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Wesselton Mine

Producer in Eastern Cape, South Africa with commodity Diamond
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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. Alteration
  8. Mineral occurrence model information
  9. Host and associated rocks
  10. Nearby scientific data
  11. Geologic structures
  12. Ore body information
  13. Controls for ore emplacement
  14. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  15. Mining district
  16. Ownership information
  17. Production statistics
  18. Workings at the site
  19. Links to other databases
  20. Bibliographic references
  21. General comments
  22. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10071393
MRDS ID W014760
Record type Site
Current site name Wesselton Mine

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 24.90152, -28.76321 (WGS84)
Elevation 1220
Relative position IN VICINITY OF THE TOWN OF KIMBERLEY (SOUTHEAST OF CITY CENTER)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Eastern Cape(province)

South Africa(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
South Africa Eastern Cape

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Diamond Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Garnet Gangue
Ilmenite Gangue
Phlogopite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) "Yellow Ground" Oxidized And Tuffaceous To Depth Of 15m

Analytical data

Result DIAMOND RECOVERIES CURRENTLY RANGE BETWEEN 0.271 0.284 CARATS PER TON OF BLUE GROUND HOISTED. INDUSTRIAL DIAMONDS COMPRISE 60 PERCENT OF RECOVERIES, GEM DIAMONDS 40 PERCENT

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 31
USGS model code 12
Deposit model name Diamond-bearing kimberlite pipes

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Granite
    Rock unit name Wesselton Kimberlite;Melaphyre And Granite
    Rock description Wesselton Kimberlite;Melaphyre And Granite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Permian
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cretaceous
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Ultramafic Intrusive Rock > Peridotite > Kimberlite
    Rock unit name Dwyka Tillite And Shale
    Rock description Dwyka Tillite And Shale

Nearby scientific data

(1) 24.90152, -28.76321
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description An Elliptical/Vertical Pipe In Precambrian Melaphyre And Granite And In Karroo System Dwyka Tillite And Shale
Type of structure Local
Structure description Wesselton Kimberlite (Cretaceous); Dwyka Tillite & Shale (Karroo) (Paleozoic) Melaphyre And Granite (Pre Cambrian)

Ore body information

  • General form ELLIPTICAL/VERTICAL
    Dip 90 - DEG
    Length 396M
    Width 306M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Volcanic Crater Of Explosive Type Filled With Kimberlite

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Non-metallic
Deposit size Medium
Significant No
Discovery year 1890
Year of first production 1890

Mining district

District name Kimberley Area

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Kimberley Division Mines
  • Type Owner
    Owner De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd.

Production statistics

  • Year 1976
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^Industrial Diamonds 60 %, Gem Diamonds 40 %
  • Year 1977
    Material DIA
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^Industrial Diamonds 60%
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Diamond Gemstones 60wt-pct
  • Year 1979
    Material ORE DIA
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^ Gem Diamonds 40%
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Diamond Diamond Gemstones 60wt-pct
  • Year 1984
    Period 1971-1984
    Material DIA
    Description Cp_Grade: ^Industrial: 60%
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Diamond Gemstones 60wt-pct
  • Year 1984
    Period 1971-1984
    Material ORE DIA
    Description Cp_Grade: ^19.76 Carats/100 Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Diamond Diamond Gemstones 0g/mt

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Area 12.141HA
    Overall depth 785M

Comments on the workings information

  • CURRENT RECOVERY LEVEL 785 M. CHAMBERING AND BLOCK CAVING MINING METHODS EMPLOYED. CHAMBERING IS, HOWEVER NOW BEING PHASED OUT.

Comments on development

  • MILL.CAP: 2.5 MIL. MET. T/YR. 1975 ; ECON.COM: RECENTLY MODERNIZED AND EXPANDED TO PROVIDE 30 PERCENT GREATER HOISTING CAPACITY (MAXIMUM 8,400 TONS DAILY) FROM 785- METER BLOCK CAVE RECOVERY LEVEL. CHAMBERING MINING METHOD NOW BEING PHASED OUT IN FAVOR OF BLOCK CAVING. BLOCK CAVING ONLY WILL BE USED BEGINNING IN 1977

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    "THE KIMBERLEY DIAMONDS" DE BEERS CONSOLIDATED MINES LIMITED BROCHURE; UNDATED

  • Deposit

    OPERATIONS AT DE BEERS CONSOLIDATED MINES LIMITED; 1963

  • Deposit

    MINERAL RESOURCES OF SOUTH-CENTRAL AFRICA; PELLETIER, R.A.; 1964

  • Deposit

    INTERNATIONAL DIAMOND ANNUAL; WILSON, A. N.; VOL. 1, 1971

  • Deposit

    SOUTH AFRICAN MINING AND ENGINEERING JOURNAL, (N.D.), SOUTH AFRICAN MINING AND ENGINEERING JOURNAL.

  • Deposit

    DE BEERS CONSOLIDATED MINES LIMITED, 1975, ANNUAL REPORT: DEBEERS CONSOLIDATED MINES LIMITED.

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING, 1975, WORLD MINING, JUNE 1975.

  • Production

    DE BEERS CONSOLIDATED MINES LTD ANNUAL REPORTS ; DE BEERS ANNUAL REPORT-1986 ; DE BEERS ANNUAL REPORT 1981 ; DE BEERS ANNUAL REPORT - 1982 ; DE BEERS ANNUAL REPORT-1983 ; DE BEERS ANNUAL REPORT - 1984 ; DE BEERS ANNUAL REPORT - 1985 ; DE BEERS CONSOLIDATED DIAMONDS MINES LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT 1978 ; DE BEERS CONSOLIDATED DIAMOND MINES LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT 1979 ; DE BEERS CONSOLIDATED MINES LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT 1980 ; DEBEERS CONSOLIDATED MINES LIMITED ANNUAL REPORTS: 1971 , 1974 - 1977 ; DE BEERS CONSOLIDATED MINES LIMITED ANNUAL REPORTS: 1971 , 1974 - 1976

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit ORIGINAL SURFACE AREA COVERED ABOUT 30 ACRES TOTAL DEPTH OF PIPE NOT AVAILABLE. CURRENT RECOVERY LEVEL: 785 METERS. WITH FULLY-IMPLEMENTED BLOCK CAVING PROGRAM (1977), THE MINE WILL BE EXTENDED TO GREATER DEPTHS.
Deposit INFORMATION MERGED FROM RECORD NUMBER W027327 ; W028253 ; W028872 ; W028873 ; W030967 ; W032268 ; W033026 ; W033147 ; W033828 ; W044584 ; W055328

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.

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