History · Geology
About Kunyang Phosphate Mine
The Kunyang Phosphate Mine in Jinning, Yunnan, is one of China’s largest sedimentary phosphate deposits. Active since the 1960s, it supplies the bulk of Chinese phosphate fertilizer raw material. The phosphate-bearing Lower Cambrian Meishucun Formation hosts the Kunyang and adjacent Haikou and Anning phosphate ore bodies.
Geology & Signature Specimens
Mineralization consists of phosphorite and sedimentary apatite (fluorapatite) interbedded with cherty dolostone in Lower Cambrian shallow-marine deposits. The Kunyang deposit is famous to paleontologists for the Chengjiang Lagerstätte fossil biota in adjacent strata. Reserves exceed 470 million tonnes phosphate ore.
