Deposit types/Graphite (natural)

Metamorphic graphite (flake, amorphous and vein)

Graphite in carbonaceous metamorphic rock, as flake, amorphous graphite or high-purity veins.

What it is

Graphite in carbonaceous metamorphic rock, as flake, amorphous graphite or high-purity veins.1

How it forms

Flake graphite is mined from carbonaceous metamorphic rocks; amorphous graphite comes from thermally metamorphosed coal; lump or chip graphite fills veins in high-grade metamorphic regions.1

Host rocks

Carbonaceous metamorphic rocks and coal.1

Where it forms

High-grade metamorphic regions.1

Typical grade

Ore: amorphous 50-90% C; flake generally 5-30% C; vein 40-90% C. Product grade up to 99.9%1

Typical size

Amorphous 0.1-500 Mt; flake 0.1-100 Mt; veins 0.05-3 m thick1

Mines of this type

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Mines

An example ofBalamaSee Balama, an example of this deposit type.1An example ofMoloSee Molo, an example of this deposit type.1

Sources

  1. Critical Mineral Resources of the United States (PP 1802), Chapter J: Graphite US Geological Survey

From the Prospector Trails mining history dataset: each fact links to the source it was checked against. Figures are as the source gives them, in the money of their day. Not investment advice.

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Pictures: Salar de Atacama, Chile, NASA/METI/AIST/Japan Space Systems, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team (Public domain (NASA media, no copyright)).