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Western Platinum

Producer in South Africa with commodities Copper, Gold, Nickel, Iridium, Osmium, Palladium, Platinum, Rhodium, Ruthenium
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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. Reserves and resources
  13. Workings at the site
  14. Links to other databases
  15. Bibliographic references
  16. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10231826
MRDS ID W028273
MAS/MILS ID 7910200005
Record type Site
Current site name Western Platinum
Alternate or previous names Western Platinummarikana, Middlekraal, Lonrho Operations
Related records 10079224

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 27.48475, -25.67993 (WGS84)
Elevation 950
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
Copper Tertiary
Gold Tertiary
Nickel Critical Tertiary
Iridium Critical Tertiary
Osmium Tertiary
Palladium Critical Primary
Platinum Critical Primary
Rhodium Critical Tertiary
Ruthenium Critical Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Biotite Unknown
Chalcopyrite Unknown
Chromite Unknown
Pentlandite Unknown
Plagioclase Unknown
Pyroxene Unknown
Pyrrhotite Unknown
Talc Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 27.48475, -25.67993
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N90W
    Dip 10N
    Length 5000M
    Width 2000M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 STOCKWORK
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin MAGMATIC DIFFER
    Primary Ore Control IGNEOUS
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Strike And Dip N90W:10N
    Date of Last Modification 830712

Comments on the geologic information

  • PT MINERALS AT W. PLATINUM ARE: SPERRYLITE, COOPERITE, BRAGGITE,KOTULSUITE, MONCHEITE AND FERRO-PLATINUM. PT- MINERALS ARE FAIRLY COARSE GRAIN SIZE.
  • MAFIC IGNEOUS ROCK TYPE ABOVE ORE IS NORITE. UNSPECIFIED ROCK TYPES ARE CHROMITE SEAMS. UNLIKE BAFOKENG (SEQ.NO. 791-020-0003) WHERE ORE IS A PEGMATITIC PYROXENITE AND LIES BETWEEN THE CHROMITE SEAMS,THE ORE AT MARIKANA IS A PORPHYRITIC MELANORITE AND IS PT-BEARING IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE UPPER CHROMITE SEAM WHICH IS USED AS A MARKER (PT-BEARING ABOVE AND BELOW THIS MARKER).
  • MERENSKY REEF IS IN THE BUSHVELD IGNEOUS COMPLEX ASSUMED LIMITED BY NORTHERN BOUNDARY OF LEASE AREA (ABOUT 6000 M N OF OUTCROPS). STRIKE LENGTH IS ROUGH ESTIMATE BASED ON OUTCROPS-COULD BE LONGER.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1925
Mining method Caving Methods - Longwall Caving
Year of first production 1971
Milling method Flotation

Mining district

District name West Bushveld Complex

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Western Platinum Ltd.
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1970
  • Type Owner
    Owner Lonrho S. A. Ltd.
    Interest 99.4
    Home office United Kingdom
    Year 1970

Comments on the production information

  • WESTERN PLATINUM LTD. HAS CUT ITS WORKFORCE BY 10%, OR 1,500 PERSONNEL, FOLLOWING THE CLOSURE OF A MINE SHAFT IN RESPONSE TO LOW RHODIUM AND PLATINUM PRICES, REUTERS REPORTED.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1989
    Measured 223800000mt ore
    Demonstrated 223800000mt ore
    Total resources 223800000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Platinum Pt 3.07 g/mt PGE Major 1989
    Palladium Pd 1.24 g/mt PGE Major 1989
    Ruthenium Ru 0.76 g/mt PGE Trace 1989
    Rhodium Rh 0.39 g/mt PGE Trace 1989
    Iridium Ir 0.043 g/mt PGE Trace 1989
    Osmium Os 0.015 g/mt PGE Trace 1989
    Gold Au 0.2 g/mt Gold Trace 1989
    Nickel Ni 0.07 wt-pct Nickel Trace 1989
    Copper Cu 0.04 wt-pct Copper Trace 1989

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • MATRIX 1 COLUMN 1 REPRESENTS MERENSKY REEF RESERVES MATRIX 1 COLUMN 2 REPRESENTS UG2 RESERVES MATRIX 1 COLUMN 3 REPRESENTS COMBINED RESERVES
  • OTHER NAMES: MIDDLE KRAAL, LONRHO OP. LONRHO S.A. LTD.-51%,FALCONBRIDGE NI MINES-25%,SUP OIL CO.-24% (OW). INCLUDES MARIKANA. IN 1982 WESTERN PLATINUM STARTED TO MINE UG2 REEF AND HAS INCREASED MINING THE UG2 REEF STEADILY. CURRENT MAP EVALUATION IS LIMITED TO RESOURCES FROM THE MERENSKY REEF ONLY.
  • ESTIMATED BY BOM FOR 50 YEAR RESOURCES AT ANNUAL CAPACITY OF 3.5 MILLION MT AT 5.4 G/MT OF PGM

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Length 4000M
    Overall depth 315M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method ROOM AND PILLAR 10-34
    Percent Waste Rock 0
    Percent Recovery 95
    Hardness of Rock HARDROCK WITH LITTLE WATER
    Rock Characteristics NO PLANES OF WEAKNESS
    Number of Shafts 2
    Length of Inclines (m) 600
    Number of Inclines 2
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    Capacity 12300
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 15.01
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 300
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1989

Comments on the workings information

  • POWER IS PROVIDED BY ESCOM, WATER FROM THE RAND WATER BOARD (SOME WATER FOR THE MILL COMES FROM THE MINE). IN 1973 THE COMPANY EMPLOYED 465 WHITES AND 4,300 BANTUS FROM MALAWI, MOZAMBIQUE, LESOTHO AND S.AFRICA. IN THE MILL AND IN THE SMELTER ONLY ONE WHITE IS EMPLOYED/SHIFT. BANTU IN 1973 WERE HOUSED IN 2 HOSTELS WHILE WHITES HOUSED IN MOOINOOI AREA.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Production

    ENGINEERING & MINING JOURNAL, P. 16 (JULY 1993).

