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Welkom Gold Mining Company

Producer in Free State, South Africa with commodities Gold, Uranium, PGE, Platinum, Osmium, Iridium, Rhodium, Ruthenium, Silver
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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. Reserves and resources
  19. Workings at the site
  20. Links to other databases
  21. Bibliographic references
  22. General comments
  23. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10071445
MRDS ID W014842
Record type Site
Current site name Welkom Gold Mining Company
Alternate or previous names Welkom
Related records 10183285

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 26.75149, -27.96322 (WGS84)
Elevation 1345
Relative position DUE NORTH OF, AND ADJOINING, WELKOM CITY LIMITS

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Free State(province)

South Africa(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
South Africa Free State

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Uranium Secondary
PGE Critical Secondary
Platinum Critical Secondary
Osmium Secondary
Iridium Critical Secondary
Rhodium Critical Secondary
Ruthenium Critical Secondary
Silver Secondary

Comments on the commodity information

  • A URANIUM PRODUCER AS A MINOR COMMODITY FROM 1957 THROUGH 1966. URANIUM RECOVERIES WILL BE REACTIVATED IN 1978, FROM CURRENT AND ACCUMULATED SLIMES. SMALL QUANTITIES PT AND AG RECOVERED BUT UNIMPORTANT IN SOUTH AFRICA TERMS. PT IS AN IMPURITY IN GOLD AND IS RECOVERED AT THE RAND REFINERY AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE PURIFICATION PROCESS.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Ore
Iridium Ore
Sperrylite Ore

Alteration

  • (Local) None

Analytical data

Result COMPOSITION OF PLATINOIDS: IR = 34.0%, OS = 40.2%, RU = 14.3%, PT = 10.4%, RH = 1.1%

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 193
USGS model code 29a
Deposit model name Quartz pebble conglomerate Au-U (BC name is Paleoplacer U-Au-PGE-Sn-Ti

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic)
    Rock unit name Ventersdorp System-Lava
    Rock description Ventersdorp System-Lava
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock > Quartzite
    Rock unit name Upper Elsburg Conglomerates And Quartzites;Karroo System Conglomerates And Shales
    Rock description Upper Elsburg Conglomerates And Quartzites;Karroo System Conglomerates And Shales
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Conglomerate

Nearby scientific data

(1) 26.75149, -27.96322
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Unique Continuity Of Gold - Bearing Horizons Over Extended Area, Though Well Marked By Faulting, Folding And (Locally) Erosion And Redeposition Of Overlying Sediments.
Type of structure Local
Structure description Gentle Dip Regionally, With Folds And Faults Locally. Overlying Lavas, Quartzites And Conglomerates Are Massive.

Ore body information

  • General form TABULAR/BLANKET
    Dip 20 DEG. E
    Thickness 0.19M
    Depth to bottom 1370M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Gentle Uplift Of Continental Mass; Erosion; Peneplanation; Folding; Faulting; Volcanicity; Dike Injection And Build - Up Of Younger Sediments

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Year of first production 1951

Mining district

District name Orange Free State Area Of The Witwatersrand Goldfields

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Ownership Distribution:
  • Type Owner
    Owner Anglo American Corp. Of South Africa, Ltd.
    Interest 19.08
  • Type Owner
    Owner Orange Free State Inves. Trust Ltd.
    Interest 20
  • Type Owner
    Owner African And European Inves. Co. Ltd.
  • Type Owner
    Owner The Vereeniging Estates Ltd.
  • Type Operator
    Owner Welkom Gold Mining Co. Ltd.

