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Impala Platinum

Producer in South Africa with commodities PGE, Gold, Copper, 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. 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. Links to other databases
  20. Bibliographic references
  21. General comments
  22. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10089690
MRDS ID W028271
Record type Site
Current site name Impala Platinum
Alternate or previous names Includes Bafokeng North, Bafokeng South, Wildebeestfontein Mines

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 27.21812, -25.54664 (WGS84)
Elevation 1189
Relative position 13 KILOMETERS NORTH OF THE TOWN OF RUSTENBURG

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

South Africa(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country
South Africa

Comments on the location information

  • IMPALA PLATINUM OPERATES FROM THREE CONTIGUOUS MINING AREAS: BAFOKENG NORTH MINE (THREE VERTICAL SHAFTS AND ONE INCLINE SHAFT),BAFOKENG SOUTH MINE (ONE VERTICAL SHAFT AND THREE INCLINE SHAFTS), AND THE WILDEBEESTFONTEIN MINE (THREE VERTICAL SHAFTS). COORDINATES AND ALTITUDE, GIVEN ABOVE, ARE OF THE BAFOKENG SOUTH MINE. BAFOKENG NORTH MINE IS SITUATED IMMEDIATELY NORTHWEST AND THE WILDEBEESTFONTEIN MINE IS SOUTHEAST OF THE STATED COORDINATES.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
PGE Critical Primary
Gold Secondary
Copper Secondary
Nickel Critical Secondary

Comments on the commodity information

  • PLATINUM GROUP METALS RECOVERED INCLUDE PLATINUM, PALLADIUM, RHODIUM, RUTHENIUM, IRIDIUM AND OSMIUM

Materials information

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

Alteration

  • (Local) Surface And Near-Surface Alteration Of Feldspathic Material Only

Analytical data

Result SEE PRODUCTION ENTRIES

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 4
USGS model code 2b
Deposit model name Merensky Reef PGE

Host and associated rocks

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

Nearby scientific data

(1) 27.21812, -25.54664
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 Merensky Reef Is Extraordinarily Uniform As To Composition And Thickness. Faults And Folds, Locally, Are Almost Non-Existent. An Oxidized Zone Extends Down-Dip For An Average Of 200 Meters, Followed By Unaltered Sulfide Zones. The Hanging Wall Is Spotted Porite Underlain By Pseudo-Porphyritic Pyroxenitic Diallage-Norite, Feldspathic Pyroxenite, A Chrome-Rich Layer, And A Footwall Of Anorthositic Norite.

Ore body information

  • General form TABULAR/BLANKET
    Strike NW-SE
    Dip 9 DEG. NE
    Thickness 0.3M
    Length 23000M
    Depth to top 500M
    Depth to bottom 1900M

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 (Transvaal 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 Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Discovery year 1924
Discoverer Hans Merensky, D. Mckerrell & M. Weber
Year of first production 1969

Mining district

District name Rustenburg Platinum Field (Merensky Reef, Bushveld Igneous Complex)

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Impala Platinum Ltd.
  • Type Owner
    Owner Union Corp. Ltd.

Production statistics

  • Year 1977
    Material PGM
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.178 Toz Platinum Group Metals/Ton (Approx)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Platinum PGE 5g/mt
  • Year 1977
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.178 Toz Platinum Group Metals/Ton (Approx.)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Platinum PGE 5g/mt
  • Year 1978
    Material ORE PGM
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.178 Toz Pgm/Ton (Approx.)
  • Year 1979
    Period 1970 - 1979
    Material ORE PGM
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^0.178 Toz Pgm/Ton

Comments on the production information

  • PLATINUM AVERAGES 63 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL, PALLADIUM 24 PERCENT, RHODIUM 3 PERCENT, IRIDIUM 1 PERCENT RUTHENIUM 5 PERCENT, OSMIUM 3 PERCENT AND GOLD 1 PERCENT. ; PLATINUM AVERAGES 63 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL, PALLADIUM 24 PERCENT, RHODIUM 3 PERCENT, IRIDIUM 1 PERCENT, RUTHENIUM 5 PERCENT, OSMIUM 3 PERCENT AND GOLD 1 PERCENT. ; PLATINUM AVERAGES 63 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL, PALLADIUM 24 PERCENT, RHENT, OSMIUM 3 PERCE NT AND GOLD 1 PERCENT.

