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Beatrix

Producer in Free State, South Africa with commodities Gold, Silver, Uranium
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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. Ownership information
  13. Reserves and resources
  14. Workings at the site
  15. Links to other databases
  16. Bibliographic references
  17. General comments
  18. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10304679
MRDS ID W033824
MAS/MILS ID 7910150018
Record type Site
Current site name Beatrix
Alternate or previous names Leeubult, Beatrix Leeubult
Related records 10081614

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 26.76819, -28.27984 (WGS84)
Elevation 1380
Location accuracy 1000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Free State(province)

South Africa(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
South Africa Free State

Comments on the location information

  • PROPERTY LOCATED IN THE UNISSEN DISTRICT OF THE ORANGE FREE STATE GOLD FIELD.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Secondary
Uranium Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Unknown
Pyrite Unknown
Quartz Unknown
Silver Unknown
Uraninite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 26.76819, -28.27984
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N00E
    Dip 06E
    Thickness 1.4M
    Depth to top 950M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 SEDIMENTARY
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 STRATIFORM
    Primary mode of Origin SEDIMENTATION
    Secondary mode of Origin METAMORPHISM
    Primary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. NONE
    Strike And Dip N00E:06E
    Minimum Depth to Top 500
    Date of Last Modification 860102
  • Area 3220HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 3220
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Comments on the geologic information

  • THE BEATRIX REEF OCCURS AT THE BASE OF THE QUARTZITE SEQUENCE AND HAS BEEN CORRELATED WITH THE ELDORADO FORMATION OF THE WITWATERSRAND SUPERGROUP. THE REEF OCCURS AT DEPTHS RANGING FROM 500 M, AT THE SUBOUTCROP, TO 1400 M BELOW THE SURFACE. THE DIP VARIES FROM 3 TO 9 DEG. AND THE REEF THICK- NESS VARIES FROM 20MM TO 3M, WITH AVG. STOPE WIDTH OF 1.45M. THE REEF BEING MINED AT BEATRIX HAS ONLY BEEN REFERRED TO IN THE PRESS AS THE "BEATRIX" REEF. THUS, IT IS BELIEVED TO BE UNIQUE, IN THAT NO OPERATION HAS MINED THIS REEF BEFORE. THE STRIKE AND DIP DIRECTIONS OF THE "BEATRIX" REEF HAVE NOT BEEN CITED IN THE LITERATURE. HOWEVER, THE FACT THAT THE REEF BEING MINED AT BEISA (NEARBY) STRIKES N-S AND DIPS TO THE EAST, AND THAT THE 2 SHAFTS AT BEATRIX ARE SITED ON A N-S AXIS, TENDS TO INDICATE N-S STRIKE AND DIP TO THE EAST, AT BEATRIX.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Medium
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1977
Mining method Open Stope - Breast Stoping
Milling method Hydrometallurgy Unspecified

Mining district

District name Orange Free State Gold Fields

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Federal Lease

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Buffelsfontein Gold Mining Co. Ltd.
    Interest 100
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1983
  • Type Owner
    Owner General Mining Union Corp.
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1983

Comments on the production information

  • LATEST MAJOR EXPLORATION PROGRAM OCCURRED IN PERIOD OF 1977-1980. ANNOUNCEMENT OF MAJOR FIND FROM DIA.DRILLING PROG. ANNOUNCED DEC. 1979. FEASIBILITY STUDY COMPLETED JUNE 1980, AND DECISION TO DEVELOP MADE IN LATE 1980. THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME DRILLING ON THE PROPERTY PRIOR TO 1977, AND INITIALLY LEAD TO MINERAL CONTENT WAS MOST LIKELY FROM GEOPHYSICAL WORK.
  • PA = DORE BULLION, WHICH IS TRUCKED, IN ARMORED CARS, TO THE RAND REFINERY AT GERMISTON.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1980
    Indicated 45400000mt ore
    Demonstrated 45400000mt ore
    Total resources 45400000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 6.05 g/mt Gold Major 1980
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1993
    Demonstrated 4260000mt ore
    Total resources 4260000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 9.4 g/mt Gold Major 1993

