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Schmalgraf mine, Kelmis, Liège, Wallonia, Belgiumi
Regional Level Types
Schmalgraf mineMine (Abandoned)
KelmisMunicipality
LiègeProvince
WalloniaRegion
BelgiumCountry

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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
50° 41' 50'' North , 5° 59' 12'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Mine (Abandoned) - last checked 2019
Deposit first discovered:
1858
Age:
358.9 ± 0.4 to 298.9 ± 0.15 Ma
Geologic Time:
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
PlacePopulationDistance
Lontzen4,862 (2011)2.3km
La Calamine10,232 (2011)2.9km
Welkenraedt9,006 (2012)4.3km
Plombières9,596 (2011)4.8km
Wolfhaag125 (2017)6.9km
Nearest Clubs:
Local clubs are the best way to get access to collecting localities
ClubLocationDistance
Vieille Montagne HeritageKelmis / La Calamine, Belgium2km
Mindat Locality ID:
122727
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:122727:0
GUID (UUID V4):
16e13640-a037-40a4-ba09-617555522f80
Other/historical names associated with this locality:
Comborn; Driesschacht; Klousterschacht; Oskarstollen


The Schmalgraf mine.

This mine was part of the “Vieille Montagne Moresnet concession” with headquarters in the management building in Kelmis/La Calamine, the current MVM Museum Vieille Montagne.

The lead-zinc deposit of Schmalgraf, the deepest Belgian metallic mine (290 m deep), was discovered in 1858 at the "Klousterschacht". It's situated at about 2,500 m SW of the Altenberg mine (La Calamine), below the dump pits of ancient working.



The exploration started in 1867, after the digging of a horizontal drainage adit (Oskarstollen) of 500 m long between the ore deposit (at a depth of 42 m) and the valley of the river Hohnbach.

02880220015143862294358.jpg
1920 Oskarstollen Schmalgraf mine.

Schmalgraf mine, Kelmis, Liège, Wallonia, Belgium


From the -42 m level, the ores were transported through the Oskarstollen directly to the wash plant of the Vieille Montagne zinc factory of the Altenberg mine. This transport was done by means of a narrow-gauge train on the banks of the river Hohnbach.
The mine was closed in 1932 due to mining problems at depth and a depressed overall economic situation.



The mine had two main shafts, a transport- and a pump shaft to the -132 m level.
Additionally, there were 3 shafts side by side (260 m west from the first) for transport, pumping, and cables and 2 ventilation shafts. The first of these ventilation shafts went down to the -132 m level and the second one went all the way down to the -290 m level with a built-in ventilator at level -42 m.
Most important was the one horizontal adit at -42 m (Oskarstollen) for the evacuation of the ore.

08045260015143862299016.jpg
Schmalgraf Mine. Underground steam pump.

Schmalgraf mine, Kelmis, Liège, Wallonia, Belgium


The mine had several levels: -42 m, -92 m, -132 m, -155 m, -210 m, -255 m and -290 m.

Above ground, 30 people were occupied, 120 miners worked underground.

Total production between 1867 and 1 May 1932:
22,641 tonnes of calamine, 333,654 tonnes of schalenblende, 21,188 tonnes of galena and 29,295 tonnes of pyrite.

1903-1905: An underground connection to the Eschbroich mine (https://www.mindat.org/loc-192001.html) was excavated at -132 m.

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


11 valid minerals.

Rock Types Recorded

Note: data is currently VERY limited. Please bear with us while we work towards adding this information!

Select Rock List Type

Alphabetical List Tree Diagram

Detailed Mineral List:

'Calamine'
References:
François Wouters collectionIdentified by François Wouters: Visual Identification
Calcite
Formula: CaCO3
References:
Cerussite
Formula: PbCO3
Dolomite
Formula: CaMg(CO3)2
References:
Galena
Formula: PbS
Gypsum
Formula: CaSO4 · 2H2O
Habit: Usually as grains but sometimes typical crystals occur sticked to schalenblende.
Colour: Transparent to white
Description: Some schalenblende specimes, found on the dump, have some small gypsum crystals growing on them. The most I found where on light beige schalenblende specimens and where found quite deep in the dump where the rocks where almost dry.
'Limonite'
Marcasite
Formula: FeS2
Pyrite
Formula: FeS2
Quartz
Formula: SiO2
References:
Smithsonite
Formula: ZnCO3
Sphalerite
Formula: ZnS
'Strickblende'
Formula: PbS
Habit: Knitted galena forms pine tree-like aggregates imbedded in schalenblende
Colour: Silver grey
Willemite
Formula: Zn2SiO4

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts
Sphalerite2.CB.05aZnS
Galena2.CD.10PbS
Pyrite2.EB.05aFeS2
Marcasite2.EB.10aFeS2
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
Quartz4.DA.05SiO2
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
Calcite5.AB.05CaCO3
Smithsonite5.AB.05ZnCO3
Dolomite5.AB.10CaMg(CO3)2
Cerussite5.AB.15PbCO3
Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates
Gypsum7.CD.40CaSO4 · 2H2O
Group 9 - Silicates
Willemite9.AA.05Zn2SiO4
Unclassified
'Limonite'-
'Calamine'-
'Strickblende'-PbS

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
H GypsumCaSO4 · 2H2O
CCarbon
C CalciteCaCO3
C CerussitePbCO3
C DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
C SmithsoniteZnCO3
OOxygen
O CalciteCaCO3
O CerussitePbCO3
O DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
O GypsumCaSO4 · 2H2O
O QuartzSiO2
O SmithsoniteZnCO3
O WillemiteZn2SiO4
MgMagnesium
Mg DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
SiSilicon
Si QuartzSiO2
Si WillemiteZn2SiO4
SSulfur
S GalenaPbS
S GypsumCaSO4 · 2H2O
S MarcasiteFeS2
S PyriteFeS2
S SphaleriteZnS
S StrickblendePbS
CaCalcium
Ca CalciteCaCO3
Ca DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
Ca GypsumCaSO4 · 2H2O
FeIron
Fe MarcasiteFeS2
Fe PyriteFeS2
ZnZinc
Zn SmithsoniteZnCO3
Zn SphaleriteZnS
Zn WillemiteZn2SiO4
PbLead
Pb CerussitePbCO3
Pb GalenaPbS
Pb StrickblendePbS

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality


This page 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

 
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