Dalam rangka memenuhi target produksi migas Nasional tahun 2009 maka pada hari Selasa tanggal 3 Februari 2009, Departemen ESDM mengadakan pertemuan dengan pimpinan Kontraktor Kontrak Kerja Sama Migas yang sudah berproduksi untuk membahas konfirmasi produksi migas dari masing-masing KKKS bersama para pejabat terkait di lingkungan DESDM dan Tim Pengawasan Peningkatan Produksi Migas (P3M).
Pertemuan dipimpin oleh Menteri ESDM dan disampaikan bahwa target produksi minyak bumi tahun 2009 adalah 960 ribu barrel oil per day (bopd) sedangkan target produksi gas bumi 7.56 milyar kaki kubik per hari (BSCFD).
Sebagaimana diketahui, peranan minyak dan gas bumi masih sangat signifikan dalam penerimaan keuangan negara. Dalam situasi ekonomi dunia yang saat ini tengah dilanda krisis, Menteri ESDM meminta agar para KKKS bekerja lebih keras untuk mencapai target produksi tersebut.
Pada pertemuan tersebut terungkap bahwa pada umumnya sejumlah KKKS berusaha untuk memenuhi target tersebut, walaupun demikian sejumlah KKKS menyatakan menghadapi beragam kendala di lapangan dalam upaya peningkatan produksi. Kendala yang dihadapi antara lain berupa tumpang tindih lahan dengan perkebunan dan masyarakat sekitar, adanya kendala kemampuan pasar menyerap produk, masalah lingkungan dan masalah keamanan. Dalam hal ini Pemerintah siap mendukung dan membantu untuk mengatasi berbagai hambatan tersebut.
Untuk itu, diminta kepada Dirjen Migas bersama Kepala BP Migas agar memfasilitasi penyelesaian kendala operasional terutama yang perlu mendapatkan penanganan secara intensif dan segera. Selain itu, melalui pertemuan semacam ini diharapkan bisa dihasilkan langkah-langkah penyelesaian setiap persoalan yang terjadi dalam rangka memenuhi target produksi yang telah disepakati bersama.
Coal gasification is a process to change solid coal into a gas coal flammable (combustible gases) , after the purification process gases is CO (carbon monoxide , Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Hydrogen (H), Methane (CH4), and Nitrogen (N2) - can be uses as fuel.
Using only air and water vapor as the reacting-gas produced water and gas or Coal gas, Gasification have significantly high air emission , sewage, and solid waste lowest. However, coal is not the perfect fuel. There is bound to sulfur and nitrogen, when coal is burned on fire these dirt’s released into the air, float in the air when chemical substance can merge with the water vapor (fog like example) and the droplets fall to the ground the form of an acid sulfuric(sulfuric) and nitrite, referred to as acid . Here also there is small stain minerals including common dirt mixed with coal, this small particle do not burn and make the dust left behind in the coal combustor, a few small particles are also caught in the round of combustion gases along with aqueous vapor, smoke from the chimney exit some of these small particles is very small , equivalent to human hair.
Clean Coal There are several methods to makes clean coal. Example of Sulfur , Sulfur is a chemical substance that colors have a bit of coal, some of the coal that is found in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and other Eastern states , Sulfur consists of 3 until 10 % of the weight of the coal, Some of the coal found in Wyoming, Montana and the state of other sulfur only around 1/100ths (less than 1%) of the weight of the coal. It is important that most of the sulfur is throwed away (removed) before reach smoke chimney . One method to clean coal is a convenient way to split coal smaller and Wash it. Some sulfur is available as a small speck in the coal called "Pyretic sulfur" because it is combined with a form of pyrite iron , besides known as "Fool's gold” can be separated from coal.
In particular, in process one time, Coal hunk is put into big tank full of water, float to the surface when Sulfur sink. This washing facilities is called" Coal preparation plants" that clean coal from polluters. Not all sulfur can be cleaned in this way, however sulfur in coal is a chemical actually tied with the carbon molecular, this Sulfur type is called "Organic Sulfur" and washing will not removed. Some processes have been attempt to mix coal with chemicals that go to free Sulfur from coal molecules, but most of this process has been too expensive, engineer still working to reduce the cost of this chemical exchange prose.
Most of the power plant and all modern facilities that built after 1978 - have been required to have special equipment installed to remove Sulfur from the combustion of coal gas before this gas rises to the chimney. This is actually the " Flue gas desulphurization units" but many people called it "Scrubbers" - because they are men-scrub sulfur out of smoke issued by the coal stove burner.
Indonesia's PT Aneka Tambang plans 3 trillion rupiah (US$265.4 million) this year in capital expenditures, up three-fold on 2008, to position itself for an eventual recovery in commodity prices, its chief executive said on Thursday.
"We think that it is the best time to start our profitable investment, which may be sold when prices of commodities recover hopefully within the next 2-3 years," Alwin Syah Loebis said.
The state mining company said more than 80% of the spending, which will be funded from internal cash, will be used to further develop its plants, including improvements to its ferronickel smelter III in Pomala in south east Sulawesi.
The firm's unaudited financial report showed actual capital expenditures last year were 758 billion rupiah.
Mr Loebis also said Antam expected ferronickel output, its biggest contributors of revenue, to fall by 30% to 12,000t this year as prices for commodities and demand ease in the face of the global economic downturn.
"We assume the average nickel price this year will range from US$11,000-US$12,000/t, from an average of US$18,000/t last year," said Mr Loebis, who refused to elaborate on revenue forecasts for this year.
Antam, 65%-owned by the Indonesian government, is involved in the exploration and production of nickel ore, smelting of ferronickel, production and refining of gold, silver, bauxite and iron sands.
The gold price is likely to hit new highs in dollar terms, as there is serious concern about the US currency, the chairman of Barrick Gold Corp, said on Thursday.
He said there was even a possibility, although not a likelihood, that central banks including China's might start to switch from dollar holdings to gold, which could cause the metal's price to treble.
"Gold is at record levels in every currency except dollars. Even within dollar terms it is within a few percentage points of an all-time high at a time when all the other major commodities are falling," Peter Munk told Reuters at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos.
"Whether it's the currency effect or a reaction to a feeling of uncertainty, gold in my opinion is more likely to go up than down," the chairman and founder of the world's largest gold mining company, said.
Spot gold was at US$878.50/US$880.50 at 1313 GMT. Its current record high is US$1,030.80/oz, achieved in March last year.
"It would be stupid to assume commodities prices can only go one way," he said, adding that physical demand for gold jewellery was not high during the economic downturn.
Gold has been one of the best-performing assets of recent months, rising in value by nearly 17% since late October even as the price of other commodities such as oil and copper has dropped sharply.
Investors have bought heavily into physical bullion in the form of coins and bars and physically backed assets such as exchange traded funds as a safe store of value at a time of increased volatility in other asset prices.
Mr Munk said downward pressure on the dollar, partly due to massive US spending to stimulate the economy, would increase gold's attractions as an investment even further.
Gold usually moves in the opposite direction to the dollar, as it is often bought as a hedge against weakness in the US currency.
"My personal feeling is that with the rescue packages calling for trillions, not billions ... the value of the (US) currency has to go down." said Mr Munk.
He added that his company did not now hedge its output -- meaning using derivatives to insure against a fall in price -- and relied on the price climbing. In the past its successful hedging allowed it to make key acquisitions.
"It would be dumb to hedge," Mr Munk said.
He said there was a possibility central banks, including that of major dollar asset holder China, might start buying gold.
The iron ore market may have bottomed as demand from Chinese steelmakers recovers, driving prices for the raw material higher, according to Fortescue Metals Group Ltd, Australia’s third-biggest producer.
“We are starting to see some evidence that the bottom of the depressed state has been reached,” Graeme Rowley, executive director of public policy and corporate affairs, said today.
