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Consolidated Murchison Gravelotte

Producer in South Africa with commodities Antimony, Arsenic, Gold, Silver
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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. 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 10208120
MRDS ID M046563
MAS/MILS ID 7910200124
Record type Site
Current site name Consolidated Murchison Gravelotte
Alternate or previous names Monarch Mine, Free State, Consolidated Murchisongravelotte, Gravelotte Mine, Mulati Mine, United Jack Mine, Weigel Mine, Athens Mine
Related records 10106901

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 31.51808, -23.99666 (WGS84)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

South Africa(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country
South Africa

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Antimony Critical Primary
Arsenic Critical Tertiary
Gold Secondary
Silver Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Stibnite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

(1) 31.51808, -23.99666
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 SHEAR ZONE
    Shape of Orebody #1 IRREGULAR
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Primary Ore Control IGNEOUS
    Date of Last Modification 850820

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Mining method Open Stope - Sublevel
Year of first production 1928
Milling method Flotation

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Standard Bank Nominees (Pty.) Ltd.
    Interest 29
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1978
  • Type Owner
    Owner Johannesburg Consolidated Invest. Co. Ltd.
    Interest 25
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1978
  • Type Operator
    Owner Consolidated Murchison,Ltd.
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1978

Production statistics

  • Year 1977
    Description Antimony Ore 672000 Mt Of Ore Per Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Antimony Antimony 672000mt
  • Year 1978
    Description Antimony Ore 563000 Mt Of Ore Per Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Antimony Antimony 563000mt
  • Year 1979
    Description Antimony Ore 534000 Mt Of Ore Per Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Antimony Antimony 534000mt
  • Year 1980
    Description Antimony Ore 512000 Mt Of Ore Per Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Antimony Antimony 512000mt
  • Year 1981
    Description Antimony Ore 389000 Mt Of Ore Per Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Antimony Antimony 389000mt
  • Year 1982
    Description Antimony Ore 500000 Mt Of Ore Per Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Antimony Antimony 500000mt

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1982
    Measured 7100000mt ore
    Demonstrated 7100000mt ore
    Total resources 7100000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Antimony Sb 2.7 wt-pct Antimony Major 1982
    Gold Au 1.83 g/mt Gold Minor 1982

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • PRESENT RESERVE/RESOURCE IS CONSIDERED AS A WORKING RESERVE FOR TEN YEARS OPERATION. THE AVERAGE GRADE OF ANTIMONY IS EXPECTED T O DECLINE BUT NOT FOR GOLD. THUS DEPENDING ON THE PRICE OF GOLD THIS MINE MAY BECOME A PRIMARY GOLD MINE IN THE FUTURE. THE ORE GRADE FOR GOLD IS ESTIMATED AT .00000193 PPM.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 580M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method SHRINKAGE W/CAVING
    Percent Recovery 100
    Number of Shafts 8
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    Capacity 1800
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 14.07
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 350
    Operating Shifts per Day 1
    Year of Information 1976

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Geology

    ANTIMONY IN THE MURCHISON RANGE OF NORTHEASTERN

  • Geology

    TRANSVAAL. PP. 183-199.

  • Geology

    DMA SERIES 1501.SHEET SF 36-13.SCALE 1:250,000.

  • Reserve-Resource

    CONSOLIDATED MURCHISON LTD. ANNUAL REPORT 1981.

  • Deposit

    E/MJ.CONSOLIDATED MURCHISON-WORLD'S BIGGEST ANTIMONY MINE.

  • Deposit

    NOV.1972.P.192.(FLOWSHEET).

  • Deposit

    COAL,GOLD&BASE MINERALS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA.1977.MURCHISON

  • Deposit

    SPEEDS UP DEVELOPMENT OF ANTIMONY RESERVES.MAY,1977.

  • Deposit

    P.43.

  • Deposit

    COAL,GOLD&BASE MINERALS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA.1968.LONG HOLE

  • Deposit

    DRILLING PROVES ITSELF AT MURCH'S ALPHA.NOV.1968.PP.17-

  • Deposit

    27.

  • Deposit

    COAL,GOLD&BASE MINERALS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA.1974.BENEFICIA-

  • Deposit

    TION INCREASES VALUE BY 40 PERCENT.MAY,1974.PP.59-61.

  • Deposit

    S.A.MINING AND ENG.JOURNAL.1978.ANTIMONY SEARCH INTENSIFIES.

  • Deposit

    FEB.1978.PP.26-30.

  • Deposit

    S.A.MINING AND ENG.JOURNAL.1974.ANTIMONY ORE VENTURE.JUNE,

  • Deposit

    1974.P.77.

  • Deposit

    CONSOLIDATED MURCHISON LTD.ANN.REPORT.1975.

  • Deposit

    CONSOLIDATED MURCHISON LTD.ANN.REPORT.1976.

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE.ANNUAL REVIEW.JUNE,1978.P.467.

