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Mine Bellezane, Bessines-sur-Gartempe, Bellac, Haute-Vienne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Francei
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Mine Bellezane | Mine (Inactive) |
| Bessines-sur-Gartempe | Commune |
| Bellac | Arrondissement |
| Haute-Vienne | Department |
| Nouvelle-Aquitaine | Region |
| France | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
46° 5' 55'' North , 1° 23' 16'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Area:
1.0 km2
Type:
Mine (Inactive) - last checked 2026
Deposit first discovered:
1954 (approx.)
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Bessines-sur-Gartempe | 2,836 (2016) | 1.8km |
| Bersac-sur-Rivalier | 649 (2016) | 3.4km |
| Folles | 529 (2016) | 5.9km |
| Fromental | 552 (2016) | 6.7km |
| Saint-Léger-la-Montagne | 361 (2016) | 7.6km |
Other/historical names associated with this locality:
Belzane
Former uranium mine located 1.5 km southeast of Bessines-sur-Gartempe.
Underground workings began in 1974, followed by open-pit mining in 1976, before the site closed in 1992.
Currently, the underground workings have been flooded and the open-pit mine partially backfilled. 25 kilometers of tunnels were excavated, reaching depths of 400 meters, yielding over 4,000 tons of uranium.
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsMineral List
7 valid minerals.
Rock Types Recorded
Select Rock List Type
Alphabetical List Tree DiagramDetailed Mineral List:
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Quartz | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
| ⓘ | Uraninite var. Pitchblende | 4.DL.05 | UO2 |
| ⓘ | 4.DL.05 | UO2 | |
| Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates | |||
| ⓘ | Baryte | 7.AD.35 | BaSO4 |
| ⓘ | Gypsum | 7.CD.40 | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| Group 9 - Silicates | |||
| ⓘ | Coffinite | 9.AD.30 | U(SiO4) · nH2O |
| ⓘ | Zircon | 9.AD.30 | Zr(SiO4) |
| ⓘ | Kaolinite | 9.ED.05 | Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 |
| Unclassified | |||
| ⓘ | 'Chlorite Group' | - | |
| ⓘ | 'Feldspar Group' | - | |
| ⓘ | 'Monazite Group' | - | REE(PO4) |
| ⓘ | 'Mica Group' | - | |
| ⓘ | 'Plagioclase' | - | (Na,Ca)[(Si,Al)AlSi2]O8 |
| ⓘ | 'Smectite Group' | - | A0.3D2-3[T4O10]Z2 · nH2O |
| ⓘ | 'Apatite' | - | Ca5(PO4)3A |
| ⓘ | 'Autunite Group' | - | A(UO2)2(TO4)2 · 8-16H2O |
| ⓘ | 'Rutile Group' | - | M4+O2 |
| ⓘ | 'Phyllosilicate' | - | |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | ⓘ Coffinite | U(SiO4) · nH2O |
| H | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| H | ⓘ Kaolinite | Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 |
| H | ⓘ Smectite Group | A0.3D2-3[T4O10]Z2 · nH2O |
| H | ⓘ Autunite Group | A(UO2)2(TO4)2 · 8-16H2O |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | ⓘ Baryte | BaSO4 |
| O | ⓘ Coffinite | U(SiO4) · nH2O |
| O | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| O | ⓘ Kaolinite | Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 |
| O | ⓘ Monazite Group | REE(PO4) |
| O | ⓘ Uraninite var. Pitchblende | UO2 |
| O | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| O | ⓘ Uraninite | UO2 |
| O | ⓘ Zircon | Zr(SiO4) |
| O | ⓘ Plagioclase | (Na,Ca)[(Si,Al)AlSi2]O8 |
| O | ⓘ Smectite Group | A0.3D2-3[T4O10]Z2 · nH2O |
| O | ⓘ Apatite | Ca5(PO4)3A |
| O | ⓘ Autunite Group | A(UO2)2(TO4)2 · 8-16H2O |
| O | ⓘ Rutile Group | M4+O2 |
| Na | Sodium | |
| Na | ⓘ Plagioclase | (Na,Ca)[(Si,Al)AlSi2]O8 |
| Al | Aluminium | |
| Al | ⓘ Kaolinite | Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 |
| Al | ⓘ Plagioclase | (Na,Ca)[(Si,Al)AlSi2]O8 |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | ⓘ Coffinite | U(SiO4) · nH2O |
| Si | ⓘ Kaolinite | Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| Si | ⓘ Zircon | Zr(SiO4) |
| Si | ⓘ Plagioclase | (Na,Ca)[(Si,Al)AlSi2]O8 |
| P | Phosphorus | |
| P | ⓘ Monazite Group | REE(PO4) |
| P | ⓘ Apatite | Ca5(PO4)3A |
| S | Sulfur | |
| S | ⓘ Baryte | BaSO4 |
| S | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| Ca | Calcium | |
| Ca | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| Ca | ⓘ Plagioclase | (Na,Ca)[(Si,Al)AlSi2]O8 |
| Ca | ⓘ Apatite | Ca5(PO4)3A |
| Zr | Zirconium | |
| Zr | ⓘ Zircon | Zr(SiO4) |
| Ba | Barium | |
| Ba | ⓘ Baryte | BaSO4 |
| U | Uranium | |
| U | ⓘ Coffinite | U(SiO4) · nH2O |
| U | ⓘ Uraninite var. Pitchblende | UO2 |
| U | ⓘ Uraninite | UO2 |
| U | ⓘ Autunite Group | A(UO2)2(TO4)2 · 8-16H2O |
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
Eurasian PlateTectonic Plate
- Moldanubian BeltOrogenic Belt
EuropeContinent
France
- Massif CentralHighland Region
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References
Ballini, M., Chautard, C., Nos, J., Phrommavanh, V., Beaucaire, C., Besancon, C., Boizard, A., Cathelineau, M., Peiffert, C., Vercouter, T., Vors, E., Descostes, M. (2020) A multi-scalar study of the long-term reactivity of uranium mill tailings from Bellezane site (France). Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 218. 106223pp. doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2020.106223
