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Richards Bay Mine

Producer in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa with commodities Iron, REE, Titanium, Zirconium
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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. Nearby scientific data
  8. Ore body information
  9. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  10. Mining district
  11. Ownership information
  12. Production statistics
  13. Workings at the site
  14. Links to other databases
  15. Bibliographic references
  16. General comments
  17. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10134729
MRDS ID W700468
MAS/MILS ID 7910100004
Record type Site
Current site name Richards Bay Mine
Alternate or previous names No Alternate Name
Related records 10100551

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 32.18473, -28.67976 (WGS84)
Elevation 30
Location accuracy 10000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Kwazulu-Natal(province)

South Africa(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
South Africa Kwazulu-Natal

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Iron Primary
REE Critical Tertiary
Titanium Critical Secondary
Zirconium Critical Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Magnetite Unknown
Monazite Unknown
Rutile Unknown
Zircon Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 32.18473, -28.67976
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 60M
    Length 17000M
    Width 2000M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 SEDIMENTARY
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin SEDIMENTATION
    Primary Ore Control BEDDING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Date of Last Modification 830930

Comments on the geologic information

  • IN SEPT. 1994, THE WORKFORCE VOTED TO STRIKE OVER PAY. THE COMPANY HALTED PRODUCTION AND LOCKED OUT THE WORKERS, STATING THAT EQUIPMENT WAS BEING SABOTAGED.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1920
Mining method Dredging
Year of first production 1973
Milling method Gravity

Mining district

District name Zululand National Park

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Quebec Iron And Titanium (Qit)
    Interest 42
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1982
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Gencor
    Interest 50
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1993
  • Type Owner
    Owner Southern Life Assurance
    Interest 8
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1982
  • Type Operator
    Owner Richards Bay Iron And Titanium (Pty) Ltd.
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1976
  • Type Operator
    Owner Tisand Ltd.
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1985

Comments on the ownership information

  • TISAND (PTY) LTD. WILL OPERATE THE INITIAL EXTRACTION STAGES WHILE RICHARDS BAY IRON AND TITANIUM(PTY) LTD.WILL CONTROL SMELTING AND FINAL METALLURGICAL STAGES. BOTH COMPANIES HELD BY RICHARDS BAY MINERALS PROJECT. GENCOR INCREASED ITS INTEREST TO 50% IN 1993. THEY BOUGHT THE SHARES PREVIOUSLY HELD BY INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CORP. & ITS TWO SUBDIARIES INDSEL & NATSEL, AS WELL AS FROM OLD MUTUAL. RTZ (RIO TINTO) ACQUIRED BP MINERAL (OWNER OF QIT) IN 1989.

Production statistics

  • Year 1977
    Description 15000 Rutile, 30,000 Zircon 35000 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Ore Zirconium Zirconium 30000mt
    Major Ore Titanium Titanium 15000mt
  • Year 1978
    Description 40k Rutile, 60k Zircon, 150k Slag,80k Ir 330000 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Zirconium Zirconium 60000mt
    Trace Titanium Titanium 40000mt
  • Year 1979
    Description 42k Rutile, 86k Zircon, 300k Slag, 162ki 591000 Mt1ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Ore Zirconium Zirconium 86000mt
    Trace Ore Titanium Titanium 42000mt
  • Year 1980
    Description 56k Rutile, 115k Zircon, 344k Slag, 185k 700000 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Ore Zirconium Zirconium 115000mt
    Major Ore Titanium Titanium 56000mt
  • Year 1981
    Description 56k Rutile,115k Zircon 344k Slag 185k Ir 700000 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Ore Zirconium Zirconium 115000mt
    Major Ore Titanium Titanium 56000mt
  • Year 1985
    Description 51k Rutile,140k Zircon 433k Slag 216k Fe
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Iron Iron 216000mt
    Trace Ore Zirconium Zirconium 140000mt
    Trace Ore Titanium Titanium 51000mt
  • Year 1993
    Description Chlorinatable Slag Production 517000 Mt Of Contained Tio2
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major TiO2 Ore Titanium Titanium 517000mt

Comments on the production information

  • RBM USES A SIX-IN-LINE OPEN-ARC FURNACE PROCESS TO SMELT ILMENITE.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • QIT=QUEBEC IRON & TITANIUM HAVE RECENTLY INCREASED CAPACITY SIGNIFICANTLY. INCLUDES THE SLAG SMELTER.
  • TONNAGE IS FROM SEVERAL PUBLICATIONS CIRCA 1976 BUT NO GRADE FOR BEACH SANDS WAS GIVEN. THE CODED GRADES ARE BASED UPON INFO. FROM THE"MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA" WHICH GAVE AN AVG.GRADE OF"5 TO 7% ILMENITE, 0.2 TO 0.3% RUTILE AND 0.4% ZR AS WELL AS SOME GARNET AND TRACES OF MONAZITE." THESE GRADES WERE USED TO DETERMINE COMMODITY GRADES CODED (BASED ON ATOMIC WEIGHTS). COMMODITY 1 GRADE IS TIO2 IN RUTILE, COMMODITY 3 GRADE IS TIO2 CONTENT IN ILMENITE AND FE GRADE (COMMOD 4) IS FE CONTENT IN ILMENITE. M1+M2+M3+M4=M5 M5C1=M9C4. TISANDS ORE BODY ZULTI #4 ORE BODY ZULTI #10 ORE BODY LAKE MZINGAZI ORE BODY REFLECTS TOTAL ORE RESERVES

