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St. Helena

Producer in Free State, South Africa with commodities Gold, Silver
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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. Mineral rights holdings
  11. Ownership information
  12. Production statistics
  13. Reserves and resources
  14. Workings at the site
  15. Links to other databases
  16. Bibliographic references
  17. General comments
  18. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10134906
MRDS ID W026849
MAS/MILS ID 7910150007
Record type Site
Current site name St. Helena
Related records 10078501

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 26.66819, -28.02985 (WGS84)
Elevation 1828

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Free State(province)

South Africa(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
South Africa Free State

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Pyrite Unknown
Quartz Unknown

Nearby scientific data

(1) 26.66819, -28.02985
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 3
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 PLACER
    Shape of Orebody #1 LENTICULAR
    Primary mode of Origin SEDIMENTATION
    Primary Ore Control FOLDING
    Secondary Ore Control FAULTING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. MODERATE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 SERICITIC
    Date of Last Modification 850909

Comments on the geologic information

  • THE UPPER DIVISION OF THE WITWATERSRAND SUPERGROUP CONTAINS THE MOST PRODUCTIVE AURIFEROUS AND URANIFEROUS UNITS OF THE RAND; LESSER MINERALIZATION IS CONTAINED IN THE OVERLYING VENTERSDORP AND TRANSVAAL SUPERGROUPS.
  • THE MODIFIED PLACER THEORY, IN WHICH GOLD WAS DEPOSITED AS PLACER GRAINS THEN LATER MOBILIZED AND RECRYSTALLIZED DURING METAMORPHISM, IS THE MOST WIDELY ACCEPTED THEORY OF OF DEPOSIT FORMATION.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1937
Year of first production 1951
Milling method Hydrometallurgy Unspecified

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Unknown

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner General Mining Union Corp. Mining Group
    Interest 100
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1982

Comments on the ownership information

  • THIS PROPERTY CONSISTS OF TWO MINES, ST. HELENA AND UNISEL. ST. HELENA MINE IS OWNED BY ST. HELENA GOLD MINING COMPANY LTD., UNISEL MINE IS OWNED BY UNISEL GOLD MINES LTD. BOTH ST. HELENA GOLD MINING COMPANY LTD. AND UNISEL GOLD MINES LTD. BELONG TO THE GENERAL MINING UNION CORPORATION MINING GROUP.

Production statistics

  • Year 1967
    Description Feed Grade 12.2 G/Mt Au, 1.2 G/Mt Ag 2154000 Mtpy
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 12g/mt
    Trace Silver Silver 1g/mt
  • Year 1968
    Description Feed Grade 12.2 G/Mt Au, 1.2 G/Mt Ag 2174000 Mtpy
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Silver Silver 1g/mt
    Major Gold Gold 12g/mt
  • Year 1969
    Description Feed Grade 12.2 G/Mt Au, 1.2 G/Mt Ag 2161000 Mtpy
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Silver Silver 1g/mt
    Major Gold Gold 12g/mt
  • Year 1970
    Description Feed Grade 12.2 G/Mt Au, 1.2 G/Mt Ag 2195000 Mtpy
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 12g/mt
    Trace Silver Silver 1g/mt
  • Year 1971
    Description Feed Grade 12.2 G/Mt Au, 1.2 G/Mt Ag 2234000 Mtpy
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 12g/mt
    Trace Silver Silver 1g/mt
  • Year 1972
    Description Feed Grade 12.2 G/Mt Au, 1.2 G/Mt Ag 2184000 Mtpy
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Silver Silver 1g/mt
    Major Gold Gold 12g/mt
  • Year 1973
    Description Feed Grade 12.2 G/Mt Au, 1.2 G/Mt Ag 2311000 Mtpy
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 12g/mt
    Trace Silver Silver 1g/mt
  • Year 1974
    Description Feed Grade 12.2 G/Mt Au, 1.2 G/Mt Ag 1708000 Mtpy
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Silver Silver 1g/mt
    Major Gold Gold 12g/mt
  • Year 1975
    Description Feed Grade 12.2 G/Mt Au, 1.2 G/Mt Ag 2246000 Mtpy
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 12g/mt
    Trace Silver Silver 1g/mt
  • Year 1976
    Description Feed Grade 12.2 G/Mt Au, 1.2 G/Mt Ag 2260000 Mtpy
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 12g/mt
    Trace Silver Silver 1g/mt
  • Year 1977
    Description Feed Grade 12.2 G/Mt Au, 1.2 G/Mt Ag 2090000 Mtpy
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 12g/mt
    Trace Silver Silver 1g/mt
  • Year 1978
    Description Feed Grade 12.2 G/Mt Au, 1.2 G/Mt Ag 1930000 Mtpy
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 12g/mt
    Trace Silver Silver 1g/mt
  • Year 1979
    Description Feed Grade 12.2 G/Mt Au, 1.2 G/Mt Ag 1932000 Mtpy
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Silver Silver 1g/mt
    Major Gold Gold 12g/mt
  • Year 1980
    Description Feed Grade 12.2 G/Mt Au, 1.2 G/Mt Ag 2090000 Mtpy
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Silver Silver 1g/mt
    Major Gold Gold 12g/mt
  • Year 1981
    Description Feed Grade 12.2 G/Mt Au, 1.2 G/Mt Ag 2149000 Mtpy
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Silver Silver 1g/mt
    Major Gold Gold 12g/mt

