Stilfontein Gold Mine

Producer in South Africa with commodities Gold, Uranium, Sulfur-Pyrite, Sulfur, Sulfuric Acid, PGE, Silver
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. Host and associated rocks
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Geologic structures
  11. Ore body information
  12. Controls for ore emplacement
  13. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  14. Mining district
  15. Land status
  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 10078492
MRDS ID W026840
Record type Site
Current site name Stilfontein Gold Mine
Related records 10134799

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 26.8348, -26.74659 (WGS84)
Elevation 1372
Relative position 21 KILOMETERS NORTHEAST OF THE TOWN OF KLERKSDORP; 26 KILOMETERS SOUTHWEST OF THE TOWN OF POCHEFSTROOM

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

South Africa(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country
South Africa

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Uranium Secondary
Sulfur-Pyrite Secondary
Sulfur, Sulfuric Acid Secondary
PGE Critical Secondary
Silver Secondary

Comments on the commodity information

  • GOLD RECOVERIES DATE FROM 1952; URANIUM, 1953. URANIUM OUTPUT WAS DISCONTINUED IN 1961 , PENDING IMPROVED MARKET PRICES. GOLD CONCENTRATIONS EXIST PREDOMINENTLY IN A THIN SEAM OF CARBON AT THE BASE OF THE VAAL REEF. URANIUM OCCURS ABOVE, WITHIN, AND GRADATIONALLY BELOW THE VAAL REEF. SMALL QUANTITIES PT AND AG RECOVERED BUT UNIMPORTANT IN SOUTH AFRICA TERMS. PT IS AN IMPURITY IN GOLD AND IS RECOVERED AT THE RAND REFINERY AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE PURIFICATION PROCESS.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Ore
Pyrrhotite Ore

Alteration

  • (Local) None

Analytical data

Result SEE ENTRIES UNDER PRODUCTION AND RESERVES

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic)
    Rock unit name Ventersdorp System-Lava
    Rock description Ventersdorp System-Lava
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock > Quartzite
    Rock unit name Transvaal System-Campbell Rand Dolomite;Witwatersrand System (Upper Division)-Quartzite, Shales, Grits And Conglomerates
    Rock description Transvaal System-Campbell Rand Dolomite;Witwatersrand System (Upper Division)-Quartzite, Shales, Grits And Conglomerates
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Conglomerate

Nearby scientific data

(1) 26.8348, -26.74659

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Unique Continuity Of Gold-Bearing Horizons Over Extended Area, Though Well Marked By Folding, Faulting And (Locally) Erosion And Redeposition Of Overlying Conformable Sediments.
Type of structure Local
Structure description Uniformly-Gentle Dip, But With Local Folds And Faults. Overlying Lavas And Dolomites Are Massive.

Ore body information

  • General form TABULAR/BLANKET
    Dip 20 DEG. SE
    Thickness 1.2M
    Depth to bottom 1520M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Gentle Uplift Of Contental Mass; Erosion; Peneplanation; Folding; Faulting; Volcanicity; Dike Injection And Build-Up Of Younger Sediments

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Both
Deposit size Medium
Significant No
Year of first production 1952

Mining district

District name Klerksdorp Area Of The Witwatersrand Goldfields

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Stilfontein Gold Mining Co., Ltd.
  • Type Owner
    Owner Gencor (General Mining Union Corp.)

Production statistics

  • Year 1976
    Material AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.277 Toz Au/Met. Ton Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1976
    Material ORE AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.279 Tr. Oz. Au/Met. Ton Of Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1977
    Material AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.272 Toz Au/Met Ton Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1977
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.268 Toz Au Met Ton Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1978
    Material AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.234 Toz Au/Met Ton Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1978
    Material ORE AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.222 Toz Au/Met Ton Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1979
    Material AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.250 Toz Au/Met Ton Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1979
    Material ORE AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.282 Toz Au/Mt Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1980
    Material AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.180 Toz Au/Met Ton Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1980
    Material ORE AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.194 Toz Au/Met Tons Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1981
    Material ORE AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.162 Toz Au/Met Ton Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1986
    Period 1986
    Material ORE
    Description Cp_Grade: ^0.163 Toz Au/Met Ton Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Gold Gold 0g/mt

