Mineral Evolution Database

Created and maintained by the Mineral Evolution Project in partnership with RRUFF and mindat.

Mineral locality data provided by mindat.org

The Mineral Evolution database is currently under development.

The goal of this page is to present localities at which the mineral is found, and estimates of the oldest possible geologic age of the minerals at these localities.

Locality Name:
Franceville, Haut-Ogooué Province, Gabon

Oldest recorded age at locality: 2200
Youngest recorded age at locality: 1720

mindat Locality ID: 23918
mindat URL: http://www.mindat.org/loc-23918.html

Tectonic Settings:

Total number of sublocalities beneath "Franceville, Haut-Ogooué Province, Gabon": 7
Total number of bottom-level sublocalities: 7

Number of Child Localities: 7
Child Localities:
Bangombé
Boyindzi Mine
Kiene Deposit
Mikouloungou Mine
Mounana Mine (Mouana Mine)
Oklo Mine
Oklobondo Mine (Okélobondo Mine)

Latitude: 1°29'53"S
Longitude: 13°15'35"E
Decimal Degree (lat, lon): -1.4980555555556,13.259722222222

A	This mineral is Anthropogenic.
G	This mineral is directly dated.
B	This mineral is reported as having this age.
Y	This mineral is using an age reported as an element mineralization period.
O	This mineral is using an age calculated from all data at the locality.
R	The age displayed for this mineral originates from a different, non-child locality.
P	The age displayed for this mineral is the range of ages for this mineral at all of this locality's children.
	This mineral's age has not yet been recorded.

Alunite	Apatite	Autunite	Baryte	Brackebuschite	Calcite	Chalcopyrite	Chlorite	Clay	Copper
Corundum	Covellite	Descloizite	Diaspore	Digenite	Fluorite	Fritzscheite	Johannite	Kaolinite	Mica
Minium	Molybdenite	Monazite	Natroautunite	Natrochalcite	Nolanite	None	Not in a structural group	Phosphuranylite	Pyrite
Quartz	Rhabdophane	Rocksalt	Scheelite	Schoepite	Schubnelite	Sphalerite	Straczekite	Titanite	Wölsendorfite
Zircon

This Mineral list contains entries from this locality, including sub-localities. Minerals in bold are reported by mindat.org as occurring directly at this locality, and do not occur at any children (sublocalities) of this locality.

Elements at this locality, including sub-localities: Al Ba C Ca Ce Cl Cu F Fe H K La Mg Mn Mo Na Nd O P Pb S Si Th Ti U V Zn Zr

Elements from minerals reported directly at this locality:

Structural Groups for minerals in this locality:
Alunite Apatite Autunite Baryte Brackebuschite Calcite Chalcopyrite Chlorite Clay Copper
Corundum Covellite Descloizite Diaspore Digenite Fluorite Fritzscheite Johannite Kaolinite Mica
Minium Molybdenite Monazite Natroautunite Natrochalcite Nolanite None Not in a structural group Phosphuranylite Pyrite
Quartz Rhabdophane Rocksalt Scheelite Schoepite Schubnelite Sphalerite Straczekite Titanite Wölsendorfite
Zircon

71 IMA Minerals at location:

Anatase ()*	Anglesite ()*	Autunite ()*	Bariandite ()*	Baryte ()*
Bassetite ()*	Bornite ()*	Brackebuschite ()*	Calcite ()*	Carnotite ()*
Chalcopyrite ()*	Chernikovite ()*	Chervetite ()*	Clinochlore ()*	Coffinite ()*
Copper ()*	Corvusite ()*	Covellite ()*	Curienite ()*	Dewindtite ()*
Digenite ()*	Donbassite ()*	Duttonite ()*	Fervanite ()*	Florencite-(Ce) ()*
Florencite-(La) ()*	Fluorapatite ()*	Fourmarierite ()*	Francevillite ()*	Françoisite-(Nd) ()*
Galena ()*	Goethite ()*	Hematite ()*	Ilmenite ()*	Ilsemannite ()*
Johannite ()*	Kaolinite ()*	Karelianite ()*	Kasolite ()*	Lead ()*
Lenoblite ()*	Melanovanadite ()*	Metavanuralite ()*	Minium ()*	Molybdenite ()*
Monazite-(Ce) ()*	Montroseite ()*	Mottramite ()*	Mounanaite ()*	Muscovite ()*
Ningyoite ()*	Nolanite ()*	Pyrite ()*	Quartz ()*	Roscoelite ()*
Rutherfordine ()*	Schoepite ()*	Schubnelite ()*	Sphalerite ()*	Sudoite ()*
Thorite ()*	Titanite ()*	Torbernite ()*	Uraninite ()*	Uranophane-α ()*
Uranopilite ()*	Vanadinite ()*	Vanuralite ()*	Wölsendorfite ()*	Wulfenite ()*
Zircon ()*

