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South Roodepoort Mine

Producer in South Africa with commodities Gold, PGE, Platinum, Osmium, Iridium, Rhodium, Ruthenium, Silver, Sulfur-Pyrite, Uranium, Copper, Lead, Zinc
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Alteration
  7. Mineral occurrence model information
  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. Land status
  16. Ownership information
  17. Production statistics
  18. Reserves and resources
  19. Workings at the site
  20. Links to other databases
  21. Bibliographic references
  22. General comments
  23. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10107349
MRDS ID W026838
Record type Site
Current site name South Roodepoort Mine
Related records 10207863

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 27.76812, -26.21328 (WGS84)
Elevation 1661
Relative position 11 KILOMETERS SOUTHWEST OF THE CITY OF ROODEPOORT; 10 KILOMETERS SOUTHEAST OF THE CITY OF RANDFONTEIN

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

South Africa(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country
South Africa

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
PGE Critical Secondary
Platinum Critical Secondary
Osmium Secondary
Iridium Critical Secondary
Rhodium Critical Secondary
Ruthenium Critical Secondary
Silver Secondary
Sulfur-Pyrite Tertiary
Uranium Tertiary
Copper Tertiary
Lead Tertiary
Zinc Critical Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • GOLD, ONLY, IS RECOVERED AS THIS OPERATION. VALUES ERRATIC AND LIFE OF MINE LIMITED. SMALL QUANTITIES PT AND AG RECOVERED BUT UNIMPORTANT IN SOUTH AFRICA TERMS. PT IS AN IMPURITY IN GOLD AND IS RECOVERED AT THE RAND REFINERY AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE PURIFICATION PROCESS.

Alteration

  • (Local) None

Analytical data

Result COMPOSITION OF PLATINUM GROUP METALS: IR = 35.5%, OS = 33.9%, RU = 16.8%, PT = 12.7%, RH = 1.0%

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 193
USGS model code 29a
Deposit model name Quartz pebble conglomerate Au-U (BC name is Paleoplacer U-Au-PGE-Sn-Ti

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic)
    Rock unit name Ventersdorp System-Lava
    Rock description Ventersdorp System--Lava
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock > Quartzite
    Rock unit name Transvaal System--Dolomite;Witwatersrand System (Upper Division)-Quartzite, Shales, Grits And Conglomerates
    Rock description Transvaal System--Dolomite;Witwatersrand System (Upper Division)-Quartzite, Shales, Grits And Conglomerates
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Conglomerate

Nearby scientific data

(1) 27.76812, -26.21328
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Unique Continuity Of Gold-Bearing Horizons Over Extended Area, Though Well Marked By Folding, Faulting And (Locally) Erosion And Redeposition Of Overlying Conformable Sediments
Type of structure Local
Structure description Dips Vary From Gentle To Nearly Vertical In Mine Area. Folding And Faulting From Moderate To Severe. Overlying Lavas And Dolomites Are Thin To Massive. Both Minable Reefs Outcrop On Mine Property In Upthrow Fault Blocks, But Bulk Of Ore Occurs At Depths In Excess Of 200 Meters

Ore body information

  • General form TABULAR/BLANKET
    Dip 32 - 34 DEG.
    Thickness 1.4M
    Depth to bottom 435M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Gentle Uplift Of Continental Mass; Erosion; Peneplanation; Folding; Faulting; Volcanicity; Dike Injection And Build-Up Of Younger Sediments

Comments on the geologic information

  • MINE WORKS THE VENTERSDORP CONTACT REEF WITH AU/PT RECOVERY = 2000:1.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1888
Discoverer Doornkop Gold Mining Co. & New Steyn Estates Mine Ltd.
Year of first production 1937

Mining district

District name West Rand Area Of The Witwatersrand Goldfields

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner South Roodepoort Main Reef Areas Ltd.
  • Type Owner
    Owner General Mining And Finance Corp. Ltd.