“We are seeing a comeback in the prices.” The economy in China, the world’s biggest iron ore user, expanded at the slowest pace in seven years in the fourth quarter as the global recession hurt export demand and steelmakers cut output. The government has unveiled a 4 trillion yuan (US$585 billion) stimulus package to counter the slump.
“The worst is behind us but it’s too early to say demand is recovering,” said Song Jae Hak, an analyst at Woori Investment & Securities Co. in Seoul. “Demand could increase from time to time. It still looks bad for the whole year.”
“We have order books full all the way through to March,” Rowley told journalists. Fortescue received an average price of A$96.63 (US$62.60) a metric ton for ore in the December quarter, up 9% from the September quarter.
Fortescue joins Australia’s Atlas Iron Ltd and Taiwan’s China Steel Corp in forecasting a rebound. Atlas said last month the market may have reached bottom as China’s stimulus package spurred a recovery in “real demand,” while China Steel said it expected an improvement from the second quarter. China imported 6.2% more of the steelmaking ingredient in December than November, while stockpiles as of Jan 9 were 22% below a September record, according to the nation’s customs.
The Baltic Dry Index, a measure of shipping costs for commodities, rose for an eighth day yesterday on stronger demand for capesize vessels to haul iron ore.
Fortescue may ship 17.6Mt of iron ore in the six months to June 30, it said today in a statement to the Australian stock exchange. Shipments in the three months to Dec 31 were 6.3Mt, down 8.7% from the previous quarter on a planned shutdown. It began producing ore in May.
South Africa's Anglo Platinum Ltd (Angloplat), the world's biggest platinum producer, said on Friday that it had re-started its Polokwane smelter shut down last November for repairs after an accident.
Angloplat, which is majority-owned by global miner Anglo American plc, said operations at the smelter resumed on January 19, and that the facility was operating at 55% of its normal capacity.
"The smelter is running, it's been on since last week on Monday," Simon Tebele, a spokesman for Angloplat, told Reuters. "It is not at full capacity yet, its now at around 55 percent of its normal capacity."
Tebele could not immediately confirm how much refined platinum output was lost during the closure.
Angloplat shut the smelter after an incident in which the furnace run-out at the smelter came into contact with rain water, resulting in a significant release of steam and smoke. At the time it was shut, Angloplat said it estimated a loss of up to 200,000oz of refined platinum in 2008 and that the repairs were likely to take some six weeks to complete.
On its website, Angloplat said the Polokwane smelter has a full capacity of 650,000t/y. Tebele said the facility had resumed later than scheduled, due to repeated tests to ensure it was safe to re-start it.
The smelter's closure on November 5 helped boost platinum's price on the day, but the price has tumbled 60% from a record high of US$2,290 an ounce last March as car sales fall due to deepening recessions in many countries.
At the time it shut the smelter, Angloplat said its smelting and refining capacity was fully utilized, and that losses from the shut down would not be recovered during 2008. Concentrate accumulated during the shutdown would be released as refined metal in the first half of 2009, it said.
In July, Angloplat, which accounts for about 40% of the global platinum supply, forecast 2008 output at 2.4Moz of refined platinum versus 2.47 million in 2007. Last month, Angloplat cut capital expenditure owing to a decline in demand and prices for the metal, and forecast output to remain unchanged at 2.4Moz in 2009.
JAKARTA. Pemerintah RI melakukan kerjasama dalam kegiatan Promoting Energy Efficiency in Industries through System Optimization and Energy Management Standards dengan United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
Dirjen Listrik dan Pemanfaatan Energi, J. Purwono mengutarakan, Global Enviromental Facility (GEF) melalui UNIDO memberikan bantuan teknis dalam bentuk hibah kepada pemerintah Republik Indonesia untuk kegiatan tersebut. Program ini sangat bermanfaat dalam rangka mendukung Program Nasional untuk penerapan ISO serta dalam menerapkan rencana manajemen energi (EMS) bagi industri untuk mendukung konservasi energi, lanjut Beliau.
“Bantuan teknis yang diberikan UNIDO meliputi 5 komponen yaitu, National Programme to Implement ISO Energy Management Standards (EMS) and Recognition Program, Tools and Trainning on Energy Managemnt, Including Industrial System Optimization, to Enable Industries Comply with ISO Standards, Financial Incentive Supporting Energy Efficiency Project in Industry, System Optimization Project dan Project Management”, lanjut J. Purwono.
Proposal kegiatan tersebut dimulai dengan penyusunan Project Identification Form (PIF) yang sudah disetujui oleh Sekretaris GEF pada tanggal 17 September 2008 dan dilanjutkan dengan Project Preparation Grant (PPG) untuk memformulasikan a full sized project document yang telah disetujui pada bulan November 2008 lalu.
Saat ini kita sedang mempersiapkan tim pelaksana untuk kegiatan PPG tersebut sehingga lanjut J. Purwono PPG dapat dimulai pada awal tahun 2009 ini dan akan berlangsung selama kurang lebih 10 bulan, sedangkan untuk full sized project menurut rencana akan dilaksanakan selama 5 tahun (2010-2015) dengan dana yang bersumber dari GEF sebesar USD 2.180.380.
Menteri Energi dan Sumber Daya Mineral (ESDM) Purnomo Yusgiantoro meresmikan Lube Oil Blending Plant (LOBP) PT Pertamina (Persero) di Gresik, Jawa Timur, Sabtu (31/1). Persemian LOBP ini diharapkan semakin menempatkan PT Pertamina (Persero) sebagai produsen pelumas yang terbesar di dalam negeri yang mampu menyesuaikan dengan tuntutan kemajuan teknologi mesin kendaraan bermotor dan tuntutan lingkungan hidup.
“Pada situasi krisis ekonomi global yang juga berdampak pada perekonomian di tanah air, kita masih dapat berbangga bahwa PT Pertamina (Persero) masih tetap mampu berinvestasi dengan modernisasi LOBP ini dengan sistem In Line Blending yang pertama di Asia Tenggara,’’ papar Menteri ESDM Purnomo Yusgiantoro.
Pengoperasian LOBP ini, selain menciptakan daya saing dan membuka lapangan kerja baru juga mempunyai dampak yang berkesinambungan pada industri lain seperti industri kemasan plastik, industri kaleng dan industri karton. “Bahkan diharapkan bisa lebih banyak lagi memberikan lapangan kerja yang saat ini sangat menjadi perhatian pemerintah dalam mengurangi tingkat pengangguran sebagia dampak krisis ekonomi,’’ papar Menteri ESDM.
Teknologi In Line blending dan Automatic Blech Blending merupakan teknologi paling modern sekaligus yang pertama kali digunakan di Asia Tenggara. PT Pertamina (Persero) telah menyelesaikan proyek modernisasi LOBP (Lube Oil Blending Plant) di Unit Produksi Pelumas Pertamina Gresik ini sejak 1 November 2008 lalu.
Dengan selesainya proyek modernisasi ini, Unit Produksi Pertamina Gersik dapat menghasilkan 3.382 KL/ 1 shift/ bulan dalam kemasan botol Plastik Lithos dan 5.150 KL/ 1 shift/ bulan dalam kemasan drum. Selain memenuhi kebutuhan pasar pelumas domestik khususnya di wilayah Kawasan Timur Indonesia,.modernisasi Unit Produksi Pelumas Gresik ini juga mendukung ekspansi pasar Pertamina ke Asia Pasifik.
Saat ini Pertamina telah mengembangkan pasar pelumasnya di Pakistan dan Dubai. Ke depan, Pertamina berencana memperluas ekspansi pangsa pasar pelumas sampai ke Australia.
