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Buffalo Fluorspar

Past Producer in South Africa with commodity Fluorine-Fluorite
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Nearby scientific data
  7. Ore body information
  8. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  9. Mineral rights holdings
  10. Ownership information
  11. Production statistics
  12. Reserves and resources
  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 10183060
MAS/MILS ID 7910200152
Record type Site
Current site name Buffalo Fluorspar
Alternate or previous names Buffalo Fluospar Mine

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -65.68813, 65.69526 (WGS84)
Elevation 1260
Location accuracy 1000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

South Africa(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country
South Africa

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Fluorine-Fluorite Critical Primary

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -65.68813, 65.69526
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N01W
    Dip 30W
    Thickness 90M
    Length 520M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 FISSURE VEIN
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Primary Ore Control BEDDING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 UNKNOWN
    Strike And Dip N01W:30W
    Date of Last Modification 850827
  • Strike N01W
    Dip 30W
    Thickness 140M
    Length 380M
    Depth to top 240M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 2
    Type of Orebody #1 FISSURE VEIN
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Primary Ore Control BEDDING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 UNKNOWN
    Strike And Dip N01W:30W
    Date of Last Modification 850827
  • Area 119HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 119
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Comments on the geologic information

  • MONAZITE

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Non-metallic
Significant No
Mining method Open Pit
Year of first production 1968
Milling method Flotation

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Patented
Type of mineral rights Located Claim

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Transvaal Mining And Finance Co. Ltd.
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1978
  • Type Owner
    Owner General Mining And Finance Corp. Ltd.
    Interest 100
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1978

Production statistics

  • Year 1968
    Description Buffalo Mine Fluospar 143500 Metric Tons Ore/Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Fluorine-Fluorite Fluorine 143500mt
  • Year 1969
    Description Buffalo Mine Fluospar 165400 Metric Tons Ore/Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Fluorine-Fluorite Fluorine 165400mt
  • Year 1970
    Description Buffalo Mine Fluospar 187200 Metric Tons Ore/Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Fluorine-Fluorite Fluorine 187200mt
  • Year 1971
    Description Buffalo Mine Fluospar 327599 Metric Tons Ore/Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Fluorine-Fluorite Fluorine 327599mt
  • Year 1972
    Description Buffalo Mine Fluospar 357500 Metric Tons Ore/Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Fluorine-Fluorite Fluorine 357500mt
  • Year 1973
    Description Buffalo Mine Fluospar 1100899 Metric Tons Ore/Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Fluorine-Fluorite Fluorine 1100899mt
  • Year 1974
    Description Buffalo Mine Fluospar 1433399 Metric Tons Ore/Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Fluorine-Fluorite Fluorine 1433399mt
  • Year 1975
    Description Buffalo Mine Fluospar 1299299 Metric Tons Ore/Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Fluorine-Fluorite Fluorine 1299299mt
  • Year 1976
    Description Buffalo Mine Ore/Year 1300799 Metric Tons Ore/Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Fluorine-Fluorite Fluorine 1300799mt
  • Year 1977
    Description Buffalo Mine Fluospar 1465799 Metric Tons Ore/Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Fluorine-Fluorite Fluorine 145799mt
  • Year 1978
    Description Buffalo Mine Fluospar 1708200 Metric Tons Ore/Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Fluorine-Fluorite Fluorine 1708200mt
  • Year 1979
    Description Buffalo Mine Fluospar 1743200 Metric Tons Ore/Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Fluorine-Fluorite Fluorine 1743200mt
  • Year 1980
    Description Buffalo Mine Fluospar 1711299 Metric Tons Ore/Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Fluorine-Fluorite Fluorine 1711299mt
  • Year 1981
    Description Buffalo Mine Fluospar 1872000 Metric Tons Ore/Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Fluorine-Fluorite Fluorine 1872000mt
  • Year 1982
    Description Buffalo Mine Fluospar 1872000 Metric Tons Ore/Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Fluorine-Fluorite Fluorine 1872000mt
  • Year 1983
    Description Buffalo Mine Fluospar 1872000 Metric Tons Ore/Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Fluorine-Fluorite Fluorine 1872000mt

Comments on the production information

  • MET GRADE FLUOSPAR IS OFFERED IN BRIQUETTE FORM. CERAMIC AND ACID GRADE ARE OFFERED IN 25 AND 50 KG BAGS.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1987
    Demonstrated 50000000mt ore
    Total resources 50000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Fluorine-Fluorite CaF2 13.1 wt-pct Fluorine Major 1987
    REE REE 0.55 wt-pct REE 1987

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • M1C2=M9C5, M1C1 + M1C2 + M1C3 MATRIX 1 COLUMN 1 = NORTH ORE BODY, BUFFALO MINE MATRIX 1 COLUMN 2 = MILL ORE BODY, BUFFALO MINE MATRIX 1 COLUMN 3 REPRESENTS TOTAL RESERVES OF NORHT AND MILL ORE BODIES AS REPORTED BY THE BUFFALO MINE STAFF PEOPLE.
  • ACID, METALLURGICAL AND CERAMIC GRADE FLUORSPAR ON FARM BUFFELSFONTEIN 347 KR. JAN 1987 VISITED BY PELHAM REO SPECIALIST SAYS THAT RARE EARTHS ARE ALSO PRODUCED HERE. LATEST REPORT IS BY R.B. FULTON, OCT. 1989: PRODUCTION = 1.8 MMTPY ORE, WITH 147,000MTPY ACID GRADE, 24,000MTPY MET GRADE, AND 6,000MTPY CERAMIC GRADE; NO MONAZITE RECLAIMED.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Percent Waste Rock 5
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 13
    Capacity 3000
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 4.64
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 312
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1983
  • Type of workings Surface
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 2
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Percent Waste Rock 5
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 13
    Capacity 3000
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 4.64
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 312
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1983

Comments on other economic factors

  • MET GRADE FLUOSPAR IS A PRODUCT OF ROUGHER TAILS FROM PRIMARY CIRCUIT, WHICH STILL CONTAINS 20% CAF2, AND THEN TREATED BY ADJACENT PARALLEL SECONDARY CIRCUIT.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    SOUTH AFRICAN FLUOSPAR-PENETRATING THE EXPORT MARKET, IN

  • Deposit

    INDUSTRIAL MINERALS, CLARKE, G., SEPTEMBER 1981, PP.69-

  • Deposit

    79.

  • Deposit

    A REVIEW OF THE FLUOSPAR INDUSTRY IN SOUTH AFRICA, IN PROC.,

  • Deposit

    12TH CMMI CONGRESS, JOHANNESBURG, SO. AFR., RYAN, P.J.,

  • Deposit

    1982. PP. 229-247.

  • Deposit

    VISITOR'S BROCHURE, BUFFALO FLOUSPAR MINE, TRANSVAAL MINING

  • Deposit

    AND FINANCE COMPANY LIMITED.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit DATA CONTAINED IN THIS FILE WAS COLLECTED BY DAMES & MOORE UNDER U.S. BUREAU OF MINES CONTRACT #JO225010 IN 1983. DAMES & MOORE REPORT A STEP-UP IN BUFFALO FLUOSPAR PRODUCTION FOR 1985. THE ORE CONTAINS 1% MONAZITE, EQUAL TO .55% REO. THIS MONAZITE IS RECOVERABLE, BUT IS NOT RECOVERED. CLOSED FEB. 15, 1994. SOLD ALL EQUIPMENT.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 05-JAN-1995 Kilgore, Catherine C. 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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