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Mashamba West Mine, Sicomines copper-cobalt project, Mutshatsha, Lualaba, DR Congoi
Regional Level Types
Mashamba West MineOpen-Cast Mine (Inactive)
Sicomines copper-cobalt projectMine (Active)
MutshatshaTerritory
LualabaProvince
DR CongoCountry

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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
10° 44' 26'' South , 25° 22' 32'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Open-Cast Mine (Inactive) - last checked 2020
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
PlacePopulationDistance
Kolwezi418,000 (2016)10.4km
Mindat Locality ID:
4334
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:4334:5
GUID (UUID V4):
0
Other/historical names associated with this locality:
Katanga Copper Crescent; Zaïre


The opencast mine started in 1978. The mine is called Mashamba West since there is another open-cut working further east (Mashamba East mine). The latter is much less interesting from a mineralogical point of view.

The mine is known for outstanding cobalt-bearing calcite, cuprite, baryte, metatyuyamunite, carnotite, vésigniéite, kolwezite, spherocobaltite, and malachite.

Now part of the Sicomines copper-cobalt project.

Notes on the mineral list:

— When the Kamoya South II Mine was still a secret location, many specimens of its carrollite crystals have been falsely attributed to this locality, as well as to the Kamfundwa mine and other places.

— The report of some uranium minerals at this location seems to be a mistake for the Musonoi Mine located to the north of this locality.

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


24 valid minerals. 8 erroneous literature entries.

Detailed Mineral List:

