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Mokaning Mine

Producer in Eastern Cape, South Africa with commodities Manganese, 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. 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. Land status
  15. Ownership information
  16. Production statistics
  17. Workings at the site
  18. Links to other databases
  19. Bibliographic references
  20. General comments
  21. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10079222
MRDS ID W028270
Record type Site
Current site name Mokaning Mine
Alternate or previous names Bishop Mine, Gloucester Mine, Paling & Beeshoek Mine

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 23.05153, -28.09658 (WGS84)
Elevation 1370
Relative position MOKANING MINE: 38 KILOMETERS NORTH OF POSTMASBURG; BISHOP MINE: 33 KILOMETERS NORTH OF POSTMASBURG; GLOUCESTER MINE: 27 KILOMETERS NORTH OF POSTMASBURG; PALING MINE: 22 KILOMETERS NORTH OF POSTMASBURG: BEESHOEK MINE: 8 KILOMETERS NORTHWEST OF POSTMASBURG.

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

Comments on the location information

  • MOKANING MINE: LATITUDE 27 DEGREES 58 MINUTES S, LONGITUDE 23 DEGREES 03 MINUTES E: BISHOP MINE: LATITUDE 28 DEGREES 03 MINUTES S, LONGITUDE 23 DEGREES 00 MINUTES E; GLOUCESTER MINE: LATITUDE 28 DEGREES 06 MINUTES S, LONGITUDE 23 DEGREES 03 MINUTES E; PALING MINE: LATITUDE 28 DEGREES 09 MINUTES S, LONGITUDE 23 DEGREES 03 MINUTES E; BEESHOEK MINE: LATITUDE 28 DEGREES 17 MINUTES S, LONGITUDE 23 DEGREES 00 MINUTES E.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Manganese Critical Primary
Iron Secondary

Comments on the commodity information

  • A FERRUGINOUS MANGANESE ORE, LOW IN PHOSPHOROUS, SULFUR, ALUMINA, BARITE AND BORON. MANGANESE CONTENTS RANGE FROM 25 - 50 PERCENT, BUT CURRENTLY MORE COMMONLY MINED AT 20 - 30 PERCENT MN. FERRUGINOUS ORE OF THE WESTERN BELT HAS MANGANES-TO-IRON RATIO OF 3:2 TO 4:1 , WHILE SIMILAR ORES OF THE EASTERN BELT ARE 10:1 AND HIGHER

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Jacobsite Ore
Manganite Ore
Todorokite Ore

Analytical data

Result SEE PRODUCTION ENTRIES

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic

Nearby scientific data

(1) 23.05153, -28.09658
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Low Intensity Anticlines And Synclines Regionally (Principally The Maremane Anticline And Dimoten Syncline In General Vicinity Of Gloucester And Bishop Mines). Ore Horizon And Host Rocks Dip And Fold Gently Regionally, But With Dramatic Changes Locally. Occasional Dike Injections. Faulting Insignificant.
Type of structure Local
Structure description Folding And Slumping Of The Ore Horizon And Host Rocks Common. Dramatic Dip Changes Locally. Minor Faulting. Ore Horizon Thickness Highly Variable (From Less Than One Meter To Over 15 Meters) Reflecting Erratic Replacement During Manganization.

Ore body information

  • General form IRREGULAR
    Strike N-S
    Dip 25 DEG. W.
    Thickness 15M
    Depth to top 50M
    Depth to bottom 65M
  • General form IRREGULAR
    Dip 25 DEG. W.

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Gentle Uplift Of Continental Mass; Minor Folding; Erosion; Leaching Of Manganese From Dolomite; Replacement; Manganese Concentration In Shale.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Discovery year 1922
Discoverer Captain T. L. H. Shone
Year of first production 1929

Mining district

District name Postmasburg Field

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner The Associated Manganese Mines Of South Africa, Ltd.
  • Type Owner
    Owner Anglo Transvaal Consolidated Investment Co., Ltd.

