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Empress Mine

Past Producer in Zimbabwe with commodities Cobalt, Copper, Nickel, Palladium, Platinum
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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. Ownership information
  11. Workings at the site
  12. Links to other databases
  13. Bibliographic references
  14. General comments
  15. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10207823
MAS/MILS ID 7960150009
Record type Site
Current site name Empress Mine
Alternate or previous names Empress, No Alternate Names

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 29.45136, -18.497 (WGS84)
Elevation 1033
Location accuracy 10000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Zimbabwe(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country
Zimbabwe

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Cobalt Critical Secondary
Copper Secondary
Nickel Critical Primary
Palladium Critical Tertiary
Platinum Critical Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Unknown
Pentlandite Unknown
Pyrite Unknown
Pyrrhotite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 29.45136, -18.497
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N45E
    Dip 65E
    Length 600M
    Width 14.4M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 STOCKWORK
    Shape of Orebody #1 MASSIVE
    Primary mode of Origin MAGMATIC DIFFER
    Primary Ore Control IGNEOUS
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. INTENSE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 POTASSIC
    Strike And Dip N45E:65E
    Date of Last Modification 830602
  • Area 800HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 800
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Comments on the geologic information

  • THE NICKEL MINERAL VIOLARITE IS ALSO A MAJOR MINERAL.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1906
Year of first production 1968
Milling method Flotation

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Empress Nickel Mining Co. Ltd.
    Interest 100
    Year 1981

Comments on the ownership information

  • EMPRESS NICKEL MINING CO. IS WHOLLY OWNED BY RIO TINTO MINING (ZIMBABWE) GROUP. LONDON BASED RIO TINTO MINING CORP HOLDS 51% INTEREST IN RIO TINTO (ZIMBABWE) GROUP.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • GRADE OF ORE IS 1.27% NI+CU. D.B. HAS UNDERGROUND.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 500M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method SUBLEVEL 10-43
    Percent Recovery 80
    Hardness of Rock UNKNOWN
    Rock Characteristics UNKNOWN
    Rock Support Chars. SUPPORTING
    Mine Support Chars. UNKNOWN
    Number of Shafts 2
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    Capacity 2933
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 12.85
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 300
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1981

Comments on other economic factors

  • ACCORDING TO SOURCE, MINE APPARENTLY CLOSED IN 1983.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Development

    NICKDATA, INC. NICKEL REFERENCE DATA, 1987.

  • Deposit

    EALES, H.V. "MINEROLOGY AND PETROLOGYOF THE EMPRESS NICKEL-

  • Deposit

    COPPER DEPOSIT SOUTHERN RHODESIA." TRANSACTIONS OF

  • Deposit

    GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF SOUTH AFRICA. VOL. 67. 1964.

  • Deposit

    PP. 173-201.

  • Deposit

    EMPRESS NICKEL MINING COMPANY LIMITED AND RIO TINTO (RHODE-

  • Deposit

    SIA) LIMITED. ANNUAL REPORTS. 1979.

  • Deposit

    GRIFFITHS K.T. "HYDROULIC SAND FILLING AT EMPRESS NICKEL

  • Deposit

    MINE." CHAMBER OF MINES JOURNAL. OCTOBER 1980. PP.28-38

  • Deposit

    INGRAM, D.F.B. "THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ORE CHUTE TO SUIT

  • Deposit

    LOCAL CONDITIONS ON THE EMPRESS NICKEL MINE."

  • Deposit

    CHAMBER OF MINES JOURNAL. SEPTEMBER 1980. PP.31-34 .

  • Deposit

    PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS. EMPRESS NICKEL MINING COMPANY.

  • Deposit

    SHARPZ, N.W.V. "THE EMPRESS NICKEL-COPPER DEPOSIT,SOUTHERN

  • Deposit

    RHODESIA." PP. 497-508.

  • Deposit

    UNITED STATES BUREAU OF MINES. MINERALS YEARBOOK. 1966-1976

  • Deposit

    TRANS GEOLOGICAL SOC. SOUTH AFRICA. V. 67 PP.173-201. 1964.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL. 1972 PP.237

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE. 1972. P. 81 .

  • Deposit

    MINING ANNUAL REVIEW, 1971. P. 340.

  • Deposit

    MINING ANNUAL REVIEW, 1972. P. 340

  • Deposit

    MINING ANNUAL REVIEW, 1974. P. 352.

  • Deposit

    E/M&J. 1975. INT. DIRECTORY.

  • Deposit

    GEOLOGIC SOC. S. AFRICA, "THE GEOLOGY OF SOME ORE DEPOSITS

  • Deposit

    OF SOUTHERN AFRICA.". P. 497.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit UNDERGROUND MINE, CONCENTRATOR, AND SMELTER ARE ON SITE. 1974: A MAJOR BREAKDOWN IN THE MAIN MILL AT RIO TINTO. EMPRESS MINE IN ZIMBABWE, IS CURTAILING PRODUCTION, NORMALLY AT THE RATE OF 6000 TPY. OF NI. RESERVES AT THE MINE, WHICH HAS A RATED CAPACITY OF 720,000TPY. OF ORE, WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 23 MILLION TONS OF ORE (1970). 601-PROD DATA: YEAR TONS/ORE 1974 100,000 TO 500,000 1975 100,000 TO 500,000

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 25-JAN-1995 Bleiwas, Donald 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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