Zwartkop New Seam

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

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10231583
MRDS ID W028281
MAS/MILS ID 7910200221
Record type Site
Current site name Zwartkop New Seam
Related records 10079230, 10231513, 10304623, 10280286

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 27.30144, -24.78837 (WGS84)
Elevation 1070
Location accuracy 10000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

South Africa(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country
South Africa

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Chromium Critical Primary

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 27.30144, -24.78837

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N45E
    Dip 23E
    Thickness 0.3M
    Length 3000M
    Width 460M
    Depth to top 150M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 2
    Type of Orebody #1 STRATIFORM
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin MAGMATIC DIFFER
    Primary Ore Control IGNEOUS
    Secondary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Strike And Dip N45E:23E
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Date of Last Modification 930513

Comments on the geologic information

  • A LARGE DOLORITE DIKE GOING NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST DISPLACES ALL THE CHROMITE SEAMS. WASTE ROCK INCLUDES PYROXENITE AND NORITE.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Plant
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1934
Mining method Filled Stopes - Resuing
Year of first production 1934
Plant type Beneficiation (Mill)
Plant subcategory Gravity
Milling method Gravity

Mining district

District name West Bushveld Complex

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Samancor
    Interest 100
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1989
  • Type Operator
    Owner Chrome Mines Of South Africa
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1989

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • Q-MATRIX 1 REPRESENTS TONNAGES TO A DEPTH OF 150 M VERT., WITH COL 1 AS IN-SITU AND COL 2 IS RECOVERABLE RESOURCE. MATRIX 2 REPRESENTS TONNAGES TO A VERT. DEPTH OF 300 M. ONCE AGAIN, COL 1 AND COL 2 GIVE IN-SITU AND RECOVERABLE RESOURCE RESPECTIVELY. ANALYSIS 1/89 FIGURES FOR A 90% RECOVERY WITH 0% DILUTION.
  • LAST MINING AT ZWARTKOP(ALL SEAMS) IN 1979;EQUIPMENT REMOVED BY 1984. NEW SEAM ANALYZED AT 100,000 MTPY ROM FOR: 49,500 MTPY CONCS.AT 51 % CR2O3. CONCS. AT 2.0-2.25/1 CR/FE. NEW SEAM= .30 M THICK, DIP OF 19 DEGS.
  • COMPANY CONTROLLED RIGHTS OVER FARMS: HAAKDOORNDIF 374KQ, MIDDELLAAGTE 382KQ, ROODEDAM 368KQ, ZWARTKOP 369KQ, SCHILDPADNEST 385KQ, AND VLAKPOORT 368KQ. THE NEW SEAM IS ALSO CALLED THE LG 4 SEAM 1/89 INSITU DEMO.TONNAGE = TO 300 M VERT.DEPTH, 90 % RECOV. THIS REFERENCE NUMBER (791-020-0221) IS ONLY APPLICABLE TO THE NEW SEAM. THE OTHER REFERENCE NUMBERS THAT DOCUMENT THE ZWARTKOP OPERATION ARE: 791-020-0036 (MAGAZINE SEAM), 791-020-0222 (IN- TERMEDIATE SEAM), AND 791-020-0223 (COMPOUND SEAM).

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method RESUING 10-61
    Hardness of Rock HARDROCK WITH LITTLE WATER
    Rock Characteristics ONE SYSTEM OF WEAKNESS PLANES
    Rock Support Chars. SUPPORTING
    Mine Support Chars. POST, HEADBOARD, CAPS, ROOF BOLTS
    Length of Inclines (m) 460
    Slope of Inclines 23
    Number of Inclines 2
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    Capacity 333
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 46.01
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 300
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1989

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    JOURNAL OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METAL-

  • Deposit

    LURGY, 1968, CHROMIUM IN SOUTH AFRICA, V. 68.

  • Deposit

    MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA, 1959,

  • Deposit

    CHROMIUM: GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF SOUTH AFRICA, 4TH. ED,

  • Deposit

    P. 187-200.

  • Deposit

    RANKIN, G., 1975, "CHROMIUM AND FERROCHROMIUM IN SOUTH

  • Deposit

    AFRICA", SANDERS AND TAYLOR INC. , INVESTMENT INDUSTRY

  • Deposit

    REPORT JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA, P. 1-117.

  • Deposit

    METALS BULLETIN, 1969, "UNION CORP.'S ZWARTKOP", DEC. 16,

  • Deposit

    1969, P. 25-28.

  • Deposit

    COAL, GOLD & BASE METALS, 1975, "LONGHOLING HITS GOLD AT

  • Deposit

    ZWARTKOP", V. 23, NO. 6, P 15-21.

  • Deposit

    DE WET, J.F., 1952, "CHROMITE INVESTIGATIONS- PART IV",

  • Deposit

    JOURNAL OF THE CHEMICAL, METALLURGICAL AND MINING, SOC.

  • Deposit

    OF S. AFRICA, V. 53, NO.1 P 1-10.

  • Deposit

    WASSERSTEIN, B., 1936, "CRITICAL ZONE OF THE BUSHVELD GAB-

  • Deposit

    BRO", TRANS. OF THE GEOL. SOC. OF S. AFRICA, PAPER READ

  • Deposit

    JUNE 23, 1936.

  • Deposit

    SIEMS, P., 1976, "CHROMITE MINES AND RESOURCESOF THE UNION

  • Deposit

    OF SOUTH AFRICA", MINERALS AVAIL. SYSTEM DEC. 1976,

  • Deposit

    P. 21-23.

  • Deposit

    INDUSTRIAL MINERALS, FEB. 1970, "THE ZWARTKOP CHROME MINE

  • Deposit

    OF SOUTH AFRICA".

  • Deposit

    SILK, M H, 1988, "WORLD CHROMITE RESOURCE AND FERRCHROME

  • Deposit

    PRODUCTION", MINTEK SPECIAL PUBL. NO. 11.

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

    THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA", USBM 1988.

  • Deposit

    GOLDER AND ASSOC., 1981, "DEPOSIT PROFILE - ZWARTKOP, S.A.".

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 13-MAY-93 Boyle, Ed U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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