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Palabora Carbonatite Mine

Producer in South Africa with commodities Copper, Vermiculite, Iron, Uranium, Aluminum, Potassium, Titanium, Metal, Thorium, Phosphorus-Phosphates, Hafnium
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Host and associated rocks
  8. Nearby scientific data
  9. Geologic structures
  10. Ore body information
  11. Controls for ore emplacement
  12. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  13. Mining district
  14. Ownership information
  15. Production statistics
  16. Reserves and resources
  17. Links to other databases
  18. Bibliographic references
  19. General comments
  20. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10069814
MRDS ID W007520
Record type Site
Current site name Palabora Carbonatite Mine
Alternate or previous names Palabora Mining Company Limited

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 31.13472, -23.99667 (WGS84)
Elevation 457
Relative position NEAR WESTERN BOUNDARY OF KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, NORTH OF OLIFANT AND SELATI RIVERS. 6.4 KILOMETERS SOUTH OF PHALABORWA TOWNSITE.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

South Africa(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country
South Africa

Comments on the location information

  • PHOSPHATE, AS APATITE, IS MINED AND PROCESSED FROM THIS DEPOSIT SEPARATELY BY FOSKOR LIMITED. SEE RECORD NO. W028277 W028277

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Vermiculite Primary
Iron Primary
Uranium Primary
Aluminum Critical Tertiary
Potassium Tertiary
Titanium, Metal Critical Tertiary
Thorium Tertiary
Phosphorus-Phosphates Secondary
Hafnium Critical Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Apatite Ore
Bornite Ore
Bravoite Ore
Chalcocite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Chrysocolla Ore
Copper Ore
Covellite Ore
Cubanite Ore
Cuprite Ore
Galena Ore
Ilmenite Ore
Linnaeite Ore
Magnetite Ore
Malachite Ore
Marcasite Ore
Millerite Ore
Pentlandite Ore
Pyrite Ore
Pyrrhotite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Tetrahedrite Ore
Calcite Gangue
Chondrodite Gangue
Diabase Gangue
Dolomite Gangue
Mica Gangue
Olivine Gangue
Phlogopite Gangue

Analytical data

Result IN GENERAL 0.50-0.65% CU. PLATINOID CONTENT RUNS 7 MG/T IN ORE WITH PT/PD RATIO OF 0.69. COMPOSITION OF PLATINOIDS: 40% PT, 58% PD, 0.8% RH, 0.5% AU, 0% IR AND OS.

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Gneiss
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Carbonatite, Intrusive
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Gneiss

Nearby scientific data

(1) 31.13472, -23.99667
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Pyroxenite, Syenite And Carbonatite Intrusives In Granite-Gneissic Host Rocks
Type of structure Local
Structure description 'Palabora Complex,' An Intrusive Near-Vertical Pipe Composed Largely Of Pyroxenite.

Ore body information

  • General form RING STRUCTURE
    Strike N75DEG W
    Dip 80DEG SW
    Thickness 100M
    Length 1370M
    Width 760M
    Depth to bottom 900M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Transgressive Carbonatite In Stockwork Of Veinlets

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Both
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Discovery year 1912
Discoverer Dr. Hans Merensky
Year of first production 1965

Mining district

District name Phalaborwa Area, Letaba District, N.Eastern Transvaal

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Palabora Mining Co. Ltd. Ownership Distribution:
  • Type Operator
    Owner Newmont Mining Corp.
    Interest 30.7
  • Type Operator
    Owner Rio Tinto Zinc (Rtz)
    Interest 39
  • Type Operator
    Owner Amax Inc.
    Interest 9.3
  • Type Operator
    Owner U.S. Public Direct
    Interest 4.3
  • Type Operator
    Owner Union Corp. Selection Trust And Selftrust
    Interest 4.1
  • Type Operator
    Owner South Africa Public Direct
    Interest 3.9
  • Type Operator
    Owner Sanlam
    Interest 2.9
  • Type Operator
    Owner Old Mutual
    Interest 2.9

