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(Facility) Tubatse Smelter

Plant in South Africa with commodity Chromium
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Nearby scientific data
  7. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  8. Mining district
  9. Ownership information
  10. Production statistics
  11. Links to other databases
  12. Bibliographic references
  13. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10183144
MAS/MILS ID 7910201016
Record type Site
Current site name (Facility) Tubatse Smelter
Alternate or previous names Steelport Smelter

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Plant
Geographic coordinates: 30.18471, -24.79665 (WGS84)
Elevation 1500
Location accuracy 5000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

South Africa(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country
South Africa

Comments on the location information

  • LOCATED ON MAIN ROAD JUST SOUTH OF TOWN OF STEELPOORT. COORDINATES ARE OF TOWN OF STEELPOORT.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Chromium Critical Primary

Nearby scientific data

Plant (1) 30.18471, -24.79665
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Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Processing Plant
Development status Plant
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Year of first production 1974
Plant type Smelter
Milling method Pyrometallurgy Unspecified

Mining district

District name East Bushveld Complex

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Tubaste Ferrochrome Pty. Ltd.
    Interest 100
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1992
  • Type Unknown
    Owner Samancor
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1992
  • Type Unknown
    Owner Gencor
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1992

Comments on the ownership information

  • TUBATSE FERROCHROME PTY. LTD. IS OWNED BY SAMANCOR, WHICH, IN TURN, IS OWNED BY GENCOR CORP. UNION CARBIDE WAS THE MANAGER OF THE OPERATION FROM THE START (1974), UNTIL APRIL 1985, WHEN, SAMANCOR ACQUIRED.

Production statistics

  • Year 1983
    Description Charge Chrome Production 100000 Mt Ore/Yr
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Chromium Chromium 100000mt
  • Year 1984
    Description Charge Chrome Production 130000 Mt Ore/Yr
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Chromium Chromium 130000mt
  • Year 1985
    Description Charge Chrome Capacity 140000 Mt Ore/Yr
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Chromium Chromium 140000mt
  • Year 1985
    Description Charge Chrome Production 95000 Mt Ore/Yr
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Chromium Chromium 95000mt
  • Year 1988
    Description Charge Chrome Production 160000 Mt Ore/Yr
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Chromium Chromium 160000mt
  • Year 1990
    Description Charge Chrome Capacity 300000 Mt Ore/Yr
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Chromium Chromium 300000mt

Comments on the production information

  • THE YIELD TABLE SHOWS A TOTAL RECOVERY BETWEEN THE LUMP & CHIP (56%) AND THE FINES (22.5%).
  • CAPACITY IS IN TERMS OF CHROMITE LUMP AND FINES FEED TO FURNACES UNITS OF OUTPUT IS IN TERMS OF HIGH CARBON FECR.
  • DUE TO MARKET PROBLEMS, ONE FURNACE WAS SHUT DOWN GIVING A PRODUCTION OF 95,000 MT IN 1985.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • OPERATING CO. IS TUBATSE FERROCHROME PTY.LTD. BY END OF 1990, 5 FURNACES (LAST TWO CONSTRUCTED IN 1988-1990): 36 MVA,CONVENTIONAL = 60,000 MTPY HIGH-C FECR 36 MVA,CONVENTIONAL = 60,000 MTPY HIGH-C FECR 36 MVA,CONVENTIONAL = 60,000 MTPY HIGH-C FECR 36 MVA,CONVENTIONAL = 60,000 MTPY HIGH-C FECR 36 MVA,CONVENTIONAL = 60,000 MTPY HIGH-C FECR TOTAL = 300,000 MTPY HIGH-C FECR

Comments on other economic factors

  • THE FEED RECORD IS SPLIT UP BETWEEN THE LUMP & CHIP GRADE (FIRST LINE PER EACH K-RECORD), AND THE FINES GRADE (SECOND PER EACH K-RECORD). THE MINES AND ORE TYPE THAT FEEDS THE TUBATSE SMELTER ARE: LUMP AND CHIP FROM GROOTHOEK, MONTROSE AND TWEEFONTEIN; FINES COME FROM MONTROSE.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    CHROMITE MINES AND RESOURCES IN THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH

  • Deposit

    AFRICA: P.L. SIEMS, E.M. CRIST, B. BHATT AND L.E. SHEEHAN

  • Deposit

    JR.; UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO; DEC., 1976; P. 30.

  • Deposit

    SILK, M H, 1988, "WORLD CHROMITE RESOURCES AND FERROCHROME

  • Deposit

    PRODUCTION", MINTEK SPECIAL PUB. NO 11.

  • Deposit

    DAVIDOFF, R L, BOYLE, E H JR., 1988, "NOTES FROM VISIT TO

  • Deposit

    THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA", USBM, SEPT 1988.

  • Deposit

    SAITO, H, 1985, "A VISIT TO SAMANCOR OF SOUTH AFRICA", THE

  • Deposit

    TEX REPORT, VOL. 17, NO. 3877, JAN 23, 1985.

  • Deposit

    BUTTS, K, 1985, " INTERVIEW WITH P J NIENABER- GEN. WORKS

  • Deposit

    MGR. TUBATSE FERROCHROME PLANT", TRIP REPORT, 14 OCT 1985

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 22-DEC-92 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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