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Thabazimbi Iscor Mine

Producer in South Africa with commodity Iron
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Alteration
  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. Land status
  15. Ownership information
  16. Production statistics
  17. Reserves and resources
  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 10079055
MRDS ID W027876
Record type Site
Current site name Thabazimbi Iscor Mine
Related records 10208063

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 27.36811, -24.63001 (WGS84)
Elevation 1650
Relative position EASTERN SECTION: 3 KILOMETERS SOUTHEAST OF THE CITY OF THABAZIMBI DONKERPOORT SECTION: 4 KILOMETERS SOUTHWEST OF THABAZIMBI

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

South Africa(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Federal lands

Federal(land status)

Geographic areas

Country
South Africa

Comments on the location information

  • LATITUDE-LONGITUDE DATA LOCATE DONKERPOORT SECTION. (EASTERN SECTION: LATITUDE 24 DEGREES 37 MINUTES SOUTH; LONGITUDE 27 DEGREES 25 MINUTES EAST.)

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Iron Primary

Comments on the commodity information

  • THABAZIMBI HEMATITE IS CATEGORIZED REGIONALLY AS A "TYPE" ORE: HARD, COMPACT AND MASSIVE, CONTAINING UP TO 68 PERCENT FE IN NEAR-SURFACE OCCURRENCES; GRADING TO A CARBON-HEMATITE ROCK ("CALCITIC ORE") AT DEPTH.

Alteration

  • (Local) Diabase Unconformity In Banded Ironstone. (See, Also, Process Of Concentration Or Enrichment).

Analytical data

Result SEE PRODUCTION ENTRIES

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite > Diabase
    Rock unit name Waterberg System Lava;Bushveld Granite Intrusives;Transvaal System (Pretoria Series) Lava
    Rock description Waterberg System Lava;Bushveld Granite Intrusives;Transvaal System (Pretoria Series) Lava
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite > Diabase
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Dolomite
    Rock unit name Transvaal System (Dolomite Series) Dolomite, Banded Ironstones, Hematite Ore And Shale
    Rock description Transvaal System (Dolomite Series) Dolomite, Banded Ironstones, Hematite Ore And Shale

Nearby scientific data

(1) 27.36811, -24.63001
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Fault Contacts Of Waterberg System Lavas, Bushveld Granites And Transvaal System Pretoria Series Lavas Against Dolomite (Dolomite Series) Dominate Area North Of Iron Occurrences. Pretoria Series Unconformably Overlie Transvaal System Banded Ironstones South Of Iron Occurrences.
Type of structure Local
Structure description Two Parallel Mountain Ranges (Containing Iron Occurrences) Resulted From Pre-Karoo (And Subsequent) Thrust Faulting And Post-Karoo Normal Faulting. Dolomite, Banded Ironstone And Pretoria Series Lava Dominate Locally.

Ore body information

  • General form IRREGULAR, TABULAR/BLANKET
    Strike N 80 DEG. E
    Dip 40 DEG. SE
    Thickness 25M
    Length 13000M
    Depth to top 50M
    Depth to bottom 115M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Gentle Uplift Of Continental Mass; Folding; Faulting; Volcanicity; Alteration; Replacement; Iron Concentration And Secondary Enrichment

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Year of first production 1934

Mining district

District name Thabazimbi (Central Transvaal Basin)

Land status

Ownership category Federal

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner South African Iron And Steel Industrial Corp. Ltd.