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • WAS UPDATED FOR THE 1992 AU AVAILABILITY STUDY. 1989 PROD.= 423,081 OZ FROM MILLING 2,157,000 MT ORE. STARTED PROD. MID-LATE 1984. FULL CAPACITY BY 1986/1987. 1991 PROD. = 407,253 OZ AU FROM TREATING 2,080,000 TNS ORE.
  • 40.0 MILLION MT RESOURCE = MINEABLE TONNAGE. PROPERTY SHOULD HAVE ADDITIONAL POTENTIAL BEYOND THIS TONNAGE OVER ENTIRE LEASE AREA OF 3,440 HA. HOWEVER, ADDITIONAL TONNAGE WAS NOT ESTIMATED, DUE TO LACK OF DETAILED DATA.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 930M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method BREAST STOPING 10-30
    Percent Waste Rock 16.7
    Percent Recovery 100
    Hardness of Rock HARDROCK FISSURED WITH MODERATE WATER
    Rock Characteristics MULTIPLE SYSTEMS OF WEAKNESS PLANES
    Rock Support Chars. SUPPORTING
    Mine Support Chars. POST, HEADBOARD, CAPS, ROOF BOLTS
    Number of Shafts 3
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    Capacity 5714
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 29.17
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 350
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1982

Comments on other economic factors

  • INITIALLY, THE PROPERTY WILL BE DEVELOPED BY SHAFTS 1 AND 2, CURRENTLY BEING SUNK TO 956M AND 906M, RESPECTIVELY. FOR ANALYSIS THRU THE YEAR 2004, IT IS PROPOSED THAT ANOTHER PROD./VENT. SHAFT SYSTEM WILL HAVE TO BE SUNK ON THE PROPERTY.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Geology

    ANHAEUSSER, C.R. 1976, THE NATURE AND DISTRIBUTION OF

  • Geology

    ARCHAEN GOLD MINERALIZATION IN SOUTHERN AFRICA. MINERALS

  • Geology

    SCI. ENGNG., V. 8, NO. 1, PP. 46-84.

  • Geology

    BOYLE, R.W. 1979, THE GEOCHEMISTRY OF GOLD AND IT'S

  • Geology

    DEPOSITS. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, BULL. 280, 584 PP.

  • Geology

    HAUGHTON, S.H., ED. 1964A, THE GEOLOGY OF SOME ORE

  • Geology

    DEPOSITS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA. V. 1, GOLD DEPOSITS OF THE

  • Geology

    WITWATERSRAND BASIN. GEOL. SOC. S. AFRICA, JOHANNESBURG,

  • Geology

    625 PP.

  • Geology

    LIEBENBERG, W.R. 1972, MINERALOGICAL FEATURES OF GOLD

  • Geology

    ORES IN SOUTH AFRICA. PUBLISHED IN GOLD METALLURGY IN SOUTH

  • Geology

    AFRICA, EDITED BY R.J. ADAMSON. CHAMBER OF MINES OF S. AFR.

  • Geology

    MINTER, U.E.L. 1976, DETRITAL GOLD, URANIUM, AND PYRITE

  • Geology

    CONCENTRATIONS PILATED TO SEDIMENTOLOGY IN THE PRECAMBRIAN

  • Geology

    VAAL REEF PLACER, WITWATERSRAND, SOUTH AFRICA. ECONOMIC

  • Geology

    GEOLOGY, V. 71, PP. 157-176.

  • Geology

    PRETORIUS, D.A. 1981, GOLD AND URANIUM IN QUARTZ-PEBBLE

  • Geology

    CONGLOMERATES. ECONOMIC GEOLOGY 75TH ANNIVERSARY VOLUME,

  • Geology

    PP. 117-138.

  • Geology

    PRETORIUS, D.A. 1975, THE DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF

  • Geology

    THE WITWATERSRAND GOLDFIELDS. A CHRONOLOGICAL REVIEW OF

  • Geology

    SPECULATIONS AND OBSERVATIONS. MIN. SCI. ENGNG., V. 7,

  • Geology

    NO. 1, PP. 18-47.

  • Geology

    SMITH, N.D., AND W.E.L. MINTER. 1980, SEDIMENTOLOGICAL

  • Geology

    CONTROLS OF GOLD AND URANIUM IN TWO WITWATERSRAND PALEO-

  • Geology

    PLACERS. ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, V. 75, PP. 1-14.

