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Stilfontein

Producer in South Africa with commodities Gold, Silver, Sulfur, 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. Land status
  12. Ownership information
  13. Production statistics
  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 10134799
MRDS ID W026840
MAS/MILS ID 7910200058
Record type Site
Current site name Stilfontein
Related records 10078492

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 26.83477, -26.74659 (WGS84)
Elevation 1500
Location accuracy 1000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

South Africa(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country
South Africa

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Secondary
Sulfur Tertiary
Uranium Secondary

Materials information

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

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 26.83477, -26.74659
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N45W
    Dip 20E
    Thickness 1.3M
    Depth to top 1700M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 SEDIMENTARY
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin SEDIMENTATION
    Primary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Secondary Ore Control FOLDING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. NONE
    Strike And Dip N45W:20E
    Minimum Depth to Top 600
    Date of Last Modification 860102
  • Strike N45W
    Dip 11E
    Thickness 0.6M
    Depth to top 1700M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 2
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 SEDIMENTARY
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin SEDIMENTATION
    Primary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. NONE
    Strike And Dip N45W:11E
    Minimum Depth to Top 600
    Date of Last Modification 860102
  • Area 3100HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 3100
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface-Underground
Development status Producer
Commodity type Both
Deposit size Medium
Significant Yes
Year of first production 1952
Milling method Hydrometallurgy Unspecified

Mining district

District name Klerksdorp Area Of Witwatersrand

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Stilfontein Gold Mining Co. Ltd.
    Interest 100
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1981
  • Type Owner
    Owner General Mining Group
    Interest 10
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1981

Comments on the ownership information

  • THE STILFONTEIN GOLD MINING CO. LTD. IS A SUBSIDIARY OF GENERAL MINING UNION CORP. LTD. THE CHEMWES MILL IS OWNED BY STILFONTEIN (85%) AND BUFFELSFONTEIN (15%).

Production statistics

  • Year 1976
    Material ore
    Ore mined 1892999mt
    Description 1892999 Mt Of Ore Milled/Yr
  • Year 1977
    Material ore
    Ore mined 1903999mt
    Description 1903999 Mt Of Ore Milled/Yr
  • Year 1978
    Material ore
    Ore mined 1956000mt
    Description 1956000 Mt Of Ore Milled/Yr
  • Year 1979
    Material ore
    Ore mined 1980999mt
    Description 1980999 Mt Of Ore Milled/Yr
  • Year 1980
    Material ore
    Ore mined 1986000mt
    Description 1986000 Mt Of Ore Milled/Yr
  • Year 1981
    Material ore
    Ore mined 1911999mt
    Description 1911999 Mt Of Ore Milled/Yr

Comments on the production information

  • PRODUCTS A AND B ARE COMBINED, AT THE MILL, AS DORE BUL- LION. HOWEVER, THEY ARE REPRESENTED AS SEPARATE PRODUCTS TO SHOW INDIVIDUAL PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS AND CONCENTRATIONS.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1993
    Demonstrated 900000mt ore
    Total resources 900000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 10.8 g/mt Gold Major 1993

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • 1989 AU PRODUCTION = 158,021 OZ FROM TREATING 1,938,259 MT ORE. WAS UPDATED FOR THE 1992 AU AVAILABILITY STUDY. 1991 PROD. = 112,174 OZ. AU FROM TREATING 1,988,000 TNS ORE.
  • Q-MAT 1 REPRESENTS VAAL REEF UNDERGROUND RESOURCE. Q-MAT 2 REPRESENTS VENTERSDORP CONTACT REEF (VCR). Q-MAT 3 REPRESENTS COMBINED RESOURCES(VAAL REEF UG+ VCR). M3C1=M1C1+M2C1; Q-MAT 4 REPRESENTS SLIME MATERIAL FOR U3O8 RECOVERY.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method STRIP-LEVEL
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 0
    Primary Material Cover SAND, SILT
    Hardness of Ore SAND, SILT
    Capacity 9286
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Preprod. Stripping Vol. 0
    Unit Production Cost 24.06
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 350
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1981
  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 2400M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method BREAST STOPING 10-30
    Percent Waste Rock 17.3
    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 5
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    Capacity 5143
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 24.06
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 350
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1982

Comments on other economic factors

  • THE UNDERGROUND MINE NOW USES STEEL ARCHES FOR SUPPORT. THERE ARE 5 SURFACE VERTICAL SHAFTS (MARGARET, SCOTT, CHARLES, TONI, AND JAMES) AND AN EAST SUBVERTICAL SHAFT ON THE PROPERTY.
  • THE FEED GRADE FOR SILVER IS ACTUALLY 0.000027%.
  • FOR DEVELOPMENT RECORD 001, K1 REPRESENTS THE STILFONTEIN GOLD AND PYRITE PROCESSING PLANTS. K2 REPRESENTS THE CHEMWES URANIUM PLANT. BUFFELSFONTEIN HAS 15% INTEREST IN THE CHEMWES PLANT. THERE IS AN ACID PLANT THAT IS ALSO REPRESENTED BY K1, PRODUCING 60,000 MTPY OF CONCENTRATED ACID (46,000 MTPY FOR H2SO4 FOR U3O8 RECOVERY, AND 14,000 MTPY SOLD F.O.B. MILL TO CHAMBER OF MINES). STILFONTEIN MILL PROCESSED 153,000 MT OF BUFFELSFONTEIN ORE;THIS SMALL TONNAGE IS NOT MENTIONED IN EITHER DATA BASE.
  • THE UNDERGROUND RESERVES WILL BE DEPLETED FROM 1982-1989, WHILE THE SLIMES DAM RECOVERY IS ALSO IN PROCESS. 3,250,000 MTPY WILL BE RECOVERED IN SLIMES, WHILE 1,800,000 MTPY WILL BE PRODUCED BY UNDERGROUND MINING. THE MATERIAL FROM UNDERGROUND MINING IS PROCESSED AT STILFONTEIN AND THE SURFACE MINING MATERIAL IS PROCESSED AT CHEMWES MILL. FROM 1990-1998 STILFONTEIN WILL ONLY PRODUCE SLIMES MATERIAL, WHICH WILL BE PROCESSED AT CHEMWES ALSO.

