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Mamatwan 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 10090140
MRDS ID W028038
Record type Site
Current site name Mamatwan Mine

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 22.95152, -27.37994 (WGS84)
Elevation 1035
Relative position 20 KILOMETERS SOUTH OF HOTAZEL; 115 KILOMETERS NORTH OF THE TOWN 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

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Manganese Critical Primary
Iron Secondary

Comments on the commodity information

  • ORE IS OF A HIGH MANGANESE TO IRON RATIO. RELATIVELY HIGH CALCIUM AND MAGNESIUM CARBONATES IMPART DESIREABLE SELF-FLUXING PROPERTIES, AND LOW PHOSPHOROUS AND SULFUR CONTENTS COMBINE TO MAKE THE ORE AN EXCELLENT BLEND MATERIAL WITH MANGANESE FROM OTHER SOURCES.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Braunite Ore
Hausmannite Ore

Analytical data

Result SEE PRODUCTION ENTRIES

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic)
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Chemical Sediment > Iron Formation

Nearby scientific data

(1) 22.95152, -27.37994
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Low Intensity Anticlines And Synclines Regionally. Post-Transvaal System Dike Intrusives (Granitic) Occur Intermittently. Faulting Intermittent And Of Limited Magnitude.
Type of structure Local
Structure description Orebody Occurs In N - S Trending Asymmetrical Syncline. Dips Gentle, Though Variable. Minor Faulting. Ore Horizon (Basal Member) Massive. Major Dike Intrusive Generally Terminates (But Does Not Control) Ore At The South End Of The Deposit. Recent, Surface, Sand Fully Masks Off Visible Presence Of Orebody. Topography Flat.

Ore body information

  • General form IRREGULAR
    Thickness 46M
    Length 1500M
    Width 400M
    Depth to top 40M
    Depth to bottom 86M
  • General form IRREGULAR

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Gentle Uplift Of Continental Mass; Minor Folding And Faulting; Erosion; Manganiferous Solutions Circulated Through Tectonically Disturbed Banded Ironstone (Syngenetically) To Give Rise To Metasomatic Replacement Of The Country Rock With Manganese Along Favorable Layers.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Discovery year 1950
Year of first production 1963

Mining district

District name Kalahari Field; Kuruman District

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner South African Manganese Amcor Ltd.

Production statistics

  • Year 1977
    Material ORE MN
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^38 % Mn
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Manganese Manganese 38wt-pct
  • Year 1978
    Material ORE MN
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^38 % Mn
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Manganese Manganese 38wt-pct
  • Year 1979
    Material ORE MN
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^ 4.5 % Fe (Approx)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Iron Iron 5wt-pct
  • Year 1980
    Material ORE MN
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^ 4.5 % Fe (Approximately)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Iron Iron 5wt-pct
  • Year 1981
    Material ORE MN
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^38 % Mn
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Manganese Manganese 38wt-pct
  • Year 1983
    Material ORE MN
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^ 4.5 % Fe (Approximately)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Iron Iron 5wt-pct
  • Year 1983
    Period 1965-1983
    Material ORE MN
    Description Cp_Grade: ^38 % Mn
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Manganese Manganese 38wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • THIS FIRM DOES NOT PUBLISH PRODUCTION BY MINE AND, BEGINNING IN 1978, TERMINATED PUBLICATION OF ANNUAL OUTPUT ON A COMPANY BASIS. THE TOTAL CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION FOR THIS MINE, THEREFORE, HAS BEEN ESTIMATED FROM PRESS RELEASES AND A PAST-EXPERIENCE DATA BASE. SIMILARLY, ANALYSES ARE NOT AVAILABLE. GRADE ESTIMATES ARE FROM COMPANY BROCHURES. ; ESTIMATE BASED ON COUNTRY TOTAL MANGANESE PRODUCTION AND VERBAL DISCUSSIONS WITH SAMANCOR AND SOUTH AFRICAN MINERALS BUREAU OFFICIALS. ; THIS FIRM DOES NOT PUBLISH PRODUCTION BY MINE AND, STOPPED PUBLICATION OF ANNUAL OUTPUT ON A COMPANY BASIS IN 1976. TOTALS USED, THEREFORE, HAVE BEEN ESTIMATED FROM PRESS RELEASES AND TOTAL MANGANESE PRODUCTION FIGURES OBTAINED FROM THE S. AFRICAN MINERALS BUREAU. ANNUAL ANALYSES NOT AVAILABLE. ; THIS FIRM DOES NOT PUBLISH PRODUCTION BY MINE AND, BEGINNING IN 1978, STOPPED PUBLICATION OF ANNUAL OUTPUT ON A COMPANY BASIS. TOTALS USED, THEREFORE, HAVE BEEN ESTIMATED FROM PRESS RELEASES AND A
  • PAST-EXPERIENCE DATA BASE. SIMILARLY, ANNUAL ANALYSES ARE NOT AVAILABLE. GRADE ESTIMATES ARE FROM COMPANY BROCHURES.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Overall depth 86M

Comments on the workings information

  • OPEN PIT ONLY. MECHANIZED POWER SHOVEL, FRONT END LOADER AND TRUCK OPERATION FOR BOTH WASTE REMOVAL AND ORE MINING. SELECTIVE MINING REQUIRED. SLURRY BLASTING EMPLOYED AND ORE SAMPLES FROM BLAST HOLES USED FOR GRADE CONTROL.

Comments on development

  • MILL.CAP: 1.5 MIL. MET. T/YR. ; ECON.YEAR: 1975 ; ECON.COM: AN OPEN PIT OPERATION WITH A LONG-LIFE OUTLOOK. MASSIVE THICKNESS OF THE ORE, FLAT DIP AND LOW COST OVERBURDEN REMOVAL COMBINE TO MAKE OPERATION NOTABLY VIABLE. SALEABILITY OF THE ORE IS EXCELLENT -- FOR FERROALLOYS INDUSTRY LOCALLY (AS DIRECT-FEED ORE) AND FOR EXPORT (AS A BLEND ORE).

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

  • Other Database

    ISMI

  • Production

    SOUTH AFRICAN MANGANESE AMCOR LIMITED ANNUAL REPORTS, 1974 - 1976 , AND SOUTH AFRICAN MANGANESE AMCOR LIMITED BROCHURE; CIRCA 1976. AFTER 1976: PRESS RELEASES & SOUTH AFRICAN MINERALS BUREAU ; ESTIMATE BASED ON TOTAL COUNTRY MANGANESE PRODUCTION SUPPLIED BY MINERALS BUREAU, AND VERBAL INFORMATION FROM SAMANCOR OFFICIALS.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit ALTHOUGH THREE ORE HORIZONS EXIST AT MAMATWAN, ONLY THE BASAL OREBODY IS BEING MINED CURRENTLY (THE "TOP" AND "MIDDLE" OREBODIES ARE INSIGNIFICANT IN THICKNESS AND GRADE). OREBODY THICKNESS VARIES BETWEEN 7 - 46 METERS; OVERBURDEN 7 - 40 METERS IN CURRENT PIT AREAS. OREBODY IS N - S TRENDING ASYMMETRICAL SYNCLINE. DIPS GENTLE, THOUGH VARIABLE.
Deposit INFORMATION MERGED FROM RECORD NUMBER W028844 ; W028845 ; W030794 ; W032371 ; W033594

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-APR-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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