Gallium in zinc deposits
Gallium has no primary mines. It comes out of aluminium and zinc processing as a by-product. It is essential to gallium nitride and gallium arsenide semiconductors, used in radar, LEDs and power electronics.
Of 475 deposits tested for gallium, 357 returned a measurable value. The remainder were tested and returned nothing above the detection limit, which is not the same as containing none.
Highest gallium concentrations measured in sphalerite
| Deposit | Country | Type | Max ppm | Median ppm | Analyses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fankou | China | Irish-type sediment-hosted zinc-lead | 4,600 | 59.2 | 369 of 568 |
| Tianbaoshan | China | MVT zinc-lead | 3,595 | 23 | 162 of 162 |
| Central Tennessee Zinc District | United States | MVT zinc-lead | 3,040 | 510 | 668 of 692 |
| Hehuashan | China | MVT zinc-lead | 2,800 | 1,200 | 28 of 64 |
| Ivette | Peru | Replacement zinc-lead | 2,137 | 38 | 103 of 103 |
| Morro Solar | Peru | Vein polymetallic | 2,118 | 43.2 | 85 of 85 |
| Djebel Gustar | Algeria | MVT zinc-lead | 2,108.9 | 339.4 | 63 of 63 |
| Gordonsville-Elmwood | United States | MVT zinc-lead | 1,920 | 1,020 | 405 of 416 |
| Wheal Betsy | United Kingdom | Vein polymetallic | 1,747 | 624.5 | 50 of 51 |
| Toromocho | Peru | Intermediate-sulfidation (IS) epithermal silver-gold ± Zn, Pb, Cu, Sn, Mn | 1,739 | 839 | 7 of 7 |
| Dafang | China | Skarn zinc-lead-silver | 1,720 | 22.9 | 179 of 179 |
| Saint-Salvy | France | Vein polymetallic | 1,503 | 1,063 | 3 of 3 |
| Young, Immel, Coy, New Market | United States | MVT zinc-lead | 1,370 | 120 | 226 of 270 |
| Buttspill | United Kingdom | Vein polymetallic | 1,368 | 742 | 27 of 27 |
| Cumberland Mine | United States | MVT zinc-lead | 1,288 | 1,030 | 7 of 7 |
How to read these numbers
Concentrations are measured inside sphalerite, the zinc sulphide mineral, not across the whole rock. They indicate by-product potential and are not deposit grades or resources. Only part of any orebody is sphalerite, so the figure for the deposit as a whole is lower by that fraction.
A high maximum with a low median means a few unusually rich grains rather than uniformly enriched ore. Both are shown for that reason.
Source: Critical Minerals in Ores mineral chemistry database (CMiO-MIN), Geoscience Australia, Geological Survey of Canada and U.S. Geological Survey. Licensed CC-BY 4.0. Figures are reproduced as published, without rounding.
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