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Rustenburg Chrome Chemicals

Plant in South Africa with commodities Aluminum, Chromium, Iron, Silica
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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. Nearby scientific data
  8. Ore body information
  9. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  10. Mining district
  11. Ownership information
  12. Production statistics
  13. Workings at the site
  14. Links to other databases
  15. Bibliographic references
  16. General comments
  17. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10159274
MAS/MILS ID 7910200043
Record type Site
Current site name Rustenburg Chrome Chemicals
Alternate or previous names Rustenburg Chrome Mine, Rietfontein Farm

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Plant
Geographic coordinates: 27.41815, -25.72993 (WGS84)
Elevation 1200
Location accuracy 10000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

South Africa(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country
South Africa

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Aluminum Critical Tertiary
Chromium Critical Primary
Iron Tertiary
Silica Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chromite Unknown
Feldspar Unknown
Magnesite Unknown
Mica Unknown
Pyroxene Unknown
Quartz Unknown
Uvarovite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Plant (1) 27.41815, -25.72993
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N80W
    Dip 13N
    Thickness 1.5M
    Length 3500M
    Width 2030M
    Depth to top 150M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 STRATIFORM
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin MAGMATIC DIFFER
    Primary Ore Control IGNEOUS
    Secondary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. SLIGHT
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 OTHER
    Strike And Dip N80W:13N
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Date of Last Modification 920730

Comments on the geologic information

  • MINE OPERATES ON 2 SHIFTS/DAY WITH ONE GOING FROM 5:30 AM TO 3:00 PM AND THE OTHER GOING FROM 3:00 PM TO 12:30 AM, 5 DAYS PER WEEK. THIS MAKES FOR A 48 HOUR WORK WEEK. THE MILL WORKS 6 DAYS PER WEEK AT 3 SHIFTS PER DAY. COMPANY HAS HOSTELS AND HOUSES NEAR SITE FOR EMPLOYEES MOST EMPLOYEES BELONG TO COMPANY UNION. THEY MAY HOWEVER, JOIN OTHER LABOR UNIONS. FEW HAVE DONE THIS.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Plant
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1865
Mining method Open Stope - Breast Stoping
Year of first production 1949
Plant type Beneficiation (Mill)
Plant subcategory Gravity
Milling method Gravity

Mining district

District name West Bushveld Complex

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Chrome Chemicals S. A.(Pty) Ltd
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1992
  • Type Owner
    Owner J. G. Farbenfabriken (Bayer Group)
    Interest 100
    Home office Germany Fr
    Year 1992

Production statistics

  • Year 1953
    Description 13320 Mt Ore / Year
  • Year 1954
    Description 11250 Mt Ore / Year
  • Year 1955
    Description 17302 Mt Ore / Year
  • Year 1964
    Period 1955-1964
    Description Production 1955-1964 30000 Mt Ore/ Year
  • Year 1974
    Period 1965-1974
    Description Production 1965-1974 50000 Mt Ore / Year
  • Year 1976
    Period 1975-1976
    Description Production 1975-1976 150000 Mt Ore / Year
  • Year 1984
    Period 1977-1984
    Description Production 1977-1984 250000 Mt Ore / Year
  • Year 2065
    Period 1985-2065
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Production 1985-2065 230000 Mt Ore / Year

Comments on the production information

  • THE CONSULTING ENGINEER CLAIMED A 13 TO 14 MT / MAN SHIFT AS OPPOSED TO THE NON-MECHANIZED 2.5 MT / MAN-SHIFT.
  • IN 1949-1976, ONLY THE LG6 SEAM WAS MINED.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • MATRIX 1 IS THE IN-SITU TONNAGE AS OF 1/89. COL 1 IS THE ORE, COL 2 IS THE WASTE THAT MUST BE MINED, AND COL 3 IS THE TOTAL HOISTED TONNAGE. THIS STUDY EXPLOITS THE LG6 AND LG6A SEAMS MINED TO A 300 METER VERTICAL DEPTH. MATRIX 2 IS THE RECOVERABLE RESOURCE TONNAGE AS OF 1/89. COL 1 IS THE ORE, COL 2 IS THE WASTE THAT MUST BE MINED, AND COL 3 IS THE TOTAL MINED AND HOISTED. OVER THE LONG TERM, THE COMPANY COULD REPROCESS THEIR TAILINGS PILE (VERY LARGE AND GRADE IS AS HIGH AS 26% CR2O3)
  • CHROME CHEMICALS S.A. IS 100 % OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF BAYER A.G. OF W. GERMANY. TRIP VISIT BY E.H. BOYLE, AUG 1988. 230,000 MTPY ROM FOR: 7,000 MTPY LUMP AT 42.0% CR2O3 AND 150,000 MTPY CONCS. AT 46.0% CR2O3. THE CHROME CHEMICALS PROPERTY IS HIGHLY MECHANIZED. DRILLING AND HOLE CHARGING WERE THE ONLY HAND OPERATIONS. THE COMPANY PLANS TO MECHANIZE THESE OPERATIONS IN THE NEAR FUTURE. A 10% ROYALTY WAS ASSESSED IN THE 1989 AVAIL. STUDY BECAUSE 90% OF PRODUCTION TAKES PLACE ON LAND IN BOPHUTHATSWANA. 1-89 IN-SITU DEMONSTRATED ORE = 1.2 M LG6 SEAM + .3 M WASTE + .3 M LG6A SEAM TO 300 M VERTICAL DEPTH, 8.5 DEG. DIP AT 75 % PROB. RECOV. LEVEL.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method BREAST STOPING 10-30
    Percent Waste Rock 0
    Percent Recovery 70
    Hardness of Rock HARDROCK WITH LITTLE WATER
    Rock Characteristics ONE SYSTEM OF WEAKNESS PLANES
    Rock Support Chars. SUPPORTING MAY BACK SLAB
    Mine Support Chars. POST, HEADBOARD, CAPS, ROOF BOLTS
    Length of Inclines (m) 2030
    Slope of Inclines 11
    Number of Inclines 4
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    2nd Condition of Workings OPEN
    Capacity 920
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 11.13
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 250
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1992

