Lega Dembi Deposit

Producer in Ethiopia with commodities Gold, Silver

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10056417
MRDS ID TC00089
Record type Site
Current site name Lega Dembi Deposit
Alternate or previous names Lega Dembi North, Lega Dembi Central, Lega Dembi South

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 38.8345, 5.58442 (WGS84)
Relative position 7 KM SW OF SHAKISO, 500 KM S OF ADDIS ABABA
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Geographic areas

Country
Ethiopia

Comments on the location information

  • THE COORDINATES OF THE LEGA DEMBI CONCESSION AREA ARE 05-09N TO 06-13N AND 38-36E TO 39-11E.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Secondary

Comments on the commodity information

  • THE ORE IS ALMOST ALWAYS SEPARATED FROM THE MARMORA GNEISS BY A TALC-TREMOLITE SCHIST LAYER. TWO TYPES OF ORE ARE RECOGNIZED: FINE TO MEDIUM-GRAINED MASSIVE, LOCALLY BRECCIATED ORE; AND BANDED SCHISTOSE ORE. FIRE-ASSAY RESULTS SHOW THAT GOLD MINERALIZATION TOOK PLACE BOTH IN QUARTZ VEINS AND IN THE COUNTRY ROCKS IN CONTACT WITH THEM.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Ore

Alteration

  • (Local) Silicification Affecting Rocks On Both Sides Of The Fault.

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock > Quartzite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Phyllite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Schist
    Rock unit name Marmora Group;Adola Group
    Rock description Marmora Group;Adola Group
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Gneiss
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Amphibolite

Nearby scientific data

(1) 38.8345, 5.58442

Ore body information

  • General form QUARTZ VEIN
    Length 2000M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Major Fault Separating The Marmora Group And The Adola Group

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Medium
Significant No
Discovery year 1892

Mining district

District name Adolo Goldfield Region

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Ethiopian Mineral Resources Development Corp.
  • Type Owner
    Owner Ethiopian Mineral Resources Development Corp. (Part Of Ministry Of Mines And Energy)

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • THE DEPOSIT IS ESTIMATED TO CONTAIN 8.8 MILLION T OF RESERVES AMENABLE TO OPEN PIT MINING FOR A TOTAL RECOVERY OF ABOUT 32 T OF GOLD.

Comments on development

  • TOTAL$: ECU77 ; MILL$: #1.5 ; MILL.CAP: 3000 T/D ; ECON.YEAR: 1988 ; ECON.COM: DAVY MCKEE (STOCKTON) LTD. CONTRACTED FOR THE DESIGN AND ASSOCIATED SERVICES FOR THE PLANT. THIS INCLUDED ENGINEERING DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, PROCUREMENT, AND MANAGEMENT SUPERVISION AT THE CONSTRUCTION AND COMMISSIONING STAGES. THE PLANT WAS FINANCED BY A LOAN FROM THE EUROPEAN DEVELOPMENT BANK.

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS TC00089

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, 1988, GOLD PLANT FOR ETHIOPIA: MINING JOURNAL, V. 310, NO. 7954, P. 93.

  • Deposit

    AMERICAN EMBASSY, ADDIS ABABA

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, 1987, ETHIOPIAN GOLD MINE FUNDING: MINING JOURNAL, V. 309, NO. 7945, P. 437, 439.

  • Reserve-Resource

    MINING JOURNAL, 1988.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THE DEPOSIT IS DIVIDED INTO THREE SECTIONS: NORTH, CENTRAL, AND SOUTH.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-FEB-1990 Bolm, Karen S. U.S. Geological Survey