Production statistics

  • Year 1977
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^29 % Mn
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Manganese Manganese 29wt-pct
  • Year 1978
    Material ORE MN
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^ 25 % Fe (Approximately)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Iron Iron 25wt-pct
  • Year 1978
    Material ORE FE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^29 % Mn
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Manganese Manganese 29wt-pct
  • Year 1979
    Material ORE FE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^66-68 % Fe (Approximately)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Iron Iron 67wt-pct
  • Year 1979
    Material ORE MN
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^ 25 % Fe (Approximately)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Iron Iron 25wt-pct
  • Year 1980
    Material ORE FE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^ 25 % Fe (Approximately)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Iron Iron 25wt-pct
  • Year 1980
    Material ORE MN
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^29 % Mn
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Manganese Manganese 29wt-pct
  • Year 1981
    Material ORE MN
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^66-68 % Fe (Approximately)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Iron Iron 67wt-pct
  • Year 1981
    Material ORE FE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^29% Mn
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Manganese Manganese 29wt-pct
  • Year 1983
    Period 1965-1983
    Material ORE MN
    Description Cp_Grade: ^29 % Mn
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Manganese Manganese 29wt-pct
  • Year 1983
    Material ORE FE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^66-68% Fe Approx
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Iron Iron 67wt-pct
  • Year 1983
    Material ORE MN
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^ 25% Fe Approx
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Iron Iron 25wt-pct
  • Year 1983
    Period 1969-1983
    Material ORE FE
    Description Cp_Grade: ^ 25 % Fe (Approx.)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Iron Iron 25wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • ASSOC MN MINES OF S AFRICA REPORTS ONLY THE TOTAL PRODUCTION OF ITS OPERATING MINES - BLACK ROCK, DEVON & ADAMS MINES (REPORTED IN PRIMARY RECD #W028269) AND MOKAING,BISHOP,GLOUCESTER,PALING AND BEESHOEK MINES (REPORTED IN THIS RECORD). THE FIRMS TOTAL ACC CUMUL PROD OF MN ORE (ALL MINES ALL FIELDS) DURING 1969-1980 REPORTEDLY WAS 17,997,000 MET TONS. FE ORE TOTALED 10,399,000 MET TONS DURING SAME PERIOD. MN PROD DATA GIVEN ABOVE ARE THEREFORE EST COMBINED TOTALS OF 5 MINES (MOKAING,BISHOP,GLOUCESTER,PALING & BEESMOEK) CALCULATED FROM INDICATED OUTPUT PERCENTAGES BY FIELD. IRON ORE PRODUCTION COMES FROM THE POSTMASBURG FIELD AND IS REPORTED AS ACCURATE OUTPUT FROM THE BEESHOEK MINE (AND OTHERS). CUMUL. ANALYSES NOT AVAILABLE. GRADE ESTIMATES FROM: MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA,5TH EDITION,HANDBOOK 7,DEPT MINERALS & ENERGY AFFAIRS,GEOL SURVEY,1976. ; IRON ORE PRODUCTION FROM BEESHOEK MINE ONLY. ; ASSOCIATED MANGANESE MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA LIMITED ANNUALLY REPORTS
  • ONLY THE TOTAL PRODUCTION IF ITS OPERATING MINES - BLACK ROCK, DEVON AND ADAMS MINES (REPORTED IN PRIMARY RECORD NO. W028269 AND SUBSEQUENT ANNUAL UPDATE RECORDS) AND MOKANING, BISHOP, GLOUCESTER, PALING AND BEESHOEK MINES (REPORTED IN PRIMARY RECORD NO.W028270,AND IN THIS RECORD. ALL-COMPANY PRODUCTION DURING 1980 IS REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN 1,551,000 METRIC TONS OF MANGANESE ORE AND 1,273,000 TONS OF IRON ORE. OF THE MANGANESE OUTPUT,THE COMBINED PRODUCTION OF THE MOKANING, BISHOP, GLOUCESTER, PALING AND BEESHOEK MINES IS ESTIMATED ABOVE, CALCULATED FROM INDICATED OUTPUT PERCENTAGES BY FIELD. IRON ORE PRODUCTION ORIGINATES FROM THE POSTMASBURG FIELD AND IS REPORTED HEREIN AS ACCURATE OUTPUT FROM THE BEESHOEK MINE (AND OTHERS). ANNUAL ANALYSES ARE NOT AVAILABLE. GRADE ESTIMATES ARE FROM MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, FIFTH EDITION, HANDBOOK 7, DEPARTMENT OF MINERALS AND ENERGY AFFAIRS, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, 1976. ; ASSOCIATED MANGANESE MINES REPORTS ONLY THE TOTAL
  • PRODUCTION OF ITS MINES, WHICH FOR 1981 WAS 1,382,000 METRIC TONS OF MANGANESE AND 1,113,000 METRIC TONS OF IRON ORE. PRODUCTION TOTALS FOR INDIVIDUAL MINES HAVE BEEN CALCULATED ON THE BASIS OF INDUSTRY INFORMATION RECEIVED. IRON ORE PRODUCTION IS BELIEVED TO BE ENTIRELY FROM THE BEESHOEK MINE. ; THE ASSOCIATED MANGANESE MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA, LIMITED, ANNUALLY REPORTS ONLY THE TOTAL PRODUCTION OF ITS OPERATING MINES -- BLACK ROCK, DEVON & ADAMS MINES (REPORTED IN PRIMARY RECORD NO. W028269 AND SUBSEQUENT ANNUAL UPDATE RECORDS) AND MOKANING, BISHOP, GLOUCESTER, PALING & BEESHOEK MINES (REPORTED IN PRIMARY RECORD NO. W028270, AND IN THIS RECORD). ALL-COMPANY PRODUCTION DURING 1979 IS REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN 1,741,000 METRIC TONS OF MANGANESE ORE AND 1,253,000 TONS OF IRON ORE. OF THE MANGANESE OUTPUT, THE COMBINED PRODUCTION OF THE MOKANING, BISHOP, GLOUCESTER, PALING & BEESHOEK MINES IS ESTIMATED ABOVE; CALCULATED FROM INDICATED OUTPUT PERCENTAGES BY FIELD. IRON ORE PRODUCTION
  • ORIGINATES FROM THE POSTMASBURG FIELD AND IS REPORTED HEREIN AS ACCURATE OUTPUT FROM THE BEESHOEK MINE (AND OTHERS). ANNUAL ANALYSES ARE NOT AVAILABLE. GRADE ESTIMATES ARE FROM MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, FIFTH EDITION, HANDBOOK 7, DEPARTMENT OF MINES, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY; 1976. ; THE ASSOCIATED MANGANESE MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA, LIMITED, ANNUALLY REPORTS ONLY THE TOTAL PRODUCTION OF ITS OPERATING MINES -- BLACK ROCK, DEVON & ADAMS MINES (REPORTED IN PRIMARY RECORD NO. W028269 AND SUBSEQUENT ANNUAL UPDATE RECORDS) AND MOKANING, BISHOP, GLOUCESTER, PALING & BEESHOEK MINES (REPORTED IN PRIMARY RECORD NO. W028270, AND IN THIS RECORD). ALL-COMPANY PRODUCTION DURING 1978 IS REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN 1,758,000 METRIC TONS OF MANGANESE ORE AND 563,000 TONS OF IRON ORE. OF THE MANGANESE OUTPUT, THE COMBINED PRODUCTION OF THE MOKANING, BISHOP, GLOUCESTER, PALING & BEESHOEK MINES IS ESTIMATED ABOVE; CALCULATED FROM INDICATED OUTPUT PERCENTAGES BY FIELD. IRON ORE
  • PRODUCTION ORIGINATES FROM THE POSTMASBURG FIELD AND IS REPORTED HEREIN AS ACCURATE OUTPUT FROM THE BEESHOEK MINE (AND OTHERS). ANNUAL ANALYSES ARE NOT AVAILABLE. GRADE ESTIMATES ARE FROM MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, FIFTH EDITION, HANDBOOK 7, DEPARTMENT OF MINES, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY; 1976.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Overall depth 50M

