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Erlenbach mine, Lontzen, Liège, Wallonia, Belgiumi
Regional Level Types
Erlenbach mineMine (Reclaimed)
LontzenMunicipality
LiègeProvince
WalloniaRegion
BelgiumCountry

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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
50° 41' 28'' North , 5° 58' 16'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Mine (Reclaimed) - last checked 2020
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
PlacePopulationDistance
Lontzen4,862 (2011)2.8km
Welkenraedt9,006 (2012)3.4km
La Calamine10,232 (2011)4.1km
Plombières9,596 (2011)5.1km
Baelen3,928 (2011)6.7km
Nearest Clubs:
Local clubs are the best way to get access to collecting localities
ClubLocationDistance
Vieille Montagne HeritageKelmis / La Calamine, Belgium3km
Mindat Locality ID:
249528
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:249528:9
GUID (UUID V4):
0
Other/historical names associated with this locality:
Esselbach (1852 Map concession Vieille Montagne)


Ancient Zn mine between the Eschbroich Mine and the Mützhagen mine.

The works in the Erlenbach quarry at Lontzen during World War II (1940-1945). (anecdote told by the tenant and farmer of Hof Erlenbach at that time, Mr. Jean Xhonneux):

"50 m west of the Erlenbach estate, between the Lütticher Straße and the Herzogenweg, excavations were started in November 1940 by the "Stolberger Zinc Works". 20–30 miners were working in three shifts.
The required tools and machinery were usually dismantled at the mine site in Lontzen and transported by heavy horse-drawn wagons to the Erlenbach site.
As for the mine site itself, we can say that it was so small that it barely stood out from the street. The high shaft tower with two baskets was the most striking.
In the occupied hangars, built from corrugated metal plates, several materials were stored. These hangars served as engine rooms and forges, as pumping chambers and ore storage. The compressor and the transformer were also housed within.
100 meters to the northwest stood the dynamite bunker, which was buried in the ground.
The air shaft was located about 50 meters to the north.
In the first year, the shaft had reached a depth of 15 meters. At this level, a bit of "blende" was mined. The detected ore was found as a layer 15 cm thick, a meter wide, and 15 meters long.
After further drilling in 1941 to a depth of 35 m, the water suddenly rose by 9 m. They decided to install heavy pumps to pump the water out of the shaft.
The mined ore was dumped on the local "Halde" (dump).
Note here that no cargo of "blende" was ever carried off-site.
The works were continued until the end of the war.
Immediately thereafter, the shaft was closed and filled up, and all the materials stayed behind on the grounds."

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


25 valid minerals.

Rock Types Recorded


Select Rock List Type

Alphabetical List Tree Diagram

Detailed Mineral List:

Allophane
Formula: (Al2O3)(SiO2)1.3-2 · 2.5-3H2O
Anglesite
Formula: PbSO4
Baryte
Formula: BaSO4
'Calamine'
References:
François Wouters collectionIdentified by François Wouters: Visual Identification
Calcite
Formula: CaCO3
Cerussite
Formula: PbCO3
Chalcophanite
Formula: ZnMn4+3O7 · 3H2O
Coronadite
Formula: Pb(Mn4+6Mn3+2)O16
Covellite
Formula: CuS
Dundasite
Formula: PbAl2(CO3)2(OH)4 · H2O
Galena
Formula: PbS
Goethite
Formula: Fe3+O(OH)
Hematite
Formula: Fe2O3
Hemimorphite
Formula: Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
Hetaerolite
Formula: ZnMn2O4
Hetaerolite var. Hydrohetaerolite
Formula: Zn(Mn,◻)2(O,OH)4
Hydrozincite
Formula: Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6
Kaolinite
Formula: Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4
Malachite
Formula: Cu2(CO3)(OH)2
Marcasite
Formula: FeS2
Minium
Formula: Pb3O4
Native Sulphur
Formula: S8
Plumbojarosite
Formula: Pb0.5Fe3+3(SO4)2(OH)6
Pyromorphite
Formula: Pb5(PO4)3Cl
Quartz
Formula: SiO2
Smithsonite
Formula: ZnCO3
References:
François Wouters collectionIdentification: Visual Identification
Smithsonite var. Dry Bone Ore
References:
François Wouters collectionIdentification: Visual Identification
Sphalerite
Formula: ZnS
Habit: botryoidal banded masses
Colour: beige to black
Description: The Erlenbach mine produced mostly galena and smithsonite. Schalenblende was found only rarely on the dump.