Pada kesempatan tersebut Menteri ESDM Purnomo Yusgiantoro juga menekankan, dalam menjalan kegiatannya para pelaku usaha pelumas perlu mengutamakan perlindungan bagi konsumen, memproduksi dan menjual pelumas sesuai mutu yang telah ditetapkan, menjaga dan melaksanakan pengawasan mutu pelumas yang dipasarkan serta menciptakan iklim usaha yang sehat antar pengusaha pelumas.
Hadir pada acara peresmian tersebut antara lain Dirjen Migas Evita H Legowo, Direktur PT Pertamina (Persero) Ari H Soemarno beserta jajaran direksi PT Pertamina (Persero), pejabat Pemerintah Provinsi Jawa Timur, pejabat Kabupaten Gresik serta para undangan lainnya.
Proyek Modernisasi Unit Produksi Pelumas Gresik dalam pembangunannya memerlukan dana sebesar Rp 62.047.529.360,00 dan US$.16.967.255,57. Waktu pelaksanaan pembangunan dimulai pada tanggal 26 April 2007 dan selesai pada tanggal 1 Nopember 2008.
LOBP PT Pertamina (Persero) di Gresik ini memiliki Kapasitas produksi sebesar 65.000 KL/1 shift/tahun dengan proses blending dilakukan secara otomatis dengan sistem In Line Blending (ILB) dan Automatic Batch Blending (ABB). Kapasitas timbun terdiri dua buah yakni untuk raw material (Base Oil dan Aditive) sebesar 14.000 KL dan finish product sebesar 1.800 KL. Selain itu juga memiliki fasilitas pengisian produk (otomasi) yaitu untuk botol Plastik Lithos, 4 jalur, sebesar 165.600 boxes/1 shift/bulan atau 3.382 KL/1 shift/ bulan dan drum 209 liter, 4 jalur, sebesar 24.600 drum/1 shift/bulan atau 5.150 KL/1 shift/ bulan.
Menteri Energi dan Sumber Daya Mineral (ESDM) Purnomo Yusgiantoro hari Sabtu (31/1) meresmikan Pilot Project Penggunaan Bio Solar pada Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Gas (PLTG) Gresik. Uji coba ini merupakan yang pertama kali untuk pembangkit listrik mesin pembakaran luar (External Combustion Engine) .
Dalam kesempatan ini, Menteri ESDM didampingi oleh Dirjen Migas Departemen ESDM, Staf Ahli Menteri ESDM, Direktur Utama PT PLN (Persero), Direktur Utama PT PJB, Direktur Utama PT Pertamina (Persero) serta sejumlah pejabat dilingkungan Departemen ESDM, dan Pejabat Pemerintah Daerah Provinsi Jawa Timur dan Kabupaten Gresik.
PLTG Gresik menjadi pilot project pengunaan bio solar B5 untuk bahan bakar pembangkit listrik mesin pembakaran luar (External Combustion Engine). Uji coba yang dilakukan sejak Desember hingga Januari lalu menunjukkan bio solar B5 layak digunakan. Hasil uji coba tersebut kemudian dijadikan salah satu acuan bagi penggunaan bio solar untuk pembangkit BBM di lingkungan PLN dan anak perusahaannya.
Keluarnya Peraturan Menteri ESDM No. 32/2008 tentang Penyediaan, Pemanfaatan dan Tata Niaga Bahan Bakar Nabati (Biofuel) sebagai Bahan Bakar Lain, menyebabkan biofuel wajib digunakan secara bertahap untuk berbagai sektor, termasuk pembangkit listrik mulai tahun 2009. Beberapa pembangkit bermesin pembakaran dalam (Internal Combustion Engine) tipe diesel (PLTD) PLN di Kalimantan dan Sumatera sudah mulai memakai bio fuel sebagai bahan bakar. Namun pemakaian bio fuel untuk mesin pembakaran luar, terutama bertipe gas turbin (PLTG) belum pernah dilakukan di Indonesia.
Pemakaian bio fuel menggantikan HSD memerlukan kajian khusus terutama terkait dampak terhadap peralatan pembangkit. PLN menunjuk PT PJB sebagai tempat uji coba. Nota kesepahaman ditandatangani awal Desember tahun lalu antara PT PJB dengan PT PLN (Persero) Penelitian dan Pengembangan Ketenagalistrikan. Uji coba dilakukan pada PLTG Unit 1 (20 MW) PT PJB Unit Pembangkitan Gresik. Ditujukan terutama untuk mengetahui kelayakan operasi PLTG dengan bahan bakar bio solar B5 dan mengetahui seberapa besar perubahan heat rate dan specific fuel consumption (SFC) dibandingkan dengan bahan bakar solar murni.
Hasil pengujian, secara teknis, penggunaan bio solar B5 berjalan lancar dan tidak terjadi gangguan yang menyebabkan gas turbin menjadi trip. Sedangkan uji SFC sebelum dan sesudah penggunaan B5 ada kecenderungan sedikit menjadi boros. Namun untuk heat rate ada kencenderungan menjadi lebih kecil (lebih baik).
Keberhasilan uji coba bio solar di PLTG unit 1 Gresik dijadikan acuan penggunaan bio solar untuk pembangkit thermal di lingkungan PT PLN (persero) dan anak perusahaannya. Penggantian BBM dengan bio solar merupakan salah satu usaha untuk mengurangi dampak polusi yang ditimbulkan dari pembakaran bahan bakar fossil. Hal ini sejalan dengan upaya PT PJB untuk menjadikan pembangkitnya sebagai Green and Clean Power Plant.
Kepala Biro Hukum dan Humas Sutisna Prawira (ESDM)
JAKARTA. Pada tanggal 16 Januari 2009 lalu KBRI di Praha menyelenggarakan seminar yang berjudul “Actual Issues of The Czech Raw Material and Energy Sector’. Acara tersebut dilaksanakan dalam rangka memahami permasalahan antara Rusia dan Ukraina terkait permasalahan suplai gas. Hadir dalam seminar tersebut wakil-wakil dari kedubes Philipina, India, Jepang, Korsel, Korut, Malaysia dan Thailand.
Tujuan penyelenggaraan seminar tersebut adalah untuk mahami permasalahan suplai gas antara Pemerintah Rusia dengan Ukraina yang mengganggu suplai gas di sejumlah negara Uni Eropa.
Pertikaian yang berawal dari permasalahan ekonomi dan teknis akhirnya berkembang menjadi masalah politik membuat sejumlah negara Uni Eropa mulai memikirkan alternatif pemenuhan kebutuhan energi mereka.
Saat ini beberapa negara Uni Eropa seperti Republik Cheko menggantungkan kebutuhan energinya dari gas bumi Rusia. Dalam paparannya, Mr. Pavel Kavina, Analis Bahan Mentah dari Kementerian Industri dan Perdagangan Republik Ceko menjelaskan Republik Ceko saat ini memenuhi kebutuhan energinya dari batubara dan mengimpor 96% kebutuhan minyak mentah dan 99% kebutuhan gasnya dari luar negeri.
Ketergantungan tersebut membuat ketahanan energi mereka rentan terhadap gangguan. Untuk meminimalisir ketergantungan tersebut dan dalam rangka memperkuat ketahanan energinya sejumlah negara-negara Uni Eropa mencoba mencari sumber energi alternatif termasuk melakukan kerjasama dengan sejumlah negara dunia ketiga untuk memasok energi disamping melakukan peningkatan efisiensi pemakaian energi. Kondisi ini membuka peluang bagi negara-negara produsen energi untuk memasuki pasar Uni Eropa.
JAKARTA. Bahan Bakar Nabati (BBN) diusulkan mendapat subsidi sebesar Rp 1.000 per liter. Baik itu untuk Bio Premium (1%) maupun Bio Solar (5%). Berdasarkan alokasi volume penjualan sebesar 774.469 Kilo Liter (KL) yang terdiri Bio Premium 194.444 KL dan Bio Solar 580.025 KL maka kebutuhan tambahan subsidi sebesar Rp 774,469 miliar.
