Pahtohavare

DESCRIPTION

The Pahtohavare mine was mined from ... to ... . At the beginning the mine was driven as an open cast mine, but soon it wend under ground.
Today the area is restored. The mine is a small lake, the dump pile is covered with dirt and some trees are planted on top of it. Some trial ditches was made in the area too, but they are also refilled with dirt now.
The mineralisation have been protected by the geography during the ice age. The glacial ice lay still on the same spot, thus saving the oxidation zone. in some places as deep as 150 m. In this oxidation zone a number of secondary copper minerals was able to form. In cavities nice crystals and samples of malachite and chrysocolla were formed. This is what all mineral collectors are looking for. Green balls, looking like dark green velvet balls in cavities in the rusty stone.

Not ready yet!
tobedone

VISITS

1999 I visited this mine during the 1999 Northern Scandinavia tour. When we waked up in the morning it was raining and everything was grey. I was not on a mood for going out, searching for minerals. Anyhow, we went out in a caravan following Dennis Holmberg. He took us through the gates of LKAB and across the area belonging to the Kiruna mine. Close to the Pahtohavare mine, the road was almost cut off my a small stream. Luckilly we were able to drive past it, one car at a time.
When we got to the mine dump we had the first view of it. The mine is restored and there were a big plateau in front of us. It was the top of the mine dumps.
We left the cars and walked by the mine dump. The rain was still falling when we reached a muddy, wet slope and started to search for those rusty stones. Then Birgit called for me, she had found a big block of it, and if I broke it up with my sledgehammer I would get to select the best sample of it.
The rock was like a cheese, full of holes and in most of them there was dark green malachite balls lying.... I don't know what happened with the rain after that, I don't have any more memory of it at least.

Mineral assemblage

Gold, Copper, Graphite, Chalcopyrite, Pyrite, Pyrrhotine, Bornite, Sphalerite, Magnetite, Cuprite, Rutile, Tenorite, Azurite, Ankerite Malachite, Fluorapatite, Quartz, Chrysocolla, Devilline, Epidote, Hornblende, Tremolite, Talc, Serpentine.
Possible also Chalcoalumite.

Tenorite
Tenorite appears as black crusts on chrysocolla or in fractures in various copper minerals.
Collected in 1999.
(300 dpi, 800x600, k)

Malachite
The picture doesn't make this stone any justice. In the real life it contains a dark green ball of malachite, looking as it was made out of satin.
The matrix is mostly made up of rust. It is full of small holes with mm sized balls of malachite. This is one of the best specimens in my collection.
Collected in 1999.
(300 dpi, 800x600, k)

Chrysocolla
The most of this tock is made up of chrysocolla and malachite, a really nice little rock with the contrasts between blue and green.
There are some small grains left of chalcopyrite, probably the last traces of the original ore.
Collected in 1999.
(300 dpi, 800x600, k)

Ankerite
Ankerite with chalcopyrite.
I have been told that it is ankerite, but someday I will do an analyse of it. It might be that it's only calcite with some impurities.
Collected in 1999.
(300 dpi, 800x600, k)

If you have some questions, suggestions or comments you are welcome to write me a line or two.

Locality index. Main index.

axelsson@acc.umu.se

	Tenorite Tenorite appears as black crusts on chrysocolla or in fractures in various copper minerals. Collected in 1999. (300 dpi, 800x600, k)
	Malachite The picture doesn't make this stone any justice. In the real life it contains a dark green ball of malachite, looking as it was made out of satin. The matrix is mostly made up of rust. It is full of small holes with mm sized balls of malachite. This is one of the best specimens in my collection. Collected in 1999. (300 dpi, 800x600, k)
	Chrysocolla The most of this tock is made up of chrysocolla and malachite, a really nice little rock with the contrasts between blue and green. There are some small grains left of chalcopyrite, probably the last traces of the original ore. Collected in 1999. (300 dpi, 800x600, k)
	Ankerite Ankerite with chalcopyrite. I have been told that it is ankerite, but someday I will do an analyse of it. It might be that it's only calcite with some impurities. Collected in 1999. (300 dpi, 800x600, k)