Log InRegister
Search For:
Mineral Name:
Locality Name:
Keyword(s):
 
Home PageAbout MindatThe Mindat ManualHistory of MindatCopyright StatusWho We AreOur ScienceMindat Newsletter [Free Download]Contact Us
Donate to MindatSponsor a PageCorporate SponsorshipSponsored Pages
Learning CenterWhat Is a Mineral?The Most Common Minerals on EarthInformation for EducatorsMindat ArticlesMindat Newsletter [Free Download]The ElementsThe Mineral Quiz
Minerals by PropertiesMinerals by ChemistryMineral Visual ExplorerAdvanced Locality SearchRandom MineralRandom LocalitySearch by minIDMinerals by CountryAlphabetical Mineral IndexAlphabetical Locality SearchMineral Association SearchList of CountriesLocalities Near MePhoto SearchSearch ArticlesSearch GlossaryThe Rock H. Currier Digital LibraryMore Search Options
The Mindat ManualAdd a New PhotoRate PhotosLocality Edit ReportCoordinate Completion ReportAdd Glossary Item
MineralsPetrologyFossilsMeteoritesGeologic Time
Mining CompaniesStatisticsMineral MuseumsClubs & OrganizationsMineral Shows & EventsDevice SettingsTime Machine
Read DiscussionsIdentification Request
Photo SearchPhoto GalleriesSearch by ColourPhoto Colour ExplorerNew Photos TodayNew Photos YesterdayMembers' Photo GalleriesPast Photo of the Day GalleryPhotography

Tsumeb Mine (Ongopolo Mine), Tsumeb, Oshikoto Region, Namibiai
Regional Level Types
Tsumeb Mine (Ongopolo Mine)Mine (Inactive)
TsumebConstituency
Oshikoto RegionRegion
NamibiaCountry

Coat of Arms of Tsumeb Mine (Ongopolo Mine)
This page kindly sponsored by Marcus J. Origlieri, Ph.D.
PhotosMapsSearchMineralogy
Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
19° 13' 37'' South , 17° 43' 39'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Mine (Inactive) - last checked 2018
Deposit first discovered:
1893
Age:
1000 to 541 Β± 1.0 Ma
Geologic Time:
Nearest Settlements:
PlacePopulationDistance
Tsumeb12,190 (2013)1.3km
Grootfontein24,099 (2014)55.6km
Otavi4,562 (2012)62.6km
Mindat Locality ID:
2428
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:2428:3
GUID (UUID V4):
0
Other/historical names associated with this locality:
Tsumcorp Mine
Other Languages:
Afrikaans:
Tsumeb, Tsumeb, Osjikoto, NamibiΓ«
French:
Tsumeb, Tsumeb, Oshikoto, Namibie
German:
Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Oshikoto, Namibia
Italian:
Tsumeb, Tsumeb, Regione di Oshikoto, Namibia
Russian:
Π¦ΡƒΠΌΠ΅Π±, Π¦ΡƒΠΌΠ΅Π±, ΠžΡˆΠΈΠΊΠΎΡ‚ΠΎ, Намибия
Simplified Chinese:
ζ₯šζ’…εΈƒ, ζ₯šζ’…εΈƒ, ε₯§εΈŒη§‘ζ‰˜ε€, ηΊ³η±³ζ―”δΊš
Spanish:
Tsumeb, Tsumeb, RegiΓ³n de Oshikoto, Namibia
Belarusian:
Π¦ΡƒΠΌΠ΅Π±, Намібія
Bulgarian:
Π¦ΡƒΠΌΠ΅Π±, Π¦ΡƒΠΌΠ΅Π±, ΠžΡˆΠΈΠΊΠΎΡ‚ΠΎ, Намибия
Catalan:
Tsumeb, Tsumeb, NamΓ­bia
Cebuano:
Tsumeb, Tsumeb, Oshikoto, Namibya
Danish:
Tsumeb, Tsumeb, Namibia
Dutch:
Tsumeb, Tsumeb, Oshikoto, NamibiΓ«
Esperanto:
Cumebo, Cumebo, Namibio
Finnish:
Tsumeb, Tsumeb, Oshikoto, Namibia
Greek:
΀σουμέμπ, ΀σουμέμπ, Ναμίμπια
Hebrew:
Χ¦Χ•ΧΧžΧ‘, Χ¦Χ•ΧΧžΧ‘, Χ ΧžΧ™Χ‘Χ™Χ”
Japanese:
ツパブ, ツパブ, γ‚ͺγ‚·γ‚³γƒˆε·ž, γƒŠγƒŸγƒ“γ‚’
Korean:
μΆ”λ©”λΈŒ, μΆ”λ©”λΈŒ, μ˜€μ‹œμ½”ν†  μ£Ό, λ‚˜λ―ΈλΉ„μ•„
Norwegian:
Tsumeb, Oshikoto (region), Namibia
Polish:
Tsumeb, Tsumeb, Oshikoto, Namibia
Romanian:
Tsumeb, Tsumeb, Namibia
Shona:
Tsumeb, Tsumeb, Namibia
Swedish:
Tsumeb, Tsumeb, Namibia
Traditional Chinese:
ζ₯šζ’…εΈƒ, η΄η±³ζ―”δΊž
Turkish:
Tsumeb, Tsumeb, Oshikoto BΓΆlgesi, Namibya
Ukrainian:
Π¦ΡƒΠΌΠ΅Π±, Π¦ΡƒΠΌΠ΅Π±, ΠžΡˆΠΈΠΊΠΎΡ‚ΠΎ, Намібія
Zulu:
Tsumeb, INamibhiya


