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    Minerals Available in Tanzania

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    Eliezer Charles Ngahyoma
    Tanzania has abundant mineral resources due to its diverse geology. Major deposits include gold, iron, gemstones, industrial minerals, and energy resources. Gold occurs in greenstone belts and high grade metamorphic zones of the Archaean craton. The Paleoproterozoic belts host gold, copper, lead, manganese and iron deposits. The Mesoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic belts contain nickel, PGM, copper, and gemstones like tanzanite. Sedimentary basins contain coal, gypsum, and heavy mineral sands. Carbonatites and kimberlites indicate diamond and rare earth potential. Tanzania has a geological database managed by the Geological Survey of

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    Minerals Available in Tanzania

    Uploaded by

    Eliezer Charles Ngahyoma
    2K views11 pages
    Tanzania has abundant mineral resources due to its diverse geology. Major deposits include gold, iron, gemstones, industrial minerals, and energy resources. Gold occurs in greenstone belts and high grade metamorphic zones of the Archaean craton. The Paleoproterozoic belts host gold, copper, lead, manganese and iron deposits. The Mesoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic belts contain nickel, PGM, copper, and gemstones like tanzanite. Sedimentary basins contain coal, gypsum, and heavy mineral sands. Carbonatites and kimberlites indicate diamond and rare earth potential. Tanzania has a geological database managed by the Geological Survey of

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    Minerals Available in Tanzania

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    Tanzania has abundant mineral resources due to its diverse geology. Major deposits include gold, iron, gemstones, industrial minerals, and energy resources. Gold occurs in greenstone belts and high grade metamorphic zones of the Archaean craton. The Paleoproterozoic belts host gold, copper, lead, manganese and iron deposits. The Mesoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic belts contain nickel, PGM, copper, and gemstones like tanzanite. Sedimentary basins contain coal, gypsum, and heavy mineral sands. Carbonatites and kimberlites indicate diamond and rare earth potential. Tanzania has a geological database managed by the Geological Survey of

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    2K views11 pages

    Minerals Available in Tanzania

    Uploaded by

    Eliezer Charles Ngahyoma
    Tanzania has abundant mineral resources due to its diverse geology. Major deposits include gold, iron, gemstones, industrial minerals, and energy resources. Gold occurs in greenstone belts and high grade metamorphic zones of the Archaean craton. The Paleoproterozoic belts host gold, copper, lead, manganese and iron deposits. The Mesoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic belts contain nickel, PGM, copper, and gemstones like tanzanite. Sedimentary basins contain coal, gypsum, and heavy mineral sands. Carbonatites and kimberlites indicate diamond and rare earth potential. Tanzania has a geological database managed by the Geological Survey of

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    of 11

    Minerals Available in Tanzania

    Tanzania is endowed with abundant and diverse occurrences of mineral deposits due to
    its favourable geological setting with lithostratigraphic and tectonic units that includes

    the Archaean Tanzania Craton, the Palaeoproterozoic Ubendian and Usagaran mobile
    belts, the Mesoproterozic Karagwe–Ankolean, the Neoproterozoic Mozambique belt, the

    Phanerozoic sediments of the Karoo, Coastal basin and Cenozoic volcanic rocks.

    These mineral deposits include metallic minerals such as gold, iron, silver, copper,

    platinum, nickel and tin; gemstones such as diamonds, tanzanite, ruby, garnet, emerald,
    spinel, tourmaline, alexandrite and sapphire; industrial minerals such as kaolin,

    phosphate, lime, gypsum, diatomite, bentonite, vermiculite, salt and beach sands;
    building materials such as stone aggregates and sand; and energy minerals such as coal

    and uranium.

    Geology of the country with all chrono-stratigraphical units is


    potential for all types of mineralization.
    The Archaean Craton
    The Tanzanian Craton has three main divisions

     Sedimentary Super-Group (the Kavirondian)


     Low grade Greenstone Terrain (the Nyanzian)

     High Grade Metamorphic Terrain (the Dodoman)


    Geographical Position of the Archaean Craton is depicted by blue line in the map below
    Greenstone
    Greenstone contains World-class Gold Mines of Geita, Bulyanhulu, Buzwagi, Tulawaka,

    North Mara, Resolute as depicted in the map below


    Other Gold Deposits in Archaean Greenstones

     Kilima fedha, Buhemba, Kyabakari, Seka


     Mgusu, Msasi, Isambara

     Nyarugusu, Rwamgaza, Matabe, Tulawaka, Kalikweti, Mwiruzi


     Nyakafuru, Katente, Kerezia, Ng’anzo, Ushirombo Forest, Misasi, Mwiruzi

     Ibaga, Mpambaa
     Sambaru, Londoni, Ikungi

     Iramba-Sekeke, Kirondatal, Muhitiri

    Mineralization in the Archaean High Grade Zone


    There are good gold deposits of commercial interest
     the Madengi Hills and Nholi Gold Deposits

     The Nyakavangala, Mafulungu-Simbanguru, Mazoka-Undewa, the Kitunda


    However, their tonnages have not been established and hence require further geological

    investigation
     Lithium hosted in pegmatites (Hombolo)
     Aggregates and Dimension Stones (e.g. Black granite in Itiso)
     Chrysoprase in Itiso
     Nickel (Haneti - Itiso)

    Other Minerals in the Archaean


     Copper – Silver associated with Gold Deposits (e.g. Bulyanhulu, Buzwagi)

     Nickel Deposit in Dutwa


     Copper Deposit in Ibaga

     Platinum Group Metals in Mara Region


     Aggregates and Dimension Stones (e.g. good pink granites between Biaharamulo

    and Chato)

    Paleoproterozoic Fold Belts of Tanzania (Ubendian and Usagaran)


    Geographical Position of the Paleoproterozoic Fold Belts of Tanzania (Ubendian and
    Usagaran) are depicted by surrounded red colour line in the map below where the main

    mineralized zones of Paleoproterozoic are Mpanda and Chunya


    Mineral Reserves of the Paleoproterozoic Belts of Tanzania
     Gemstones in skarn and hydrothermal origin (Emeralds in Sumbawanga)
     Gold in Mpanda shear zones (Mukwamba, Sikitiko-Kapapa, D-Reef, Ibindi and

    Kapanda)
     Lead – Copper Deposits in the Mukwamba shear zones

     Copper in Kapalamsenga
     Gold in Lupa Shear Zones (Luika, Saza, Ntumbi, Matundas, Sangambi)

     Gold - Copper in Ludewa (Nkomang’ombe and Amani)


     Manganese in Kabulwanywele (Kilima kya Nkole) and Manyoro

     Iron ore in mafic rocks (Liganga in the Livingstone Mts


     Iron ore in Chert (Itewe)

     Dimension stones (marble and granites) and other Industrial minerals

    Mesoproterozoic Karagwe-Ankolean Fold Belt in Tanzania


    Mesoproterozoic rocks are Low grade Metasediments (argillites, phyllites, low-grade
    sericiteschists and quartzites.

    Mesoproterozoic mineralization
     Intruded by granites causing alteration haloes containing tin and tungsten

    mineralisation (small amount of gold and tantalite) in veins (The Kyerwa Tin
    Field).

     Intruded by mafic/ultramafic rocks containing Nickel and PGM (Kabanga and


    Kapalagulu).
    Geographical Position of the Mesoproterozoic Karagwe-Ankolean are depicted by
    surrounded blue colour line in the map below
    Neoproterozoic Fold Belts
    Occupy the eastern part of the Archean Craton (The Mozambique Belt) composed of

    high grade (amphibolite to granulitefacies) metamorphic rocks.


