Alkaline Rocks and Carbonatites of the World

Setup during HiTech AlkCarb: an online database of alkaline rock and carbonatite occurrences

Luicuisse (Lucuisse)

stripes

Occurrence number: 
114-00-002
Country: 
Mozambique
Location: 
Longitude: 36.18, Latitude: -12.38
Carbonatite: 
Yes

Cilek (1989, p.114) describes briefly the discovery of RE in carbonatites at Luicuisse (named after the River Luicuisse), near the settlement of Mavago, which is described as about 240 km northeast of Lichinga. However, this may be a mistake, carbonatite being shown on the 1:1,000,000 map 140 km northeast of Lichinga. The latitude and longitude of this locality is given above. Luicuisse is a large, circular structure with many fracture zones containing carbonatite.

Economic: 
The carbonatites contain REE, uranium and apatite and residual deposits, generally 7-8 m thick but up to 30 m over one area of 0.66 km2, are developed across the occurrence and contain columbite, pyrochlore, zircon, apatite, monazite and magnetite. P2O5 concentrations ranged from 2.34 to 6.77%.
References: 

CILEK, V.G. 1989. Industrial minerals of Mozambique. Geological Survey, Prague. 326 pp.

Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith