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Ntuane Chrome Mine

Past Producer in South Africa with commodities Chromium, PGE, Iron, Silica
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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. Land status
  17. Ownership information
  18. Production statistics
  19. Reserves and resources
  20. Links to other databases
  21. Bibliographic references
  22. General comments
  23. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10089693
MRDS ID W028405
Record type Site
Current site name Ntuane Chrome Mine
Related records 10183030

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 26.91812, -25.21333 (WGS84)
Elevation 1218
Relative position 60 KILOMETERS NORTHWEST OF THE TOWN OF RUSTENBURG

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

South Africa(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country
South Africa

Comments on the location information

  • DIGITIZED FROM STROMQUIST AND HENDERSON, 1985

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Chromium Critical Primary
PGE Critical Tertiary
Iron Tertiary
Silica Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • SMALL GOLD WORKINGS ALONG QUARTZ VEIN

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chromite Ore
Magnetite Ore
Anorthosite Gangue
Chalcopyrite Gangue
Pentlandite Gangue
Pyrrhotite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Surface And Near-Surface Alteration Of Feldspathic Materials Only.

Analytical data

Result LUMP ORE: SIZE: + 25MM
Result CR2O3 45.0%, SIO2 23.5%, FEO 1.8%, CR:FE 1.68:1. REFRACTORY GRADE CONCENTRATE: CR2O3 47.0%, SIO2 0.5%, FEO 25.0% AL2O3 13.1%, MGO 9.1% CAO 0.42%, CR:FE 1.66:1

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 2
USGS model code 2a
Deposit model name Bushveld Cr

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock
    Rock unit name Bushveld Igneous Complex (Including The Overlying Merensky Reef)
    Rock description Bushveld Igneous Complex (Including The Overlying Merensky Reef)
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pliocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Ultramafic Intrusive Rock > Pyroxenite

Nearby scientific data

(1) 26.91812, -25.21333
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Inward-Dipping, Cone-Like Structure; Folding And Faulting (Including Low-Angle Thrusting) Exists, But Are Of Minor Importance; Erosion, Peneplanation And Build-Up Of Younger Sediments Are Basic Criteria Regionally.
Type of structure Local
Structure description The Area'S Upper, Middle And Lower Chrome Groups (Underlying The Merensky Reef) Are Extraordinarily Uniform As To Composition And Thickness. Faults And Folds, Locally, Are More Pronounced In This Area Than Usually Encountered Elsewhere In The Western Belt And Do Affect Mining And Ore Recoveries. Seam Undulations Are Also Common, Thus Presenting Localized (Albeit Moderate) Changes In The Dip.

Ore body information

  • General form TABULAR/BLANKET
    Strike NE - SW
    Dip 9 DEG SE
    Thickness 0.9M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • The Various Components Of The Bushveld Igneous Complex Have Been Emplaced In Successive Eruptions As Sheet-Like Masses Into The Pretoria Series Volcanics (Transvaal System), And In Some Cases Into One Another, Dipping Inward Toward The Center Giving A Cone-Like Structure To The Complex As A Whole.

Comments on the geologic information

  • SEE HAITHCOCK

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No

Mining district

District name Pilanesberg (Western) Belt; Bushveld Igneous Complex

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Ntuane Chrome Mines (Pty) Ltd
  • Type Owner
    Owner Anglo Transvaal Consolidated Investment Co., Ltd.

Production statistics

  • Year 1978
    Material ORE CR
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^45% Cr2o3 (Approximately)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Cr2O3 Ore Chromium Chromium 45wt-pct
  • Year 1978
    Material CON CR
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^47% Cr2o3 (Approximately)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Cr2O3 Conc. Chromium Chromium 47wt-pct
  • Year 1979
    Material CON CR
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^47% Cr2o3 (Approximately)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Cr2O3 Conc. Chromium Chromium 47wt-pct
  • Year 1979
    Material ORE CR
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^45% Cr2o3 (Approximately)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Cr2O3 Ore Chromium Chromium 45wt-pct
  • Year 1980
    Material CON CR
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^47% Cr2o3 Approximately
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Cr2O3 Conc. Chromium Chromium 47wt-pct
  • Year 1980
    Material ORE CR
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^45% Cr2o3 Approximately
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Cr2O3 Ore Chromium Chromium 45wt-pct
  • Year 1981
    Period 1974-1981
    Material CON CR
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^47 % Cr2o3 Approx
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Cr2O3 Conc. Chromium Chromium 47wt-pct
  • Year 1981
    Period 1974-1981
    Material ORE CR
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^45 % Cr2o3 Approx
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Cr2O3 Ore Chromium Chromium 45wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • FIRST YEAR OF PRODUCTION NOT KNOWN. PRODUCTION ESTIMATES PRIOR TO 1974 ARE NOT POSSIBLE. ; NO DATA AVAILABLE SINCE 1981.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1975
    Total resources 5000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Chromium Cr2O3 44 wt-pct Chromium Major 1975

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • DEPTH TO WHICH INDICATED RESERVES HAVE BEEN CALCULATED IS NOT KNOWN.

Comments on the workings information

  • SEE DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSIT COMMENTS. MINING IS BY DEVELOPMENT DRIFTS AND INCLINES IN ORE TO CREATE MODIFIED ROOM AND PILLAR METHOD. BROKEN ORE IS MOVED DOWNWARD INTO ORE PASSES BY SLUSHER AND HAND-TRAMMED TO LOADING POINTS FOR INCLINE HOISTING TO THE SURFACE. SURFACE FACILITIES CONSIST OF A BALL MILL, CLASSIFIERS, SCREENS AND SPIRALS (FOR CONCENTRATION). LUMP ORE IS HAND SORTED. PRODUCTS ARE TRUCK-HAULED TO RAILHEAD AT BOSHOEK; A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 50 KILOMETERS SOUTHEAST.
  • WORKINGS ARE A SERIES OF SHALLOW PITS WITH SEVERAL CROSS-CUT SHALLOW TRENCHES; MAXIMUM SIZE OF PITS IS 2.4M DIAMETER AND 1.3M DEEP AND OF TRENCHES IS 0.6M WIDE AND 0.3M DEEP; A DEEP PIT SOUTH OF WORKINGS MAY BE A SHAFT, ABOUT 4.5M DIAMETER AND 3M DEEP

Comments on development

  • AFTER OPENING IN 1835, THE ONLY WORK AT THE MINE SINCE THE CIVIL WAR WAS SOME PROSPECTING CARRIED OUT IN 1895.
  • MILL.CAP: 0.1 MIL. MET. T/YR ; ECON.COM: A SMALL MINE; DOMESTIC-SALES ORIENTED; LIMITED RESERVES; AND HIGH COSTS OF OPERATION. THE COMPANY IS CURRENTLY IN FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES. HENCE, THE FUTURE OF THE MINE IS QUESTIONABLE.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Analytical Data

    SRC.REF: FERROUS AND NONFERROUS MINES AND WORKS IN SOUTH AFRICA; MINERALS BUREAU; DIRECTORY NO. 3/79

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

    CHROMITE MINES AND RESOURCES IN THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA; UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO FOR M.A.S., US BUREAU OF MINES; SIEMS, P., CRIST, E. M., AND SHEEHAN, L. E. JR.; 1976 .

  • Deposit

    FERROUS AND NONFERROUS MINES AND WORKS IN SOUTH AFRICA; MINERALS BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF MINES, DIRECTORY NO. 3/79; 1979 .

  • Deposit

    "THE CHROMITE DEPOSITS OF THE BUSHVELD IGNEOUS COMPLEX", DEPARTMENT OF MINES, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY; KUPFERBURGER, W AND LOMBAARD, B. V.; 1937

  • Other Database

    ISMI

  • Production

    REPORTER'S ESTIMATES BASED ON INDUSTRY INDICATORS AND OFFICIAL (MINERALS BUREAU) COUNTRY TOTALS. ; REPORTERS ESTIMATES BASED ON INDUSTRY INDICATORS AND OFFICIAL (MINERALS BUREAU) COUNTRY TOTALS ; REPORTER'S ESTIMATED BASED ON INDUSTRY INDICATORS AND OFFICIAL (MINERALS BUREAU) COUNTRY TOTALS.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit OPERATIONS WERE SUSPENDED IN 1986.
Deposit INFORMATION MERGED FROM RECORD NUMBER W028896 ; W030784 ; W032257 ; W055321
Deposit QUARTZ VEIN IN A GABBRO SILL. WEATHERED IRON OXIDE (LIMONITE) ON QUARTZ ONuDUMP.
Deposit MAX. THICKNESS REFERS TO THE "LG6" SEAM - THE ONLY SEAM BEING MINED AT THE PRESENT TIME. SEAMS LG1-LG4 ARE THIN, WITH NO ECONOMIC POTENTIAL. WHILE SEAM LG5 (AT A THICKNESS OF 0.1 - 0.2 METER) IS THEORETICALLY EXPLOITABLE, IT PROBABLY WILL NOT BE UNDER THE CURRENT MANAGEMENT AT LEAST (WITH THE FIRM'S LIMITED SALES AND POSSIBLE CLOSURE). ALL SEAMS ARE OF THE "LOWER CHROME GROUP" IN THE "CRITICAL ZONE" OF THE BUSHVELD IGNEOUS COMPLEX. DEPTHS TO TOP AND BOTTOM (AND MAX. LENGTH AND WIDTH) ARE NOT KNOWN.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-AUG-1979 Sweetwood, Charles W. Department of State
Updater 01-JUL-1982 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-JUL-1982 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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