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O'Okiep Copper Company Limited

Producer in Eastern Cape, South Africa with commodities Copper, Gold, Silver, Sulfur-Pyrite, Silica, PGE, Nickel
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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. 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. Ownership information
  16. Production statistics
  17. Reserves and resources
  18. Links to other databases
  19. Bibliographic references
  20. General comments
  21. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10089065
MRDS ID W007948
Record type Site
Current site name O'Okiep Copper Company Limited
Related records 10304534

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 17.91827, -29.66326 (WGS84)
Elevation 930
Relative position NEAR NABABEEP AND SPRINGBOK, NORTHWESTERN CAPE PROVINCE

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

Comments on the location information

  • INCLUDES NABABEEP WEST, NABABEEP SOUTH, VALENTINE, JANCOETZEE, JAN COETZEE SOUTH WEST, DIVIDE, EAST O'OKIEP, RIETBERG, HOMEEP EAST, HOMEEP WEST, CAROLUSBERG, KOPERBERG CENTRAL, JUBILEE, HOITS AND WEST O'OKIEP DUMP MINES. OF THESE, VALENTINE, DIVIDE, EAST O'OKIEP AND JUBILEE MINES ARE CURRENTLY INACTIVE

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Gold Primary
Silver Primary
Sulfur-Pyrite Secondary
Silica Secondary
PGE Critical Secondary
Nickel Critical Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • NICKEL CONTENT (0.6% NI) POTENTIALLY RECOVERABLE.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Bornite Ore
Mica Gangue
Quartzite Gangue
Schist Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Oxidized Zone 0-100 Feet Below Surface

Analytical data

Result CU: 0.80-2.07%
Result AU: 5.50-8.50 GM/MET TON
Result AG: 190.00-210.0 GM/MET TONS

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Gabbro
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Gneiss

Nearby scientific data

(1) 17.91827, -29.66326
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Precambrian Rocks Containing Over 1,000 Known Basic Igneous Intrusives, Some Of Which Are Copper-Bearing
Type of structure Local
Structure description Steep Dipping Irregular, Dike, Pipe And Sill-Like Forms Containing Gabbro, Norite And Mica Diorite

Ore body information

  • General form IRREGULAR, WITH DIKE, PIPE AND SILL-LIKE PROTUBERANCES

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Copper Contained In Basic Intrusives

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant No
Discovery year 1685
Discoverer Expedition Commissioned By Governor Simon Van Der Stel
Year of first production 1852

Mining district

District name O'Okiep Copper

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner O'Okiep Copper Co. Ltd..
  • Type Joint Venture Operator
    Owner Newmont Mining Corp.
    Interest 57.5
  • Type Joint Venture Operator
    Owner American Metal Climax (Amax)
    Interest 18
  • Type Joint Venture Operator
    Owner Safari Exloration Co., Ltd.
    Interest 15
  • Type Joint Venture Operator
    Owner Tsumeb Corp., Ltd.
    Interest 9.5

Production statistics

  • Year 1974
    Material CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^99.44 % Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 99wt-pct
  • Year 1974
    Material ORE CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^1.28 % Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Copper Copper 1wt-pct
  • Year 1974
    Material CONC CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^32.72 % Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Conc. Copper Copper 33wt-pct
  • Year 1975
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^1.38 % Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Copper Copper 1wt-pct
  • Year 1975
    Material CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^99.47 % Cu, Inaddition To Total Given, Cu From Custom Conc.: 4409 Met Tons Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 99wt-pct
  • Year 1975
    Material AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^ Toll: 4167 Met Tons Cu
  • Year 1976
    Material CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^Ore Content Cu 1.35 %
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 1wt-pct
  • Year 1976
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^Avg. 34.14 % Cu (In Addition To Total Given, Custom & Toll Conc. Treated Were: 19222 & 18027 Met Tons Respectively)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Copper Copper 34wt-pct
  • Year 1977
    Material CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^Ore Content Cu 1.46 %
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 1wt-pct
  • Year 1977
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^Ave. 33.0 % Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Copper Copper 33wt-pct
  • Year 1978
    Period 1978
    Material ORE CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^1.78% Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Copper Copper 2wt-pct
  • Year 1978
    Material CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^Avg. 34.0 % Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 34wt-pct
  • Year 1979
    Material CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^Avg. 35.00 % Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 35wt-pct
  • Year 1981
    Material CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^Avg. 33.00 % Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 33wt-pct
  • Year 1982
    Material CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^34% Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 34wt-pct
  • Year 1983
    Material CON CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^1.49% Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Conc. Copper Copper 1wt-pct
  • Year 1983
    Material CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^Avg 32 % Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 32wt-pct
  • Year 1984
    Material CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^32% Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 32wt-pct
  • Year 1985
    Material ORE AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^1.54% Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Copper Copper 2wt-pct
  • Year 1985
    Material CON CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^1.59% Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Conc. Copper Copper 2wt-pct
  • Year 1986
    Period 1986
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^1.73% Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Copper Copper 2wt-pct
  • Year 1986
    Material CU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^38.3% Cu
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Copper Copper 38wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • TOLL SMELTING TONNAGE DROPPED IN 1984 DUE TO TERMINATION OF THE CONTRACT WITH PRIESKA COPPER. A CONTRACT WITH TSUMEB CORP. IN NAMIBIA TO TOLL-SMELT 2,000 TONS/MONTH OF CONCENTRATES FROM ITS OTJIHASE MINE EXPIRES IN NOVEMBER, 1985. TOTAL PRODUCTION FROM THE 4 MINES AT CAROLUSBERG DROPPED TO 1.1 MILLION TONS. MINING OPERATIONS AT THE HOITS MINE WERE CONFINED TO RECLAMATION OF BROKEN ORE. NO PRODUCTION AT KOPERBERG MINE. PRODUCTION AT SPEKTRKEL MINE WAS DOWN TO 319,080 TONS. BOBBY'S BIT MINE (A SECTION OF SPEKTAKEL) WAS EXHAUSTED BY MID-1984. ; THE BLISTER PRODUCTION INCLUDED 4,516 TONS SMELTED FOR TSUMEB CORPORATION IN NAMIBIA IN TERMS OF A TOLL CONTRACT W-HICH WAS RENEWED TO END 1986. ; COPPER PRODUCTION INCLUDED 9,270 TONS OF TOLL MATERIAL SMELTED ON BEHALF OF TSUMEB CORPORATION IN HAMIBIA (4,516 TONS) AND PRIESKA COPPER (4,754 TONS). ; AU AND AG CONTENTS OF BLISTER NOT REPORTED IN 1977 ; AU AND AG CONTENTS OF BLISTER NOT REPORTED IN 1976