  • Production

    ADAMSON, R.J. (ED.). 1972, GOLD METALLURGY IN SOUTH

  • Production

    AFRICA, CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA, 452 PP.

  • Production

    FINANCIAL TIMES. 1981, MINING INTERNATIONAL YEARBOOK

  • Production

    (SELECTED EXCERPTS).

  • Production

    KING, A.. 1949, GOLD METALLURGY ON THE WITWATERSRAND.

  • Production

    TRANSVAAL CHAMBER OF MINES, 458 PP.

  • Production

    MCQUISTON, F.W. AND R.S. SHOEMAKER. 1975, GOLD AND

  • Production

    SILVER CYANIDATION PLANT PRACTICE. SOCIETY OF MINING ENG.

  • Reserve-Resource

    AME MINERAL ECONOMICS, P. 32.

  • Deposit

    CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA, 1981, RAND REFINERY,

  • Deposit

    P.R.D. SERIES NO. 255, 20PP.

  • Deposit

    CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA, 1980, GOLD IN SOUTH

  • Deposit

    AFRICA, P.R.D. SERIES NO. 241, 28PP.

  • Deposit

    CHAMBER OF MINES, 1980, OVERVIEW OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN

  • Deposit

    MINING INDUSTRY.

  • Deposit

    ELEVATORSKI, E.A. 1981, GOLD MINES OF THE WORLD.

  • Deposit

    PUBLISHED BY MINOBRAS, PP. 78-86.

  • Deposit

    POTTS, D. 1981, THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOLD MINING INDUSTRY,

  • Deposit

    1981. PUBLISHED BY CONSOLIDATED GOLD FIELDS, LTD., PP.17-85.

  • Deposit

    GOLD INSTITUTE. 1981, GOLD REGULATIONS AND TAXES FOR

  • Deposit

    MINING, REFINING, MANUFACTURING AND TRADE IN THIRTEEN

  • Deposit

    COUNTRIES. PP. 74-79.

  • Deposit

    CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA. 1982, ANALYSIS OF

  • Deposit

    WORKING RESULTS, OCTOBER-DECEMBER, 1981, 8 PP.

  • Deposit

    CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA. 1981, 91ST ANNUAL

  • Deposit

    REPORT AND STATISTICAL TABLES. 116 PP.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL RESEARCH SERVICES. 1982, PRODUCTION AND

  • Deposit

    CAPITAL EXPENDITURES FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOLD MINES, 1966-

  • Deposit

    1981.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL RESEARCH SERVICES. 1982, SUMMARY REPORT

  • Deposit

    OF PRODUCTION AND RECOVERY FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOLD MINES,

  • Deposit

    1966-1981.

  • Deposit

    MOHIDE, T.F. 1981, GOLD MINERAL POLICY BACKGROUND PAPER

  • Deposit

    NO. 12. ONTARIO MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES, PP. 84-112.

  • Deposit

    STORRAR, C.D. 1981, SOUTH AFRICAN MINE VALUATION.

  • Deposit

    CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA, 470 PP.

  • Deposit

    SPECIFIC TO BEATRIX:

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE. BEATRIX MINE ON SCHEDULE FOR EARLY 1984

  • Deposit

    START-UP. DECEMBER 1983, PP. 425-426.

  • Deposit

    S.A. MINING AND ENGINEERING JOURNAL. BEATRIX SUPPORTS

  • Deposit

    FAITH IN HIGH GOLD PRICE. JULY 1980, P. 101.

  • Deposit

    S.A. MINING AND ENGINEERING JOURNAL. SEPT. 1980.

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE. AUGUST 1980, PP. 93-94.

  • Deposit

    GENCORAMA. MAY 1982.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THE BEATRIX GOLD MINE IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN PRODUCTION DURING THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1984. SOME U3O8 VALUES ARE PRESENT IN THE ORE AND IN THE TAILINGS FROM AU MILLING, BUT NO VALUES HAVE EVER BEEN REPORTED, SINCE INITIAL ECONOMICS NEVER ADDRESSED THE RECOVERY OF U3O8.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-AUG-1994 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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