''Dengan penurunan subsidi BBM dan listrik dalam RAPBN-P 2009, maka kebutuhan tambahan subsidi untuk BBN sebesar Rp 774,469 miliar patut untuk dipertimbangkan oleh Komisi VII DPR-RI,'' papar Menteri Energi dan Sumber Daya Mineral (ESDM) Purnomo Yusgiantoro dalam Rapat Kerja dengan Komisi VII DPR RI, Kamis (29/1) di Jakarta.
Menurut Menteri ESDM Purnomo Yusgiantoro subsidi tersebut dibutuhkan bila harga BBN lebih tinggi dari harga BBM. ''Jadi apabila tidak lebih tinggi juga tidak ada tambahan,'' papar Menteri EDSM Purnomo Yusgiantoro pada Rapat yang membahas Penetapan Asumsi Makro Produksi Lifting, Harga Minyak Mentah, Volume BBM Bersubsidi dan Subsidi Listrik untuk RAPBN-Penyesuaian 2009.
Menurut Direktur Jenderal Minyak dan Gas Bumi, Evita H Legowo, usulan alokasi subsidi BBN didasari oleh pelaksanaan program diversifikasi energi dan situasi global sehingga perlu mendorong produksi BBN domestik. ''Saat ini banyak produsen BBN yang terpaksa mengurangi pasokan untuk PT Pertamina. Padahal mandatori pemakaian BBN sudah kita keluarkan,'' papar Dirjen Migas Evita H Legowo.
Pada Rapat yang dipimpin oleh Ketua Komisi VII DPR-RI Airlangga Hartarto tersebut sejumlah anggota meminta penjelasan mengenai alokasi tambahan subsidi BBN ini. Rapat akhirnya menyimpulkan perlu diadakan pembahasan khusus mengenai hal ini dengan mengikutsertakan para pemangku kepentingan BBN antara lain Asosiasi produsen BBN di tanah air.
Rio Tinto has sold two South American mines for $1.6 billion (£1.1 billion) as part of a plan to reduce its $39 billion debt.
Rio said that it had sold the Potasio Río Colorado (PRC) potash project in Argentina and its Corumbá iron ore mine to Vale, the Brazilian miner.
The assets were valued at $850 million and $750 million, respectively.
Rio’s share price rose 69p to £16.19 in morning trading as the sale reassured investors that the company was moving towards its target of cutting debt by $10 billion this year.
The Anglo-Australian miner also sold $3 billion of assets last year and is hoping to agree further disposals in the coming months.
This is in addition to a planned $5 billion cut in capital expenditure and a 14,000 reduction in workforce.
Rio took on its massive $39 billion debt mountain when it bought Alcan, the Canadian aluminium producer, two years ago.
It must repay $8.9 billion by October this year and a further $10 billion next year.
The company said this week that if it failed to raise sufficient money from disposals and cost cutting, it would consider a rights issue.
The Times understands that Rio is talking to Chinalco, the Chinese state-owned metal group, about a possible cash injection or asset sale. Chinalco already owns 9 per cent of Rio.
Guy Elliott, the chief financial officer of Rio, said: “This transaction demonstrates the depth and quality of our asset portfolio and our ability to unlock value for shareholders despite tough credit markets and economic conditions.”
Brendan Harris, a mining analyst for Macquarie Bank, said: “At any time we'd have been pleased to see Rio Tinto divest the Corumbá iron ore mine for $750 million.
"At a time when the company's balance sheet has been drawn into question, it's an even better result.”
Greek actino = ray and lithos = stone in reference to its occurrence in bundles of radiating needles
Agalmatolite
Greek algalma = image and lithos = stone as it was carved by the Chinese
Agate
locality at the River Achates, now Drillo in Sicily, where it was originally found
Aggregate
Latin aggregatus = to lead to a flock, add to
Akageneite
locality at Akagame mine, Iwate Prefecture, Japan
Alabandite
locality at Alabanda in Caria, Asia Minor
Alabaster
ancient ointment jars called alabastra and perhaps Alabastron in Egypt; alternatively from Egyptian a-la-baste = ship of the Goddess Ebaste = Bubaste
Albite
Latin albus = white, for its color
Alexandrite
Czar Alexander II (1818-1881) of Russia
Allanite
Thomas Allan (1777-1833), Scottish mineralogist and first observer
Almandine (garnet)
Alabanda, Asia Minor, where garnets were cut and polished
Aluminum
Latin alumen = alum, original name for natural aluminum sulfate
Alunite
Latin alumen = alum (see above) and French alun = alum
Amazonite
locality at Amazon River, South America
Amber
French ambre from Arabic anbar = ambergris (now obsolete)
Amblygonite
Greek amblys = dull, obtuse and gonia = angle, in reference to cleavage angle
Amethyst
Latin amethystus and Greek amethystos = not drunken as the stone and plant was thought to orevent intoxication
Amosite
acronym of Asbestos Mines of South Africa
Analcime
Greek analkis = without strength due to its weak electrical properties when heated or rubbed
Anatase
Greek anatasis = extension because of the greater length of the common pyramid as compared with other tetragonal minerals
Andradite (garnet)
J.B.d'Andrada e Silva (1763-1838), Brazilian mineralogist and first observer
Anhydrite
Greek anhydros = dry or without water
Anorthite
Greek for not straight, because of its triclinic symmetry
Antimony
Latin from Greek anti = against plus monos = a metal seldom found alone
Andalusite
locality at Andalusia, Spain
Anthophyllite
neo-Latin anthophyllum = clove for its brown color, Greek lithos = stone
Apatite
Greek apate = deceit since it was often mistaken for other minerals
Aphthitalite
Greek aphthitos = unchangeable or indestructible, alis = salt, and lithos = stone since it is very stable in air
Aquamarine
Latin aqua marina = seawater alluding toits pale bluish-green color
Aragonite
locality at Aragon, Spain, where it was first identified
Arcanite
Medieval Latin alchemical name, Arcanum duplicatum = double secret
Asbestos
Latin and Greek asbestos = inextinguishable alluding to its early uses as a wick
Ascherite
a.k.a Szaibelyle
Atacamite
locality at Atacama Desert, Chile
Attapulgite
locality at Attapulgus, Georgia, USA
Axinite
Greek axine = ax in reference to its wedge-shaped crystals
Azoproit
Russian title for the International Association for the Study of Deep Zones of the Earth's Crust (AZOPRO) since it was found during the preparation of a guidebook for the Association's meeting in Baikal in 1969
Baddeleyite
Joseph Baddeley who brought the original specimens from Sri Lanka
Ball clay
from the tradition of rolling the clay to the cart and thus forming a "ball" weighing 13-22 kg (30-50 lb) with a diameter of about 25 cm (10 inches)
Barite
Greek barys = heavy or dense
Barylite
Greek barys = heavy or dense, lithos = stone
Bassanite
locality at Basset group of mines, Redruth, Cornwall, England
Bastnaesite
locality at Bastnäs, Vastmanland, Sweden
Bauxite
locality at Les Baux, near Arles, France where it was discovered by P. Berthierin
Beidellite
locality at Beidell, Colorado
Bementite
Clarence Sweet Bement (1843-1923), American machine tool manufacturer from Philadelphia; collector of coins, books, and minerals
Benstonite
for O.J. Benston (1901- ), American ore dressing metallurgist, National Lead Company, Malvern, AR, who provided specimens for initial study
Bentonite
for the Benton Shale named for Fort Benton, Montana, United States (originally named Taylorite for Taylor Ranch, the site of the first mine near Rock River, Wyoming, which opened in 1888)
Bertrandite
Marcel Alexandre Bertrand (1847-1907), French mineralogist
Beryl
Greek beryllos of uncertain etymology applied to beryl and green gems
Beryllium
beryl (see above), the mineral from which it was isolated
Bikitaite
locality at Bikita, Zimbabwe
Biotite
Jean Baptiste Biot (1774-1862), French physicist who studied its optical aspects
Birnessite
locality at Birness, Scotland
Bischofite
Gustav Bischof (1792-1870), German chemist and geologist
Bixbyite
Maynard Bixby of Salt Lake City, UT, who compiled a catalog of Utah minerals
Blanc fixe
French blanc = white and fixe = settled referring to the barium sulfate precipitate
Bloedite
Carl August Bloede (1773-1820), German chemist
Boehmite
Johannes Böhm (1857-1938), German geologist and first observer
Boracite
derived from borax (see below). A.k.a.