Comments on the production information

  • ORE VOLUME TREATED FOR U3O8 IS INCLUDED IN (AND IS APART OF) TOTAL VOLUME MILLED

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA ; CHAMBER OF MINES ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS - 1984 ; CHAMBER OF MINES ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS - 1985 ; CHAMBER OF MINES ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 1520M

Comments on the workings information

  • MINING METHOD: CROSSCUTS FROM SHAFTS TO ORE HORIZON, AND DRIVES ALONG STRIKE AND WINZES DOWN-DIP COMPRISE DEVELOPMENT. STOPPING & BACKFILLING ("SCATTER MINING") WITH CRIB TIMBER SUPPORT AND PILLARS COMPLETE MINING PHASE. HEAVY GROUND FROM FAULTING AND A WEAK HANGING WALL IN CROSSCUTS AND CENTER GULLEYS RECENTLY BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL WITH YIELDABLE ARCH SUPPORTS (1975). A HOT MINE, VENTILATION BEING IMPROVED WITH UNDERGROUND REFRIGERATION AND CHILLED WATER PLANTS.

Comments on development

  • EXPAN$: 6.1 ( 1976 ) ; MILL.CAP: 2.1 MIL. MET. T/YR. ; ECON.YEAR: 1973 ; ECON.COM: A LOW GRADE GOLD PRODUCER WITH HIGH OPERATING COSTS ($112.45 /TR. OZ. OF GOLD RECOVERED IN 1976 ). RECOVERIES ARE FROM ONE ORE HORIZON (REEF) ONLY (VAAL REEF). URANIUM VALUES COMPARATIVELY LOW, BUT IMPROVED MARKET PRICES WOULD BRING REACTIVATION OF U3O8 OUTPUT AND INCREASE MINE LIFE.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL QUARTERLY REVIEW OF SOUTH AFRICAN GOLD SHARES, VOL. 19 , NO. 1 ; MAY 1975

  • Deposit

    GENERAL MINING AND FINANCE CORPORATION, ANNUAL REPORT; 1975

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, 1977, DEVELOPMENT AND MILLING RESULTS: V. 288.

  • Deposit

    PARK AND MACDIARMID, 1970, ORE DEPOSITS: FREEMAN AND CO., P. 441.

  • Deposit

    MERTIE, 1969, ECONOMIC GEOLOGY OF THE PLATINUM METALS: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 630.

  • Deposit

    IVOR JONES, ROY AND COMPANY, INC., SOUTH AFRICAN GOLD SHARES: JOHANNESBURG, IVOR JONES, ROY AND COMPANY, INC.^253 COAL, GOLD AND BASE MINERALS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA

  • Production

    CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA. ; CHAMBER OF MINES ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS-1986 ; CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA - ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS - 1981 ; CHAMBER OF MINES ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS-1982 ; CHAMBER OF MINES ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS - 1983 ; CHAMBER OF MINES ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS - 1984 ; CHAMBER OF MINES ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS - 1985 ; ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS, CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA. JANUARY - DECEMBER 1979 ; ANALYSES OF WORKING RESULTS, CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA - 1980 ; ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS, CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA. JANUARY - DECEMBER 1978 ; ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS, CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA, JANUARY-DECEMBER 1977

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit MAX THICKNESS REFERS TO STOPPING WIDTH OF VAAL REEF. PRINCIPAL GOLD BEARING CARBON SEAM AT BASE OF REEF: 0.10 METER IN THICKNESS
Deposit THIS RECORD CONTAINS DATA FROM DUPLICATE RECORD M046869 WHICH HAS BEEN DELETED FROM MRDS.
Deposit INFORMATION MERGED FROM RECORD NUMBER W028240 ; W028702 ; W028737 ; W030942 ; W032345 ; W032953 ; W033163 ; W033789 ; W044617 ; W055291

Reporter information

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

Beyond USGS

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