Mooihoekite to chalcopyrite CuFeS, making it helpful in the study of ore deposits and the study of the central portion of the Cu-Fe-S phase system. Mooihoekite, chalcopyrite, talnakhite, and haycockite all play key roles in the study of ore genesis and beneficiation. Mooihoekite Mooihoekite is a copper iron sulfide mineral with chemical formula of CuFeS. The mineral was discovered in 1972 and received its name from its discovery area, the Mooihoek mine in Transvaal, South Africa. Mooihoekite crystallizes in the tetragonal crystal system. It has a short optical c-axis that is perpendicular to two longer a-axes of equal length. For Mooihoekite,
Broken Hill ore deposit mining is concentrated in the Blackwood Open Cut, which commenced in 1973, and the Kintore Open Cut. Stope fill, plus remnant supergene silver and sulphide ore characterize the ore reserve. Pasminco Limited took over the leases of The Zinc Corporation, Limited, and New Broken Hill Consolidated Limited. Their main shafts included ZC, NBHC and Southern Cross. These ZC Mines Leases lie south of the MMM Mining Leases along the Broken Hill "line of lode". By the early 1950s the Broken Hill area had suffered a major drought of over 8 years which was close to shutting down the mining operation.