Borax
Persian burah and Arabic buraq, both old names for the mineral. A.k.a. tincal.
Bradleyite
Wilmot Hyde Bradley (b. 1899), American geologist, USGS
Brannerite
John Casper Branner (1850-1922), American geologist
Braunite
Kammerath Braun, of Gotha, Germany
Brazilianite
Brazil, where the mineral was first found
Bromine
Greek bromos = stench in reference to its characteristic odor
Bromargyrite
Greek bromos = stench and argyros = silver alluding to to composition
Brookite
Henry James Brooke (1771-1857), English mineralogist
Brucite
Archibald Bruce (1777-1818), American mineralogist and first observer
Brüggenite
Juan Brüggen (1887-1953), Chilean geologist
Burkeite
William Edmund Burke (1980-), American chemical engineer
Cahnite
Lazard Cahn (1865-1940), American mineral collector who first recognized the mineral in Franklin, New Jersey.
Cairngorm
locality at Cairngorm, southwest of Banff, Scotland
Calcite
Latin calx, calcis = lime; this is the same origin for chalk and limestone
Carnallite
Rudolph von Carnall (1804-1874), Prussian mining engineer, Greek lithos = stone
Celestite
Latin caelestis = heavenly for its faint blue color
Cement
Old French ciment from Latin caementum = chip of stone used to fill up in building a wall
Cerite/Cerium
after Ceris, an asteroid discovered in 1803
Chabazite (zeolite)
Greek chabazios or chalazios, an ancient name of a stone celebrated in a poem ascribed to Orpheus
Chalcedony
from Chalcedon or Calchedon, an ancient maritime city of Bithynia on the Sea of Marmara in modern Turkey
Chalcophanite
Greek chalcos = copper and to appear refering to the change of color on ignition
Chalcopyrite
Greek chalcos = copper and its similarity with pyrite.
Chaistolite
(variety of andalusite)
Greek chiastos = marked with a chi (x) and lithos = stone alluding to the cross exhibited in transverse sections
China clay
commercial term for kaolin which was named for Kau-ling in China
Chiolite
Greek = snow alluding to its appearance and similarity to cryolite (ice)
Chlorite
Greek chloros= light green in reference to its color
Chromite
Greek chroma = a color for the brilliant hues of its compounds
Chrysoberyl
Greek chrysos = golden or yellow plus beryllos = beryl
Chrysolite
Greek chrysos = golden or yellow plus lithos = stone
Chrysoprase
Greek chrysos = golden or yellow plus prason = leek alluding to green color
Chrysotile
Greek chrysotos = guilded in reference to its color and nature
Citrine
Latin citrus or French citron = lemon in reference to its yellow color
Clinoenstatite
Greek klinein = to bend or slope (monoclinic diomorph) of enstates = anadversary because of its refractory nature
Clinoptilolite
Greek klinein = to bend or slope, monoclinic Greek for wing or down alluding to its light nature, and lithos = stone
Colemanite
William Tell Coleman (1824-1893), a borate developer in California
Cordierite
Pierre Louis A. Cordier (1777-1861), French mining engineer & geologist
Coronadite
for Francisco Vasquez de Coronado (ca. 1500-1554), Spanish explorer of SW America
Corundum
Hindi kurund, or the Tamil kurundam, describing a native stone of India
Crandallite
Milan L. Crandell Jr., American engineer, Knight Syndicate, Provo, Utah and Greek lithos = stone
Cristobalite
Cerro San Cristóbal near Pachuca, Mexico and Greek lithos = stone
Crocidolite
Greek krokis or krokidos = the nap on cloth and lithos = stone
Cryolite
Greek kryos = cold, frost and lithos = stone for its icy appearance
Cryptomelane
Greek kryptos = hidden, secret and melas = black in reference to the difficulty of identifying it as a species and its color
Danburite
locality at Danbury, Connecticut
D' Ansite
Jean D' Ans (1881- ), German chemist, professor, Berlin
Darapskite
for Ludwig Darapsky (1857-?), mineralogist and chemist from Santiago, Chile
Datolite
Greek = to divide due to granular character of some varieties
Dawsonite
John William Dawson (1820-1899), Canadian geologist, principal of McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Diamond
Latin adamas = unconquerable or invincible; first used in Manilius (AD 16)
Diaspore
Greek dia = through and speirein = to scatter in reference to its characteristic decrepitation on heating
Dickite
Allan Brugh Dick (1833-1926), Scottish metallurgical chemist
Diatomite
Latin from Greek dia = through and tome = cutting in reference to the two generally symmetrical valves of the single-cell diatom
Dietzeite
August Dietze (?-1893?), who first described the mineral
Diopside
Greek diopsis = to view through since it is usually transparent
Dolomite
Deodat Guy Silvain Tancrède Gratet de Dolomieu, French geologist
Dumortierite
Eugène Dumortier (1802-1873), French paleontologist
Dunite
named for its type locality at Dun Mountain, Nelson, New Zealand
Dysprosium
Greek dysprositos = hard to get at in reference to the difficulty of separation
Embolite
Greek embole = insert and lithos =stone since it contains both the chloride and bromide of silver
Emerald
Latin smaragdus and Greek smaragdos = emerald, probably of Semitic origin; ancient name applied to a variety of green minerals
Emery
French emeri, Italian smeriglio, and Greek smiris or smeris; akin to the Greek myron = urgent
Epsomite
locality at Epsom, a town near London, England
Erionite (zeolite)
Greek erion = wool alluding to its white wool-like appearance
Euclase
Greek eu = good, well and klasis = a breaking due to its easy cleavage
Eucryplite
Greek eu = good, and concealed due to its mode of occurrence embedded in albite
Eudialyte
Greek eu = good, well and dialytos = capable of dissolution
Eudidymite
Greek eu = good, well and twin, due to the twinned crystal
Eugsterite (Fritzshe's salt)
N.A.
Europium
Continent of Europe named for Europa, daughter of a king of Phoenicia
Euxenite
Greek for friendly to strangers or hospitable referring to the rare-earth elements it contains
Faujasite (zeolite)
Barthélemy Faujas de Saint Fond (1741-1819), French geologist
Fayalite
locality at Fayal Island in the Azores and Greek lithos = stone
Feitknechtite
for Walter Feitknecht (1899- ), University of Bern, who first synthesized the compound
Feldspar
Swedish feldt or fält = field and spat = spar, for the spar in the tilled fields overlying granite
Fergusonite
Robert Ferguson (1799-1865), Scottish physician
Ferrierite (zeolite)
Walter Frederick Ferrier (1865-1950), Canadian geologist and moning engineer
Ferronatrite
Latin ferrum = iron and natrium = soda describing its composition
Flint
Greek plinthos = a brick
Florencite
Willian Florence (1964-1942), Brazilian mineralogist who studied minerals in Minas Gerais
Fluoborite
from composition, a fluoborate of magnesium
Fluocerite
containing fluorine and cerium named for Ceris, an asteroid
Fluorapatite
containing fluorine and apatite
Fluorite
Latin fluere = flow, then German flüssen = fuse (German flussspat)
Forsterite
Adolarius Jacob Forster (1739-1806), English mineral collector
Francolite
Wheal (= mine) Franco, Tavistock in Devon, England, Greek lithos = stone
Fuller's earth
clay used by the fuller to degrease cloth in a process known as fulling
Furgusonite
Gadolinite
Johan Gadolin (1760-1852), Finnish chemist and discoverer of yttrium
Galena
Latin galena = lead ore or dross remaining after melting lead
Garnet
Latin granatum = a pomegranate since it RESEMBLes their red seeds; alternatively Latin granatus = like a grain since it RESEMBLes seeds or grains embeded in the matrix
Gaylussite
Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac (1778-1850), French chemist, Greek lithos = stone
Gibbsite
George Gibbs (1776-1833), owner of the mineral collection acquired by Yale early in the 19th century
Glaserite
???
