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Palabora Copper Mine

Producer in South Africa with commodities Copper, Vermiculite, Phosphorus-Phosphates, Platinum, Palladium, Ruthenium, Rhodium, Gold, Iron, Silver, Titanium, Metal, Thorium, 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. Host and associated rocks
  8. Nearby scientific data
  9. Geologic structures
  10. Ore body information
  11. Controls for ore emplacement
  12. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  13. Mining district
  14. Ownership information
  15. Reserves and resources
  16. Links to other databases
  17. Bibliographic references
  18. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10039040
MRDS ID M046564
Record type Site
Current site name Palabora Copper Mine
Alternate or previous names Loolekop, Phalaborwa, Foskor's Old Copper Quarry

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 31.14722, -23.99667 (WGS84)
Relative position FOUR MILES SOUTH OF PHALABORWA

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

South Africa(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country
South Africa

Comments on the location information

  • LOCATION UNKNOWN. MA IS APPARENTLY A CODE NAME

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Vermiculite Primary
Phosphorus-Phosphates Primary
Platinum Critical Secondary
Palladium Critical Secondary
Ruthenium Critical Secondary
Rhodium Critical Secondary
Gold Secondary
Iron Secondary
Silver Secondary
Titanium, Metal Critical Tertiary
Thorium Tertiary
Uranium Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Bornite Ore
Bravoite Ore
Chalcocite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Chrysocolla Ore
Copper Ore
Covellite Ore
Cubanite Ore
Cuprite Ore
Galena Ore
Ilmenite Ore
Linnaeite Ore
Magnetite Ore
Malachite Ore
Marcasite Ore
Millerite Ore
Pentlandite Ore
Pyrite Ore
Pyrrhotite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Tetrahedrite Ore
Biotite Gangue
Chondrodite Gangue
Dolomite Gangue
Olivine Gangue
Phlogopite Gangue
Apatite Unknown

Analytical data

Result PGM: 40% PT, 58% PD, 0.8% RU, 0.7% RH, 0.5% AU, 0% IR AND OS
Result LOMBARD ET AL GIVE DISTRIBUTION MAPS OF CU, FE, P2O5, TI

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Carbonatite, Intrusive
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic

Nearby scientific data

(1) 31.14722, -23.99667
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure description Rocks (Phoscorite, Older Banded Carbonatite, Micaceous Pyroxenite In Concentric Pattern, Rocks (Younger Banded Carbonatite, Transgressive Carbonatite) That Fall In Fracture Pattern Superimposed On Concentric Structure; Karoo Dolerite Dikes That Cut All Other Rocks; Phoscorite Consists Of Serpentinized Olivine, Magnetite, Apatite, Mica, Carbonate And Baddelevite Weathered To 200 Feet

Ore body information

  • General form PIPELIKE WITH ELLIPTICAL CROSS SECTION
    Plunge VERTICAL
    Length 1219.2M
    Width 609.6M
    Depth to bottom 1066.8M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Transgressive Carbonatite In Stockwork Of Veinlets

Comments on the geologic information

  • HR.AGE.MV: OLIVINE PYROXENITE

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Both
Significant No
Production years ORE ACC

Mining district

District name Letaba Mining District

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Palabora Mining Co. Ltd.; Phosphate Development Corp. (Pty), Transvaal Ore Co.

Comments on the production information

  • PALABORA WILL INCREASE T PROD TO 125,000 TPY CU PLUS ASSOCIATED BYPRODUCTS, 1977.. ANNUAL PRODUCTION (ITEM)=ORE ACCURATE, (AMOUNT)= 80,000,000 TONS OF ORE AND WASTE PRODUCED IN 1976. CUT OFF GRADE 0.2% CU. 1975, ORE SUPPLIED TO MILL TO BE INCREASED 74,000 MET.TONS/DAY. PRODUCTION OF 125,000 MET.TONS/YEAR OF REFINED CU TO BEGIN BY 1977. 1977, ORE PRODUCTION 300,000 MET.TONS/DAY. CUTOFF GRADE 0.2% CU. 1975, ORE SUPPLIED TO MILL TO BE INCREASED 74,000 METRIC TONS/DAY. PRODUCTION OF 125,0 00 METRIC TONS/YEAR OF REFINED CU TO BEGIN BY 1977. IN 1977 , ORE PRODUCTION 300,000 METRIC TONS/DAY.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1964
    Total resources 45351000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.7 wt-pct Copper Major 1964
    Phosphorus-Phosphates P2O5 6 wt-pct Phosphorus Major 1964

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • OREBODY DRILLED TO DEPTH OF 1200 M IN 1976
  • 3 = 0.34 FOR INNER ZONE; 0.12 FOR OUTER ZONE, TH/U = 5:1 FOR INNER OUTER = 2.5:1; ORE RESERVE = 1874 TONS TH AND 588 TONS U PER 100 FT DEPTH

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    LOMBAARD, WARD - ABLE, BRUCE, 1964, GEOL. SOL. SOUTH AFRICA, ORE DEPOSITS, V. II, P. 315 - 337

  • Deposit

    COUSINS AND VERMAAK, 1976, ECON GEOL, V. 71 P. 287 - 305

  • Deposit

    LIST OF WORKING MINES IN REPUBLIC OF S. AFRICA, 1968: DEPT. MINES, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, NO. 18, SUPPL., P. 1

  • Deposit

    ENG. MIN. JOURNAL 1977 PALABORA: ENG. MIN. JOUR. MAY 1977

  • Deposit

    1957 DIREXPL 135,937 FT DRILL COR

  • Reserve-Resource

    VERWOERD, 1967, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY HANDBOOK SOUTH AFRICA NO. 6

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-FEB-1976 Page, Norman J. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

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