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method DREDGING
    Primary Material Cover SAND, SILT
    Percentage 100
    Hardness of Ore SAND, SILT
    Capacity 216000
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost .52
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 278
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1988

Comments on other economic factors

  • 15% OF ALL PRODUCTS, BUT MAINLY IRON, IS SOLD DOMESTICALLY. 50% IS SOLD TO EUROPE, 20% TO NORTH AMERICA AND 15% TO THESE COUNTRIES CONSTITUTE THE MARKET AREA.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Geology

    PLATT'S METALS WEEK. OCT. 3, 1994. "RICHARDS BAY FACES

  • Geology

    STRIKE." V. 65. NO. 40. P.6.

  • Production

    *AME MINING WEEKLY. JULY 1, 1994. P. 4. "AME RESEARCH NOTE

  • Production

    TITANIUM UPDATE."

  • Deposit

    BARTLE, WARWICK W. MINERAL SANDS MARKETS. "THE IMPACT OF

  • Deposit

    RICHARD'S BAY." PROCEEDINGS OF THE 3RD 'INDUSTRIAL

  • Deposit

    MINERALS' IN

  • Deposit

    CONGRESS, PARIS, MARCH 13-15, 1978, PP. 119-125.

  • Deposit

    COAL, GOLD AND BASE MINERALS OF SOUTH AFRICA. "BEACH SANDS

  • Deposit

    BONANZA AT RICHARD'S BAY." APRIL 1976, PP. 11-15.

  • Deposit

    E/MJ. "MINING OF MINERAL SANDS WILL BEGIN IN 1977 AT SOUTH

  • Deposit

    AFRICA'S RICHARD'S BAY." APRIL 1976, PP. 39-42.

  • Deposit

    KENNECOTT. 1980 ANNUAL REPORT. 51 PP.

  • Deposit

    MANOS, A. "INDUSTRIAL MINERALS OF SOUTH AFRICA." REPRINTED

  • Deposit

    FROM INDUSTRIAL MINERALS, NOVEMBER 1977 PP. 23-25.

  • Deposit

    METALS WEEK. "RICHARDS BAY TITANIUM PROJECT READIED."

  • Deposit

    APRIL 26, 1976, P.6.

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE. "BEACH SANDS PROJECT FOR SOUTH AFRICA."

  • Deposit

    V. 135, NO. 5, PP. 425-433.

  • Deposit

    QIT-FER ET TITANE, INC. 1979 ANNUAL REPORT, P.22.

  • Deposit

    QIT-FER ET TITANE, INC. 1980 ANNUAL REPORT, P. 28.

  • Deposit

    REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA DEPT. OF MINES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

  • Deposit

    "MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA."

  • Deposit

    HANDBOOK 7, 5TH ED., ED. BY C.B. COETZEE, 1976. P. 223.

  • Deposit

    RICHARD'S BAY MINERALS. BROCHURE. 1977, APD.

  • Deposit

    SOUTH AFRICA MINING AND ENGINEERING JOURNAL. "PRODUCTION

  • Deposit

    BUILDS UP AT RICHARDS BAY MINERALS PROJECT. "V.88, NO.

  • Deposit

    4133 OCTOBER 1977, PP. 27-37.

  • Deposit

    SOUTH AFRICA MINING AND ENGINEERING JOURNAL. "RICHARDS BAY

  • Deposit

    MINERALS: ON SCHEDULE DESPITE PROBLEMS." V.89, NO.4141

  • Deposit

    JUNE 1978, PP. 42-43.

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING. "RICHARDS BAY BEACH SANDS PROJECT GETS READY

  • Deposit

    TO START DREDGE MINING SOON." NOV. 1977 PP. 96-98.

  • Deposit

    WORLD OF MINERALS, "RBM COMMISSIONS ZIRCON DRY MILL" MARCH

  • Deposit

    1991, PP. 13.

  • Deposit

    INDUSTRIAL MINERALS, "RBM TO EXPAND MINSANDS OUTPUT"

  • Deposit

    OCTOBER 1989, PP. 18.

  • Deposit

    INDUSTRIAL MINERALS, "S. AFRICAN INDUSTRIES - RICHARDS BAY"

  • Deposit

    SEPTEMBER 1989, PP. 68.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, "RSA; TITANIUM PROTEST", LONDON, SEPTEMBER,

  • Deposit

    22, 1989, PP. 229.

  • Deposit

    INDUSTRIAL MINERALS, "RBM PLANS STALLED BY ENVIRONMENTALISTS

  • Deposit

    NOVEMBER, 1989, PP. 13.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, "SOUTH AFRICAN MOOT POINTS" LONDON,

  • Deposit

    NOVEMBER 10, 1989, PP 384.