Baryte
Formula: BaSO4
Habit: Prismatic.
Colour: Colorless, light to dark yellow and orange.
Fluorescence: Not fluorescent.
Description: Some nice vugs of barite have been recovered which contain beautiful, transparent yellow or honey-colored crystals 2.4 cm, associated with malachite, cuprite and/or cobaltoan calcite. Most of the yellow barite is opaque and butterscotch-yellow to caramel-brown in color. The crystals have a relatively simple prismatic habit, sometimes occurring in attractive color combinations. Some colorless and transparent crystals to less than 1 cm have been found on malachite. Of particular interest are the multiphase pseudomorphs after barite. Most of the barite of the Mashamba West mine has been replaced by bright green malachite covered by pale-blue, earthy chrysocolla. The pseudomorph specimens have a rosette-cluster shape consisting of 3 to 5 cm blades up to 1 cm thick.
Brochantite
Formula: Cu4(SO4)(OH)6
Habit: Needles.
Colour: Green.
Fluorescence: Not fluorescent.
Calcite
Formula: CaCO3
Colour: Clear to white.
Fluorescence: Not fluorescent.
Calcite var. Cobalt-bearing Calcite
Formula: (Ca,Co)CO3
Colour: Light to dark pink.
Fluorescence: Not fluorescent.
Description: Some of the best cobaltian calcites comes from this mine.
Carnotite
Formula: K2(UO2)2(VO4)2 · 3H2O
Habit: Tablets and in scales-like crystals.
Colour: Yellow to orange.
Fluorescence: Not fluorescent.
Carrollite
Formula: CuCo2S4
Description: The source specimen for this report was most certainly from Kamoya South II mine. Because of a period of secrecy before the Kamoya locality was revealed, suppliers told customers that the locality for the new Carrollites was Kamfundwa or Mashamba West, but no carrollite has come from these localities to date. Up-coming article in MR By Gauthier, King, and Morgan explaining the issue.
Chalcocite
Formula: Cu2S
Habit: Hexagonal tablets.
Colour: Typical blueish.
Fluorescence: Not fluorescent.
Description: Occur as quite large crystals on matrix.
Chrysocolla
Formula: Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1
Habit: Botryoidal masses and pseudomorphs.
Colour: Light blue.
Fluorescence: Not fluorescent.
Conichalcite
Formula: CaCu(AsO4)(OH)
Habit: Very fine needles clustered together in urshin-like aggregates implanted in calcite prism faces.
Colour: Grassgreen.
Fluorescence: Not fluorescent.
Description: Analysed with EDS and Raman at the Belgian Natural History Museum by H. Goethals, curator of the mineral collection.
Cuprite
Formula: Cu2O
Habit: Octahedrons.
Colour: Bright red.
Fluorescence: Not fluorescent.
Cuprosklodowskite
Formula: Cu(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2 · 6H2O
Description: Incorrectly attributed based on a mislabeled photograph
Dioptase
Formula: CuSiO3 · H2O
Habit: Trigonal crystals.
Colour: Emerald green.
Fluorescence: Not fluorescent.
Description: Rare specimens show bright green crystals imbedded in clear calcite crystals.
Dolomite
Formula: CaMg(CO3)2
Colour: Clear to tan.
Fluorescence: Not fluorescent.
Dolomite var. Cobalt-bearing Dolomite
Formula: Ca(Mg,Co)(CO3)2
Colour: Pink.
Fluorescence: Not fluorescent.
Goethite
Formula: Fe3+O(OH)
Habit: Needles.
Colour: Brown to black.
Fluorescence: Not fluorescent.
Heterogenite
Formula: Co3+O(OH)
Habit: Massive and botryoidal.
Colour: Black.
Fluorescence: Not fluorescent.
Khorixasite
Formula: (Bi0.670.33)Cu(VO4)(OH)
Habit: Needles.
Colour: Light green.
Fluorescence: Not fluorescent.
Description: Used to be called duhamelite.
Kolwezite
Formula: CuCo(CO3)(OH)2
Habit: Needles clustering together in urchins.
Colour: Light to dark brown.
Fluorescence: Not fluorescent.
Malachite
Formula: Cu2(CO3)(OH)2
Habit: "primary" style crystals.
Colour: Dark green.
Fluorescence: Not fluorescent.
Metatorbernite
Formula: Cu(UO2)2(PO4)2 · 8H2O
Description: Incorrectly attributed based on a mislabeled photograph
Metatyuyamunite
Formula: Ca(UO2)2(VO4)2 · 3H2O
Habit: Orthorhombic, showing platy and by a bevel-ended crystals.
Colour: Bright yellow to orange.
Fluorescence: Not fluorescent.
Description: Mashamba West mine used to produce the best metatyuyamunite crystals.
Mottramite
Formula: PbCu(VO4)(OH)
Mottramite var. Duhamelite
Formula: (Pb,Bi,Ca)Cu(VO4)(OH,O)
Description: This mineral used to be called duhamelite but turned out to be khorixasite.
Native Copper
Formula: Cu
Habit: Massive and distorted crystals.
Colour: Copper red.
Fluorescence: Not fluorescent.
Neotocite ?
Formula: (Mn,Fe)SiO3 · H2O (?)
Description: Cobalt-bearing. No data. Probably should be labeled heterogenite until verified.
Plancheite
Formula: Cu8(Si8O22)(OH)4 · H2O
Habit: Needles clustering together in urchins.
Colour: Pale blue.
Fluorescence: Not fluorescent.
Quartz
Formula: SiO2
Habit: Prismatic.
Colour: Transparent to clear.
Fluorescence: Not fluorescent.
References:
Paul De Bondt collection.Identified by Paul De Bondt: Visual Identification
Quartz var. Smoky Quartz
Formula: SiO2
Colour: Almost black.
Fluorescence: Not fluorescent.
Description: Very small smoky quartz crystals has been identified on a specimen with metatyuyamunite, carnotite and chrysocolla.
References:
Paul De Bondt collection.Identified by Paul De Bondt: Visual Identification
Rutherfordine
Formula: (UO2)CO3
Description: Incorrectly attributed based on a mislabeled photograph
Schoepite
Formula: (UO2)8O2(OH)12 · 12H2O
Description: Incorrectly attributed based on a mislabeled photograph
Shattuckite
Formula: Cu5(Si2O6)2(OH)2
Habit: Small spheres.
Colour: Dark blue.
Fluorescence: Not fluorescent.
Description: Dark blue spheres implanted in calcite skalenohedrons.
Spherocobaltite
Formula: CoCO3
Habit: Trigonal rhombs.
Colour: Magenta red.
Fluorescence: Not fluorescent.
Tyuyamunite
Formula: Ca(UO2)2(VO4)2 · 5-8H2O
Habit: Orthorhombic, showing platy and by a bevel-ended crystals but the terminations are more rounded that for the meta stadium.
Colour: Bright yellow.
Fluorescence: Not fluorescent.
Uranophane
Formula: Ca(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2 · 5H2O
Description: No specimens known.
Vésigniéite
Formula: BaCu3(VO4)2(OH)2
Colour: Light green, kaki, dark green to black.
Fluorescence: Not fluorescent.