Mineral name	Structural Groups	IMA Formula	Max Age (Ma)	Min Age (Ma)	# of Sublocalities containing mineral	LOCALITY IDs, not mindat ids	# of localities containing mineral
Anatase ()*	Not in a structural group	TiO₂	1840	1720	1	57155	2162
Anglesite ()*	Baryte	Pb(SO₄)	1840	1720	2	57155,57161	2734
Autunite ()*	Autunite	Ca(UO₂)₂(PO₄)₂·10-12H₂O	1840	1720	1	57155	1272
Bariandite ()*	Straczekite	Al_0.6(V⁵⁺,V⁴⁺)₈O₂₀·9H₂O	1840	1720	1	57159	6
Baryte ()*	Baryte	Ba(SO₄)	2200	1720	2	57159,57160	11547
Bassetite ()*	None	Fe²⁺(UO₂)₂(PO₄)₂(H₂O)₁₀	1840	1720	2	57155,57160	51
Bornite ()*	None	Cu₅FeS₄	2200	1720	1	57160	5516
Brackebuschite ()*	Brackebuschite	Pb₂Mn³⁺(VO₄)₂(OH)	1840	1720	1	57159	15
Calcite ()*	Calcite	Ca(CO₃)	2200	1720	1	57160	27770
Carnotite ()*	None	K₂(UO₂)₂(VO₄)₂·3H₂O	1840	1720	1	57159	1184
Chalcopyrite ()*	Chalcopyrite	CuFeS₂	2200	1720	3	57155,57159,57160	27198
Chernikovite ()*	Natroautunite	(H₃O)(UO₂)(PO₄)·3H₂O	1840	1720	1	57155	21
Chervetite ()*	None	Pb₂V⁵⁺₂O₇	2200	1720	2	57159,57160	7
Clinochlore ()*	Chlorite Clay	Mg₅Al(AlSi₃O₁₀)(OH)₈	1840	1720	1	57155	1756
Coffinite ()*	Zircon	U(SiO₄)·nH₂O	2200	1720	3	57155,57159,57160	566
Copper ()*	Copper	Cu	2200	1720	1	57160	3846
Corvusite ()*	Straczekite	(Na,Ca,K)_1-x(V⁵⁺,V⁴⁺,Fe²⁺)₈O₂₀·4H₂O	1840	1720	1	57159	79
Covellite ()*	Covellite	CuS	2200	1720	1	57160	4165
Curienite ()*	Fritzscheite	Pb(UO₂)₂(VO₄)₂·5H₂O	1840	1720	5	57156,57158,57159,57160,57161	15
Dewindtite ()*	Phosphuranylite	H₂Pb₃(UO₂)₆O₄(PO₄)₄·12H₂O	1840	1720	2	57159,57160	82
Digenite ()*	Digenite	Cu_1.8S	2200	1720	1	57160	1027
Donbassite ()*	Clay Chlorite	Al₂(Si₃Al)O₁₀(OH)₂·Al_2.33(OH)₆	1840	1720	2	57155,57161	16
Duttonite ()*	None	V⁴⁺O(OH)₂	2200	1720	2	57159,57160	7
Fervanite ()*	None	Fe³⁺₄V⁵⁺₄O₁₆·5H₂O	1840	1720	1	57159	10
Florencite-(Ce) ()*	Alunite	CeAl₃(PO₄)₂(OH)₆	1840	1720	1	57155	73
Florencite-(La) ()*	Alunite	LaAl₃(PO₄)₂(OH)₆	1840	1720	1	57155	12
Fluorapatite ()*	Apatite	Ca₅(PO₄)₃F	2200	1720	1	57160	2740
Fourmarierite ()*	Schoepite	Pb_1-xO_3-2x(UO₂)₄(OH)_4+2x·4H₂O	1840	1720	2	57155,57160	61
Francevillite ()*	Fritzscheite	Ba(UO₂)₂(VO₄)₂·5H₂O	1840	1720	5	57156,57158,57159,57160,57161	43
Françoisite-(Nd) ()*	None	Nd(UO₂)₃O(OH)(PO₄)₂·6H₂O	1840	1720	1	57155	5
Galena ()*	Rocksalt	PbS	2200	1720	4	57155,57159,57160,57161	24243
Goethite ()*	Diaspore	FeO(OH)	2200	1720	3	57155,57159,57160	7437
Hematite ()*	Corundum	Fe₂O₃	2200	1720	1	57160	14640