  • Deposit

    DMA SERIES 1501 MAP, SHEET SG 35-7, SCALE 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    U.S.STATE DEPT. JOHANNESBURG DESPATCH 187, JUNE 2,1955.

  • Deposit

    BRYNARD,H.J., DEVILLIERS,J.P.R. AND VILJOEN, E.A. A MINERAL-

  • Deposit

    OGICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE MERENSKY REEF AT WESTERN

  • Deposit

    PLATINUM MINE,NEAR MARIKANA, SOUTH AFRICA. ECON. GEOL.,

  • Deposit

    V.71, 1976, PP.1299-1307.

  • Deposit

    CROCKET,J.H., TERUTA,Y. AND GARTY J., THE RELATIVE IMPORT-

  • Deposit

    ANCE OF SULFIDES,SPINELS AND PLATINOID MINERALS AS

  • Deposit

    CARRIERS OF PT,PD,IR AND AU IN THE MERENSKY REEF AT

  • Deposit

    WESTERN PLATINUM LIMITED, NEAR MARIKANA, SOUTH AFRICA,

  • Deposit

    ECON. GEOL., V.71, 1976, PP.1308-1323.

  • Deposit

    COAL GOLD AND BASE MINERALS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA, PLATINUM IS

  • Deposit

    VERY MUCH IN THE PICTURE, AUG. 1974, PP.34-37.

  • Deposit

    E/MJ. NEW PLATINUM DEPOSITS TO BE DEVELOPED SOON, OCT.1970.

  • Deposit

    E/MJ. FALCONBRIDGE IN JOINT VENTURE TO DEVELOP SOUTH AFRICAN

  • Deposit

    PLATINUM, JAN. 1971, P.22.

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE, MAY 1972.

  • Deposit

    S.A. MINING & ENGINEERING JOURNAL. WESTERN PLATINUM-ORE

  • Deposit

    RESERVES WILL LAST A CENTURY AND MORE, MAY 1973, PP.24-29.

  • Deposit

    METALS SOURCEBOOK, ITEM A2415, MAY 7,1973.

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING, MAY 1973.

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING, DEC.1973.

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE, ANNUAL REVIEW 1974, JUNE 1974, PP.347-349.

  • Deposit

    COETZEE, C.B.,ED., THE MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF

  • Deposit

    SOUTH AFRICA, HANDBOOK NO.7, GEOL.SURVEY OF S.A., GOVT.

  • Deposit

    PRINTER, PRETORIA, 5TH ED., 1976, PP.93-98.

  • Deposit

    NEWMAN,S.C.,PLATINUM, THE INSTITUTION OF MINING AND METAL-

  • Deposit

    LURGY, SECTION A, V.82, NO.797, APRIL 1973, PP.A52-A68.

  • Deposit

    MINING INTERNATIONAL YEARBOOK, 1976. 1976. P 590.

  • Deposit

    MINING INTERNATIONAL YEARBOOK, 1976. 1976. P. 590.

  • Deposit

    LONRHO GROUP, REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS FOR THE QUARTER

  • Deposit

    ENDING JUNE 30,1976. JOHANNESBURG, JULY 12,1976.

  • Deposit

    COUSINS,C.A. THE PLATINUM DEPOSITS OF THE MERENSKY REEF, CH.

  • Deposit

    7 IN: THE GEOLOGY OF SOME ORE DEPOSITS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA,

  • Deposit

    V.II, GEOL. SOC.OF S.AFRICA, 1964, PP.225-237.

  • Deposit

    COERTZE,F.J., INTRUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS AND ORE DEPOSITS IN

  • Deposit

    THE WESTERN PART OF THE BUSHVELD IGNEOUS COMPLEX, TRANS.

  • Deposit

    OF GEOL.SOC.OF S.AFRICA, V.61, 1958, PP.387-400.

  • Deposit

    SCHMIDT,E.R., THE STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION OF THE MERENSKY

  • Deposit

    REEF AND ASSOCIATED ROCKS ON THE RUSTENBURG PLATINUM MINE,

  • Deposit

    TRANS.OF GEOL.SOC. OF S.AFRICA, V.55, 1952, PP.233-280.

  • Deposit

    COUSINS,C.A. THE STRUCTURE OF THE MAFIC PORTION OF THE

  • Deposit

    BUSHVELD IGNEOUS COMPLEX, TRANS.OF GEOL. SOC. OF S.AFRICA,

  • Deposit

    V.62,1959, PP.179-201.

  • Deposit

    PRODUCTIVITY." APRIL 1979. PP. 62,63.

  • Deposit

    SOUTH AFRICAN MINING AND ENGINEERING JOURNAL. "WESTERN

  • Deposit

    PLATINUM ORE RESERVES WILL LAST A CENTURY AND MORE." MAY

  • Deposit

    1973. PP. 24-29.

  • Deposit

    PLATS CUTS DOWN COSTS WHILE IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY."

  • Deposit

    JANUARY 1980. PP. 67-71.

  • Deposit

    THE CITIZEN. "WESTPLAT EMBARKS ON A R25-M PROGRAMME."

  • Deposit

    SEPTEMBER 12, 1980.

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING. "REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA." JUNE 1973.

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING. "REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA." DECEMBER

  • Deposit

    1973.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 30-SEP-1992 Minerals Availability Field Office (Mafo) U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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

Maps centered on this site