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Rustenburg Mines

Producer in South Africa with commodities Cobalt, Copper, Gold, Nickel, Iridium, Osmium, Palladium, Platinum, Rhodium, Ruthenium
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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. Mineral rights holdings
  12. Land status
  13. Ownership information
  14. Reserves and resources
  15. Workings at the site
  16. Links to other databases
  17. Bibliographic references
  18. General comments
  19. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10280545
MRDS ID ISM0203
MAS/MILS ID 7910200001
Record type Site
Current site name Rustenburg Mines
Alternate or previous names Rustenberg Platinum Holdings, Rustenburg Section, Atok Section, Amandelbult Section, Union Section
Related records 60000583

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 27.53475, -25.67993 (WGS84)
Elevation 1200
Location accuracy 100(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

South Africa(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country
South Africa

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Cobalt Critical Tertiary
Copper Secondary
Gold Secondary
Nickel Critical Secondary
Iridium Critical Tertiary
Osmium Tertiary
Palladium Critical Tertiary
Platinum Critical Primary
Rhodium Critical Tertiary
Ruthenium Critical Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Unknown
Pentlandite Unknown
Platinum Unknown
Pyrrhotite Unknown
Sperrylite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 27.53475, -25.67993
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N82W
    Dip 10N
    Thickness 1.5M
    Length 4500M
    Width 800M
    Depth to top 100M
    Field Value
    Type of Orebody #1 DISSEMINATED
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 OTHER
    Type of Orebody #3 PEGMATITE
    Primary mode of Origin MAGMATIC DIFFER
    Primary Ore Control BEDDING
    Secondary Ore Control IGNEOUS
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 UNKNOWN
    Strike And Dip N82W:10N
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 2
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Date of Last Modification 830712

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1920
Mining method Caving Methods - Longwall Caving
Year of first production 1926
Milling method Flotation

Mining district

District name Bushveld Igneous Complex

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Federal Lease
Type of mineral rights Minerals Only
Type of mineral rights Unknown

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Rustenburg Platinum Mines Ltd
    Interest 100
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1981
  • Type Operator
    Owner Rustenburg Platinum Mines, Ltd
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1995
  • Type Owner
    Owner Johannesburg, R. S. A.
    Interest 100
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1995

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1989
    Measured 512000000mt ore
    Demonstrated 512000000mt ore
    Total resources 512000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Platinum Pt 3.61 g/mt PGE Major 1989
    Palladium Pd 1.53 g/mt PGE Trace 1989
    Ruthenium Ru 0.49 g/mt PGE Trace 1989
    Rhodium Rh 0.18 g/mt PGE Trace 1989
    Iridium Ir 0.06 g/mt PGE Trace 1989
    Osmium Os 0.05 g/mt PGE Trace 1989
    Gold Au 0.22 g/mt Gold Minor 1989
    Nickel Ni 0.18 wt-pct Nickel Minor 1989
    Copper Cu 0.11 wt-pct Copper Minor 1989
    Cobalt Co 0.004 wt-pct Cobalt Trace 1989

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • ESTIMATED BY U.S. BUREAU OF MINES FOR 50 YEAR MINE LIFE AT 1.3 MILLION OF Pt PRODUCTION PER YEAR

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 583M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method OPEN STOPE
    Hardness of Rock HARDROCK WITH LITTLE WATER
    Rock Characteristics ONE SYSTEM OF WEAKNESS PLANES
    Number of Shafts 6
    Capacity 56733
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 24.96
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 300
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1989

Comments on other economic factors

  • RPM COMPLETED THE FIRST STAGE OF AN EXPANSION PRODUCTION FROM ITS UNION STATION BY 30,000 TONNES PER MONTH OF UG2 ORE. THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED IN SEPTEMBER 1992 BY ADDITIONAL OUTPUT AT THE AMANDELBULT SECTION FURTHER TO THE NORTH, COMPRISING 100,000 TONNES PER MONTH FROM THE UG2 REEF AND 40,000 TONNES PER MONTH FROM THE MERENSKY REEF. BOSCHFONTEIN SHAFT CLOSED 1993 DUE TO LOW PRICES

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    SCHMIDT, E. R., THE STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION OF THE

  • Deposit

    MERENSKY REEF AND ASSOCIATED ROCKS ON THE RUSTENBURG

  • Deposit

    PLATINUM MINE: GEOLOGICAL SOC. SOUTH AFRICA, TRANS, V.

  • Deposit

    55, 1952, P. 233-280.

  • Deposit

    COUSINS, C. A., THE PLATINUM DEPOSITS OF THE MERENSKY REEF.

  • Deposit

    IN THE GEOLOGY OF SOME ORE DEPOSITS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA.

  • Deposit

    GEOLOGICAL SOC. OF SOUTH AFRICA, V. 2, 1964, P. 225.

  • Deposit

    COERTZE, F. S., INTRUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS AND ORE DEPOSITS

  • Deposit

    IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE BUSHVELD IGNEOUS COMPLEX.