Glauberite
Johann Wilhelm Glauber (1603-1668), German chemist
Glauconite
Greek glaucos = originally gleaming, later bluish green, silvery, or gray
Goethite
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), German poet/philosopher
Graphite
Greek for graphein = to write due to its use in making pencils
Grossularite (garnet)
Latin grossularium = gooseberry for its pale green color
Groutite
Frank Fitch Grout (1880-1958), American petrologist, U of Minnesota
Guano
Indian huanu = dung
Gypsum
from the Greek gypsos = plaster, an ancient name
Hafnium
Latin Hafnia = ancient name for Copenhagen
Halite
Greek hals = the sea (see salt)
Halloysite
Baron Omalius d'Halloy (1707-1789), Belgian geologist and first observer
Hanksite
Henry Garber Hanks (1826-1907), State Mineralogist of California
Hausmannite
Johann Friedrich Ludwig Hausmann (1782-1859), German mineralogist
Hectorite
locality at Hector, California, USA
Heliodor
Greek helios = sun -- "gift of the sun".
Helvite
Greek helvus = light yellow alluding to the mineral's color
Hematite
Greek haimatites = bloodlike alluding to its red color
Hessonite
Greek ésson = inferior in reference to its inferior hardness and color
Heulandite
John Henry Heuland (1778-1856), English mineral collector
Hiddenite
A.E. Hidden, mine owner and first observer
Hollandite
Thomas Henry Holland (1868-1947), British geologist, Director of Geol. Survey of India
Holmium
Latin Holmia = ancient name for Stockholm
Howlite
Henry How (1828-1879), Canadian chemist and first observer
Huntite
Walter Frederick Hunt (1882-1975), American mineralogist, U of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Hydroboracite
Greek hydor = water plus boracite
Illite
locality in the state of Illinois, USA
Ilmenite
locality at the Ilmen Mountains, former USSR, where it was first located
Inderborite
Inder Lake, western Kazakhstan and composition of borate.
Inderite
Inder Lake, western Kazakhstan
Inyoite
Inyo County, California
Iodine
Greek iodes = violet alluding to its color
Jacobsite
locality at Jacobsberg, Wermland, Sweden
Jade/jadeite
Spanish term piedra de yjada = stone of the side since the stone was supposed to cure side pains
Jarosite
Jaroso Ravine in the Sierra Almagrera, Spain
Jasper
Latin iaspis, which is of oriental origin, equivalent to the Persian iashm and jashp and the Assyrian ashpu
Kainite
Greek kainos = new, recent alluding to its recent (secondary) formation
Kaliborite
composition, kalium = potassium, and boron = borate
Kandite
comprising the minerals kaolinite, nacrite, and dickite
Kaolin
Chinese Kau-ling = high ridge, a village in northwest Jiangxi Province, China, where deposits of white kaolin have long been exploited to make fine white porcelain known as china (see china clay)
Kermesite
from kermes, a name given in old chemistryto red amorphous antiminy trisulfide often mixed with antimony trioxide
Kernite
locality at Kern County, California
Kieselguhr
German kiesel = flint and guhr = earthy sediment deposited in water
Kieserite
Dietrich Georg Kieser (1779-1862), President of Jena Acadamy, Germany
Kornerupine
Andreas Nikolaus Kornerup (1857-1881), Danish geologist
Kotoite
Bundjirom Koto (1856-1935), Japanese geologist and petrographer, U of Tokyo
Kramerite
locality at Kramer boron deposit, California. A.k.a. probertite.
Kurnakovite
Nikolai Semenovich Kurnakov (1860-1941), Russian mineralogist
Kunzite
G.F. Kunz, American mineralogist
Kyanite
Greek kyanos = dark blue reflecting its color
Labradorite
the mineral was first brought from the Isle of Paul, Labrador, about 1770
Langbeinite
A. Langbein, German chemist of Leopoldshall
Lanthanum
Greek lanthanein = to be unseen, unnoticed, or concealed
Lapis lazuli
Latin lapis = a stone and Persian lazhward = blue color
Laumontite (zeolite)
François Pierre Nicolas Giller de Laumont (1747-1834), French discoverer
Lautarite
locality at Oficina Lautaro, Antofagasta Province, Chile
Lecontite
John Lawrence LeConte (1825-1883), American entomologist of Philadelphia who discovered the mineral
Leonite
Leo Strippelmann, director of the salt work at Westerregeln, Germany
Lepidocrocite
Greek lepis = scale in reference to the scaly or feathery habit, and (Latin) crocinus = saffron, golden, yellow for its color
Lepidolite
Greek lepis = scale and lithos = stone because of its micaceous structure
Leucite
Greek leukos = white reflecting its whire or gray color
Leucoxene
Greek leukos = white and xenos = stranger alluding to its color and secondary nature
Lime
Old English; related to Dutch iljm & Latin limus = mud, linere = to smear
Limonite
Greek leimon = meadow since it often occurs in bogs and swamps
Lithiophilite
Greek lithos = stone and philos = loving alluding to its composition
Lithiophorite
Greek lithos = stone and to bear in reference to its lithium content
Lithium
Greek lithos = stone
Loeweite
Alexander Loewe (1808-1846), German chemist
Loparite
Russian name for the Lapp inhabitants of the Kola Peninsula
Ludwigite
Ernst Ludwig (1842-1915), Austrian chemist, U of Vienna
Lutetium
Lutetia, the ancient name for Paris
Maghemite
from the fisrt syllables of magmetite and hematite referring to the magnetism and and composition
Magnesite
see magnesium; applied to a series of magnesium salts by J.C. Delanethrie in 1795; D.L.G. Karsten first restricted it to the natural carbonate in 1808
Magnesium/ magnesia
Possibly Latin magnesia, a mineral said to be brought from the province of Magnesia in Thessaly, Greece > magnesia alba > "magnesia" and "magnesium" (magnesia negra > "manganese"); See manganese.
Magnetite
Middle Latin magnes = magnet in reference to its magnetic properties; or from Magnes, a shepherd who first discovered the mineral on Mount Ida when the rock was attracted to the nails in his shoes
Manganese
Possibly Latin magnesia, a mineral said to be brought from the province of Magnesia in Thessaly, Greece > magnesia negra and corrupted to "manganese" (in common with magnesia alba > "magnesia" and "magnesium"; alternatively Greek mangania = magic. See magnesium/magnesia.
Manganite
manganese content (see above)
Marble
Greek marmairein = to shine, marmaros = white glistening stone
Marcasite
probably Arabic or Moorish for pyrite and similar substances
Mayenite
locality near Mayen, Eifel district Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Meerschaum
Greek meer = sea and schaum = froth for its light weight and color
Mendozite
Mendoza, Argentina
Meyerhofferite
Wilhelm Meyerhoffer (1864-1906), German chemist
Mica
Latin micare = to shine or to glitter or the Latin mica = a crumb or grain
Microcline
Greek mikro = little and klinein = to incline in reference to its characteristic variation of cleavage angle from 90o
Millisite
F.T. Mills, of Lehi, Utah, the first observer
Mirabilite
Latin sal mirabilis = wonderful salt, Greek lithos = stone
Mohavite
Mohave desert, California. A.k.a. tincalconite.
