Finsch Mine

Producer in Eastern Cape, South Africa with commodity Diamond
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 10107305
MRDS ID W014759
Record type Site
Current site name Finsch Mine

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 23.45153, -28.3799 (WGS84)
Elevation 1448
Relative position 38 KILOMETERS EAST OF POSTMASBURG; 3 KILOMETERS SOUTHWEST OF LIME ACRES

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

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 0.719 - 0.827 CARATS PER TON OF BLUE GROUND MINED. INDUSTRIAL DIAMONDS COMPRISE 75 PERCENT OF RECOVERIES, GEM DIAMONDS 25 PERCENT.

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Granite
    Rock unit name Finsch Kimberlite;Melaphyre And Granite
    Rock description Finsch Kimberlite;Melaphyre And Granite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Permian
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cretaceous
  • 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) 23.45153, -28.3799

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description An Ellipitcal/Vertical Pipe In Precambrian Melaphyre And Granite And In Karroo System Dwyka Tillite And Shale
Type of structure Local
Structure description Finsch Kimberlite (Cretaceous); Dwyka Tillite & Shale (Karroo) (Paleozoic); Melaphyre And Granite (Precambrian)

Ore body information

  • General form ELLIPITICAL/VERTICAL
    Strike E - W
    Dip 90 DEG
    Length 442M
    Width 402M

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 1960
Discoverer Allister Thornton Fincham
Year of first production 1965

Mining district

District name Postmasburg Area; Finsch Kimberlite Pipe

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Kimberley Division Mines
  • Type Owner
    Owner De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd.

Production statistics

  • Year 1976
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^Industrial Diamonds 85 %, Gem Diamonds 15 %
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Diamond Gemstones 85wt-pct
  • Year 1977
    Material DIA
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^Industrial Diamonds 85%, Gem Diamonds 15%
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Diamond Gemstones 85wt-pct
  • Year 1984
    Period 1971-1984
    Material DIA
    Description Cp_Grade: ^Industrial: 85%
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Diamond Gemstones 85wt-pct
  • Year 1984
    Period 1971-1984
    Material ORE DIA
    Description Cp_Grade: ^100.47 Carats/100 Tons

Comments on the production information

  • GRADE LOWER THAN 1985 AS A RESULT OF AN INCREASE IN LOWER GRADE TAILINGS

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 17.807HA

Comments on the workings information

  • CURRENT DEPTH BELOW SURFACE AS OPEN PIT: 160 METERS.

Comments on development

  • MILL.CAP: 3.5 MIL. MET. T/YR. 1964 ; ECON.COM: OPEN PIT OPERATIONS ONLY. CURRENTLY, SOUTH AFRICA'S LARGEST DIAMOND MINE. MODERN AND AUTOMATED THROUGHOUT. WILL CONTINUE AS OPEN PIT OPERATION FOR POSSIBLY 20 YEARS, BUT PRELIMINARY PLANS NOW UNDERWAY FOR EVENTUAL CONVERSION TO UNDERGROUND MINING METHODS. PRESENT OPERATING DEPTH: 124 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, ANNUAL REPORT.

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING, 1972, WORLD MINING, NOVEMBER 1972.

  • Production

    DE BEERS CONSOLIDATED MINES LTD ANNUAL REPORTS ; DE BEERS ANNUAL REPORT - 1985 ; DE BEERS ANNUAL REPORT-1986 ; DEBEERS CONSOLIDATED MINES LIMITED - 1980 ANNUAL REPORT ; DE BEERS ANNUAL REPORT 1981 ; DE BEERS ANNUAL REPORT - 1982 ; DE BEERS ANNUAL REPORT-1983 ; DE BEERS ANNUAL REPORT - 1984 ; DE BEERS CONSOLIDATED DIAMOND MINES LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT 1978 ; DE BEERS CONSOLIDATED DIAMOND 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 44 ACRES TOTAL DEPTH OF PIPE NOT AVAILABLE. OPEN PIT WILL BE EXTENDED TO DEPTH OF 335 METERS (ABOUT 1990); UNDERGROUND MINING CURRENTLY PROJECTED TO DEPTH OF 762 METERS.
Deposit INFORMATION MERGED FROM RECORD NUMBER W027326 ; W028255 ; W028868 ; W028869 ; W030970 ; W032267 ; W033023 ; W033152 ; W033831 ; W044580 ; W055333

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-DEC-1976 Sweetwood, Charles W. Department of State
Updater 01-JUL-1985 Mccarter, Lorna D Department of State
Updater 01-AUG-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-JUL-1981 Mccarter, Lorna D. 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-MAY-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.