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1978
    Total resources 27553000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 1.78 wt-pct Copper Major 1978

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • ; O'OKIEP ANNUAL REPORT - 1985 ; O'OKIEP ANNUAL REPORT-1986

Comments on the workings information

  • O'OKIEP COPPER AREA COMPRISES 600 SQ. MILES, 28 KNOWN ECONONIC DEPOSITS AND MANY OTHERS OF MARGINAL OR SUB-MARGINAL VALUES. JUBILEE MINE ONLY. CURRENTLY INACTIVE. DIMENSIONS UNKNOWN.

Comments on development

  • ECON.COM: HIGH GRADE CU AND BLENDABLE LOW GRADE ORES FROM SEVERAL MINES; MULTI-PRODUCT CAPABILITY

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    O'OKIEP ANNUAL REPORT - 1974, 1975

  • Deposit

    NEWMONT ANNUAL REPORT - 1973

  • Deposit

    BEERMAN'S ALL MINING YEARBOOKS - 1971,1972 AND 1973

  • Deposit

    MINERAL RESOURCES OF SOUTH-CENTRAL AFRICA; PELLETIER.

  • Deposit

    INDUSTRIAL OUTLOOK REPORTS: MINERALS--1974 AND 1975.

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, 1972, CERP B-429, NOVEMBER.

  • Production

    O'OKIEP COPPER COMPANY LIMITED - ANNUAL REPORT 1978 ; O'OKIEP COPPER COMPANY LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT-1982 ; O'OKIEP COMPANY ANNUAL REPORT - 1984 ; O'OKIEP ANNUAL REPORT - 1985 ; O'OKIEP ANNUAL REPORT-1986 ; O'OKIEP, COPPER LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT - 1983 ; O'OKIEP COPPER COMPANY LIMITED, ANNUAL REPORT 1977 ; O'OKIEP COPPER COMPANY LIMITED, ANNUAL REPORT 1979 ; O'OKIEP COPPER COMPANY ANNUAL REPORT 1981 ; O'OKIEP COPPER COMPANY LIMITED. ANNUAL REPORT 1978 ; O'OKIEP COPPER COMPANY LTD., ANNUAL REPORT 1976 ; O'OKIEP ANNUAL REPORT - 1975

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit First Production Year: 1852(SMALL OPERATORS) 1940 (O'OKIEP)
Deposit INFORMATION MERGED FROM RECORD NUMBER W015427 ; W027509 ; W028264 ; W028670 ; W029510 ; W032247 ; W033018 ; W033075 ; W033839 ; W044586 ; W055326

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JAN-1976 Sweetwood, Charles W. Department of State
Updater 01-JUL-1985 Mccarter, Lorna D Department of State
Updater 01-NOV-1976 Sweetwood, Chas. W. Department of State
Updater 01-DEC-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-JUN-1980 Sweetwood, Charles W. 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-APR-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.

Operator history (post-MRDS)

MRDS records operators as of each record's last update (≤ 2019). Some of the operators listed here have since changed hands or dissolved:

  • Newmont Mining Corp. — renamed to Newmont Corporation (2019)
    Renamed from Newmont Mining Corporation to Newmont Corporation in early 2020 (after the 2019 merger with Goldcorp).

Curated by qvyshift.com from publicly-reported M&A activity (SEC filings, press releases, USGS Mineral Yearbooks). Not authoritative — verify against primary sources before relying on it. The MSHA panel above is the current authoritative source for actively-permitted mines.

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