Ilmenite ()*	Corundum	Fe²⁺Ti⁴⁺O₃	2200	1720	1	57160	5433
Ilsemannite ()*	None	Mo₃O₈·nH₂O (?)	1840	1720	1	57159	123
Johannite ()*	Johannite	Cu(UO₂)₂(SO₄)₂(OH)₂·8H₂O	1840	1720	1	57159	69
Kaolinite ()*	Clay Kaolinite	Al₂Si₂O₅(OH)₄	1840	1720	1	57155	5591
Karelianite ()*	Corundum	V₂O₃	2200	1720	2	57159,57160	17
Kasolite ()*	None	Pb(UO₂)(SiO₄)·H₂O	1840	1720	2	57159,57160	198
Lead ()*	Copper	Pb	2200	1720	2	57155,57160	192
Lenoblite ()*	None	V⁴⁺₂O₄·2H₂O	1840	1720	1	57159	5
Melanovanadite ()*	None	Ca(V⁵⁺,V⁴⁺)₄O₁₀·5H₂O	1840	1720	1	57159	20
Metavanuralite ()*	None	Al(UO₂)₂(VO₄)₂(OH)·8H₂O	1840	1720	2	57159,57160	4
Minium ()*	Minium	Pb²⁺₂Pb⁴⁺O₄	2200	1720	1	57160	247
Molybdenite ()*	Molybdenite	MoS₂	2200	1720	1	57160	5800
Monazite-(Ce) ()*	Monazite	Ce(PO₄)	1840	1720	1	57155	945
Montroseite ()*	Diaspore	(V³⁺,Fe²⁺,V⁴⁺)O(OH)	2200	1720	2	57159,57160	136
Mottramite ()*	Descloizite	PbCu(VO₄)(OH)	1840	1720	1	57159	362
Mounanaite ()*	Natrochalcite	PbFe³⁺₂(VO₄)₂(OH)₂	1840	1720	1	57159	2
Muscovite ()*	Mica Clay	KAl₂(Si₃Al)O₁₀(OH)₂	2200	1720	3	57155,57160,57161	17380
Ningyoite ()*	Rhabdophane	(U,Ca,Ce)₂(PO₄)₂·1-2H₂O	1840	1720	1	57155	33
Nolanite ()*	Nolanite	V³⁺₈Fe³⁺₂O₁₄(OH)₂	2200	1720	2	57159,57160	19
Pyrite ()*	Pyrite	FeS₂	2200	1720	3	57155,57159,57160	39462
Quartz ()*	Quartz	SiO₂	2200	1720	2	57155,57160	61156
Roscoelite ()*	Mica	KV³⁺₂(Si₃Al)O₁₀(OH)₂	2200	1720	2	57159,57160	253
Rutherfordine ()*	None	(UO₂)(CO₃)	1840	1720	1	57160	58
Schoepite ()*	Schoepite	(UO₂)₄O(OH)₆(H₂O)₆	1840	1720	1	57155	94
Schubnelite ()*	Schubnelite	Fe³⁺(V⁵⁺O₄)·H₂O	1840	1720	1	57159	4
Sphalerite ()*	Sphalerite	ZnS	2200	1720	2	57159,57160	21482
Sudoite ()*	Chlorite Clay	Mg₂Al₃(Si₃Al)O₁₀(OH)₈	2200	1720	1	57160	51
Thorite ()*	Zircon	Th(SiO₄)	1840	1720	1	57155	1006
Titanite ()*	Titanite	CaTi(SiO₄)O	2200	1720	1	57160	4899
Torbernite ()*	None	Cu(UO₂)₂(PO₄)₂·12H₂O	1840	1720	6	57155,57156,57158,57159,57160,57161	1059
Uraninite ()*	Fluorite	UO₂	2200	1720	6	57155,57156,57158,57159,57160,57161	2718
Uranophane-α ()*	None	Ca(UO₂)₂(SiO₃OH)₂·5H₂O	1840	1720	1	57160	890
Uranopilite ()*	None	(UO₂)₆(SO₄)O₂(OH)₆·14H₂O	1840	1720	2	57155,57159	94
Vanadinite ()*	Apatite	Pb₅(VO₄)₃Cl	1840	1720	1	57159	605
Vanuralite ()*	None	Al(UO₂)₂(VO₄)₂(OH)·8.5H₂O	1840	1720	2	57159,57160	3
Wölsendorfite ()*	Wölsendorfite	Pb₇(UO₂)₁₄O₁₉(OH)₄·12H₂O	1840	1720	1	57160	43
Wulfenite ()*	Scheelite	PbMoO₄	2200	1720	2	57159,57160	1655
Zircon ()*	Zircon	Zr(SiO₄)	2200	1720	2	57155,57160	5251