Production statistics

  • Year 1964
    Material P
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^.56 % Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 1wt-pct
  • Year 1964
    Material VRM
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^Magnetite With 5% Tio2
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    TiO2 Titanium Titanium 5wt-pct
  • Year 1965
    Material CON CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^35.64 % Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Conc. Copper Copper 36wt-pct
  • Year 1965
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.52 % Cu.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Copper Copper 1wt-pct
  • Year 1965
    Material CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^99.48 % Cu. (Incl. 19,518 Tons From Other Source Ores)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 99wt-pct
  • Year 1966
    Material FE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^36.72 % Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 37wt-pct
  • Year 1966
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^ 1.10 % Tio2
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Titanium Titanium 1wt-pct
  • Year 1966
    Material OVB VRM
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^65.8 % Fe
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Iron Iron 66wt-pct
  • Year 1967
    Material FE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^33.30 % Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 33wt-pct
  • Year 1968
    Material VRM
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^99.26 % Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 99wt-pct
  • Year 1968
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^.78 % Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Copper Copper 1wt-pct
  • Year 1968
    Material CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^33.47 % Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 33wt-pct
  • Year 1969
    Material CON CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^67. % Fe, .75 % Tio2
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Titanium Titanium 1wt-pct
    Iron Iron 67wt-pct
  • Year 1969
    Material ?
    Description Ap_Grade: ^99.30 % Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 99wt-pct
  • Year 1970
    Material VRM
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^66.1 % Fe, .88 % Tio2
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    TiO2 Titanium Titanium 88wt-pct
    Iron Iron 66wt-pct
  • Year 1970
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^.60 % Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Copper Copper 1wt-pct
  • Year 1970
    Material OVB VRM
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^33.23 % Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 33wt-pct
  • Year 1970
    Material CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^99.49 % Cu, Incl. 4313 T. From Other Source Ores.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 99wt-pct
  • Year 1971
    Material ?
    Description Ap_Grade: ^.54 % Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 1wt-pct
  • Year 1971
    Material ?
    Description Ap_Grade: ^33.83 % Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 34wt-pct
  • Year 1971
    Material ?
    Description Ap_Grade: ^99.50 % Cu, Incl. 4960 T. From Other Source Ores.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 100wt-pct
  • Year 1972
    Material ?
    Description Ap_Grade: ^66.6 % Fe, .92 % Tio2
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    TiO2 Titanium Titanium 1wt-pct
    Iron Iron 67wt-pct
  • Year 1972
    Material ?
    Description Ap_Grade: ^99.49 % Cu, Incl. 7664 T. From Other Source Ores.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 99wt-pct
  • Year 1974
    Material OVB VRM
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^Apatite With Grade Of 36.4% P2o5
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    P2O5 Phosphorus-Phosphates Phosphorus 36wt-pct
  • Year 1974
    Material OVB CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^35.19 % Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 35wt-pct
  • Year 1974
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^.56 % Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Copper Copper 1wt-pct
  • Year 1974
    Material CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^99.49 % Cu, Incl. 21784 T. From Other Source Ores.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 99wt-pct
  • Year 1976
    Material CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.49% Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 0wt-pct
  • Year 1976
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^99.52% Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Copper Copper 100wt-pct
  • Year 1978
    Material CON CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^99.45% Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Conc. Copper Copper 99wt-pct
  • Year 1978
    Material ?
    Description Ap_Grade: ^67.3% Fe
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Iron Iron 67wt-pct
  • Year 1979
    Material OVB CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.51% Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 1wt-pct
  • Year 1979
    Material U
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^35.95% Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 36wt-pct
  • Year 1980
    Material OVB CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^99.47% Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 99wt-pct
  • Year 1980
    Material ZR
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.50% Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 1wt-pct
  • Year 1980
    Material SLF
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^36.50% Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 37wt-pct
  • Year 1980
    Material ZR
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^ 0.90% T1o2
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    TiO2 Titanium Titanium 1wt-pct
  • Year 1982
    Material CON CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^35.70% Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Conc. Copper Copper 36wt-pct
  • Year 1982
    Material CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^ 1.24% Ti02
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    TiO2 Titanium Titanium 1wt-pct
  • Year 1982
    Material ORE CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^67.1% Fe
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Iron Iron 67wt-pct
  • Year 1983
    Material CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^ 1.09% Ti02
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    TiO2 Titanium Titanium 1wt-pct
  • Year 1983
    Material ORE CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^67.1% Fe
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Iron Iron 67wt-pct
  • Year 1983
    Material ORE VRM
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^100% H2s04
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Hydrogen Hydrogen 100wt-pct
  • Year 1984
    Period 1966-1984
    Material CU
    Description Cp_Grade: ^99.46% Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 99wt-pct
  • Year 1984
    Period 1965-1984
    Material ORE VRM
    Description Cp_Grade: ^99.46 % Cu Wtd Ave
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Copper Copper 99wt-pct
  • Year 1984
    Period 1965-1984
    Material ORE CU
    Description Cp_Grade: ^0.57 % Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Copper Copper 1wt-pct

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1967
    Total resources 17687000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Phosphorus-Phosphates P2O5 6 wt-pct Phosphorus Minor 1967
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1964
    Total resources 45351000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.7 wt-pct Copper Major 1964
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1967
    Total resources 15000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Hafnium Hfo2 1.4 wt-pct Hafnium Minor 1967
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1976
    Total resources 526000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.55 wt-pct Copper Major 1976

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • ORE RESERVE = 1874 TONS TH AND 588 TONS U PER 100 FT DEPTH.