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1993
    Demonstrated 1500000mt ore
    Total resources 1500000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 19.6 g/mt Gold Major 1993

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • RESERVES ESTIMATE FROM SOUTH AFRICAN MINE VALUATION CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA, STORRAR, C.D., 1981.
  • 1989 AU PROD.= 344,511 OZ. FROM TREATMENT OF 2,048,913 MT ORE. WAS UPDATED FOR THE 1992 AU AVAILABILITY STUDY. 1991 PROD. = 281,415 OZ AU FROM TREATING 1,467,000 TNS ORE.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method BREAST STOPING 10-30
    Percent Recovery 100
    Hardness of Rock UNKNOWN
    Rock Characteristics UNKNOWN
    Rock Support Chars. UNKNOWN
    Mine Support Chars. TIMBER
    Number of Shafts 7
    1st Condition of Workings UNKNOWN
    Capacity 6000
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 36.56
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 350
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1982
  • Type of workings Underground
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 2
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method BREAST STOPING 10-30
    Percent Recovery 100
    Hardness of Rock UNKNOWN
    Rock Characteristics UNKNOWN
    Rock Support Chars. UNKNOWN
    Mine Support Chars. TIMBER
    Number of Shafts 6
    1st Condition of Workings UNKNOWN
    Capacity 6000
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 38.13
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 350
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1982

Comments on other economic factors

  • THE DORE BULLION IS SHIPPED IN RAND REFINERY ARMORED TRUCKS, THE COST OF WHICH IS INCLUDED IN THE REFINING FEES. COIN BLANKS ARE SHIPPED F.O.B. TO THE SOUTH AFRICAN MINT. GOLD BARS ARE SENT C.I.F. TO THE SOUTH AFRICAN RESERVE BANK DAILY. SILVER IS SOLD TO THE SOUTH AFRICAN MINT OR ON THE LONDON MARKET BY TENDER.
  • ALL NEWLY MINED GOLD IN SOUTH AFRICA IS REFINED AT RAND REFINERY LTD., WHICH IS OWNED BY THE MINE MEMBERS OF THE CHAMBER OF MINES AND IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION. FEES CHARGED TO COVER THE COST OF OPERATION. THE DORE BULLION IS REFINED INTO 12.5 KILOGRAM GOLD BARS OR BLANKS FOR KRUGERRANDS, BOTH OF 996 FINENESS, AND 35 KILOGRAM ELECTROLYTIC SILVER BARS OF 999+ FINENESS. A SMALL AMOUNT OF ELECTROLYTIC GOLD OF 999+ FINENESS IS ALSO PRO- DUCED FOR INDUSTRIAL PURPOSES.
  • ST. HELENA MINE CONSISTS OF 4904 HECTARES OF CLAIM AREA AND UNISEL MINE CONSISTS OF 450 HECTARES OF CLAIM AREA, BOTH IN THE ORANGE FREE STATE GOLD FIELD. MATRIX 1 REPRESENTS THE BASAL REEF MATERIAL, MATRIX 2 REPRESENTS THE LEADER REEF MATERIAL. THE ST. HELENA MINE IS DEVELOPED BY 5 SHAFTS, THE UNISEL IS IS DEVELOPED BY A SINGLE SHAFT.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Geology

    ANHAEUSSER, C.R., 1976, THE NATURE AND DISTRIBUTION OF

  • Geology

    ARCHEAN GOLD MINERALIZATION IN SOUTHERN AFRICA, MINERALS

  • Geology

    SCIENCE ENGINEERING, V. 8, NO. 1. PP 46-84.

  • Geology

    BOYLE, R.W., 1979, THE GEOCHEMISTRY OF GOLD AND ITS DEPOSITS

  • Geology

    GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, BULLETIN 280, 584 PP.

  • Geology

    HAUGHTON, S.H. ED., 1964, THE GEOLOGY OF SOME ORE DEPOSITS

  • Geology

    IN SOUTHERN AFRICA, V.I., GOLD DEPOSITS OF THE WITWATER-

  • Geology

    STRAND BASIN, GEOL. SOC. S. AFR., JOHANNESBURG, 625 P.

  • Geology

    LIEBENBERG, W.R., 1972, MINERALOGICAL FEATURES OF GOLD ORE

  • Geology

    IN SOUTH AFRICA, IN GOLD METALLURGY IN SOUTH AFRICA,

  • Geology

    EDITED BY R.J. ADAMSON, CHAMER OF MINES OF S.A.

  • Geology

    MINTER, W.E.L., 1976, DETRITAL GOLD, URANIUM, AND PYRITE

  • Geology

    CONCENTRATIONS PILATED TO SEDIMENTOLOGY IN THE PRECAMBRIAN

  • Geology

    VAAL REEF PLACER, WITWATERSTRAND, SOUTH AFRICA, ECONOMIC

  • Geology

    GEOLOGY, V. 71, PP 157-176.

