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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
Copper
Datolite
Diaspore
Diopside
Effenbergerite (TL)
Ephesite
Epidote
Ettringite
'Ferro-akermanite'
Ferrobustamite
Foshagite
Friedelite
Gageite
Gaudefroyite
Glaucochroite
Goethite
Gonyerite
Gowerite
Grossular
Groutite
Gypsum
Hausmannite
Hematite
Hennomartinite (TL)
Henritermierite
Hibschite
Holtstamite (TL)
Inesite
Jacobsite
Jennite
Johannsenite
Kentrolite
Kirschsteinite
Kornite (TL)
Kutnohorite
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
Pyrite
Pyrochroite
Pyrolusite
Pyrophanite
Quartz
var: Amethyst
Rhodochrosite
Rhodonite
Richterite
Ruizite
Sérandite
Shigaite
Sturmanite
Sugilite
Taikanite
Tephroite
Tetraferriannite
Thaumasite
Thomsonite-Ca
Tobermorite
Vaterite
Vesuvianite
Vonbezingite (TL)
Vuagnatite
Wesselsite (TL)
Wollastonite
Xonotlite
Zoisite


111 entries listed. 106 valid minerals. 9 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 (3), 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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Copyright © Jolyon Ralph and Ida Chau 1993-2012. Jobs in South Africa Site Map. Locality, mineral & photograph data are the copyright of the individuals who submitted them. Further information contact the Site hosted & developed by Jolyon Ralph. Mindat.org is an online information resource dedicated to providing free mineralogical information to all. Mindat relies on the contributions of hundreds of members and supporters. Mindat does not offer minerals for sale. If you would like to add information to improve the quality of our database, then click here to register.
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