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 1 - Elements
Native Copper1.AA.05Cu
Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts
Chalcocite2.BA.05Cu2S
Carrollite ?2.DA.05CuCo2S4
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
Goethite4.00.Fe3+O(OH)
Cuprite4.AA.10Cu2O
Quartz4.DA.05SiO2
var. Smoky Quartz4.DA.05SiO2
Heterogenite4.FE.20Co3+O(OH)
Schoepite ?4.GA.05(UO2)8O2(OH)12 · 12H2O
Carnotite4.HB.05K2(UO2)2(VO4)2 · 3H2O
Metatyuyamunite4.HB.25Ca(UO2)2(VO4)2 · 3H2O
Tyuyamunite4.HB.25Ca(UO2)2(VO4)2 · 5-8H2O
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
Calcite5.AB.05CaCO3
var. Cobalt-bearing Calcite5.AB.05(Ca,Co)CO3
Spherocobaltite5.AB.05CoCO3
Dolomite
var. Cobalt-bearing Dolomite
5.AB.10Ca(Mg,Co)(CO3)2
5.AB.10CaMg(CO3)2
Kolwezite5.BA.10CuCo(CO3)(OH)2
Malachite5.BA.10Cu2(CO3)(OH)2
Rutherfordine ?5.EB.05(UO2)CO3
Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates
Baryte7.AD.35BaSO4
Brochantite7.BB.25Cu4(SO4)(OH)6
Group 8 - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates
Conichalcite8.BH.35CaCu(AsO4)(OH)
Mottramite
var. Duhamelite ?
8.BH.40(Pb,Bi,Ca)Cu(VO4)(OH,O)
?8.BH.40PbCu(VO4)(OH)
Khorixasite8.BH.40(Bi0.670.33)Cu(VO4)(OH)
Vésigniéite8.BH.45BaCu3(VO4)2(OH)2
Metatorbernite ?8.EB.10Cu(UO2)2(PO4)2 · 8H2O
Group 9 - Silicates
Cuprosklodowskite ?9.AK.10Cu(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2 · 6H2O
Uranophane ?9.AK.15Ca(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2 · 5H2O
Dioptase9.CJ.30CuSiO3 · H2O
Shattuckite9.DB.40Cu5(Si2O6)2(OH)2
Plancheite9.DP.55Cu8(Si8O22)(OH)4 · H2O
Chrysocolla9.ED.20Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1
Neotocite ?9.ED.20(Mn,Fe)SiO3 · H2O (?)

