1. Mineral Resources
  2. Online Spatial Data
  3. Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS)

Koffiefontein Mine

Producer in Free State, South Africa with commodity Diamond
Map
XML
JSON
KML
A
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. Workings at the site
  18. Links to other databases
  19. Bibliographic references
  20. General comments
  21. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10089200
MRDS ID W014767
Record type Site
Current site name Koffiefontein Mine

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 25.0182, -29.42985 (WGS84)
Elevation 1173
Relative position 80 KILOMETERS SOUTHEAST OF KIMBERLEY

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
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 0.091 - 0.104 CARATS PER TON OF BLUE GROUND MINED. INDUSTRIAL DIAMONDS COMPRISE 60 PERCENT OF RECOVERIES, GEM DIAMONDS 40 PERCENT

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Granite
    Rock unit name Koffiefontein Kimberlite;Melaphyre And Granite
    Rock description Koffiefontein Kimberlite;Melaphyre And Granite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cretaceous
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Permian
  • 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) 25.0182, -29.42985
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 Koffiefontein Kimberlite (Cretaceous); Dwyka Tillite & Shale (Karroo) (Paleozoic); Melaphyre And Granite (Precambrian)

Ore body information

  • General form ELLIPTICAL/VERTICAL
    Strike N 45 DEG.
    Dip 90 DEG
    Length 488M
    Width 224M

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 1875
Discoverer Unidentified Diamonds Diggers
Year of first production 1875

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 60 %, Gem Diamonds 40 %
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Diamond Gemstones 50wt-pct
  • Year 1977
    Material DIA
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^Industrial Diamonds 60%, Gem Diamonds 40%
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Diamond Gemstones 50wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • PRODUCTION SUSPENDED IN JUNE 1983 AND NOT RESUMED AS OF JULY 1985. ; MINE REMAINED CLOSED BUT MAINTENANCE OF EQUIPMENT ON SURFACE AND UNDERGROUND CONTINUED. ; MINE REMAINED INOPERATIVE IN BOTH 1985 AND 1986 BUT IS EXPECTED TO BE BACK IN PRODUCTION IN EARLY 1988.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 10.927HA

Comments on the workings information

  • CURRENT DEPTH BELOW SURFACE AS OPEN PIT: 132 METERS. STRIPPING RATIO: 1.7:1

Comments on development

  • MILL.CAP: 3.6 MIL. MET. T/YR. 1970 ; ECON.COM: AN OPEN PIT MINE THROUGHOUT ITS LIFE THUS FAR, KOFFIEFONTEIN WAS CLOSED IN 1933, REDEVELOPED IN 1970, AND REOPENED AS AN ACTIVE PRODUCER (AS A MODERN MECHANIZED OPEN PIT) IN 1971. UNDERGROUND DEVELOPMENT BEGAN IN 1973, WITH ORE RECOVERIES BY LONGHOLE CHAMBERING SLATED FOR MID-1976. OPEN PIT AND UNDERGROUND MINING WILL BE CONDUCTED CONCURRENTLY FOR ABOUT SIX YEARS. CURRENT MINING DEPTH: 132 METERS.

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

    DE BEERS CONSOLIDATED MINES LIMITED, 1975, ANNUAL REPORT.

  • Deposit

    COAL, GOLD AND BASE MINERALS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA.

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, 1975, ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, APRIL 1975.

  • Deposit

    MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, 1972, NOVEMBER 1972.

  • Deposit

    DEPARTMENT OF MINES, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, 1976, HANDBOOK 7: DEPARTMENT OF MINES, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, FIFTH EDITION.

  • Production

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

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit ORIGINAL SURFACE AREA COVERED 27 ACRES TOTAL DEPTH OF PIPE NOT AVAILABLE. OPEN PIT WILL BE EXTENDED TO DEPTH OF 252 METERS (ABOUT 1982); UNDERGROUND MINING PROJECTED TO DEPTH OF 702 METERS.
Deposit OPERATIONS WERE SUSPENDED IN 1986.
Deposit INFORMATION MERGED FROM RECORD NUMBER W027331 ; W028254 ; W028870 ; W028871 ; W030969 ; W032272 ; W032934 ; W033153 ; W033833 ; W055332

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-DEC-1976 Sweetwood, Charles W. Department of State
Updater 01-AUG-1977 Mccarter, Lorna D Department of State
Updater 01-OCT-1978 Sweetwood, Charles W. Department of State
Updater 01-JUL-1979 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-JUL-1983 Mccarter, Lorna D Department of State
Updater 01-JUL-1984 Mccarter, Lorna D Department of State
Updater 01-JUL-1985 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.

Maps centered on this site