓘ Hematite
Formula: Fe2O3
ⓘ 'Iron oxide'
ⓘ Maghemite
Formula: (Fe3+0.67◻0.33)Fe3+2O4
ⓘ Magnetite
Formula: Fe2+Fe3+2O4
ⓘ Pyrite
Formula: FeS2
ⓘ Quartz
Formula: SiO2
ⓘ Siderite
Formula: FeCO3

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts
ⓘPyrite2.EB.05aFeS2
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
ⓘGoethite4.00.Fe3+O(OH)
ⓘMagnetite4.BB.05Fe2+Fe3+2O4
ⓘMaghemite4.BB.15(Fe3+0.67◻0.33)Fe3+2O4
ⓘHematite4.CB.05Fe2O3
ⓘQuartz4.DA.05SiO2
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
ⓘSiderite5.AB.05FeCO3
Group 8 - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates
ⓘFluorapatite8.BN.05Ca5(PO4)3F
Group 9 - Silicates
ⓘChamosite
var. Bavalite		9.EC.55(Fe,Mg,Al)6(Si,Al)4O10(OH)8
ⓘ9.EC.55Fe2+5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
Unclassified
ⓘ'Chlorite Group'-
ⓘ'Apatite
var. Collophane'		-Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
ⓘ''-Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
ⓘ'Iron oxide'-

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
Hⓘ Chamosite var. Bavalite(Fe,Mg,Al)6(Si,Al)4O10(OH)8
Hⓘ ChamositeFe52+Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
Hⓘ GoethiteFe3+O(OH)
Hⓘ Apatite var. CollophaneCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
Hⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
CCarbon
Cⓘ SideriteFeCO3
OOxygen
Oⓘ Chamosite var. Bavalite(Fe,Mg,Al)6(Si,Al)4O10(OH)8
Oⓘ ChamositeFe52+Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
Oⓘ FluorapatiteCa5(PO4)3F
Oⓘ GoethiteFe3+O(OH)
Oⓘ HematiteFe2O3
Oⓘ Maghemite(Fe3+0.67◻0.33)Fe23+O4
Oⓘ MagnetiteFe2+Fe23+O4
Oⓘ QuartzSiO2
Oⓘ SideriteFeCO3
Oⓘ Apatite var. CollophaneCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
Oⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
FFluorine
Fⓘ FluorapatiteCa5(PO4)3F
Fⓘ Apatite var. CollophaneCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
Fⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
MgMagnesium
Mgⓘ Chamosite var. Bavalite(Fe,Mg,Al)6(Si,Al)4O10(OH)8
AlAluminium
Alⓘ Chamosite var. Bavalite(Fe,Mg,Al)6(Si,Al)4O10(OH)8
Alⓘ ChamositeFe52+Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
SiSilicon
Siⓘ Chamosite var. Bavalite(Fe,Mg,Al)6(Si,Al)4O10(OH)8
Siⓘ ChamositeFe52+Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
Siⓘ QuartzSiO2
PPhosphorus
Pⓘ FluorapatiteCa5(PO4)3F
Pⓘ Apatite var. CollophaneCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
Pⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
SSulfur
Sⓘ PyriteFeS2
ClChlorine
Clⓘ Apatite var. CollophaneCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
Clⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
CaCalcium
Caⓘ FluorapatiteCa5(PO4)3F
Caⓘ Apatite var. CollophaneCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
Caⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
FeIron
Feⓘ Chamosite var. Bavalite(Fe,Mg,Al)6(Si,Al)4O10(OH)8
Feⓘ ChamositeFe52+Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
Feⓘ GoethiteFe3+O(OH)
Feⓘ HematiteFe2O3
Feⓘ Maghemite(Fe3+0.67◻0.33)Fe23+O4
Feⓘ MagnetiteFe2+Fe23+O4
Feⓘ PyriteFeS2
Feⓘ SideriteFeCO3

Other Databases

Wikipedia:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%A2ra_Djebilet_mine
Wikidata ID:Q16976038

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

AfricaContinent
African PlateTectonic Plate
Northwest Africa MeteoritesGroup of Meteorite Fall Locations

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References

Champetier, Yves; Hamdadou, Elena; Hamdadou, Mohamed (1987) Examples of biogenic support of mineralization in two oolitic iron ores—Lorraine (France) and Gara Djebilet (Algeria). Sedimentary Geology, 51 (3-4). 249-255 doi:10.1016/0037-0738(87)90050-9
Guerrak, Salah (1988) Geology of the Early Devonian oolitic iron ore of the Gara Djebilet Field, Saharan Platform, Algeria. Ore Geology Reviews, 3 (4). 333-358 doi:10.1016/0169-1368(88)90026-1
Bersi, Mohand, Saibi, Hakim, Chabou, Moulley Charaf (2016) Aerogravity and remote sensing observations of an iron deposit in Gara Djebilet, southwestern Algeria. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 116. 134-150 doi:10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2016.01.004
[1]Chebel, Nassima; Nettour, Djamel; Chettibi, Mohamed; Rachid, Chaib; Khoshdast, Hamid; Hassanzadeh, Ahmad (2023) Studying on mineralogical and petrological characteristics of Gara Djebilet oolitic iron ore, Tindouf (Algeria). Physicochemical Problems of Mineral Processing, 59 (5).
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