Locality Notes from all Ages at Locality:

Age ID	Locality Notes
Giersdorf_00000792	The Oklo uranium deposit is found in the Franceville sediment. It is host to the only known natural nuclear fission reactor, spread across over a dozen mineral nodes in the shale of the Franceville sediment.

2 Ages assigned to this locality:

	Excel ID	Max Age (Ma)	Min Age (Ma)	Age as listed in reference	Dating Method	Age Interpret	Prioritized?	Sample Source	Sample Num	Run Num	Age from other Locality	Dated Mineral	Minerals explicitely stated as having this age	Age applies to these Elements	MinDat Locality ID	Dated Locality (Max Age)	Location as listed in reference	Reference	Reference DOI	Reference ID	Age Notes
	Giersdorf_00000792	1840	1720	1780±60	U-Pb	Indirect arguments may, however, put limits on the reactor age: (1) If the age is older than 1.78 b.y., the reactor would have run before the formation of the Franceville series. If this is true, it is almost impossible to explain the fact that the Oklo o							Uraninite	U	1749	Oklo Mine, Franceville, Haut-Ogooué Province, Gabon	Oklo Mine	Lancelot et al. (1975)	10.1016/0012-821X(75)90195-8	EPSL25_189	The sampled uranium minerals were drawn from zones outside of the reactor area in the Oklo deposit. Samples with too low a U concentration were additionally discarded. The age was compiled from many samples all intersecting on a concordia diagram, to the left or the right of the concordia line, and is also in agreement with the another author's Rb-Sr age for the Franceville sediment, as well as another's K-Ar age for a tuff in the Franceville deposit.
	Giersdorf_00000821	2200	2200	2200									Coffinite, Uraninite		1749	Oklo Mine, Franceville, Haut-Ogooué Province, Gabon	Oklo Mine	Pearcy et al. (1994)	10.1016/0883-2927(94)90030-2	AG9_713	Age is given in comparison to the Nopal deposit due to its similarity as a natural analogue to nuclear waste disposal systems

Sample	Source Locality	Reference URL
R080096	Franceville, Haut-Ogooué Province, Gabon	https://rruff.info/R080096
R060602	Mounana Mine (Mouana Mine), Franceville, Haut-Ogooué Province, Gabon	https://rruff.info/R060602
R050548	Mounana Mine (Mouana Mine), Franceville, Haut-Ogooué Province, Gabon	https://rruff.info/R050548
R070159	Mounana Mine (Mouana Mine), Franceville, Haut-Ogooué Province, Gabon	https://rruff.info/R070159
R050544	Mounana Mine (Mouana Mine), Franceville, Haut-Ogooué Province, Gabon	https://rruff.info/R050544

All locality data graciously provided by mindat.org

All age data...