    Mineralization in the Neoproterozoic Fold Belt
     Mostly dominated by gemstones in skarn and hydrothermal origin (TANZANITE,
    RUBY, GARNET, TOURMALINE)
     Gold in shear zones (Handeni – Nkurumu, Magambazi; in Morogoro in
    Nachingwea, on the Usambara – Pare Montains “Amani and Shengena”) and

    Placer
     Copper Deposits in shear zones (North Pare, Nachingwea, Mpwapwa, Kilosa,

    Mbesa)

     Copper, Nickel and PGM (Nachingwea)


     Iron ore and base-metals in mafic rocks (Uluguru - Hundusi, Handeni and

    Usambara – West of Mombo)


     Graphite (Merelani, Mahenge, Nachingwea)

     Dimension stones (marble and granites) and other Industrial minerals

    Neoproterozoic intercratonic cover sediments


    Malagarasian Supergroup, Buwanji Group, Kisii Group (Kenya) and Ikorongo Group

    (Tanzania)

    Mineralization in the Neoproterozoic sediments


     Strata-bound Copper deposits in Kigugwe
     Precious stones (Chert) – Kakonko

     Stromatolitic Limestones - Kigoma


     Building aggregates from Gagwe Lava and Chaufukwe Lava

    Karoo Sediments (Late Carbonioferous-Lower Jurassic)


    These are rift sediments deposited in basins developed during the initial phase of

    fragmentation of Gondwana
    MINERALIZATION:-Main host of Coal deposits

    Jurassic – Paleogene and Neogene – Quaternary Deposits


    SEDIMENTS

     Deposition of fluvial red beds in the hinterland


     Initial deposition of marine deposits along the cost (Coral Limestone for cement

    factories in Mtwara, Tanga and Dar es Salaam)


     Mandawa Gypsum Deposits

     Beach sand with Heavy Mineral Sands


    INTRUSIVE ROCKS

     The Partial intra-cratonic rift associated with Carbonatite and Kimberlite


    Intrusions
    WEATHERING ON THE PENEPLANES
     Bauxite (Usambara –Pare Mountains)

     Kaolin (Matamba Plateau, Uwemba, Usambara-Pare Mts, Pugu)


     Other clays (Ochre, Poultry Clays, Meerschaum, Bentonite)

    Carbonatite Deposits (Mostly Cretaceous except Ngualla which is


    Proterozoic)
     ARUSHA (Oldonyo Lengai and Kerimasi)

     MBULU (Oldonyo Dili and Galapo)


     MOROGORO Wigu Hill, Maji ya Weta, Luhombero and Zizi
     MBEYA Ngualla, Panda Hill, Songwe Scarp, Musensi and Senjeri Hill

     KAREMA Sangu-Ikola,
     MALAWI BORDER Nachendezwaya

    MINERALS: Carbonatites contain: Phosphate – apatite, Barite, REE, Fluorite and Niobium

    Kimberlite Intrusions (Diamond Occurrences) in Tanzania


     Lake Victoria Zone(Mabuki, Kizumbi, New Alamasi, Misungwi, Uduhe, Usongo)
     Singida Zone

     Lake Rukwa Zone


     Songea Zone (in Karoo)

     Masai Plain Zone (Diamonds)

    Coastal Geology in Tanzania


     CORAL LIMESTONE at Tanga, Dar Es Salaam - Wazo Hill (DSM), Mbeya- Songwe
    Soda ash in Lake Natron (Arusha) and in Engaruka Basin

     GYPSUM Kilwa (Pindiro, Mandawa)


     HYDROCARBONS Source rocks and reservoirs for hydrocarbon deposits along the

    coast and in the big lakes

    Geological Database
    Tanzania has a good geological database at the Geological Survey of Tanzania (GST).
    Recently, it has completed High Resolution Airborne Geophysical Survey in some

    potential areas of the country. Interest companies can acquire this geological
    information at a fee without any complications.

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