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 1 - Elements
Native Sulphur1.CC.05S8
Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts
Covellite2.CA.05aCuS
Sphalerite2.CB.05aZnS
Galena2.CD.10PbS
Marcasite2.EB.10aFeS2
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
Goethite4.00.Fe3+O(OH)
Hetaerolite4.BB.10ZnMn2O4
var. Hydrohetaerolite4.BB.10Zn(Mn,◻)2(O,OH)4
Minium4.BD.05Pb3O4
Hematite4.CB.05Fe2O3
Quartz4.DA.05SiO2
Coronadite4.DK.05aPb(Mn4+6Mn3+2)O16
Chalcophanite4.FL.20ZnMn4+3O7 · 3H2O
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
Calcite5.AB.05CaCO3
Smithsonite5.AB.05ZnCO3
var. Dry Bone Ore5.AB.05ZnCO3
Cerussite5.AB.15PbCO3
Malachite5.BA.10Cu2(CO3)(OH)2
Hydrozincite5.BA.15Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6
Dundasite5.DB.10PbAl2(CO3)2(OH)4 · H2O
Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates
Anglesite7.AD.35PbSO4
Baryte7.AD.35BaSO4
Plumbojarosite7.BC.10Pb0.5Fe3+3(SO4)2(OH)6
Group 8 - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates
Pyromorphite8.BN.05Pb5(PO4)3Cl
Group 9 - Silicates
Hemimorphite9.BD.10Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
Kaolinite9.ED.05Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4
Allophane9.ED.20(Al2O3)(SiO2)1.3-2 · 2.5-3H2O
Unclassified
'Calamine'-

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
H Allophane(Al2O3)(SiO2)1.3-2 · 2.5-3H2O
H ChalcophaniteZnMn34+O7 · 3H2O
H DundasitePbAl2(CO3)2(OH)4 · H2O
H GoethiteFe3+O(OH)
H HemimorphiteZn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
H Hetaerolite var. HydrohetaeroliteZn(Mn,◻)2(O,OH)4
H HydrozinciteZn5(CO3)2(OH)6
H KaoliniteAl2(Si2O5)(OH)4
H MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
H PlumbojarositePb0.5Fe33+(SO4)2(OH)6
CCarbon
C CalciteCaCO3
C CerussitePbCO3
C DundasitePbAl2(CO3)2(OH)4 · H2O
C HydrozinciteZn5(CO3)2(OH)6
C MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
C SmithsoniteZnCO3
OOxygen
O Allophane(Al2O3)(SiO2)1.3-2 · 2.5-3H2O
O AnglesitePbSO4
O BaryteBaSO4
O CalciteCaCO3
O CerussitePbCO3
O ChalcophaniteZnMn34+O7 · 3H2O
O CoronaditePb(Mn64+Mn23+)O16
O DundasitePbAl2(CO3)2(OH)4 · H2O
O GoethiteFe3+O(OH)
O HematiteFe2O3
O HemimorphiteZn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
O HetaeroliteZnMn2O4
O Hetaerolite var. HydrohetaeroliteZn(Mn,◻)2(O,OH)4
O HydrozinciteZn5(CO3)2(OH)6
O KaoliniteAl2(Si2O5)(OH)4
O MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
O MiniumPb3O4
O PlumbojarositePb0.5Fe33+(SO4)2(OH)6
O PyromorphitePb5(PO4)3Cl
O QuartzSiO2
O SmithsoniteZnCO3
AlAluminium
Al Allophane(Al2O3)(SiO2)1.3-2 · 2.5-3H2O
Al DundasitePbAl2(CO3)2(OH)4 · H2O
Al KaoliniteAl2(Si2O5)(OH)4
SiSilicon
Si Allophane(Al2O3)(SiO2)1.3-2 · 2.5-3H2O
Si HemimorphiteZn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
Si KaoliniteAl2(Si2O5)(OH)4
Si QuartzSiO2
PPhosphorus
P PyromorphitePb5(PO4)3Cl
SSulfur
S AnglesitePbSO4
S BaryteBaSO4
S CovelliteCuS
S GalenaPbS
S MarcasiteFeS2
S PlumbojarositePb0.5Fe33+(SO4)2(OH)6
S SphaleriteZnS
S Native SulphurS8
ClChlorine
Cl PyromorphitePb5(PO4)3Cl
CaCalcium
Ca CalciteCaCO3
MnManganese
Mn ChalcophaniteZnMn34+O7 · 3H2O
Mn CoronaditePb(Mn64+Mn23+)O16
Mn HetaeroliteZnMn2O4
Mn Hetaerolite var. HydrohetaeroliteZn(Mn,◻)2(O,OH)4
FeIron
Fe GoethiteFe3+O(OH)
Fe HematiteFe2O3
Fe MarcasiteFeS2
Fe PlumbojarositePb0.5Fe33+(SO4)2(OH)6
CuCopper
Cu CovelliteCuS
Cu MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
ZnZinc
Zn ChalcophaniteZnMn34+O7 · 3H2O
Zn HemimorphiteZn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
Zn HetaeroliteZnMn2O4
Zn Hetaerolite var. HydrohetaeroliteZn(Mn,◻)2(O,OH)4
Zn HydrozinciteZn5(CO3)2(OH)6
Zn SmithsoniteZnCO3
Zn SphaleriteZnS
BaBarium
Ba BaryteBaSO4
PbLead
Pb AnglesitePbSO4
Pb CerussitePbCO3
Pb CoronaditePb(Mn64+Mn23+)O16
Pb DundasitePbAl2(CO3)2(OH)4 · H2O
Pb GalenaPbS
Pb MiniumPb3O4
Pb PlumbojarositePb0.5Fe33+(SO4)2(OH)6
Pb PyromorphitePb5(PO4)3Cl

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality


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