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Zwartkop Chrome Mine

Past Producer in South Africa with commodities Chromium, PGE, Iron, Silica
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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 10079230
MRDS ID W028281
Record type Site
Current site name Zwartkop Chrome Mine
Related records 10231513, 10231583, 10280286, 10304623

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 27.28477, -24.78001 (WGS84)
Elevation 1036
Relative position 25 KILOMETERS SOUTHWEST OF THE TOWN OF THABAZIMBI

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

South Africa(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country
South Africa

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Chromium Critical Primary
PGE Critical Tertiary
Iron Tertiary
Silica Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chromite Ore
Magnetite Ore
Anorthosite Gangue
Chalcopyrite Gangue
Pentlandite Gangue
Pyrrhotite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Surface And Near Surface Alteration Of Feldspathic Materials Only.

Analytical data

Result SEE PRODUCTION ENTRIES

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 2
USGS model code 2a
Deposit model name Bushveld Cr

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock
    Rock unit name Bushveld Igneous Complex (Including The Overlying Merensky Reef)
    Rock description Bushveld Igneous Complex (Including The Overlying Merensky Reef)
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pliocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Gabbro

Nearby scientific data

(1) 27.28477, -24.78001
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Inward-Dipping Cone-Like Structure; Folding And Faulting (Including Low-Angle Thrusting) Exists, But Are Of Minor Importance; Erosion, Peneplanation And Build-Up Of Younger Sediments Are Basic Criteria Regionally.
Type of structure Local
Structure description The Area'S Upper, Middle And Lower Chrome Groups (Underlying The Merensky Reef) Are Extraordinarily Uniform As To Composition And Thickness. Faults And Folds, Locally, Are Of Minor Importance Only. Seam Undulations, However, Are Common And Thus Present Localized (Albeit Moderate) Changes In The Dip.

Ore body information

  • General form TABULAR/BLANKET
    Strike N-S
    Dip 20 DEG. E
    Thickness 1.3M
    Depth to top 150M
    Depth to bottom 152M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • The Various Components Of The Bushveld Igneous Complex Have Been Emplaced In Successive Eruptions As Sheet-Like Masses Into The Pretoria Series Volcanics (Transvall System), And In Some Cases Into One Another, Dipping Inward Toward The Center Giving A Cone-Like Structure To The Complex As A Whole.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Discoverer General Mining & Finance Corp. Ltd.
Year of first production 1935

Mining district

District name Thabazimbi (Western) Rustenburg Belt; Bushveld Igneous Complex

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Chrome Mines Of S. A. Ltd.

Production statistics

  • Year 1978
    Material CON CR
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^46 % Cr2o3 (Approximately)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Cr2O3 Conc. Chromium Chromium 46wt-pct
  • Year 1978
    Material ORE CR
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^49 % Cr2o3 (Approximately)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Cr2O3 Chromium Chromium 49wt-pct
  • Year 1979
    Material CON CR
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^46% Cr2o3 (Approximately)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Cr2O3 Conc. Chromium Chromium 46wt-pct
  • Year 1979
    Material ORE CR
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^39% Cr2o3 (Approximately)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Cr2O3 Chromium Chromium 39wt-pct
  • Year 1980
    Material CON CR
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^46% Cr2o3 Approximately
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Cr2O3 Conc. Chromium Chromium 46wt-pct
  • Year 1980
    Material ORE CR
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^39% Cr2o3 Approximately
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Cr2O3 Chromium Chromium 39wt-pct
  • Year 1981
    Period 1974-1981
    Material CON CR
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^46 % Cr2o3 Approx
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Cr2O3 Conc. Chromium Chromium 46wt-pct
  • Year 1981
    Period 1974-1981
    Material ORE CR
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^39 % Cr2o3 Approx
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Cr2O3 Chromium Chromium 39wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • FIRST YEAR OF PRODUCTION: 1935. ESTIMATES PRIOR TO 1974 ARE NOT POSSIBLE, HOWEVER. ; NO PRODUCTION DATA AVAILABLE SINCE 1981