Comments on the workings information

  • SEE DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSIT COMMENTS. IMPALA CONTINUES TO USE MODIFIED ROOM AND PILLAR AND "SCATTER" MINING METHODS UNDERGROUND, WITH BACKFILLING OF WASTE. PLANS ARE IN PROGRESS, HOWEVER, TO CONVERT THESE OPERATIONS TO LONGWALL METHODS WITHIN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

Comments on development

  • TOTAL$: 48.3 ; MILL.CAP: 1.3 MIL. TOZ PGM/YR. ; ECON.YEAR: 1975 ; ECON.COM: ERRATIC PLATINUM MARKET CONDITIONS DURING PAST 10 YEARS HAVE PROVED TO BE DETERRENTS TO BALANCED EXPANSION PROGRAMS, BUT LONG-TERM CONTRACT WITH GENERAL MOTORS (USA) TO SUPPLY THAT FIRM WITH PGM (FOR CATALYTIC CONVERTERS) GIVES CURRENTLY-FAVORABLE ECONOMIC OUTLOOK.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, FIFTH EDITION, HANDBOOK 7 ; 1976

  • Deposit

    IMPALA PLATINUM LIMITED; BROCHURE; CIRCA 1977

  • Deposit

    COAL, GOLD & BASE MINERALS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA; JANUARY 1973

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING; FEBRUARY 1969

  • Deposit

    IMPALA PLATINUM LIMITED, 1977, ANNUAL REPORT.

  • Deposit

    IMPALA PLATINUM LIMITED, 1976, ANNUAL REPORT.

  • Deposit

    IMPALA PLATINUM LIMITED, 1975, ANNUAL REPORT.

  • Deposit

    IMPALA PLATINUM LIMITED, 1974, ANNUAL REPORT.

  • Deposit

    SOUTH AFRICAN MINING AND ENGINEERING JOURNAL, 1975, PLATINUM: SOUTH AFRICAN MINING AND ENGINEERING JOURNAL.

  • Deposit

    WAGNER, P.A., 1926, PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE PLATINUM DEPOSITS IN THE SOUTHEASTERN PART OF THE RUSTENBURG DISTRICT, TRANSVAAL: DEPARTMENT OF MINES AND INDUSTRIES, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.

  • Production

    CONSULATE ESTIMATES. DATA FROM OFFICIAL SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT (I.E. DEPARTMENT OF MINES, MINERALS BUREAU) AND COMPANY ANNUAL REPORTS ARE UNAVAILABLE.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit MAX. THICKNESS REFERS TO CURRENTLY RECOVERABLE PLATINUM GROUP METAL HORIZON (THICKNESS OF MERENSKY REEF, WITHIN WHICH HORIZON OCCURS: 1.2 METERS). DEPTH TO TOP IS FROM OUTCROP TO APPROXIMATE CURRENT MINING DEPTH. DEPTH TO BOTTOM IS MAX. DEPTH TO WHICH DRILL HOLES HAVE INDICATED CONTINUITY OF ORE VALUES. DATA AT GREATER DEPTHS NOT AVAILABLE. MAX. LENGTH REFERS ONLY TO STRIKE LENGTH CURRENTLY OWNED OR UNDER LEASE TO IMPALA PLATINUM LIMITED.
Deposit INFORMATION MERGED FROM RECORD NUMBER W028919 ; W028920

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-DEC-1978 Sweetwood, Charles W. Department of State
Updater 01-MAY-1980 Sweetwood, Charles W. Department of State
Updater 01-MAY-1980 Sweetwood, Charles W. Department of State

Beyond USGS

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

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