Monazite
Greek monazein = to be alonealluding to itsrarity
Montebrasite
locality at Mintebras, Creuse, France
Montmorillonite
locality at Montmorillon, Vienne, France
Mordenite (zeolite)
Morden, King's County, Nova Scotia, Canada
Morganite
John Pierpont Morgan, American banker and gem enthusiast
Mullite
locality at the island of Mull, Scotland, Greek lithos = stone
Muscovite
Muscovy glass, when first described from Muscovy Province, Russia
Nahcolite
acronym of Na, H, C, O plus Greek lithos = stone
Natrolite (zeolite)
Latin natrium or Greek natron = native soda plus lithos = stone
Natron
Latin natrium or Greek nitron = native soda
Neodymium
Greek neos = new and didymos = twin
Nepheline
Greek nephele = cloud alluding to the cloudy appearance developed on immersing nepheline in strong acid
Nephrite
Latin lapis nephriticus = kidney stone since it was often worn to remedy diseases of the kidnies
Nesquehonite
Nesquehoning near Lansford, Carbon County, Pennsylvania
Niter/Nitrates
ancient origin: Latin nitrum, the Greek for nitron, the Hebrew nether; perhaps originally from Nitria, a city in Upper Egypt
Nontronite
locality at Arrondissement of Nontron, near the village of Saint Pardoux, France
Northupite
Charles H. Northup (b. 1861), American grocer and first observer
Novaculite
Latin novacula = razorhone alluding to its use as a sharpening stone
Nsutite
locality at the Nsuta Mine, Ghana
Ochre
Latin and Greek ochra = pale or pale yellow alluding to its color
Offertite (zeolite)
Albert Jules Joseph Offret (1857-?), professor, Lyons, France
Olivine
Latin oliva = olive alluding to its olive green color
Onyx
Greek onyx = claw, fingernail, hoof in reference to the color
Opal
from Sanskrit upala = stone or precious stone
Orthoclase
Greek for straight and klasis = fracture in reference to its cleavage angle of 90°
Palygorskite
locality at "in der Paligorischen Distanz" of the second mine on the Popovka River, Urals, former USSR, where it was observed
Pandermite
locality at Panderma, the old name for Bandirma, a port in Turkey
Parisite
J.J. Paris, proprietor of the mine at Muzo, north of Bogata, Colombia, where the mineral was discovered
Peat
Anglo-Latin peta = piece of turf
Pentlandite
Joseph Barclay Pentland (1797-1873), Irish natural scientist and traveler
Periclase
Greek peri = around and klasis = fracture due to its perfect cubic cleavage
Peridot
French péridot of unknown origin
Perlite
French perle = pearl due to its pearly luster and form when hammered
Perovskite
Petalite
Greek petalon = leaf and lithos = stone alluding to its leaflike cleavage
Phenak(c)ite
Greek phenax = to cheat since it was often mistaken for quartz
Phengite
Greek and Latin phengites = shine in reference to its luster
Phillipsite (zeolite)
William Phillips (1775-1829), British mineralogist, founder of the Geological Society of London
Phlogopite
Greek phlogistos = to burn or inflame alluding to its reddish tinge
Phonolite
Greek phone = sound and lithos = stone in reference to its ring when struck with a hammer
Phosphate
Greek for phos = light and phoros = bearer due to its spontaneous combustion; frpm the Latin meaning morning star
Pinnoite
Mt. Pinno, Chief Councellor of Mines, of Halle, Germany
Pirssonite
Louis Valentine Pirsson (1860-1919), American mineralogist at Yale
Plagioclase
Greek plagios = oblique and klasis = fracture in reference to the oblique angles between its best cleavages
Plumbago
Latin plumbum = lead since graphite was misidentified as galena
Pinite
Polianite
N.A.
Pollucite
Pollux, the twin brother of Castor in Classical mythology, in reference to its association with the mineral castor (old name for petalite)
Polyhalite
Greek polys = much or many and hals = salt due to the component salts
Portland cement
resembles a building stone on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England
Portlandite
from Portland cement, locality at the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England, with which the synthetic compound was known to be associated
Potash
from pot and ash, originally prepared by evaporating the lixivium of wood ashes in iron pots (see soda ash)
Pozzalana
locality at Pozzuoli near Mount Vesuvius where a tuff was extracted by the Romans
Praeseodymium
Greek prasios = green and didymos = twin
Priceite
Thomas Price (b. 1837?), Welsh-American mineralogist. A.k.a Pandemite.
Probertite
Frank Holman Probert (1876-1940), Dean of the Mining College, U of Cal. A.k.a. kramerite.
Promethium
Prometheus, a Titan in Greek mythology, who made a man of clay from fire stolen from heaven
Psilomene
Greek psilos = naked, bare and melas = black alluding to its appearance
Pumice
Latin pumex = pumice or porous stone from spuma = foam
Pyrrhotite
Greek for redness aluding to the liveliness of its color
Pyrite
Greek pyrites = flint or millstonefrom pyros = a fire since it gives off sparks when struck
Pyrochlore
Greek pyros = a fire and chloros = green since it turns green on ignition
Pyrolusite
Greek pyros = a fire and lusite = to wash due to its use to decolorize glass
Pyrope (garnet)
Greek pyr = fire and ops = eyealluding to its fire-red color
Pyrophyllite
Greek for pyro = a fire, phyllo = a leaf, and lithos = stone referring to the effect of heat separating the laminae in foliated varieties
Quartz
Saxon word querkluftertz = cross-vein ore; first condensed to querertz; or West Slavic word kwardy
Ramsdellite
Lewis Stephen Ramsdell (1895-1975), American mineralogist, U of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Rare earths
named by Johann Gadolin as a literal description of a group of elements
Rhodochrosite
Greek rhodochros = rose colored alluding to its color
Rhodonite
Greek rhodon = a rose alluding to its color
Roseki
Japanese for waxy stone referring to its wax-like appearance.
Roscoelite
Henry Enfield Roscoe (1833-1915), a chemist from Manchester, England, who first to prepared pure vanadium
Ruby
Latin rubeus = red alluding to its color
Rutile
French shining from Latin rutilus = red alluding to its color
Sanbornite
for Frank Sanborn, American mineralogist. Div. Mines, Dept. Natural Resources, CA
Sanidine
Greek sanis (-idos) = a board, a table in reference to the mineral's tabular habit
Salt
Latin sal which originated from the Greek for hals = the sea (see halite)
Samarskite
Vasilii Erafovich Samarski-Bykhovets (1803-1870), of the Russian Corps of Mining Engineers
Saponite
Latin sapo (-idos) = soap for its soaplike appearance
Sapphire
ancient name of uncertain origin; possibly Hebraic sappir and Sanskrit sanipruja; applied by the ancients to lazurite
Sassolite
Sasso, Tuscany, Italy where first observed, Greek lithos = stone
Searlesite
John W. Searles, Californian pioneer; Searles Lake, CA, named for him
Selenite
Greek selenites (lithos) = moon (stone) since it was supposed to wax and wane with the moon and/or it has moon-like white reflections
Sellaite
Quntino Sella (1827-1884), Italian mining engineer and mineralogist
Senarmonite
Henri Hureau de Sénarmont (1808-1862), French physicist and mineralogist, School of Mines, Paris, who first described the species
Sepiolite
Greek sepion = the bone of the cuttle-fish and lithos = stone sincethe bone of the cuttle-fish is light and porous like the mineral
Sericite
Greek for silky alluding to its silky luster
Serpentine
Latin serpens = snake because of the similar surface patterns
Shortite
Maxwell Naylor Short (1889-1952), American mineralogist, U of Arizona, and Greek lithos = stone
Siderite
Greek sideros = iron in reference to its composition
Sienna
locality at the town of Sienna in Tuscany, northern Italy
Silica
Latin silex = flint
Sillimanite
Professor Benjamin Silliman (1779-1864), American mineralogist, Yale
Slate
Smectite
Greek smektis = fuller's earth from smechein = to wipe off, to cleanse because of its property of extracting grease from cloth (see Fuller's Earth)
Soda
possibly from the name of a mineral that occurs near Djebel es Soda, Libya. Alternatively, the Spanish soda (from the Arabian suvvad = a plant from the ash of which soda was obtained in Sicily and Spain), or from the medieval Latin sodanum = a remedy for headaches (from the Arabic suda = headache).
