Vote for your favorite mineral in #MinCup26! - Sphalerite vs. Anorthite
Both zinc ore Sphalerite and calcium plagioclase feldspar Anorthite have perfect cleavage that will split cleanly if you hit them with a hammer, but only one can claim a larger split of your votes!
Log InRegister
Quick Links : The Mindat ManualThe Rock H. Currier Digital LibraryMindat Newsletter [Free Download]
Home PageAbout MindatThe Mindat ManualHistory of MindatCopyright StatusWho We AreContact UsAdvertise on Mindat
Donate to MindatCorporate SponsorshipSponsor a PageSponsored PagesMindat AdvertisersAdvertise on Mindat
Learning CenterWhat is a mineral?The most common minerals on earthInformation for EducatorsMindat ArticlesThe ElementsThe Rock H. Currier Digital LibraryGeologic TimeExplore Fossils
Minerals by PropertiesMinerals by ChemistryMineral Visual ExplorerAdvanced Locality SearchRandom MineralRandom LocalitySearch by minIDLocalities Near MeSearch ArticlesSearch GlossaryMore Search Options
Search For:
Mineral Name:
Locality Name:
Keyword(s):
 
The Mindat ManualAdd a New PhotoRate PhotosLocality Edit ReportCoordinate Completion ReportAdd Glossary Item
Mining CompaniesStatisticsUsersMineral MuseumsClubs & OrganizationsMineral Shows & EventsThe Mindat DirectoryDevice SettingsThe Mineral QuizTime Machine
Photo SearchPhoto GalleriesSearch by ColorPhoto Colour ExplorerNew Photos TodayNew Photos YesterdayMembers' Photo GalleriesPast Photo of the Day GalleryPhotography

Falémé Deposits, Falémé River basin, Tambacounda Region, Senegali
Regional Level Types
Falémé DepositsGroup of Deposits
Falémé River basinBasin
Tambacounda RegionRegion
SenegalCountry

This page is currently not sponsored. Click here to sponsor this page.
PhotosMapsSearch
Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
12° 49' 59'' North , 11° 30' 0'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
12.83333,-11.50000
GeoHash:
G#: edrc421zw
GRN:
N09W08
Type:
Group of Deposits
Köppen climate type:
Aw : Tropical savanna, wet
Mindat Locality ID:
11129
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:11129:3
GUID (UUID V4):
0


An iron ore district located 750 km from Dakar on the SE border of Senegal.
Reserves of 300 million tons of oxide ore and 250 million tons of primary magnetite. Nine major and 19 minor orebodies, distributed in a belt 65 km long and 15 km wide.

The Falémé iron district endo- and exoskarn deposits are located within the Falémé batholith, associated altered Bambadji Formation volcanic rocks, and westernmost parts of the Kofi series. In the skarns, proximal halos of calc-silicate alteration (actinolite-epidote-allanite-titanite ± clinopyroxene-garnet) overprint regional albitization. This is further overprinted by massive magnetite ± apatite ore. These sulfides are locally auriferous, typically containing < 0.5 g/t Au and rarely up to 3 g/t Au associated with trace amounts of Co-Ni-U–bearing phases.

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


12 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:

ⓘ Actinolite
Formula: ◻Ca2(Mg4.5-2.5Fe0.5-2.5)Si8O22(OH)2
ⓘ Albite
Formula: Na(AlSi3O8)
ⓘ 'Allanite Group'
Formula: (A12+REE3+)(M13+M23+M32+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
ⓘ 'Apatite'
Formula: Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
ⓘ 'Biotite'
Formula: K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
ⓘ Calcite
Formula: CaCO3
ⓘ Chalcopyrite
Formula: CuFeS2
ⓘ 'Chlorite Group'
ⓘ 'Clinopyroxene Subgroup'
ⓘ Clinozoisite
Formula: (CaCa)(AlAlAl)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
ⓘ Epidote
Formula: (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
ⓘ 'Garnet Group'
Formula: X3Z2(SiO4)3
ⓘ Hematite
Formula: Fe2O3
ⓘ Magnetite
Formula: Fe2+Fe3+2O4
ⓘ Muscovite
Formula: KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
ⓘ Pyrite
Formula: FeS2
ⓘ Quartz
Formula: SiO2
ⓘ Titanite
Formula: CaTi(SiO4)O