A world-famous Cu-Pb-Zn-Ag-Ge-Cd mine, renowned for a wealth of rare and unusual minerals. On January 21, 1893, Matthew Rogers discovered the "green hill," and the site started operating in 1907 and closed in 1996 for economic reasons.

However, even before the "official" discovery, the deposit had been known for ages by local Bushmen and exploited by them artisanally to recover copper.

Mineralisation is hosted in Neoproterozoic Otavi dolomite. The orebody is an ore pipe. It is about 120 by 15 meters in cross-section, steeply dipping and extending from the surface to at least 1,000 meters in depth. Controls for ore emplacement include interrupted circular fracturing, core breccia, and an internal mass of pseudo-aplite (Tsumeb Pipe). Local rocks include mainly Late Proterozoic sedimentary terrane.

Workings include extensive underground openings to a depth of 1,000 meters.

The De Wet shaft is on Main Street.

The Mindat icon shows the surface plant.
Please look for the other icons to see the location of the former "green hill" and exploitation of the early days and also where the De Wet and Friedrich-Wilhelm shafts are situated.

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Commodity List

This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded from this region.


Mineral List

Mineral list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities

350 valid minerals. 76 (TL) - type locality of valid minerals. 1 (FRL) - first recorded locality of unapproved mineral/variety/etc. 2 erroneous literature entries.

Rock Types Recorded


Rock list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities

Select Rock List Type

Alphabetical List Tree Diagram

Detailed Mineral List:

β“˜ Abellaite
Formula: NaPb2(CO3)2(OH)
References:
Desor, J. (10/2023) SEM-EDS & Raman spectroscopyIdentified by Joy Desor: SEM-EDS, Raman Spectroscopy
β“˜ Acanthite
Formula: Ag2S
βœͺ Adamite
Formula: Zn2(AsO4)(OH)
Description: https://youtu.be/3qgo9po-bT8 A very interesting presentation on the Adamite-Zincolvinite-Olivenite series.
References:
β“˜ Adamite var. Cobalt-bearing Adamite
Formula: Zn2(AsO4)(OH)
Description: Analysis shows less than 0.1% Cobalt, consequently cannot be regarded as 'cobaltoan'
β“˜ Adamite var. Copper-bearing Adamite
Formula: (Zn,Cu)2AsO4OH
Description: "Cuprian adamite" is primarily Zincolivenite or close to end-member Adamite.
β“˜ Agardite-(Ce)
Formula: CeCu6(AsO4)3(OH)6 · 3H2O
βœͺ Alamosite
Formula: PbSiO3
Habit: divergent sprays
Colour: clear / white
Description: β€œUntil the nineteen seventies the presence of lead silicates was unknown at Tsumeb. The first lead silicate specimen, alamosite, was discovered during a photographic session at the collection of W.R. Kahn. A piece of aragonite was to be featured, but the specimen that was photographed was slightly too heavy for aragonite. It was composed of radiating 8 cm spray of bundles of elongated, terminated white crystals up to 4 cm. The luster was also different to the known luster of the carbonate. Further examination gave the surprising result that this aragonite was in fact alamosite. This particular specimen is the best alamosite yet found anywhere. Another great specimen belongs to the collection of the Houston Museum. Tsumeb is the only locality from which crystals of alamosite have been reported, and a total of about 20 specimens have been found. Alamosite is often associated with small green-black spheres of melanotekite.”1 Georg Gebhard, Tsumeb, 1999, p163.
β“˜ Albite
Formula: Na(AlSi3O8)
β“˜ Almandine
Formula: Fe2+3Al2(SiO4)3
β“˜ Anatase
Formula: TiO2
β“˜ Andyrobertsite (TL)
Formula: KCdCu5(AsO4)4(H2AsO4) · 2H2O
Type Locality:
Habit: na
Colour: Blue