Soda ash
from soda and ash, originally prepared by evaporating the lixivium of wood ashes in iron pots (see potash)
Sodalite
from composition, Latin solidus = solid since it was a solid used in glassmaking (see soda ash)
Sodium sulfate
chemical name
Spessartine (garnet)
locality at Spessart in northwestern Bavaria, Germany
Sphalerite
Greek for trecherous or slippery since it was often mistaken for galena but yielded no lead
Sphene
Greek for wedge due to characteristic habit of the crystals
Spinel
Latin spinella = little thorn referring to its spine-shaped octahedral crystals
Spodumene
Greek spodoun = to reduce to ashes refers either to its ash-gray color or the ash-colored mass formed when heated before the blowpipe
Stassfurtite
locality at Stassfurt, Germany, where it is associated with potash. A.k.a. boracite
Staurolite
Greek stauros = a cross and lithos = stone because ofits common cruciform twins
Steatite
Greek steatos = suet
Stibiconite
Greek stimmi and Latin stibium = antimony and Greek for powder or dust, because it often occurs as a powder
Stibnite
Greek stimmi and Latin stibium = old names for antimony
Strontianite
locality at Strontian, a small town in Argyllshire, Scotland
Suanite
locality at Suan County, Korea
Sulfur
Latin sulfur, an old name; akin to Sanskrit sulvere
Sulphohalite
from composition, a sulfate with the halogen elements Cl and F
Suzorite
locality at Suzor Township near Boucherville, Quebec, Canada (phlogopite mica)
Sylvite
old chemical name Sal digestivus Sylvii or digestive salt of Francois Sylvius de la Boë (1614-1672), Dutch chemist and physician of Leyden
Syngenite
Greek syn = with, together with, or related to in reference to its similarity to polyhalite
Szaibelyite
Stephan Szaibely (1777-1855), Hungarian mine surveyor of Rézbánya. A.k.a. ascherite
Talc
Arabic talq
Tamarugite
locality at Tamarugal, Pampa, Chile
Tanzanite
locality at Tanzania, Africa
Tephroiite
Greek for ash-colored due to its color
Teruggite
Mario E. Teruggi, geologist, Universitatd Nacional La Plata, Argentina
Thenardite
Louis Jacques Thénard (1777-1857), French chemist, U of Paris
Thermonatrite
Greek therme = heat and natron = soda since it forms from drying soda
Thorium
Thor, Scandinavian god of thunder and lightening in reference to its use in energy
Thulite
Thule, the ancient name of Scandinavia
Tincal
Sanskrit tincal or Malay tingkal = borax. A.k.a. borax.
Tincalconite
Sanskrit tincal = borax and Greek konis = dust or powder; the fact it can form from the dehydration of borax A.k.a. mohavite.
Titanium/
titanium dioxide
Latin Titani and Greek Titanes = a Titan, in Greek mythology any one of twelve children of Uranus ( Heaven) and Gaea (Earth); denotes strength
Todorokite
locality at the Todoroki mine, Hokkaido, Japan
Topaz
from the Greek Topazion, an island in the Red Sea, meaning to seek since the island was often covered in mist
Toseki
Japanese meaning "stones used for pocelain raw material (pottery stone)
Tourmaline
Singhalese turamali = originally applied to zircon and other gems by jewelers in Sri Lanka
Tremolite
locality at Tremola Valley, near St. Gotthard, Switzerland, and Greek lithos = stone
Tridymite
Greek tridymos = threefold since the crystals are often trillings
Tripoli
locality at Tripoli, Libya, in North Africa
Trona
Arabic name of the native salt
Tsavolite
locality at Tsavo National Park, Kenya , first discovered, and Greek lithos = stone
Tunellite
George Tunell (1900- ), American geochemist, U of California, Los Angeles
Turquoise
Old French turqueise = Turkish as stones came to Europe from Persia via Turkey
Tychite
in Greek mythology Tyche = the Goddess of Chance alluding to the fact that two tychite crystals in a stock of 5,000 northupite crystals were the first and the last to be found
Tysonite
S.T. Tyson who collected and supplied the specimens in the original study
Ulexite
George Ludwig Ulex (1811-1883), German chemist and first observer
Umber
locality at the Umbria idistrict of Italy or possibly Latin umbra = a shade or shadow
Uralborite
locality at Ural Mountains in the former USSR and its borate content
Uvarovite (garnet)
Count Sergei Semeonovich Uvarov (1786-1855), Russian nobleman, Imperial Academy of St. Petersburg
Valentinite
Basilius Valentinus (pseudonym for Johannes Thölde), German alchemist working on the properties of antimony in the late 17th and early 18th century.
Vanthoffite
Jacobus Hendricus van 'tHoff (1852-1911), Dutch physical chemist
Veatchite
Dr. John A. Veatch who first discovered boracic acid in northern Californian springs
Vermiculite
Latin vermiculare = to breed worms alluding to its appearance after exfoliation and Greek lithos = stone
Vernadite
Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadskii (1863-1945), Russian naturalist and geochemist
Vesuvianite
locality at Mt. Vesuvius, Italy, where it was found in ejected blocks
Villiaumite
French explorer Villiaume who brought the specimen from Guinea
Vonsenite
Magnus Vonsen (1879-1954), American mineral collector of Petaluma, CA, who was interested in borate minerals. A.k.a. paigeite.
Wad
provincial English word for black, soft powders of unknown origin
Wairakite
locality at Wairakei in the central part of the North Island, New Zealand
Wardite
Henry Augustus Ward (1834-1906), American naturalist, Rochester, NY
Wavellite
William Wavell (d.1829), English physician, Horwood Parish, Devon, UK, and Greek lithos = stone
Wegscheiderite
Rudolph Wegscheider, chemist who formed the compound synthetically
Witherite
William Withering (1741-1799), English physician, botanist & mineralogist
Wollastonite
William Hyde Wollaston (1766-1828), English chemist and mineralogist
Xenotime
Greek xenos = foreign, a stranger and time = to honor alluding to the fact that crystals are small and rare, and were long unnoticed; originally mispelled kenotime, Greek for vain and to honor
Ytterbium/yttrium
locality at Ytterby, Sweden
Zeolites
Greek zein = to boil and lithos = stone (i.e. boiling stones)
Zinnwaldite
locality at Zinnwald, Bohemia, itself named for the local tin (German Zinn) veins
Zircon
from Arabic zarqun, derived from the Persian zar = gold and gun = color
Zoisite
Siegmund Zois, Baron von Edelstein (1747-1819), Austrian scholar
Sources: Fleischer, M, 1975, Glossary of Mineral Species; Lyman, K., ed., 1984, Simon & Schuster's Guide to Gems and Precious Stones; Mitchell, R.S., 1979, Mineral Names What Do They Mean?; Spencer, L.J., M.H. Hay, et al, various dates, "Annual lists of new mineral names", Mineralogical Magazine; Chambers Etymological English Dictionary; Encyclopaedia Britannica; Webster's New Twentieth Century Dictionary (unabridged).