Production statistics

  • Year 1976
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.145 Tr. Oz. Au/Met. Ton Of Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Gold Gold 5g/mt
  • Year 1976
    Period 1970 - 1976
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^Wgtd. Ave. Gr.: 0.202 Tr. Oz. Au/Met. Ton Of Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Ore Gold Gold 0g/mt

Comments on the production information

  • DATA NOT PUBLISHED BY THE CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA (THIS MINE IS NOT A MEMBER). DATA ACCURATE DURING 1970 - 1975 ; FROM "SOUTH AFRICAN GOLD SHARES"; IVOR JONES, ROY AND CO., INC.; ESTIMATED FOR 1976. ; DATA NOT PUBLISHED BY THE CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA (THIS MINE IS NOT A MEMBER). DATA ACCURATE DURING 1970 - 1975 ; ESTIMATED FOR 1976 AND 1977 .

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1975
    Total resources 38000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 9.797 g/mt Gold Major 1975

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • FULLY DEVELOPED AND BLOCKED OUT ORE ONLY. PROBABLE AND POSSIBLE RESERVES NOT INCLUDED.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 435M

Comments on the workings information

  • MINING METHOD: CROSSCUTS FROM THE SAXON, V1, V2 AND GAUFF SHAFTS TO ORE HORIZONS (REEFS ARE AT 50 - 150 METER INTERVALS, DEPENDING UPON MINING CONDITIONS; DRIVES ALONG STRIKE AND WINZES AND RAISES ON DIP COMPLETE DEVELOPMENT. STOPPING & BACKFILLING ("SCATTER MINING") WITH CRIB TIMBER SUPPORT AND PILLARS COMPRISE FINAL MINING PHASE. FAULTING MODERATE-TO-SEVERE. VENTILATION POOR. EST. MINE LIFE: 8 YEARS.

Comments on development

  • CURRENT DEVELOPMENT WORK CONFINED ONLY TO RECOVERY OF KNOWN, PROVED, RESERVES. COSTS OF RESTRUCTURING THIS MINE WITH NEW EQUIPMENT AND MINING METHODS APPEAR PROHIBITIVE UNLESS GOLD PRICES RISE STEEPLY WITHIN NEXT 2 - 3 YEARS. ; MILL.CAP: 0.5 MIL MET. T/YR. ; ECON.COM: AN OLD, AND NOW LIMITED, PRODUCER. GOLD VALUES ERRATIC AND MINING CONDITIONS DIFFICULT, OPERATING COSTS HIGH, AT $165.62 /TR, OZ. OF GOLD RECOVERED ( 1976 ). NEW CAPITAL INVESTMENT NIL, AND OLD EQUIPMENT CONTRIBUTES TO INEFFICIENCIES.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    GENERAL MINING AND FINANCE CORPORATION, ANNUAL REPORT; 1975

  • Deposit

    MINERAL RESOURCES OF SOUTH - CENTRAL AFRICA; PELLETIER, R. A.; 1964

  • Deposit

    SOUTH AFRICAN MINING & ENGINEERING JOURNAL, OCTOBER 1973

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL QUARTERLY REVIEW OF SOUTH AFRICAN GOLD SHARES, VOL. 19 , NO. 1 ; MAY 1975

  • Deposit

    MERTIE, 1969, ECONOMIC GEOLOGY OF THE PLATINUM METALS: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 630, P. 45-48.

  • Deposit

    COUSINS, 1973, PLATINOIDS IN THE WITWATERSRAND SYSTEM: JOURNAL OF SOUTH AFRICA INSTITUTE MINING AND METALLURGY, V. 73, NO. 6, P. 3-5.

  • Deposit

    WAGNER, 1929, PLATINUM DEPOSITS AND MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA: STRUIK (PTY) LTD., CAPETOWN 1973, P. 32-40.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, 1977, V. 288.

  • Deposit

    SOUTH AFRICAN GOLD SHARES; IVOR JONES, ROY AND CO., INC., JOHANNESBURG; 197

  • Production

    GENERAL MINING AND FINANCE CORPORATION LTD., ANNUAL REPORTS; 1970 - 975

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THIS RECORD INCLUDES DATA FROM DUPLICATE RECORD M046318 WHICH HAS BEEN DELETED FROM MRDS.
Deposit MAX THICKNESS REFERS TO STOPPING WIDTH OF THE KIMBERLAY REEF. THE OVERLYING VENTERSDORP CONTACT REEF (CURRENTLY ALSO BEING RECOVERED) HAS STOPPING WIDTH OF 1.16 METERS.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAY-1977 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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