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1975
    Total resources 29000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Chromium Cr2O3 30 wt-pct Chromium Major 1975

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • INDICATED RESERVES TO A VERTICAL DEPTH OF 2,600 METERS.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 152M

Comments on the workings information

  • MINING IS BY DEVELOPMENT DRIFTS AND INCLINES IN ORE TO CREATE MODIFIED ROOM AND PILLAR METHOD. BROKEN ORE IS MOVED DOWNWARD INTO ORE PASSES BY SLUSHER; LOCOMOTIVE/RAIL HAUL ON MAIN HAULAGE DRIFTS AND SKIP-HAULED TO SURFACE VIA MAIN HAULAGE INCLINE SHAFTS (MAGAZINE, NEW AND INTERMEDIATE INCLINES). SURFACE FACILITIES CONSIST OF HAND SORTING TABLES, SCREENS, BALL MILLS, VIBRATORY TABLES AND WASHING.

Comments on development

  • MILL.CAP: 0.6 MIL. MET. T/YR ; ECON.YEAR: 1976 ; ECON.COM: ONE OF SOUTH AFRICA'S LARGEST PRODUCERS OF LUMP CHROMITE AND CONCENTRATES, WITH LONG-LIFE OUTLOOK.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, FIFTH EDITION, HANDBOOK 7, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, DEPARTMENT OF MINES; 1976.

  • Deposit

    CHROMITE MINES AND RESOURCES IN THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA; UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO FOR M.A.S., U.S. BUREAU OF MINES; SIEMS, P., CHRIST, E.M., AND SHEEHAN, L.E.JR.; 1976.

  • Deposit

    MARKETING DIRECTORY, NO.2, FERROUS AND NONFERROUS METALS AND MINERALS IN SOUTH AFRICA; MINERALS BUREAU, DEPARTMENTOF MINES; 1977.

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE, JANUARY, 1987.

  • Deposit

    SAUNDERS AND TAYLOR, 1975, CHROMIUM AND FERROCHROMIUM IN SOUTH AFRICA: SAUNDERS AND TAYLOR STOCK AND SHAREBROKERS, NOVEMBER 1975.

  • Deposit

    KUPFERBURGER, W., AND LOMBAARD, B.V., 1937, THE CHROMITE DEPOSITS OF THE BUSHVELD IGNEOUS COMPLEX: GEOLOGICAL SURVEY,DEPARTMENT OF MINES.

  • Production

    REPORTERS ESTIMATES BASED ON INDUSTRY INDICATORS AND OFFICIAL (MINERALS BUREAU) COUNTRY TOTALS ; REPORTER'S ESTIMATES BASED ON INDUSTRY INDICATORS AND OFFICIAL (MINERALS BUREAU) COUNTRY TOTALS.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit OPERATIONS WERE SUSPENDED IN 1986.
Deposit MAX. THICKNESS REFERS TO AGGREGATE THICKNESS OF THREE SEAMS CURRENTLY BEING WORKED (THE "MAGAZINE", "NEW" AND "INTERMEDIATE" SEAMS). DEPTH TO TOP IS RANGE FROM SUB-OUTCROP (ABOUT 20 METERS) TO CURRENT VERTICAL MAX. MINING DEPTH (ABOUT) 150 METERS). DEPTH TO BOTTOM IS CURRENT MAX. MINING DEPTH, THOUGH ORE CONTINUES TO GREATER DEPTHS IN THE COMPANY'S LEASEHOLD. TOTAL NUMBER OF SEAMS IN THE "CRITICAL ZONE" OF THE BUSHVELD COMPLEX IN THIS LEASEHOLD: 5.
Deposit INFORMATION MERGED FROM RECORD NUMBER W028899 ; W030790 ; W032251 ; W055304

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-APR-1979 Sweetwood, Charles W. Department of State
Updater 01-JUL-1982 Mccarter, Lorna D. 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-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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