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St. Helena Mines

Producer in Free State, South Africa with commodities Gold, PGE, Silver, 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. 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. Land status
  17. Ownership information
  18. Production statistics
  19. Reserves and resources
  20. Workings at the site
  21. Links to other databases
  22. Bibliographic references
  23. General comments
  24. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10078501
MRDS ID W026849
Record type Site
Current site name St. Helena Mines
Related records 10134906

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 26.66816, -28.02988 (WGS84)
Elevation 1340
Relative position 9 KILOMETERS SOUTHWEST OF THE CITY OF WELKOM

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Free State(province)

South Africa(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
South Africa Free State

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
PGE Critical Secondary
Silver Secondary
Uranium Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • WHILE URANIUM CONTENTS AT THIS MINE ARE LOW, AND NOT RECOVERED THUS FAR, PRELIMINARY PLANS ARE UNDER WAY TO PROCESS CURRENT AND ACCUMULATED SLIMES IN CONJUNCTION WITH SIMILAR ACTIVITES IN THIS AREA BY THE ANGLO AMERICAN CORPORATION OF SOUTH AFRICA (SEE REPORTS ON PRESIDENT BRAND AND PRESIDENT STEYN MINES) 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

Alteration

  • (Local) None

Analytical data

Result SEE ENTRIES UNDER PRODUCTION AND RESERVES

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 193
USGS model code 29a
Deposit model name Quartz pebble conglomerate Au-U (BC name is Paleoplacer U-Au-PGE-Sn-Ti

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 Upper Elsburg Conglomerates And Quartzites;Karroo System Conglomerates And Shales
    Rock description Upper Elsburg Conglomerates And Quartzites;Karroo System Conglomerates And Shales
  • 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) 26.66816, -28.02988
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

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

Ore body information

  • General form TABULAR/BLANKET
    Strike N - S
    Dip 20 DEG. E
    Thickness 1.6M
    Depth to bottom 1676M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Gentle Uplift Of Continental 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 Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Discovery year 1939
Discoverer Western Holdings Limited
Year of first production 1951

Mining district

District name Orange Free State Area Of The Witwatersrand Goldfields

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner St. Helena Gold Mines Ltd.
  • Type Owner
    Owner Gencor (General Mining Union Corp.)

Production statistics

  • Year 1976
    Material AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.309 Toz Au/Met. Ton Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1976
    Material ORE AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.372 Tr. Oz. Au/Met. Ton Of Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1977
    Material AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.288 Toz Au/Met Tons Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1977
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.283 Toz Au/Met Ton Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1978
    Material AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.218 Toz Au/Met Ton Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1978
    Material ORE AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.196 Toz Au/Met Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1979
    Material AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.234 Toz Au/Met Ton Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1979
    Material ORE AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.249 Toz Au/Mt Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1980
    Material AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.166 Toz Au/Met Tons Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1980
    Material ORE AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.173 Toz Au/Met Ton Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1981
    Material ORE AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.142 Toz Au/Met Ton Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1986
    Period 1986
    Material ORE AU
    Description Cp_Grade: ^0.304 To2 Au/Met Ton Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1986
    Period 1986
    Material ORE
    Description Cp_Grade: ^0.304 Toz Au/Met Ton Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Gold Gold 0g/mt

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1986
    Total resources 896000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 9.455 g/mt Gold Major 1986

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • CHAMBER OF MINES ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS - 1983
  • 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-1986

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 1676M

Comments on the workings information

  • MINING METHOD: CROSSCUTS FROM THE SHAFT TO ORE HORIZON (REEF) AT 150 - METER INTERVALS; DRIVES ALONG THE STRIKE AND WINZES DOWN-DIP COMPLETE DEVELOPMENT; STOPPING AND BACKFILLING ("SCATTER MINING") WITH CRIB TIMBER SUPPORT AND PILLARS COMPRISE FINAL MINING PHASE.

Comments on development

  • EXPAN$: 8.0 ( 1976 ) ; MILL.CAP: 2.3 MIL. MET. T/YR. ; ECON.COM: A MEDIUM GRADE GOLD AND POTENTIAL URANIUM PRODUCER WITH GOOD OPERATING COSTS ($40.15/TROY OUNCE OF GOLD RECOVERED IN 1976 ). CURRENT RECOVERIES ARE FROM ONE ORE HORIZON ONLY (THE BASAL REEF). FUTURE, LIMITED, VOLUMES MAY BE POSSIBLE FROM THE OVERLYING LEADER REEF. CURRENTLY ESTIMATED MINE LIFE: 17 YEARS

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    UNION CORPORATION LIMITED, ANNUAL REPORT; 1975

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

    "THE ORANGE FREE STATE GOLDFIELD" (ANGLO AMERICAN CORPORATION OF SOUTH AFRICA LIMITED); 1960

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, 1977, DEVELOPMENT AND MILLING RESULTS: V. 288, P. 36.

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

    SOUTH AFRICAN GOLD SHARES; IVOR JONES, ROY AND CO., INC., JOHANNESBURG; 1975 MINING JOURNAL QUARTERLY REVIEW OF SOUTH AFRICAN GOLD SHARES, VOL. 19 , NO. 1 ; MAY 197

  • Production

    CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA ; 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 ; CHAMBER OF MINES ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS-1986 ; ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS, CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA. JANUARY-DECEMBER 1979 ; ANALYSES OF WORKING RESULTS, CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA - 1980 ; CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA - ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS - 1981 ; 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 IS AVERAGE STOPING WIDTH. DEPTH TO BOTTOM IS APPROXIMATE ONLY
Deposit THIS RECORD CONTAINS DATA FROM DUPLICATE RECORD M046873 WHICH HAS BEEN DELETED FROM MRDS.
Deposit INFORMATION MERGED FROM RECORD NUMBER W028239 ; W028711 ; W028729 ; W030941 ; W032344 ; W032952 ; W033162 ; W033788 ; W044619 ; W055290

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-JUL-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.

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