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
H BrochantiteCu4(SO4)(OH)6
H CarnotiteK2(UO2)2(VO4)2 · 3H2O
H ChrysocollaCu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1
H ConichalciteCaCu(AsO4)(OH)
H CuprosklodowskiteCu(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2 · 6H2O
H DioptaseCuSiO3 · H2O
H Mottramite var. Duhamelite(Pb,Bi,Ca)Cu(VO4)(OH,O)
H GoethiteFe3+O(OH)
H HeterogeniteCo3+O(OH)
H KolweziteCuCo(CO3)(OH)2
H MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
H MetatorberniteCu(UO2)2(PO4)2 · 8H2O
H MetatyuyamuniteCa(UO2)2(VO4)2 · 3H2O
H MottramitePbCu(VO4)(OH)
H Neotocite(Mn,Fe)SiO3 · H2O (?)
H PlancheiteCu8(Si8O22)(OH)4 · H2O
H Schoepite(UO2)8O2(OH)12 · 12H2O
H ShattuckiteCu5(Si2O6)2(OH)2
H TyuyamuniteCa(UO2)2(VO4)2 · 5-8H2O
H UranophaneCa(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2 · 5H2O
H VésigniéiteBaCu3(VO4)2(OH)2
H Khorixasite(Bi0.670.33)Cu(VO4)(OH)
CCarbon
C CalciteCaCO3
C Calcite var. Cobalt-bearing Calcite(Ca,Co)CO3
C Dolomite var. Cobalt-bearing DolomiteCa(Mg,Co)(CO3)2
C DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
C KolweziteCuCo(CO3)(OH)2
C MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
C Rutherfordine(UO2)CO3
C SpherocobaltiteCoCO3
OOxygen
O BaryteBaSO4
O BrochantiteCu4(SO4)(OH)6
O CalciteCaCO3
O CarnotiteK2(UO2)2(VO4)2 · 3H2O
O ChrysocollaCu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1
O Calcite var. Cobalt-bearing Calcite(Ca,Co)CO3
O Dolomite var. Cobalt-bearing DolomiteCa(Mg,Co)(CO3)2
O ConichalciteCaCu(AsO4)(OH)
O CupriteCu2O
O CuprosklodowskiteCu(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2 · 6H2O
O DioptaseCuSiO3 · H2O
O DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
O Mottramite var. Duhamelite(Pb,Bi,Ca)Cu(VO4)(OH,O)
O GoethiteFe3+O(OH)
O HeterogeniteCo3+O(OH)
O KolweziteCuCo(CO3)(OH)2
O MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
O MetatorberniteCu(UO2)2(PO4)2 · 8H2O
O MetatyuyamuniteCa(UO2)2(VO4)2 · 3H2O
O MottramitePbCu(VO4)(OH)
O Neotocite(Mn,Fe)SiO3 · H2O (?)
O PlancheiteCu8(Si8O22)(OH)4 · H2O
O QuartzSiO2
O Rutherfordine(UO2)CO3
O Schoepite(UO2)8O2(OH)12 · 12H2O
O ShattuckiteCu5(Si2O6)2(OH)2
O Quartz var. Smoky QuartzSiO2
O SpherocobaltiteCoCO3
O TyuyamuniteCa(UO2)2(VO4)2 · 5-8H2O
O UranophaneCa(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2 · 5H2O
O VésigniéiteBaCu3(VO4)2(OH)2
O Khorixasite(Bi0.670.33)Cu(VO4)(OH)
MgMagnesium
Mg Dolomite var. Cobalt-bearing DolomiteCa(Mg,Co)(CO3)2
Mg DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
AlAluminium
Al ChrysocollaCu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1
SiSilicon
Si ChrysocollaCu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1
Si CuprosklodowskiteCu(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2 · 6H2O
Si DioptaseCuSiO3 · H2O
Si Neotocite(Mn,Fe)SiO3 · H2O (?)
Si PlancheiteCu8(Si8O22)(OH)4 · H2O