Production statistics

  • Year 1977
    Material ORE FE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^62.0 Percent Fe, Approximately
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Iron Iron 62wt-pct
  • Year 1984
    Period 1934-1984
    Material ORE FE
    Description Cp_Grade: ^62.0 % Fe (Approx)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Iron Iron 62wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • 62.0 % FE (APPROX) ; 1979 OVERBURDEN STATISTICS NOT AVAILABLE ; 1978 OVERBURDEN STATISTICS NOT AVAILABLE

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1977
    Total resources 1000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Iron Fe 62 wt-pct Iron Major 1977

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface/Underground
    Overall depth 115M

Comments on the workings information

  • THE BULK OF ALL ORE REMOVED TO DATE FROM THE THABAZIMBI MINE HAS BEEN FROM OPEN PIT OPERATIONS IN THE EASTERN SECTION. UNDERGROUND MINING, IN THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN SECTIONS, HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO SUPPLEMENT OPEN PIT ORE. UNDERGROUND WORK IS, HOWEVER, BEING PHASED OUT IN FAVOR OF THE NEWLY-OPENED DONKERPOORT SECTION (OPEN PIT). UNDERGROUND OPERATIONS WILL BE TERMINATED IN 1978

Comments on development

  • SOUTH AFRICAN IRON AND STEEL INDUSTRIES CORPORATION LIMITED IS A GOVERNMENT-OWNED, PUBLIC SECTOR, ORGANIZATION CONSTITUTED AND INCORPORATED BY ACT OF PARLIAMENT IN THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA. (AS TO TITLE, COMMONLY REFERRED TO BY THE ACRONYM "ISCOR".) INCORPORATED 1928 ; MILL.CAP: 2.2 MIL. MET. T/YR. ; ECON.COM: IN CONTINUOUS OPERATION SINCE 1934 . EASTERN AND DONKERPOORT SECTIONS, OPEN PIT. CENTRAL AND WESTERN SECTIONS, UNDERGROUND MINING METHODS (SUB-LEVEL CAVING). ALL OPERATIONS HIGHLY MECHANIZED. HEAVY MEDIA SEPARATION UPGRADES ORE TO 62 PERCENT FE CUT-OFF PRIOR TO SHIPMENT. ORE SHIPMENTS PRINCIPALLY TO COMPANY-OWNED PRETORIA WORKS STEEL MILL.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

    MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, FIFTH EDITION, HANDBOOK 7 ; 1976

  • Deposit

    ISCOR, 1977, ANNUAL REPORTS.

  • Deposit

    ISCOR, 1976, ANNUAL REPORTS.

  • Deposit

    ISCOR, 1975, ANNUAL REPORTS.

  • Deposit

    ISCOR, 1974, ANNUAL REPORTS.

  • Deposit

    ISCOR, 1973, ANNUAL REPORTS.

  • Deposit

    THOMPSON PUBLICATIONS PTY, LIMITED, 1975, ISCOR BROCHURE: THOMPSON PUBLICATIONS PTY, LIMITED.

  • Deposit

    SOUTH AFRICAN MINING AND ENGINEERING JOURNAL, 1975, COAL, GOLD, AND BASE MINERALS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA, SOUTH AFRICAN MINING AND ENGINEERING JOURNAL.

  • Production

    ISCOR ANNUAL REPORTS ; ISCOR ANNUAL REPORT-1986 ; ISCOR ANNUAL REPORT 1982 ; ISCOR ANNUAL REPORT 1983 ; ISCOR ANNUAL REPORT - 1984 ; ISCOR ANNUAL REPORT - 1985 ; ISCOR ANNUAL REPORT 1980 ; ISCOR ANNUAL REPORT - 1981 ; ISCOR ANNUAL REPORT, 1979 ; ISCOR ANNUAL REPORT, 1978

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit DEPTH TO TOP REFERS TO ORES RECOVERED BY OPEN PIT METHODS. DEPTH TO BOTTOM IS CURRENT MAXIMUM DEPTH OF UNDERGROUND MINING.
Deposit INFORMATION MERGED FROM RECORD NUMBER W028885 ; W028886 ; W030961 ; W032361 ; W033034 ; W033080 ; W033751 ; W044594 ; W055337

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAR-1978 Sweetwood, Charles W. Department of State
Updater 01-JUN-1985 Mccarter, Lorna D. Department of State
Updater 01-JUN-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
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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