  • Deposit

    DMA SERIES 1J01.SHEET SF 36-13.SCALE 1:250,000.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit LOCATED IN MURCHISON RANGE OF THE LOWVELD OF THE EASTERN TRANSVAAL, LETABA DISTRICT.WEIGEL SHAFT IS LOCATED 10 KM NE OF GRAVELOTTE TOWN,MONARCH SHAFT IS 12.5 KM NE OF GRAVELOTTE.CO-ORDINATES ARE OF MONARCH SHAFT. COMPANY HOLDS 7,711 CLAIMS IN THE DISTRICT &THE FREEHOLD OF A PORTION(167 MORGEN)OF THE FARM EILAND NO.725.CLAIMS COVER 29 KM ALONG STRIKE OF ECONOMIC ZONE AND HOLDS OPTIONS ON GROUND TO E AND W OF MINING LEASE. ELECTRIC POWER FROM ESCOM. WATER FROM PUMPING STATION ON LETABA RIVER 34 KM FROM MINE. AT 1967 CAPACITY(187,205 MT MILLED)THE CO.EMPLOYED 82 EUROPEANS AND 619 BANTUS ON SURFACE AND 54 EUROPEANS AND ABOUT 619 BANTUS UNDERGROUND.IN 1975(637,500 MT MILLED) 94 EUROPEANS AND 646 BANTUS WERE WORKING ON SURFACE AND 114 EUROPEANS AND 1,294 BANTUS WERE WORKING UNDERGROUND. 8 VERTICAL SHAFTS:MONARCH,FREE STATE&WEIGEL SHAFTS ARE SMALL PRODUCERS USING TUB HOISTING(EST.DEPTH TO 500 M); ALPHA,MONARCH EAST&ATHENS SHAFTS ARE MAIN PRODUCTION SHAFTS(ALPHA SHAFT TO 1,130 M DEPTH BY 1978);BETA SHAFT WAS 397 M IN 1976. HAULAGE LEVELS AT 60M VERTICAL INTERVALS(DIESEL LOCOS).MOST OF ORE MINED USING SHRINKAGE STOPING(AREAS LESS THAN 6 M WIDE,LENSES WITH VERY STEEP DIP).REMAINDER MINED USING SUB-LEVELS CAVING(AREAS WITH MINING WIDTH OF 6-25M. MILL IS OLD(INITIALLY BUILT IN 1936 FOR FLOT.& CYANIDATION OF AU BUT CHANGED TO FLOT.OF ANTIMONY IN 1942). ORE IS TRUCKED TO THE WEIGEL SHAFT AREA (MILL LOCATION) 2 IN.SCREENING-OVERSIZE IS WASHED AND SORTED(WASTE GOES TO MINE FOR FILL&LUMP ORE(13-915 MM,AVG.&50%SB)IS HAND- COBBED FROM FLOW.REMAINING OVERSIZE JOINS UNDERFLOW TO COARSE BIN.ORE FROM COARSE BIN TRUCKED TO CRUSHING SECTION GRINDING CAP.IS 713 MTPD(GRINDING TO 55% -200 MESH-REGRIND SECTION ADDED 1975).TABLING,AMALGAMATION ROASTING&SMELTING TO PRODUCE AU.FLOTATION TO PRODUCE SB CONC.-MINIMUM 60% SB,ARSENIC NOT GREATER THAN 0.45%(U.S.A.)OR 0.35%(U.K.), AND A HIGH ARESNIC CONCENTRATE WHICH WAS STOCKPILED(3,628 MT STOCKPILED IN 1976 GIVING TOTAL STOCKPILE TONNAGE OF 10,000 MT). COBBED ORE SOLD AS IS.40%OF SB CONCS.PRODUCED GO TO NEARBY ANTIMONY PLANT(1.53 MT CONC.TO PRODUCE 1 MT OF CRUDE 83% ANTIMONY OXIDE).REMAINDER OF SB CONCS.EXPORTED. PILOT PLANT FOR LEACHING OF HIGH ARSENIC CONC.(4.5 MTPD-TO PRODUCE A BLACK POWDER OF 70% ANTIMONY SULFIDE-SB2S3). PILOT PLANT FOR TREATING SLAG FROM ANTIMONY PLANT TO RECOVER GOLD. ANTIMONY OXIDE PLANT COMMISSIONED IN 1974.COST WAS R1,150,000($US 1,599,000).ALL OUTPUT GOES TO CHEMETRON OF CLEVELAND,OHIO.IF 5TH LINE ADDED,PLANT WOULD BE TREATING 50%OF CONCS. AT MILL,CRUSHING ON 1 SHIFT/DAY;GRINDING&FLOT.ON 3 SHIFT/D. FUTURE OF OPERS.IS HIGHLY DEPENDENT OF THE LOW-GRADE ATHENS SHAFT AREA THUS LOW-GRADE PROBLEMS WILL PROBABLY PERSIST. ALSO CONCERN ABOUT TOTAL AVAILABILITY OF MINEABLE ORE BECAUSE ORE BODIES ALONG STRIKE BECOMING INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO FIND.LITTLE RECENT SUCCESS IN DRILLING. 1978 ARTICLE STATES:"PERENNIAL LIFE OF 8 YEARS"-NO PUBLISHED RESERVES-MATRIX CONSISTS OF 8 YRS.AT 1976 PROD.&GRADE WORKING COSTS(FROM 1975 ANN.REPORT.CONVERTED FROM RANDS USING 1.47 US$/RAND): MINING:MINING $4.78/MT ORE DEVELOPMENT 3.75 HOISTING 1.91 PUMPING 0.24 TRANSPORT(MINE TO MILL) 0.66 GEN.EXP.(MINE) 2.73 SUBTOTAL-MINING $14.07/MT ORE MILLING:SORTING&CRUSHING 0.78 TUBE MILLING 1.00 CONCENTRATION 2.04 SLIMES DAM 0.07 BAGGING&PELLETIZING 0.79 GEN.EXP.(HEAD OFF.&LONDON) 0.37 SUBTOTAL-MILLING $5.05/MT ORE* GRAND TOTAL $19.12/MT ORE *ASSUME INCLUDES AU RECOVERY&SMELTING&SB OXIDE PLANT 1974 PROD.COST($1.445/RAND)=$16.76 1975 PROD.COST($1.47 /RAND)=$19.12 1976 PROD.COST($1.15 /RAND)=$20.63

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 23-SEP-1996 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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