  • Deposit

    GEOLOGICAL SOC. OF SOUTH AFRICA, TRANS, V. 61, 1958,

  • Deposit

    P. 387-400.

  • Deposit

    PELLETIER, R. A., MINERAL RESOURCES OF SOUTH CENTRAL

  • Deposit

    AFRICA. OXFORD UNIV. PRESS, CAPETOWN, 1964, P. 94-95.

  • Deposit

    DEKUN, THE MINERAL RESOURCE OF AFRICA: ELSEVIER PUB. CO.,

  • Deposit

    LONDON, 1965, P. 417-425.

  • Deposit

    STAFF, ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, MAY 1976.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL:

  • Deposit

    JAN. 1981, CHAIRMAN'S REVIEW BY G.H. WADDELL, P. 62-63

  • Deposit

    OCT.1979, RUSTENBURG-DRAMATIC EARNINGS INCREASE P. 324

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE:

  • Deposit

    NOV. 1974, EXPANSION PROGRESS AT ATOK PLATINUM P. 347

  • Deposit

    APR. 1980, NEW NI PRODUCTION PLANT AT RUSTENBURG P. 313

  • Deposit

    JAN. 1980, PLATINUM GROUP METAL PRODUCTION FROM THE

  • Deposit

    BUSHVELD COMPLEX, P. 105.

  • Deposit

    OCT. 1977, RUSTENBURG PURCHASES RIVAL PLATINUM PRODUCER,

  • Deposit

    P. 295

  • Deposit

    MOSTERT,J.C., AND P.N. ROBERTS, ELECTRIC SMELTING AT QUSTEN-

  • Deposit

    BURG PLATINUM MINES LTD OF NICKEL-COPPER CONCENTRATES

  • Deposit

    CONTAINING PLATINUM GROUP METALS: JOURNAL OF THE SOUTH

  • Deposit

    AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY, APR. 1973,

  • Deposit

    P. 290-299.

  • Deposit

    ROBERTSON, D., RUSTPLAT PROFITS CLIMB BY 200%; THE RAND

  • Deposit

    DAILY MAIL, OCT 4, 1979

  • Deposit

    , RUSTPLAT STEPS UP PROBE OF U62 REEF; THE RAND DAILY

  • Deposit

    MAIL, JUNE 26, 1979.

  • Deposit

    SCHHELLNUS, S.A.,HIEMSTRA,AND GASPARRINI,E., THE MERENSKY

  • Deposit

    REEF AT THE ATOK PLATINUM MINE AND ITS ENVIRONS, ECON-

  • Deposit

    OMIC GEOLOGY, VOL. 71, 1976, P. 249-260.

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING, RUSTENBURG STARTS PRODUCTION OF COBALT, AUG.

  • Deposit

    1979, P. 83.

  • Deposit

    AMERICAN CONSUL GENERAL, JOHANNESBURG, OPERATIONS OF

  • Deposit

    RUSTENBURG PLATINUM MINES LIMITED, UNION OF SOUTH

  • Deposit

    AFRICA, FOREIGN SERVICE DESPATCH NO. 17, JULY 19, 1965,

  • Deposit

    P. 1-17.

  • Deposit

    BAMBER, D., RUSPLAT CHIEF SEES PLATINUM AT $430, THE CITIZEN

  • Deposit

    NOVEMBER 30, 1979.

  • Deposit

    BEHRMANN, N., RUSTENBURG BISHOPSGATE UNDERVALUED, THE RAND

  • Deposit

    DAILY MAIL, JULY 4, 1978.

  • Deposit

    BUCHANAN, D.L., PLATINUM-GREAT IMPORTANCE OF BUSHVELD

  • Deposit

    COMPLEX, WORLD MINING, AUGUST 1980, P. 56-59.

  • Deposit

    COAL, GOLD, AND BASE MINERALS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA, EQUIPMENT

  • Deposit

    DEVELOPMENTS: STOPE DRILLS AT RUSTPLANTS, JUNE 1979,

  • Deposit

    P. 125.

  • Deposit

    DEPARTMENT OF STATE AIRGRAM NO. A-123, MINING AND PROCESSING

  • Deposit

    FACILITIES AT RUSTENBURG, THE WORLD'S LARGEST

  • Deposit

    PLATINUM MINE, JULY 3, 1969, P. 1-10.

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL DIRECTORY OF MINING, 1979,

  • Deposit

    P. 78, 337.

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, NEW TECHNOLOGY MAY UNLOCK

  • Deposit

    MORE PLATINUM FROM BUSHVELD RESOURCES, NOVEMBER 1980,

  • Deposit

    P. 35-39.

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, NIM RESEARCH REVEALS PGM

  • Deposit

    RECOVERY SYSTEMS FROM HIGH-CHROMITE ORE, DECEMBER 1980,

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, SOUTH AFRICA, JANUARY 1978,

  • Deposit

    P. 154-155.

  • Deposit

    FORBES, J.E., OXYGEN ENRICHMENT OF CONVERTER AIR AT

  • Deposit

    RUSTEMBURG PLATINUM MINES, JOURNAL OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN

  • Deposit

    INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY, APRIL 1973,

  • Deposit

    P. 290-299.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit PLANT TYPE: SMELTER

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 20-APR-1995 Minerals Availability Field Office (Mafo) 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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