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Pp Rust Potgietersrus

Producer in South Africa with commodities 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. Nearby scientific data
  7. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  8. Mining district
  9. Mineral rights holdings
  10. Ownership information
  11. Reserves and resources
  12. Workings at the site
  13. Links to other databases
  14. Bibliographic references
  15. General comments
  16. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10305051
MAS/MILS ID 7910200180
Record type Site
Current site name Pp Rust Potgietersrus
Alternate or previous names Lebowa Platinym Mines Ltd., Rustenburg Platnum Mines Ltd., Platreef, Potgietersrus

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 28.82222, -24.0217 (WGS84)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

South Africa(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country
South Africa

Commodities

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

Nearby scientific data

(1) 28.82222, -24.0217
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Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1925
Mining method Open Pit
Year of first production 1993
Milling method Flotation

Mining district

District name Lebowa

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Fee Ownership

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Potgietersrus Platinum Holdings
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1988
  • Type Owner
    Owner Rusterburg Platinum Holdings
    Interest 50
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1988
  • Type Owner
    Owner Lebowa Platinum Mines Ltd
    Interest 50
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1988

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1991
    Measured 56000000mt ore
    Demonstrated 56000000mt ore
    Total resources 56000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Platinum Pt 2.114 g/mt PGE Major 1991
    Rhodium Rh 0.151 g/mt PGE Trace 1991
    Palladium Pd 2.32 g/mt PGE Trace 1991
    Ruthenium Ru 0.206 g/mt PGE Trace 1991
    Iridium Ir 0.035 g/mt PGE Trace 1991
    Osmium Os 0.035 g/mt PGE Trace 1991
    Gold Au 0.161 g/mt Gold Minor 1991
    Nickel Ni 0.243 wt-pct Nickel Minor 1991
    Copper Cu 0.171 wt-pct Copper Minor 1991

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • POTGIETERSRUST PLATINUM, A JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN RPM AND LEBPLAT, BEGAN TO DEVELOP A MINE ON THE PLATREEF NORTH OF THE TOWN OF POTGIETERSRUST DURING 1990. THE OPERATION WOULD PRODUCE 200,00 TONNES PER MONTH OF ORE FROM TWO SHAFTS BY SEPTEMBER 1994. THIS WOULD PROVIDE ANNUAL REFINED OUTPUT OF 190,000 OZ OF PLATINUM AND 160,00 OZ OF PALLADIUM. GRADES MUCH HIGHER THAN MERENSKY REEF MINE OPENED AS OPEN PIT IN 1993 PRODUCING 200,000 MT/MONTH
  • LPM CIRCULAR 1988 109 MILLION TONS @ 5.58 G/T PT AND .26% NI. RESERVES WITHIN 200 M OF SURFACE.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method PROPOSED
    Mining Method OPEN STOPE
    Capacity 6600
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 21.7
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 300
    Year of Information 1989

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    DMA SERIES 1501 MAP, SHEET SF 35-16, SCALE 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    COETZEE,C.B., ED., THE MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF

  • Deposit

    SOUTH AFRICA, HANDBOOK NO.7, GEOL.SURVEY OF S.A., 5TH ED.,

  • Deposit

    1976, PRETORIA, PP. 95-97.

  • Deposit

    JOHNSON MATTHEY-PLATINUM 1991, P.13.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit MINERAL RESOURCES OF SOUTH AFRICA, 5TH ED.,DESCRIBES POTGIETERSRUS DEPOSITS AS FOLLOWS: "DEPOSITS HAVE BEEN TRACED FOR ABOUT 36 KM FROM MACALACASKOP 243 KR IN THE SOUTH TO ELANDSFONTEIN 766 LR IN THE NORTH." DEPOSITS DIP STEEPLY AND STRIKE MORE OR LESS PARALLEL TO THE CONTACT BETWEEN BASIC ROCKS AND UNDERLYING GRANITE OR METASEDIMENTS. TWO TYPES OF DEPOSITS: MAGMATIC AND METASOMATIC. MAGMATIC:FOUND IN THICK LAYER OF PYROXENITE, CERTAIN SIMILARITIES TO MERENSKY REEF BUT VALUES MORE IRREGULAR, OCCUR OVER MUCH GREATER THICKNESSES AND NO DEFINITE FOOT- WALL CONTACT. EQUAL PROPORTIONS OF PT & PD, RESERVES ARE CONSIDERABLE. METASOMATIC: WIDE CONTACT ZONE ALONG WITH VEIN AND FISSURE DEPOSITS, SOME IN ALTERED DOLOMITE AND SOME IN CRUSH ZONES IN BANDED IRONSTONE BEDS AT TOP OF DOLOMITE SERIES. PROMISING AREAS INCLUDE: ZWARTFONTEIN 818LR, VAALKOP 819 LR AND SANDSLOOT 236 PLUS TWEEFONTEIN 238 KR. ONE SOURCE SAID THAT JOHAN. CONSOL. HOLDS PROPERTY WITH AN OPEN-PITTABLE RESERVE OF 50,000,000 MT ORE-IN POTGIETERS- RUST AREA. NO NAME OR LOCATION GIVEN.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 26-AUG-1994 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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