Si QuartzSiO2
Si ShattuckiteCu5(Si2O6)2(OH)2
Si Quartz var. Smoky QuartzSiO2
Si UranophaneCa(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2 · 5H2O
PPhosphorus
P MetatorberniteCu(UO2)2(PO4)2 · 8H2O
SSulfur
S BaryteBaSO4
S BrochantiteCu4(SO4)(OH)6
S CarrolliteCuCo2S4
S ChalcociteCu2S
KPotassium
K CarnotiteK2(UO2)2(VO4)2 · 3H2O
CaCalcium
Ca CalciteCaCO3
Ca Calcite var. Cobalt-bearing Calcite(Ca,Co)CO3
Ca Dolomite var. Cobalt-bearing DolomiteCa(Mg,Co)(CO3)2
Ca ConichalciteCaCu(AsO4)(OH)
Ca DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
Ca Mottramite var. Duhamelite(Pb,Bi,Ca)Cu(VO4)(OH,O)
Ca MetatyuyamuniteCa(UO2)2(VO4)2 · 3H2O
Ca TyuyamuniteCa(UO2)2(VO4)2 · 5-8H2O
Ca UranophaneCa(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2 · 5H2O
VVanadium
V CarnotiteK2(UO2)2(VO4)2 · 3H2O
V Mottramite var. Duhamelite(Pb,Bi,Ca)Cu(VO4)(OH,O)
V MetatyuyamuniteCa(UO2)2(VO4)2 · 3H2O
V MottramitePbCu(VO4)(OH)
V TyuyamuniteCa(UO2)2(VO4)2 · 5-8H2O
V VésigniéiteBaCu3(VO4)2(OH)2
V Khorixasite(Bi0.670.33)Cu(VO4)(OH)
MnManganese
Mn Neotocite(Mn,Fe)SiO3 · H2O (?)
FeIron
Fe GoethiteFe3+O(OH)
Fe Neotocite(Mn,Fe)SiO3 · H2O (?)
CoCobalt
Co CarrolliteCuCo2S4
Co Calcite var. Cobalt-bearing Calcite(Ca,Co)CO3
Co Dolomite var. Cobalt-bearing DolomiteCa(Mg,Co)(CO3)2
Co HeterogeniteCo3+O(OH)
Co KolweziteCuCo(CO3)(OH)2
Co SpherocobaltiteCoCO3
CuCopper
Cu BrochantiteCu4(SO4)(OH)6
Cu CarrolliteCuCo2S4
Cu ChalcociteCu2S
Cu ChrysocollaCu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1
Cu ConichalciteCaCu(AsO4)(OH)
Cu CupriteCu2O
Cu CuprosklodowskiteCu(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2 · 6H2O
Cu Native CopperCu
Cu DioptaseCuSiO3 · H2O
Cu Mottramite var. Duhamelite(Pb,Bi,Ca)Cu(VO4)(OH,O)
Cu KolweziteCuCo(CO3)(OH)2
Cu MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
Cu MetatorberniteCu(UO2)2(PO4)2 · 8H2O
Cu MottramitePbCu(VO4)(OH)
Cu PlancheiteCu8(Si8O22)(OH)4 · H2O
Cu ShattuckiteCu5(Si2O6)2(OH)2
Cu VésigniéiteBaCu3(VO4)2(OH)2
Cu Khorixasite(Bi0.670.33)Cu(VO4)(OH)
AsArsenic
As ConichalciteCaCu(AsO4)(OH)
BaBarium
Ba BaryteBaSO4
Ba VésigniéiteBaCu3(VO4)2(OH)2
PbLead
Pb Mottramite var. Duhamelite(Pb,Bi,Ca)Cu(VO4)(OH,O)
Pb MottramitePbCu(VO4)(OH)
BiBismuth
Bi Mottramite var. Duhamelite(Pb,Bi,Ca)Cu(VO4)(OH,O)
Bi Khorixasite(Bi0.670.33)Cu(VO4)(OH)
UUranium
U CarnotiteK2(UO2)2(VO4)2 · 3H2O
U CuprosklodowskiteCu(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2 · 6H2O
U MetatorberniteCu(UO2)2(PO4)2 · 8H2O
U MetatyuyamuniteCa(UO2)2(VO4)2 · 3H2O
U Rutherfordine(UO2)CO3
U Schoepite(UO2)8O2(OH)12 · 12H2O
U TyuyamuniteCa(UO2)2(VO4)2 · 5-8H2O
U UranophaneCa(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2 · 5H2O

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

AfricaContinent
African PlateTectonic Plate
DR Congo

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