Comments on development

  • ECON.COM: LOW OPERATING COSTS; OPEN PIT; MULTI-PRODUCT CAPABILITY.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    PALABORA ANNUAL REPORTS: 1974, 1975

  • Deposit

    PHALABORWA REPORT

  • Deposit

    LEAFLET-PALABORA MINING COMPANY LIMITED

  • Deposit

    LOMBAARD AND OTHERS, 1964, GEOLOGY SOC. SOUTH AFRICA, ORE DEPOSITS, V. II, P. 315-317.

  • Deposit

    COUSINS AND VERMAAK, 1976, ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, V. 71, P. 287-305.

  • Deposit

    LIST OF WORKING MINES IN REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, 1968: SOUTH AFRICA DEPT. MINES, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, NO. 18, SUPPL., P. 1.

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, 1977, PALABORA: MAY.

  • Deposit

    VERWOERD, 1967, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY HANDBOOK SOUTH AFRICA NO. 6.

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, 1967, PALABORA BULLETIN K8-B32: ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, NOVEMBER 1967.

  • Deposit

    INDUSTRIAL OUTLOOK REPORTS, 1974, MINERALS: CERP B-429, 1974, 1975.

  • Production

    PALABORA ANNUAL REPORT, 1980 ; PALABORA ANNUAL REPORT 1977 ; PALABORA ANNUAL REPORT 1979 ; PALABORA MINING COMPANY LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT 1981 ; PALABORA MINING COMPANY ANNUAL REPORT - 1983 ; PALABORA ANNUAL REPORT - 1985 ; PALABORA ANNUAL REPORT-1986 ; PALABORA MINING COMPANY ANNUAL REPORT - 1984 ; PALABORA MINING COMPANY ANNUAL REPORT. - 1982 ; PALABORA ANNUAL REPORT 1980 ; PALABORA ANNUAL REPORT 1978 ; PALABORA COMPANY REPORT 1976

  • Reserve-Resource

    VERWOERD, 1967

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit LENGTHS ARE FOR COPPER ZONE ONLY. N. PAGE (U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY) REPORTED A MAXIMUM LENGTH OF 4000 FT, WIDTH 2000 FT, AND DEPTH OF 3500 FT FOR ENTIRE CARBONATITE COMPLEX.
Deposit THIS RECORD INCLUDES DATA FROM DUPLICATE RECORDS M046564 AND M047040 WHICH HAVE BEEN DELETED FROM MRDS.
Deposit INFORMATION MERGED FROM RECORD NUMBER W007949 ; W007950 ; W007951 ; W007952 ; W007953 ; W007954 ; W007955 ; W007956 ; W027510 ; W028265 ; W028664 ; W028665 ; W030775 ; W032249 ; W033017 ; W033173 ; W033820 ; W044588 ; W055344

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-DEC-1976 Sweetwood, Charles W. Department of State
Updater 01-AUG-1977 Sweetwood, Charles W. Department of State
Updater 01-OCT-1978 Sweetwood, Charles W. Department of State
Updater 01-MAY-1980 Sweetwood, Charles W. Department of State
Updater 01-JUL-1981 Mccarter, Lorna D. Department of State
Updater 01-JUL-1982 Mccarter, Lorna D. Department of State
Updater 01-JUL-1983 Mccarter, Lorna D. Department of State
Updater 01-JUN-1984 Mccarter, Lorna D. Department of State
Updater 01-MAY-1985 Mccarter, Lorna D. Department of State
Updater 01-MAY-1986 Mccarter, Lorna D Department of State
Updater 01-JUL-1987 Mccarter, Lorna D. Department of State

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

Operator history (post-MRDS)

MRDS records operators as of each record's last update (≤ 2019). Some of the operators listed here have since changed hands or dissolved:

  • Newmont Mining Corp. — renamed to Newmont Corporation (2019)
    Renamed from Newmont Mining Corporation to Newmont Corporation in early 2020 (after the 2019 merger with Goldcorp).
  • Amax Inc. — now part of Subsidiary of Freeport-McMoRan (2007)
    Merged with Cyprus Minerals to form Cyprus Amax in 1993; Cyprus Amax → Phelps Dodge (1999) → Freeport-McMoRan (2007).

Curated by qvyshift.com from publicly-reported M&A activity (SEC filings, press releases, USGS Mineral Yearbooks). Not authoritative — verify against primary sources before relying on it. The MSHA panel above is the current authoritative source for actively-permitted mines.

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