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

    MINING JOURNAL SUPPLEMENT. NOV.3,1978.

  • Reserve-Resource

    ANNUAL REPORT - STILFONTEIN GOLD MINING CO. LTD., 1981.

  • Reserve-Resource

    AME MINERAL ECONOMICS QUARTERLY MINE ANALYSIS, JUN 93,P. 32.

  • Deposit

    TOOMBS, R.B., A SURVEY OF THE MINERAL INDUSTRY OF SOUTH

  • Deposit

    AFRICA, MINERAL INFORMATION BULLETIN MR 58, MINERAL

  • Deposit

    RESOURCES DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF MINES, OTTAWA, 1962.

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING, WITWATERSRAND GOLD, MAY 1977, P. 50-53.

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING REGISTER 76-77, MILLER FREEMAN PUBLICATIONS,

  • Deposit

    INC., 1977.

  • Deposit

    MINTER, W.E.L., DETRITAL GOLD, URANIUM, AND PYRITE CON-

  • Deposit

    CENTRATIONS RELATED TO SEDIMENT GEOLOGY IN THE PRECAMBRI-

  • Deposit

    AN VAAL REEF PLACER, WITWATERSRAND, SOUTH AFRICA, ECONO-

  • Deposit

    MIC GEOLOGY; V. 71, NO. 1, 1977, P. 157-176.

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORY OF

  • Deposit

    MINING AND MINERAL PROCESSING OPERATIONS, MC GRAW HILL,

  • Deposit

    NEW YORK, 1976.

  • Deposit

    SOUTH AFRICA, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SPECIAL PUBLICATION NO. 18,

  • Deposit

    1972.

  • Deposit

    MINING ANNUAL REVIEW, MINING JOURNAL, LONDON, 1977, P. 431-

  • Deposit

    443.

  • Deposit

    COETZEE, C.B., MINERAL RESOURCES OF SOUTH AFRICA, GEOLOGICAL

  • Deposit

    SURVEY PUBLICATION, HANDBOOK 7, FIFTH EDITION, 1976,

  • Deposit

    P. 39-74, 233-240.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, QUARTER ENDING, JUNE 1977.

  • Deposit

    THE MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA, GEOLOGI-

  • Deposit

    CAL SURVEY PUBLICATION, 1959, FOURTH EDITION.

  • Deposit

    WATERMEYER, G.A. AND HOFFENBERG, S.N., WITWATERSRAND MINING

  • Deposit

    PRACTICE, THE TRANSVAAL CHAMBER OF MINES, GOLD PRODUCERS

  • Deposit

    COMMITTEE, 1932.

  • Deposit

    STILFONTEIN GOLD MINING CO., LTD., ANNUAL REPORTS, 1975,

  • Deposit

    1976.

  • Deposit

    CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA, 83RD ANNUAL REPORT, 1972,

  • Deposit

    P. 55, 60.

  • 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

    ANNUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS- STILFONTEIN GOLD MINING CO.

  • Deposit

    LTD., 1975 AND 1976.

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING. STILFONTEIN AND BUFFELS TO BUILD PLANT FOR

  • Deposit

    RECOVERY OF URANIUM FROM TAILING. APRIL 1978, PP. 104-105.

  • Deposit

    E/MJ. SOUTH AFRICANS USE STEEL ARCHES TO BRACE COLLAPSED

  • Deposit

    OR WEAK CROSSCUTS. JULY 1976, PP. 31, 35.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, EXCERPTS FROM QUARTERLY REVIEW OF SOUTH

  • Deposit

    AFRICAN GOLD SHARES, 2/80 - 2/82.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THE UNDERGROUND ORE AT STILFONTEIN IS SUFFICIENT FOR 8- 10 YEARS OF PRODUCTION (ASSUME 8 YEARS). MOST OF THE FUTURE PRODUCTION LIES WITH THE RECOVERY OF 55 MILLION MT OF SLIMES MATERIAL FOR URANIUM. THE MATERIAL IS RECOVERED BY A BUCKETWHEEL, AND SENT TO CHEMWES URANIUM PLANT. CHEMWES IS MUTUALLY OWNED BY STILFONTEIN AND BUFFELSFONTEIN, WITH STILFONTEIN PROVIDING 85% OF THE PRODUCTION UNTIL LATE 1982, WHEN THE SLIMES AT BUFFELSFONTEIN WILL BE DEPLETED. THERE ARE A TOTAL OF 12,162 EMPLOYEES AT THE MINE. 10,946 OF THESE ARE BLACK (400 SURFACE; 10,546 UNDERGROUND), WHILE 1,216 ARE WHITE (40 SURFACE; 1,176 UNDERGROUND).

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-AUG-94 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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