Comments on the workings information

  • POWER SHOVEL AND TRUCK OPEN PIT OPERATIONS ARE EMPLOYED.

Comments on development

  • MILL.CAP: 0.7 MIL. MET. T/YR. ; ECON.YEAR: 1974 ; ECON.COM: FIVE OPEN PIT MINES COMPRISE THIS COMPLEX. WHILE ALL OPERATIONS ARE OF MODERATE SCALES ONLY (BECAUSE OF TOPOGRAPHIC LIMITATIONS AND VARYING DIPS OF THE ORE HORIZONS), THE COMBINED TOTAL IS OF AN IMPORTANT SIZE ANNUALLY. ADDITIONALLY, A LARGE NUMBER OF WORKABLE AREAS REMAIN TO GIVE THE COMPANY A LONG RANGE OUTLOOK IN THIS AREA.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, FIFTH EDITION, HANDBOOK 7 , DEPARTMENT OF MINES, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY; 1976

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

    THE MANGANESE DEPOSITS OF THE UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA, HANDBOOK 2 , DEPARTMENT OF MINES, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY; 1960

  • Deposit

    ENG & MINING JOUR.,NOV. 1972

  • Production

    ASSOC. MANGANESE MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA,LTD,ANNUAL REPORTS. ; ASSOCIATED MANGANESE COMPANY OFFICIALS ; ASSOCIATED MANGANESE MINES ANNUAL REPORT - 1981

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THICKNESS OF MINABLE HORIZON VARIES WIDELY, FROM LESS THAN ONE METER TO 15 METERS APPROXIMATELY. DEPTH TO TOP REFERS TO MAXIMUM DEPTH OF OVERBURDEN AT EACH OF THE COMPANY'S MINES IN THIS FIELD AT CURRENT MINING COSTS. STRIKES AND DIPS ARE HIGHLY VARIABLE (DATA GIVEN ABOVE ARE AVERAGES). LOCALLY ERRATIC STEEPENING OR FLATTENING AND OCCASIONAL REVERSALS OF THE DIP ARE ENCOUNTERED. CURRENTLY, PRODUCTION IS LARGELY FROM THE FIELD'S "WESTERN BELT". OUTPUT IN THE "EASTERN BELT" IS NOW LIMITED BECAUSE OF GRADE DECLINES, ADVERSE MINING CONDITIONS AND A DROP IN DEMAND FOR THIS ARA'S SILICEOUS MANGANESE ORE.
Deposit INFORMATION MERGED FROM RECORD NUMBER W028854 ; W028855 ; W030797 ; W032375 ; W033590

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-DEC-1978 Sweetwood, Charles W. Department of State
Updater 01-AUG-1984 Mccarter, Lorna D 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-AUG-1984 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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