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Zwartkop Intermediate Seam

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. Materials information
  7. Nearby scientific data
  8. Ore body information
  9. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  10. Mining district
  11. Ownership information
  12. Workings at the site
  13. Links to other databases
  14. Bibliographic references
  15. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10280286
MRDS ID W028281
MAS/MILS ID 7910200222
Record type Site
Current site name Zwartkop Intermediate Seam
Related records 10079230, 10231513, 10231583, 10304623

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

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Dolomite Unknown
Pyroxene Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 27.30144, -24.78837
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Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N45E
    Dip 23E
    Thickness 0.15M
    Length 9000M
    Width 460M
    Depth to top 0M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 2
    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 150
    Date of Last Modification 930514

Comments on the geologic information

  • A LARGE DOLORITE DIKE CUTS THE SEAMS, GOING NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST.

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 Handsort

Mining district

District name West Bushveld Complex

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Samancor / Gencor
    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

  • 1/89 INSITU DEMO. TONNAGE= TO 300 M VERT. DEPTH, 90 PCT RECOV. THIS SEQ. NUMBER (791-020-0222) IS ONLY FOR THE ZWARTKOP INTERMEDIATE SEAM. THE OTHER SEQ. NUMBERS ARE: 791-020-0036 (MAGAZINE SEM), 791-020-0221 (NEW SEAM), 791-020-0223 (COMPOUND SEAM). THE INTERMEDIATE SEAM IS ALSO SOMETIMES CALLED THE LG 3 SEAM.
  • LAST MINING AT ZWARTKOP (ALL SEAMS) IN 1979; ALL EQUIPMENT REMOVED BY 1984. INTERMEDIATE SEAM ANALYZED AT 50,000 MTPY ROM FOR: 43,650 MTPY LUMP AT 50 % CR2O3. LUMP PRODS. AT 2.0-2.25/1.0 CR/FE. INTERMEDIATE SEAM= .15 M THICK, DIP OF 19 DEGS.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 2
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method RESUING 10-61
    Percent Recovery 90
    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 19
    Number of Inclines 2
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    Capacity 200
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 91.6
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 250
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1989

Comments on other economic factors

  • ELECTRIC POWER IS PROVIDED BY ESCOM. THE ORE HAS AN SIO2 CONTENT OF 1.6-2.0 %. IN THE PAST, THE PROPERTY HAS USED 2 CONCENTRATION PLANTS, EACH PRODUCING 653 MT PER DAY.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    JOURNAL OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METAL-

  • Deposit

    LURGY, 1968, CHROMIUM IN SOUTH AFRICA, V68.

  • 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.", SAUNDERS AND TAYLORINC., INVESTMENT INDUSTRY

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

    METAL BULLITIN, 1969, "UNION CORPORATION'S ZWARTKOP", DEC 16

  • Deposit

    1969, P. 25-28.

  • Deposit

    COAL, GOLD AND 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", JOURNAL

  • Deposit

    OF THE CHEMICAL, METALLURGICAL & MINING SOC. OF S. AFRICA,

  • Deposit

    V. 53, NO. 1, P. 1-10.

  • Deposit

    WASSERSTEIN B, 1936, "CRITICAL ZONE OF THE BUSHVELD GABBRO

  • Deposit

    TRANS. OF THE GEOL. SOC. OF S. AFRICA, PAPER READ 23 JUNE

  • Deposit

    1936.

  • Deposit

    SIEMS P, 1976, "CHROMITE MINES AND RESOURCE OF THE UNION OF

  • Deposit

    SOUTH AFRICA". MINERALS AVAIL. SYSTEM DEC. 1976, P. 21-23

  • Deposit

    INDUSTRIAL MINERALS, 1970, "THE ZWARTKOP MINE OF CHROME OF

  • Deposit

    SOUTH AFRICA", FEB. 1970.

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

    PRODUCTION", MINTEK SPECIAL PUBL. NO. 11.

  • Deposit

    DAVIDOFF R L, BOYLE E H JR., "NOTES FROM VISIT TO THE RE-

  • Deposit

    PUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA", USBM PUBL. 1988.

  • Deposit

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

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 14-MAY-1993 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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