  • Deposit

    SA MINING, COAK, GOLD AND BASE MINERALS, "RICHARDS BAY WINS

  • Deposit

    MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD" NOVEMBER, 1989 PP 7.

  • Deposit

    SA MINING COAL, GOLD AND BASE MINERALS, "RICHARDS BAY

  • Deposit

    REACHES PEAK OF SOPHISTICATION" AUGUST 1990 PP 20.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, "RICHARDS BAY EXPANSION" LONDON, JULY 27,

  • Deposit

    1990, PP 65.

  • Deposit

    MINERAL DEPOSITS OF SOUTH AFRICA "THE HEAVY MINERAL

  • Deposit

    DEPOSITS NORTH OF RICHARDS BAY" 1986, PP 2301-2307.

  • Deposit

    E & MJ INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORY OF MINING AND MINERAL

  • Deposit

    PROCESSING OPERATIONS, E & MJ, NEW YORK, NEW YORK, P340.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit LEASE AREA COVERS 20 KM LENGTH PARALLELING COAST, BEGINNING 7 KM NW OF TOWN OF RICHARDS BAY. LEASE AREA IS ABOUT 2 KM WIDE. CO-ORDINATES ARE OF APPROXIMATE MIDDLE OF LEASE AREA 17 KM NW OF RICHARDS BAY. SMELTER LOCATED ABOUT 7 KM WSW OF THIS POINT. AS OF AUGUST 1989, RBM HAD MINED 773 HA OF ITS LEASE AREA AND 559 HA HAD BEEN REHABILITATED. REMAINING 174 HA WAS UNDER REHABILITATION OR WAS STILL BEING MINED. COMMISSIONING OF RBM DRY MILL WILL TAKE PLACE IN AUG-SEP 1990 EXISTING FACILITIES WERE PRODUCING 160K T/YR ZIRCON AND 60K T/YR RUTILE. EXPANSION WILL VIRTUALLY DOUBLE THE PRODUCTION CAPACITY TO 300K T/YR ZIRCON AND 120K T/YR RUTILE FOURTH FURNACE DUE ON LINE IN SECOND HALF 1991, INCREASING CAPACITY OF 85% TIO2 SLAG BY 200K T/YR, THIS WILL BRING TOTAL CAPACITY TO 750KMT/YR STOCKPILES OF HMC CONTAIN 4-5% MOISTURE AND ARE TRANSPORTED TO MINERAL SEPARATION PLANT VIA TRUCK (20-25 TON CAPACITY-REAR DUMP).EACH TRUCK AVERAGES 6-8 TRIPS PER DAY. RBM WISHES TO REPLACE TRUCK HAULING WITH 300 MT/HR CONVEYOR SYSTEM. PRODUCT REVENUE SPLIT FOR RBM: TIO2 SLAG 60% IRON 18% ZIRCON 16% RUTILE 8% MONAZITE 1% THE MINERAL SEPARATION PLANT IS LOCATED 15-18 KM NORTH OF RICHARDS BAY HARBOR. WATER RIGHTS WERE RETAINED BY RBM FROM THE ZULU AND NATAL PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS. USE IS 10000-15000 M3/DAY RICHARDS BAY MINERALS CURRENTLY HAS THREE DREDGES IN OPER ATION. WHEN THE TISAND OREBODY IS DEPLETED, THE DREDGES WILL MOVED TO THE ZULU OREBODIES. GRADES SHOWN ARE CONSTITUENTS, NOT MINERALS. GRADE DATA DE- RIVED FROM PG 12, 1982 KAISER REPORT. ILMENITE = 5.43% IN ORE *41.92% TIO2 = 2.276% TIO2 IN ORE. RUTILE = 0.33% * 95% TIO2 = 0.3135% TIO2. ZIRCON = 0.66% * 67% ZRO2 = 0.442% ZRO2. MONAZITE = 0.023% * 55% REO = 0.01265% REO. RESERVES DERIVED FROM 1988 DAVIDOFF REPORT. MINEABLE (DEMON- STRATED) = (750 + 1000 + 500 = 2250) MILLION MT. REMAINDER OF (750 + 2000 = 2750) MILLION MT REGARDED AS INFERRED. ORE PRODUCTION (DAVIDOFF, 1988) GIVEN AS 9,000 MTPH * 24 HRS = 216,000 MTPD * 278 DAYS = 60,048,000 MTPY. *THE RICHARDS BAY OPERATION WAS TRYING TO OBTAIN A MINING PERMIT TO MINE A 1,440 HA AREA ALONG THE EASTERN SHORES OF ST. LUCIA. IN DEC. 1993, THE GOVERNMENT REVIEW PANEL DECIDED THAT THE PROPOSED PROJECT PRESENTED A THREAT TO THE ECOSYSTEM. THE FINAL DECISION TO BE MADE BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN FEDERAL GOVT. SHOULD BE MADE IN LATE DEC. 1993. ST. LUCIA HAS PROVEN RESERVES OF 276 MILLION MT CONTAINING 9.74 MILLION MT ILMENITE 94,000 MT RUTILE, AND 1.66 MILLION MT ZIRCON.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 24-SEP-1996 Fantel, Richard J. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

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