Production statistics

  • Year 1980
    Period 1951-1980
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^0.316 Toz Au/Met Ton Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Gold Gold 9g/mt

Comments on the production information

  • AU/PT RECOVERY = 2720:1. ; SEE COMMODITY COMMENTS ABOVE ; PRODUCTION IS INCLUDED UNDER WESTERN HOLDINGS --RECORD NO. 14846, AOM 1981.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1980
    Total resources 7413000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 7.402 g/mt Gold Major 1980
    Uranium U3O8 0.0001 wt-pct Uranium Minor 1980

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • FULLY DEVELOPED AND BLOCKED OUT ORE ONLY. PROBABLE AND POSSIBLE RESERVES NOT INCLUDED.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 1370M

Comments on the workings information

  • MINING METHOD: CROSSCUTS FROM THE SHAFT TO ORE HORIZON (REEF) AT 150 - METER INTERVALS; DRIVES ALONG THE STRIKE AND WINZES DOWN - DIP COMPLETE DEVELOPMENT; STOPING AND BACKFILLING ("SCATTER MINING") WITH CRIB TIMBER SUPPORT AND PILLARS COMPRISE FINAL MINING PHASE

Comments on development

  • EXPAN$: 5.0 (1976) ; MILL.CAP: 2.15 MIL. MET. T/YR. 1965 ; ECON.COM: A LOW GRADE GOLD AND POTENTIAL URANIUM PRODUCER WITH COSTS AT $103.11/TROY OUNCE OF GOLD RECOVERED (1976). CURRENT RECOVERIES ARE FROM ONE ORE HORIZON (REEF) ONLY (THE BASAL REEF). LIMITED QUANTITIES MAY HOWEVER, BE MINED LATER FROM THE AREA'S LEADER REEF AND KIMBERLEY "B" REEF. CURRENT ESTIMATED MINE LIFE: 14 YEARS.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    ANGLO AMERICAN CORPORATION OF SOUTH AFRICA LIMITED; ANNUAL REPORTS: 1974 & 1975

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

    "THE ORANGE FREE STATE GOLDFIELD" (ANGLO AMERICAN CORPORATION OF SOUTH AFRICA LIMITED); 1960

  • Deposit

    WELKOM GOLD MINING COMPANY LIMITED; ANNUAL REPORT, 1975

  • Deposit

    MERTIE, 1969, ECONOMIC GEOLOGY OF PLATINUM METALS: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 630, P. 45-48.

  • Deposit

    COUSINS, 1973, PLATINOIDS IN THE WITWATERSRAND SYSTEM: JOURNAL SOUTH AFRICA INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY, V. 73, NO. 6, P. 3-5.

  • Deposit

    FEATHER, 1976, MINERALOGY OF THE PLATINUM-GROUP MINERALS IN THE WITWATERSRAND: ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, V. 71, NO. 7.

  • Deposit

    WAGNER, 1929, PLATINUM DEPOSITS AND MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA: STRUIK (PTY) LTD., CAPETOWN 1973, P. 32-40.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, 1977, V. 288.

  • Deposit

    SOUTH AFRICAN GOLD SHARES; IVOR JONES, ROY & CO., INC., JOHANNESBURG; 1975 MINING JOURNAL QUARTERLY REVIEW OF SOUTH AFRICAN GOLD SHARES, VOL. 19, NO. 1; MAY 197

  • Production

    ANALYSES OF WORKING RESULTS, CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUH AFRICA, 1980 ; ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS, CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA. JANUARY - DECEMBER 1979 ; ANALYSES OF WORKING RESULTS, CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA - 1980 ; ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS, CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA. JANUARY - DECEMBER 1978 ; ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS, CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA, JANUARY-DECEMBER 1977

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit MAX THICKNESS REFERS TO BASAL REEF ORE HORIZON ONLY
Deposit INFORMATION MERGED FROM RECORD NUMBER W028252 ; W028679 ; W028725 ; W030945 ; W044653
Deposit THIS RECORD INCLUDES DATA FROM DUPLICATE RECORD M046301 WHICH HAS BEEN DELETED FROM MRDS.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-FEB-1977 Sweetwood, Charles W. Department of State
Updater 01-JUL-1981 Mccarter, Lorna D. Department of State
Updater 01-OCT-1978 Sweetwood, Charles W. Department of State
Updater 01-APR-1980 Sweetwood, Charles W. Department of State
Updater 01-JUL-1981 Mccarter, Lorna D. Department of State
Updater 01-AUG-1983 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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