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts
ⓘChalcopyrite2.CB.10aCuFeS2
ⓘPyrite2.EB.05aFeS2
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
ⓘMagnetite4.BB.05Fe2+Fe3+2O4
ⓘHematite4.CB.05Fe2O3
ⓘQuartz4.DA.05SiO2
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
ⓘCalcite5.AB.05CaCO3
Group 9 - Silicates
ⓘTitanite9.AG.15CaTi(SiO4)O
ⓘClinozoisite9.BG.05a(CaCa)(AlAlAl)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
ⓘEpidote9.BG.05a(CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
ⓘActinolite9.DE.10◻Ca2(Mg4.5-2.5Fe0.5-2.5)Si8O22(OH)2
ⓘMuscovite9.EC.15KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
ⓘAlbite9.FA.35Na(AlSi3O8)
Unclassified
ⓘ'Biotite'-K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
ⓘ'Chlorite Group'-
ⓘ'Clinopyroxene Subgroup'-
ⓘ'Garnet Group'-X3Z2(SiO4)3
ⓘ'Apatite'-Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
ⓘ'Allanite Group'-(A12+REE3+)(M13+M23+M32+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
Hⓘ Actinolite◻Ca2(Mg4.5-2.5Fe0.5-2.5)Si8O22(OH)2
Hⓘ BiotiteK(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
Hⓘ Clinozoisite(CaCa)(AlAlAl)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
Hⓘ Epidote(CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
Hⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Hⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
Hⓘ Allanite Group(A12+REE3+)(M13+M23+M32+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
CCarbon
Cⓘ CalciteCaCO3
OOxygen
Oⓘ Actinolite◻Ca2(Mg4.5-2.5Fe0.5-2.5)Si8O22(OH)2
Oⓘ AlbiteNa(AlSi3O8)
Oⓘ BiotiteK(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
Oⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Oⓘ Clinozoisite(CaCa)(AlAlAl)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
Oⓘ Epidote(CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
Oⓘ HematiteFe2O3
Oⓘ MagnetiteFe2+Fe23+O4
Oⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Oⓘ QuartzSiO2
Oⓘ TitaniteCaTi(SiO4)O
Oⓘ Garnet GroupX3Z2(SiO4)3
Oⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
Oⓘ Allanite Group(A12+REE3+)(M13+M23+M32+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
FFluorine
Fⓘ BiotiteK(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
Fⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
NaSodium
Naⓘ AlbiteNa(AlSi3O8)
MgMagnesium
Mgⓘ Actinolite◻Ca2(Mg4.5-2.5Fe0.5-2.5)Si8O22(OH)2
Mgⓘ BiotiteK(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
AlAluminium
Alⓘ AlbiteNa(AlSi3O8)
Alⓘ BiotiteK(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
Alⓘ Clinozoisite(CaCa)(AlAlAl)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
Alⓘ Epidote(CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
Alⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
SiSilicon
Siⓘ Actinolite◻Ca2(Mg4.5-2.5Fe0.5-2.5)Si8O22(OH)2
Siⓘ AlbiteNa(AlSi3O8)
Siⓘ BiotiteK(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
Siⓘ Clinozoisite(CaCa)(AlAlAl)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
Siⓘ Epidote(CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
Siⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Siⓘ QuartzSiO2
Siⓘ TitaniteCaTi(SiO4)O
Siⓘ Garnet GroupX3Z2(SiO4)3
Siⓘ Allanite Group(A12+REE3+)(M13+M23+M32+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
PPhosphorus
Pⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
SSulfur
Sⓘ ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
Sⓘ PyriteFeS2
ClChlorine
Clⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
KPotassium
Kⓘ BiotiteK(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
Kⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
CaCalcium
Caⓘ Actinolite◻Ca2(Mg4.5-2.5Fe0.5-2.5)Si8O22(OH)2
Caⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Caⓘ Clinozoisite(CaCa)(AlAlAl)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
Caⓘ Epidote(CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
Caⓘ TitaniteCaTi(SiO4)O
Caⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
TiTitanium
Tiⓘ BiotiteK(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
Tiⓘ TitaniteCaTi(SiO4)O
FeIron
Feⓘ Actinolite◻Ca2(Mg4.5-2.5Fe0.5-2.5)Si8O22(OH)2
Feⓘ BiotiteK(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
Feⓘ ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
Feⓘ Epidote(CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
Feⓘ HematiteFe2O3
Feⓘ MagnetiteFe2+Fe23+O4
Feⓘ PyriteFeS2
CuCopper
Cuⓘ ChalcopyriteCuFeS2

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

AfricaContinent
African PlateTectonic Plate
West AfricaUN Subregion

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

Schwartz, M. O., Melcher, F. (2004) The Falémé Iron District, Senegal. Economic Geology, 99 (5) 917-939 doi:10.2113/gsecongeo.99.5.917
Mienie, P. J., Kandé, S. (2006) The Falémé deposits, Republic of Senegal – an old kid, new on the iron ore block. Applied Earth Science, 115 (4) 167-173 doi:10.1179/174327506x138977
[1]Lambert-Smith, James S., Allibone, Andrew, Treloar, Peter J., Lawrence, David M., Boyce, Adrian J., Fanning, Mark (2020) Stable C, O, and S Isotope Record of Magmatic-Hydrothermal Interactions Between the Falémé Fe Skarn and the Loulo Au Systems in Western Mali. Economic Geology, 115 (7). 1537-1558 doi:10.5382/econgeo.4759
Quick NavTopCommoditiesMineral ListRock TypesOther RegionsReferences
 
and/or  
Mindat.org® is an outreach project of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Mindat® and mindat.org® are registered trademarks of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy.
Copyright © mindat.org and the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy 1993-2026, except where stated. Most political location boundaries are © OpenStreetMap contributors. Mindat.org relies on the contributions of thousands of members and supporters. Founded in 2000 by Jolyon Ralph and Ida Chau.
Content on this site may not be used to train, fine-tune, or otherwise develop artificial intelligence or machine learning models without prior written permission - see our Terms & Conditions.
To cite: Ralph, J., Von Bargen, D., Martynov, P., Zhang, J., Que, X., Prabhu, A., Morrison, S. M., Li, W., Chen, W., & Ma, X. (2025). Mindat.org: The open access mineralogy database to accelerate data-intensive geoscience research. American Mineralogist, 110(6), 833–844. doi:10.2138/am-2024-9486.
Privacy Policy - Terms & Conditions - Contact Us / DMCA issues - Report a bug/vulnerability Current server date and time: September 3, 2026 08:18:27 Page updated: August 8, 2025 21:42:41
Go to top of page