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Wessels Mine (Wessel's Mine), Hotazel, Kalahari manganese fields, Northern Cape Province, South Africa

Kutnohorite
Wessels Mine, Hotazel, Kalahari manganese fields, Northern Cape Province, South Africa

Photo: namibiaminerals
Latitude: 27°12'S
Longitude: 22°58'E
A manganese mine located near Hotazel in North Cape province. Owned by BHP Billiton. Started in May 1973.
Hydrothermal alteration of the primary Mn ore produced a wealth of well-crystallised minerals.

Wessels mine is an underground operation situated 300 metres below the surface. Access to the workings is achieved by means of a vertical shaft and two incline shafts. The nature of the ore body lends itself to a mechanised room and pillar mining method.

Operated as a unit with the nearby Mamatwan open-pit mine.

Mineral List

Aegirine
Afwillite
Åkermanite
Andradite
var: Hydroandradite
Apophyllite-(KOH)
Aragonite
Azurite
Baryte
Bementite
Bixbyite
Brandtite
Braunite
'Braunite-II'
Brucite
Bultfonteinite
Calcite
var: Manganoan Calcite
Caryopilite
Celestine
Chamosite
Charlesite
Clinochlore
Clinochrysotile
Clinozoisite
Colinowensite (TL)
Copper
Datolite
Diaspore
Diaspore
var: Mangan-diaspore

Diopside
Effenbergerite (TL)
Ephesite
Epidote
Ettringite
'Ferro-akermanite'
Ferrobustamite
Foshagite
Friedelite
Gageite
Gaudefroyite
Glaucochroite
Goethite
Gonyerite
Gowerite
Grossular
var: Hibschite
Groutite
Gypsum
Hausmannite
Hematite
Hennomartinite (TL)
Henritermierite
Holtstamite (TL)
Inesite
Jacobsite
Jennite
Johannsenite
Kentrolite
Kirschsteinite
Kutnohorite
Lavinskyite (TL)
Leucophoenicite
Lizardite
Magnesio-arfvedsonite
Manganipiemontite-(Sr) (TL)
Manganite
Manganvesuvianite
Marcasite
Marokite
Minnesotaite
Mozartite
Natrolite
Nchwaningite
Neltnerite
Norrishite
Olmiite
Orientite
Orlymanite (TL)
Parsettensite
Pectolite
Piemontite
Piemontite-(Sr)
Poldervaartite (TL)
Portlandite
Potassic-mangani-leakeite (TL)
Pyrite
Pyrochroite
Pyrolusite
Pyrophanite
Quartz
var: Amethyst
Rhodochrosite
Rhodonite
Richterite
Ruizite
Scottyite (TL)
Sérandite
Shigaite
Sogdianite
Sturmanite
Sugilite
Taikanite
Tephroite
Tetraferriannite
Thaumasite
Thomsonite-Ca
Tobermorite
Vaterite
Vesuvianite
Vonbezingite (TL)
Vuagnatite
Wesselsite (TL)
Wollastonite
Xonotlite
Zoisite


116 entries listed. 109 valid minerals. 12 type localities (valid minerals).

The above list 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

Mining Annual Review (1985): 90

Rocks & Minerals (1986): 61: 10

Mineralogical Record (1989): 20(5): 389.

Von Bezing, K. L. et al. (1991) The Kalahari manganese field: an update. Mineralogical Record, 22(4), 279-302.

American Mineralogist (1992): 77: 1292-1300

Gutzmer, J. & Cairncross, B. (1993): Recent discoveries from the Wessels mine South Africa. Mineralogocal Record 24 (5): 365-368

American Mineralogist (1993): 78: 1082-1087

Von Bezing, L. & Gutzmer, J. (1994): Das Kalahari Manganerzfeld und seine Mineralien (II). Mineralien-Welt, 5(5), 41-59.

Cairncross, B. and R. Dixon (1995) Minerals of South Africa.

Cairncross, B., Beukes, N. and Gutzmer, J. (1997): The Manganese Adventure – The South African Manganese Fields. Associated Ore & Metal Corporation Limited, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa.

Gutzmer, J. & Cairncross, B. (2001): Seltene Mineralien aus dem Kalahari-Manganerzfeld, Südafrika. Lapis, 26(10), 32-42.

Gutzmer, J. & Cairncross, B. (2002): Spectacular Minerals from the Kalahari Manganese Field, South Africa. Rocks & Minerals, 77(2), 94-107.

Gnos E., Armbruster T., Villa I. M. (2003): Norrishite, K(Mn3+2Li)Si4O10(O)2, an oxymica associated with sugilite from the Wessels Mine, South Africa: Crystal chemistry and 39Ar-40Ar dating. American Mineralogist: 88: 189-194.


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