  • Geology

    PRETORIUS, D.A., 1981, GOLD AND URANIUM IN QUARTZ-PEBBLE

  • Geology

    CONGLOMERATES IN ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 75TH ANNIVERSARY VOL.,

  • Geology

    PP 117-139.

  • Geology

    PRETORIUS, D.A., 1975, THE DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL OF THE

  • Geology

    WITWATERSTRAND GOLDFIELDS: A CHRONOLOGICAL REVIEW OF

  • Geology

    SPECULATIONS AND OBSERVATIONS, MINERAL SCIENCE ENGINEERING

  • Geology

    V. 7, NO. 1, PP 18-47.

  • Geology

    SMITH, N.D., AND MINTER, W.E.L., 1980, SEDIMENTOLOGICAL

  • Geology

    CONTROLS OF GOLD AND URANIUM IN TWO WITWATERSTRAND PALEO-

  • Geology

    PLACERS, ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, V. 75, PP 1-14.

  • Reserve-Resource

    AME MINERAL ECONOMICS QUARTERLY MINE ANALYSIS, JUN 93,P. 32.

  • Reserve-Resource

    MOHIDE, T.P., 1981, GOLD, MINERAL POLICY BACKGROUND PAPER

  • Reserve-Resource

    NUMBER 12, ONTARIO MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES, PP 84-

  • Reserve-Resource

    112.

  • Reserve-Resource

    STORRAR, C.D., 1981, SOUTH AFRICAN MINE VALUATION CHAMBER OF

  • Reserve-Resource

    MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA, 470 PP.

  • Workings

    ADAMSON, R.J., ED. 1972, GOLD METALLURGY IN SOUTH AFRICA,

  • Workings

    CHAMBER OF MINES SOUTH AFRICA, 452 PP.

  • Workings

    FINANCIAL TIMES, 1981, MINING INTERNATIONAL YEARBOOK

  • Workings

    (SELECTED EXCERPTS).

  • Workings

    KING, A., 1949, GOLD METALLURGY ON THE WITWATERSTRAND,

  • Workings

    TRANSVAAL CHAMBER OF MINES, 458 PP.

  • Workings

    MCQUISTON, F.W., AND SHOEMAKER, R.S., 1975, GOLD AND SILVER

  • Workings

    CYANIDATION PLANT PRACTICE, SOCIETY OF MINING ENGINEERS.

  • Workings

    GOLD INSTITUTE, 1981, GOLD REGULATIONS AND TAXES FOR MINING,

  • Workings

    REFINING, MANUFACTURING AND TRADE IN THIRTEEN COUNTRIES,

  • Workings

    PP 74-79.

  • Deposit

    CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA, 1981, RAND REFINERY,

  • Deposit

    P.R.D. SERIES NO. 255, 20 PP.

  • Deposit

    CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA, 1980?, GOLD IN SOUTH

  • Deposit

    AFRICA, P.R.D. SERIES NO. 241, 28 PP.

  • Deposit

    CHAMBER OF MINES, 1980, OVERVIEW OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN MINING

  • Deposit

    INDUSTRY.

  • Deposit

    ELEVATORSKI, E.A., 1981, GOLD MINES OF THE WORLD, PUBLISHED

  • Deposit

    BY MINOBRAS, PP 78-86.

  • Deposit

    POTTS, D., 1981, THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOLD MINING INDUSTRY IN

  • Deposit

    GOLD, 1981, PUBLISHED BY CONSOLIDATED GOLD FIELDS LTD.,

  • Deposit

    PP 71-85.

  • Deposit

    CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA, 1982, ANALYSIS OF WORKING

  • Deposit

    RESULTS, OCTOBER-DECEMBER, 1981, 8 PP.

  • Deposit

    CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA, 1981, 91ST ANNUAL REPORT

  • Deposit

    AND STATISTICAL TABLES, 116 PP.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL RESEARCH SERVICES, 1982, PRODUCTION AND

  • Deposit

    CAPITAL EXPENDITURE FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOLD MINES,

  • Deposit

    1966-1981.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL RESEARCH SERVICES, 1982, SUMMARY REPORT ON

  • Deposit

    PRODUCTION AND RECOVERY FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOLD MINES,

  • Deposit

    ANNUAL REPORTS - ST. HELENA AND UNISEL GOLD MINING COMPANYS

  • Deposit

    LTD., 1981.

  • Deposit

    CAPITAL EXPENDITURE ANALYSES - ST. HELENA AND UNISEL.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, 1980-1982, QUARTERLY REVIEWS OF SOUTH

  • Deposit

    AFRICAN GOLD SHARES - ST. HELENA AND UNISEL.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THE DATA CONTAINED IN THIS FILE WAS COLLECTED BY DAVY MCKEE UNDER U.S. BUREAU OF MINES CONTRACT #JO215039 IN 1982.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-AUG-1994 Boyle, Ed 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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