| Deposit ID | 10183521 |
|---|---|
| MRDS ID | I001054 |
| MAS/MILS ID | 7910001207 |
| Record type | Site |
| Current site name | Namakwa Sands |
| Alternate or previous names | Namaqualand, Namaqua |
| Related records | 10096958 |
| Point of reference | Ore Body |
|---|---|
| Geographic coordinates: | 17.86833, -31.37155 (WGS84) |
Political divisions (FIPS codes)
South Africa(country)
Africa(continent)
Land(continent)
| Country |
|---|
| South Africa |
| Ore Body (1) | 17.86833, -31.37155 |
|---|
| Operation type | Placer |
|---|---|
| Development status | Producer |
| Commodity type | Metallic |
| Deposit size | Large |
| Significant | Yes |
| Year of first production | 1994 |
| Milling method | Magnetic And Electrostatic |
| Type | Owner-Operator |
|---|---|
| Owner | Anglo American |
| Interest | 0.8 |
| Year | 1990 |
| Type | Owner |
|---|---|
| Owner | De Beers |
| Interest | 0.2 |
| Year | 1993 |
| Agency | Database name | Acronym | Record ID | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Bureau of Mines | Minerals Availability System | MAS | 7910001207 | |
| USGS | Mineral Resources Data System | MRDS | I001054 | MAS references MRDS |
METALS & MINERALS ANNUAL REVIEW- 1990, SPECIALTY METALS,
RARE EARTHS, BY NICOLA ROBJOHNS, PG 78.
TELEGRAM FROM AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG DEC. 2, 1992
MINTEK BULLETIN, "NAMAKWA SANDS GETS GREEN LIGHT,"
DECEMBER 1992, NO. 56.
E&MJ MINING MONTHLY, "ILMENITE PROJECT TO GO AHEAD."
FEBRUARY 1993, PG 3.
MINING MAGAZINE, "GO AHEAD FOR NAMAKWA MINERALS PROJECT."
JANUARY 1993, PG 43
MINING JOURNAL, LONDON, " NAMAKWA SANDS POWER SUPPLY
NEGOTIATIONS." DECEMBER 18/25, 1992, VOL. 319 NO.8204,PG 434
MINING WEEKLY, "ANGLO SLAGS AHEAD." DECEMBER 11, 1992,
PG 3.
METALS WEEK, "NEW TITANIUM, RUTILE OPERATION PLANNED FOR
SOUTH AFRICA." NOVEMBER 30, 1992, PG 6.
MINING JOURNAL, LONDON, "NAMAKWA GO-AHEAD." VOL 319
NO. 8201, PG 375.
MBM METALS TECHNOLOGY SUPPLEMENT. JUNE 1994. P. 11. "NEW
APPLICATIONS FOR PLASMA-ARC TECHNOLOGY."
| Subject category | Comment text |
|---|---|
| Deposit | MINERAL SANDS DEPOSIT LOCATED NEAR THE WEST CAPE COAST, 50 KM NORTH OF OLIFANTS RIVER, AND 1-15 KM INLAND. PROD- THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN PRODUCTION IN 1994 WITH AN INTIAL PRODUCTION RATE OF 4 MILLION MTPY. THIS WILL INCREASE TO 16 MILLION MTPY IN 1998. PLANNED PRODUCTION IS 195,000 MT OF SLAG, 120,000 MT PIG IRON, 140,000 MT ZIRCON, AND 38,000 MT RUTILE. PROJECT SUPPOSEDLY WILL COST $US 335 MILLION OR A BILLION RANDS. ANGLO AMERICAN OWNS 80%, DE BEERS OWNS 20%. INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CORP. WILL LOAN 370 RANDS FOR PROJECT. GRANTED TAX INCENTIVES UNDER SECTION 37E OF THE INCOME TAX ACT FOR ACCELERATED TAX WRITE-OFFS FOR THE SMELTER AND SECONDARY PROCESSING FACILITIES. SAND WILL BE CONVEYED FROM THE MINING AREA TO A PRIMARY CONCENTRATION PLANT ON SITE. THE WASHED HEAVY MINERALS WILL THEN BE TRANSPORTED BY ROAD DOWN TO A SMELTER FEEDER PREP. PLANT JUST NORTH OF KOEKENAAP. THE HEAVY MINERALS WILL BE CONCENTRATED THERE AND RAILED ON THE SISHEN-SALDANHA RAIL LINE TO A SMELTER NEAR SALDANHA BAY. ANGLO AMERICAN AND MINTEK DEVELOPED NEW PROCESS TO SMELT ILMENITE BASED ON PLASMA TECHNOLOGY AND USES ONLY ONE ELECTRODE, GIVING BETTER CONTROL OVER THE QUALITY OF PRODUCT AND LOWERS COSTS THAN THE MULTI-ELECTRODE PROCESS USED BY COMPETITORS. THE NAMAKWA SANDS PROCESS IS BASED ON A SINGLE BAKED GRAPHITE ELECTRODE WHICH ACTS AS A CATHODE, WITH THE METAL AND THE BOTTOM OF THE FURNACE ITSELF SERVING AS THE ANODE. THE CHARGE IS FED DOWN THE HOLLOW ELECTRODE STRAIGHT INTO THE HOTTEST ZONE OF THE FURNACE. THE SMELTING PROCESS USES ONLY TWO RAW MATERIALS-ILMENITE AND ANTHRACITE. ANTHRACITE ACTS AS A REDUCTANT AND SEPARATES THE ILMENITE INTO TITANIA SLAG AND IRON BY REDUCING THE IRON OXIDE AT 1,700DEGREES CELSIUS WITHOUT REDUCING THE TITANIA. THE OPERATION WAS COMMISSIONED IN SEPT. 1994. |
| Type | Date | Name | Affiliation | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reporter | 27-FEB-1995 | Wdj | U.S. Bureau of Mines |
Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.