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    COERTZE,F.J.1974.THE GEOLOGY OF THE BASIC PORTION OF THE

  • Deposit

    WESTERN BUSHFELD IGNEOUS COMPLEX.S.AFRICA GEOL.SURVEY,

  • Deposit

    MEMOIR GG.

  • Deposit

    FOURIE,G.P.1959.THE CHROMITE DEPOSITS IN THE RUSTENBURG AREA

  • Deposit

    S.AFRICAN GEOL.SURV. BULL.27.

  • Deposit

    RANKIN,G.1975.CHROMIUM AND FERROCHROMIUM IN SOUTH AFRICA.

  • Deposit

    SAUNDERS AND TAYLOR,INC. INVESTMENT INDUSTRY REPORT.

  • Deposit

    JOHANNESBURG,S.A.PP.1-117.

  • Deposit

    SIEMS,P.1976.CHROMITE MINES AND RESOURCES IN THE REPUBLIC

  • Deposit

    OF S.AFRICA.MINERALS AVAIL.SYSTEM.DEC.1976.PP.21-23.

  • Deposit

    CORIN,E.R."FERROUS AND NONFERROUS MINES AND WORKS IN SOUTH

  • Deposit

    AFRICA,"DIRECTORY NO.3179.MINERALS BUREAU,DEPARTMENT OF

  • Deposit

    MINES,REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA,P16

  • Deposit

    ROSKILL INFORMATION SERVICE LTD. THE ECONOMICS OF CHROMIUM.

  • Deposit

    THIRD EDITION,1978,P138

  • Deposit

    THE TEX REPORT CO LTD PP106-112 128.

  • Deposit

    WILLEMSE,J."THE GEOLOGY OF THE BUSHVELD IGNEOUS COMPLEX:THE

  • Deposit

    LARGEST REPOSITORY OF MAGNATIC ORE DEPOSITES IN THE

  • Deposit

    WORLD."MAGMATIC ORE DEPOSITES SYMPOSIUM.PP1-22.

  • Deposit

    GOLDER ASSOC., 1981, "DEPOSIT PROFILE RUSTENBURG CHROME MINE

  • Deposit

    TRANSVAAL, SOUTH AFRICA", JULY 1981.

  • Deposit

    SILK, M.H., 1988, "WORLD CHROMITE RESOUCES AND FERROCHROMIUM

  • Deposit

    PRODUCTION", MINTEK SPECIAL PUBL. NO. 11, 1988.

  • Deposit

    CHROME CHEMICALS, 1988, "RUSTENBURG MINE", PUBL. BY RUSTEN-

  • Deposit

    BURG OFFICE EQUIPTMENT LTD. 1988.

  • Deposit

    BOYLE, E.H., 1988, TRIP NOTES FROM CHROME CHEMICALS RUSTEN-

  • Deposit

    BURG MINE. USBM AUG 1988.

  • Deposit

    MCARTER, L., TRIP NOTES FROM CHROME CHEMICALS RUSTENBURG

  • Deposit

    MINE, 1988.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit LOCATED ON FARM RIETFONTEIN 338 JQ. THE COMPANY ALSO HOLDS RIGHTS TO ELANDSKRAAL 469 JQ BUT NO PRODUCTION IS CURRENTLY PLANNED. THE CHROME CHEMICAL RUSTENBURG MINE IS NOT RELATED TO THE RUSTENBURG MINERAL DEVELOPMENT OR THE GROENFONTEIN FARM

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 19-AUG-92 Boyle, Ed U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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

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