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Free State Geduld Mine

Producer in Free State, South Africa with commodities Gold, PGE, Silver, Platinum, Osmium, Iridium, Ruthenium, Rhodium, Sulfur-Pyrite, Uranium
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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 10071450
MRDS ID W014848
Record type Site
Current site name Free State Geduld Mine

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 26.73482, -27.91322 (WGS84)
Elevation 1372
Relative position 8 KILOMETERS NORTH OF THE CITY OF WELKOM

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
PGE Critical Secondary
Silver Secondary
Platinum Critical Secondary
Osmium Secondary
Iridium Critical Secondary
Ruthenium Critical Secondary
Rhodium Critical Secondary
Sulfur-Pyrite Secondary
Uranium Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • GOLD, ONLY, IS RECOVERED AT THIS MINE. URANIUM CONTENT IS LOW, BUT CONSIDERED AS A FUTURE POTENTIAL COPRODUCT AND FROM SURFACE SLIMES DAMS. 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 = 35.4%, OS = 43.5%, RU = 11.6%, PT = 8.5%, RH = 1.0%

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) 26.73482, -27.91322
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
    Strike N-S
    Dip 20 DEG. E.
    Thickness 0.18M
    Depth to bottom 1590M

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 1956

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. (Management Control)
    Interest 21.13
  • Type Owner
    Owner Orange Free State Inves. Trust Ltd.
    Interest 21
  • Type Owner
    Owner General Mining And Finance Corp. Ltd.
  • Type Owner
    Owner Sentrust Beperk
  • Type Operator
    Owner Free State Geduld Mines Ltd.

Production statistics

  • Year 1984
    Period 1984
    Material ORE AU
    Description Cp_Grade: ^0.357 Toz Au/Met Ton Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Gold Gold 357g/mt
  • Year 1985
    Period 1985
    Material ORE
    Description Cp_Grade: ^ 0.090 Kg U308/Met Ton Ore.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    U3O8 Ore Uranium Uranium 90g/mt

Comments on the production information

  • IN 1975 AU/PT RECOVERY FROM THE BIRD REEF GROUP WAS 8250:1. ; SEE COMMODITY COMMENTS ABOVE ; FREE STATE GEDULD MINE ASSUMED CONTROL OF FREDDIES CONSOLIDATED (PRIMARY RECORD W014841) DURING 1977 . 1977 PRODUCTION STATISTICS RELATED TO FREDDIES CONSOLIDATED LEASEHOLDINGS HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN FREE STATE GEDULD TOTALS AND AVERAGES (ABOVE), AND WILL NO LONGER BE AVAILABLE SEPARATELY.

Reserves and resources

  • Type Milling
    Estimate year 1984
    Total resources 7441000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 11.103 g/mt Gold Major 1984

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • FULLY DEVELOPED AND BLOCKED OUT ORE ONLY. PROBABLE AND POSSIBLE RESERVES NOT INCLUDED. ; ESTIMATED LIFE OF FREE STATE GEDULD IS AT LEAST 35 YEARS ; CHAMBER OF MINES ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS - 1984 ; CHAMBER OF MINES ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS - 1985

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 1590M

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. SEVERE WATER CONDITIONS BELOW THE 1590 - METER LEVEL HAVE RESTRICTED OPERATIONS AT GRETER DEPTHS.

Comments on development

  • EXPAN$: 7.5 (1976) ; MILL.CAP: 2.4 MIL. MET. T/YR. 1975 ; ECON.COM: A HIGH GRADE GOLD PRODUCER WITH LOW GRADE URANIUM POTENTIAL. CURRENTLY PLANNED TO BECOME PART OF ANGLO AMERICAN'S COMBINED ORANGE FREE STATE URANIUM RECOVERY SCHEME IN 1977. EST. MINELIFE: 25 YEARS WITH ELSBURG REEF AND LEADER REEF ORES ADDED (THE BASAL REEF, ONLY, IS MINED AT PRESENT TIME). 1976 OPERATING COST: $46.29/TROY OUNCE OF GOLD RECOVERED.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    FREE STATE GEDULD MINES LIMITED, ANNUAL REPORT 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

    ANGLO AMERICAN CORPORATION OF SOUTH AFRICA LIMITED; ANNUAL REPORTS, 1974 AND 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 INST. MINING AND METALL., V. 73, NO. 6, P. 3-5.

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

    PARK AND MACDIARMID, 1970, ORE DEPOSITS.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, 1977, V. 288.

  • Deposit

    SOUTH AFRICAN GOLD SHARES; IVOR JONES, ROY AND 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 SOUTH AFRICA (CURRENT YEAR) ; CHAMBER OF MINES ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS - 1984 ; CHAMBER OF MINES ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS - 1985 ; ANALYSES OF WORKING RESULTS, CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA - 1980 ; CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA - ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS - 1981 ; CHAMBER OF MINES ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS - 1982 ; CHAMBER OF MINES ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS-1983 ; 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 1979 ; ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS, CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA, JANUARY-DECEMBER 1977

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THIS RECORD CONTAINS DATA FROM DUPLICATE RECORD M046303 WHICH HAS BEEN DELETED FROM THE DATABASE.
Deposit INFORMATION MERGED FROM RECORD NUMBER W028250 ; W028684 ; W028750 ; W030767 ; W032328 ; W032921 ; W033095 ; W033774 ; W044638
Deposit MAX THICKNESS REFERS TO BASAL REEF ORE HORIZON ONLY. THE OVERLYING ELSBURG REEF (0.10 METER) AND LEADER REEF (0.15 METER) WILL BE MINED AS CURRENT DEVELOPMENT IN THE MINE'S UPPER LEVELS PROGRESS IN THE NORTHWEST (ELSBURG REEF) AND THE SOUTHWEST (LEADER REEF).

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-FEB-1977 Sweetwood, Charles W. Department of State
Updater 01-JUN-1985 Mccarter, Lorna D 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-AUG-1982 Mccarter, Lorna D. Department of State
Updater 01-JUN-1984 Mccarter, Lorna D Department of State
Updater 01-JUL-1983 Mccarter, Lorna D. Department of State
Updater 01-JUN-1985 Mccarter, Lorna D Department of State
Updater 01-APR-1986 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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