Renco

Producer in Zimbabwe with commodities Copper, Gold, Silver
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 10280821
MAS/MILS ID 7960300023
Record type Site
Current site name Renco

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 31.17495, -20.62606 (WGS84)
Elevation 800

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Zimbabwe(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country
Zimbabwe

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Secondary
Gold Primary
Silver Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Unknown
Gold Unknown
Pyrite Unknown
Quartz Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 31.17495, -20.62606

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N45E
    Dip 30N
    Thickness 1.5M
    Length 600M
    Width 260M
    Depth to top 180M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 SHEAR ZONE
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Shape of Orebody #2 IRREGULAR
    Strike And Dip N45E:30N
    Minimum Depth to Top 300
    Date of Last Modification 861215

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Milling method Hydrometallurgy Unspecified

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Rio Tinto Zimbabwe Ltd.
    Interest 100

Production statistics

  • Year 1981
    Description Kg Silver In 1981 7 Kg
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Silver Silver 7000g
  • Year 1981
    Description Kg Gold In 1981 186 Kg
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 186000g
  • Year 1981
    Description Total Mt Ore In 1981 18779 Mt
  • Year 1991
    Description Gold Production 48805 Ounces Of Gold.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 1518005.39g
  • Year 1992
    Description Gold Production 44754 Ounces Of Gold.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Gold Gold 1392005.18g

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 0
    Indicated 3538000mt ore
    Demonstrated 3538000mt ore
    Total resources 3538000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 17.1 g/mt Gold Major 0
    Silver Ag 3.6 g/mt Silver Minor 0
    Copper Cu 0.35 wt-pct Copper Minor 0
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1993
    Indicated 360000mt ore
    Demonstrated 360000mt ore
    Total resources 360000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 8.93 g/mt Gold Major 1993

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • ANALYZED FOR 1983 AVAILABILITY STUDY AT FULL CAPACITY OF 180,000 MTPY ORE FOR PROD. OF 46,300 OZ AU/YR. INITIAL START IN 1982; FULL CAPACITY IN 1983. 1987 PROD.EST.AT 56,260 OZ AU AND AT 57,068 OZ IN 1988 (LARGEST GOLD MINE IN THE COUNTRY). 1985 PROD. WAS 62,150 OZ FROM MILLING 227,000 MT ORE. SHOULD UPDATE FOR THE 1992 AU AVAILABILITY STUDY.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method BREAST STOPING 10-30
    Percent Waste Rock 25
    Percent Recovery 95
    Hardness of Rock HARDROCK WITH LITTLE WATER
    Rock Characteristics MULTIPLE SYSTEMS OF WEAKNESS PLANES
    Rock Support Chars. SUPPORTING
    Mine Support Chars. TIMBER
    Length of Inclines (m) 200
    Number of Inclines 1
    Number of Adits 1
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    Capacity 350
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 36.45
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 300
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1982

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Production

    QUARTERLY MINE ANALYSIS, P. 25 (JUNE 1993).

  • Reserve-Resource

    AME MINERAL ECONOMICS, P. 34 (1993).

  • Deposit

    FOSTER, R.P., MANN, A.G., MILLER, R.G., AND SMITH, P.J.R.,

  • Deposit

    1979, GENESIS OF GOLD MINERALIZATION IN THE GATOOMA AREA,

  • Deposit

    RHODESIA, PP 23-33 IN ANHAEUSSER, C.R., FOSTER R.P., AND

  • Deposit

    STRATTEN, T., ED: GEOL. SOC. S. AFRICA, SPEC. PUBL. NO. 5.

  • Deposit

    ODELL, J., 1975, EXPLANATION OF THE GEOLOGICAL MAP OF THE

  • Deposit

    COUNTRY AROUND BANGALA DAM, RHODESIA, GEOL. SURV. SHORT

  • Deposit

    REPORT NO. 42, 45 PP, 1975.

  • Deposit

    MINING IN ZIMBABWE, 1981, PUBL. BY THOMSON'S PUBLICATION,

  • Deposit

    SALISBURY, ZIMBABWE, PP 14-17.

  • Deposit

    FOSTER, R.P., GOLD AND SILVER IN ZIMBABWE, INST. OF MINING

  • Deposit

    RESEARCH, REPORT NO. 38, 1980.

  • Deposit

    RIO TINTO MINING (ZIMBABWE) LTD., ANNUAL REPORT, 1980.

  • Deposit

    RIO TINTO MINING (ZIMBABWE) LTD., ANNUAL REPORT, 1981.

  • Deposit

    MONTHLY DIGEST OF STATISTICS, NOVEMBER, 1981, SALISBURY,

  • Deposit

    ZIMBABWE.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit MILL CRUSHES AND GRINDS ORE. THEN THE PULP IS SENT TO THE TANKS, WHERE THE CARBON IN PULP PROCESS IS UTILIZED. SLURRY (CONTAINING LIME AND CYANIDE) IS PUMPED TO PLANT WHERE THE CONCENTRATE IS PUMPED OVER CARBON CHIPS. GOLD IS ABSORBED BY THE CHIPS WHICH ARE THEN TREATED IN ELUTION COLUMNS WHERE THE GOLD IS STRIPPED. THE GOLD SOLUTION IS THEN ELECTROWON AND GOLD SCRAPED FROM ELECTRODES MELTED AND FORMED INTO BARS (95% AU, 4% AG AND 1% OTHER METALS).

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 25-JAN-1995 Boyle, Ed U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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