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Bultfontein Mine

Producer in Eastern Cape, South Africa with commodity Diamond
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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. Alteration
  8. Mineral occurrence model information
  9. Host and associated rocks
  10. Nearby scientific data
  11. Geologic structures
  12. Ore body information
  13. Controls for ore emplacement
  14. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  15. Mining district
  16. Ownership information
  17. Production statistics
  18. Workings at the site
  19. Links to other databases
  20. Bibliographic references
  21. General comments
  22. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10071395
MRDS ID W014764
Record type Site
Current site name Bultfontein Mine

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 24.86819, -28.76321 (WGS84)
Elevation 1204
Relative position AT THE TOWN OF KIMBERLEY (SOUTHEAST OF CITY CENTER)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Eastern Cape(province)

South Africa(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
South Africa Eastern Cape

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Diamond Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Garnet Gangue
Ilmenite Gangue
Phlogopite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) "Yellow Ground" Oxidized And Tuffaceous To Depth Of 15 M

Analytical data

Result DIAMOND RECOVERIES CURRENTLY RANGE BETWEEN 0.288 - 0.324 CARATS PER TON OF BLUE GROUND HOISTED. INDUSTRIAL DIAMONDS COMPRISE 70 PERCENT O RECOVERIES, GEM DIAMONDS 30%

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 31
USGS model code 12
Deposit model name Diamond-bearing kimberlite pipes

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Granite
    Rock unit name Bultfontein Kimberlite;Melaphyre And Granite
    Rock description Bultfontein Kimberlite;Melaphyre And Granite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Permian
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cretaceous
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Ultramafic Intrusive Rock > Peridotite > Kimberlite
    Rock unit name Dwyka Tillite And Shale
    Rock description Dwyka Tillite And Shale

Nearby scientific data

(1) 24.86819, -28.76321
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description An Elliptical/Vertical Pipe In Precambrian Melaphyre And Granite And In Karroo System Dwyka Tillite And Shale
Type of structure Local
Structure description Bultfontein Kimberlite (Cretaceous); Dwyka Tillite & Shale (Karroo) (Paleozoic) Melaphyre And Granite (Precambrian)

Ore body information

  • General form ELLIPTICAL/VERTICAL
    Dip 90 - DEG
    Length 457M
    Width 267M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Volcanic Crater Of Explosive Type Filled With Kimberlite

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Non-metallic
Deposit size Medium
Significant No
Discovery year 1869
Discoverer Cornelis Hendrik Du Plooy
Year of first production 1870

Mining district

District name Kimberley Area

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Kimberley Division Mines
  • Type Owner
    Owner Debeers Consolidated Mines Ltd.

Production statistics

  • Year 1976
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^Industrial Diamonds 70 %, Gem Diamonds 30 %
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Diamond Diamond Gemstones 100wt-pct
  • Year 1977
    Material DIA
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^Industrial Diamonds 70%, Gem Diamond
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Diamond Gemstones 70wt-pct
  • Year 1981
    Material DIA
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^35.27 Ct/100 Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Diamond Gemstones 0g/mt
  • Year 1981
    Material ORE DIA
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^35.54 Ct/100 Met Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Diamond Diamond Gemstones 0g/mt

Comments on the production information

  • MINE NOT OPERATED DURING 1972-1973.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Area 12.141HA
    Overall depth 850M

Comments on the workings information

  • CURRENT OPERATING LEVEL 850 M. BLOCK CAVING MINING METHOD EMPLOYED.

Comments on development

  • MILL.CAP: 600,000 MET. T/YR. 1974 ; ECON.COM: PRODUCTION SUSPENDED IN SEPT. 1971; REOPENED WITH EXPANDED AND MODERNIZED PLANT IN JUNE 1974. BULTFONTEIN SHAFT ALSO HOISTS ORE FROM NEIGHBORING DUTOITSPAN MINE. LIFE OF BULTFONTEIN MINE CURRENTLY LIMITED TO AN ESTIMATED 3 YEARS AT CURRENT OUTPUT LEVEL.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    MINERAL RESOURCES OF SOUTH-CENTRAL AFRICA, PELLETIER, R. A.; 1964

  • Deposit

    INTERNATIONAL DIAMOND ANNUAL; WILSON, A. N.; VOL. 1. 1971

  • Deposit

    MODERN PRACTICES IN DIAMOND MINING IN SOUTH AFRICA; THE SOUTH AFRICA INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY; JOHANNESBURG; MARCH 1961

  • Deposit

    "KIMBERLEY CENTENARY" (SUPPLEMENT TO THE DIAMOND NEWS AND S. A. JEWELLER; JULY 1971), "THE KIMBERLEY DIAMONDS"; DEBEERS CONSOLIDATED MINES BROCHURE; UNDATED. DEBEERS CONSOLIDATED MINES LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT; 197

  • Production

    DE BEERS CONSOLIDATED MINES LTD ANNUAL REPORTS ; DE BEERS ANNUAL REPORT-1982 ; DE BEERS ANNUAL REPORT - 1983 ; DE BEERS ANNUAL REPORT - 1984 ; DE BEERS ANNUAL REPORT - 1985 ; DE BEERS ANNUAL REPORT-1986 ; DE BEERS CONSOLIDATED DIAMOND MINES LIMITED 1979 ANNUAL REPORT ; DE BEERS CONSOLIDATED DIAMOND MINES LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT 1980 ; DE BEERS ANNUAL REPORT 1981 ; DEBEERS CONSOLIDATED MINES LIMITED ANNUAL REPORTS: 1971 , 1974 - 1977 ; DE BEERS CONSOLIDATED DIAMOND MINES LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT 1978 ; DE BEERS CONSOLIDATED MINES LIMITED ANNUAL REPORTS: 1971 , 1974 - 1976

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit ORIGINAL SURFACE AREA COVERED ABOUT 30 ACRES TOTAL DEPTH OF PIPE NOT AVAILABLE. CURRENT MINING PLANS CALL FOR TERMINATION OF OPERATIONS WITH DEPLETION OF ORE ON THE CURRENT OPERATING LEVEL (850 METERS)
Deposit INFORMATION MERGED FROM RECORD NUMBER W027322 ; W028259 ; W028860 ; W028861 ; W030974 ; W032269 ; W033021 ; W033175 ; W033829 ; W044577 ; W055336

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-DEC-1976 Sweetwood, Charles W. Department of State
Updater 01-JUL-1985 Mccarter, Lorna D Department of State
Updater 01-AUG-1977 Sweetwood, Charles W. Department of State
Updater 01-OCT-1978 Sweetwood, Charles W. Department of State
Updater 01-MAY-1980 Sweetwood, Charles W. Department of State
Updater 01-JUL-1981 Mccarter, Lorna D. Department of State
Updater 01-JUL-1982 Mccarter, Lorna D. Department of State
Updater 01-JUN-1984 Mccarter, Lorna D. Department of State
Updater 01-JUL-1983 Mccarter, Lorna D. Department of State
Updater 01-JUL-1985 Mccarter, Lorna D Department of State
Updater 01-MAY-1986 Mccarter, Lorna D Department of State
Updater 01-JUL-1987 Mccarter, Lorna D. Department of State

Beyond USGS

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

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