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Palabora Foskor Operation

Plant in South Africa with commodities Phosphorus-Phosphates, REE, Uranium, Zirconium
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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. Mineral rights holdings
  12. Land status
  13. Ownership information
  14. Production statistics
  15. Reserves and resources
  16. Workings at the site
  17. Links to other databases
  18. Bibliographic references
  19. General comments
  20. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10280836
MAS/MILS ID 7910200132
Record type Site
Current site name Palabora Foskor Operation
Alternate or previous names Palabora, Phalaborwa, Phalabora

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 31.13469, -24.04667 (WGS84)
Elevation 403
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
Phosphorus-Phosphates Primary
REE Critical Tertiary
Uranium Tertiary
Zirconium Critical Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Apatite Unknown
Bornite Unknown
Calcite Unknown
Diopside Unknown
Phlogopite Unknown
Pyroxene Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 31.13469, -24.04667
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 1000M
    Area 2000HA
    Depth to top 10M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 STOCKWORK
    Shape of Orebody #1 PIPELIKE
    Primary mode of Origin MAGMATIC DIFFER
    Primary Ore Control IGNEOUS
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 UNKNOWN
    Minimum Depth to Top 10
    Total Surface Area (HA) 2000
    Date of Last Modification 960624

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Plant
Commodity type Both
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1895
Mining method Open Pit
Year of first production 1955
Plant type Beneficiation (Mill)
Plant subcategory Hydromet
Milling method Washing

Mining district

District name South Africa

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Other

Land status

Ownership category Unknown

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Foskor, Ltd.
    Interest 100
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1985

Comments on the ownership information

  • HOLDINGS BY BASE METAL CLAIMS MINERAL HOLDINGS ARE QUASI-GOVERNMENTAL.

Production statistics

  • Year 1980
    Description P2o5 Production Averages 36.5% 19103000 Metric Tons Ore/Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major P2O5 Ore Phosphorus-Phosphates Phosphorus 37wt-pct
  • Year 1981
    Description 3090000 Mt Conc Produced
  • Year 1981
    Description 18661000 Mt Ore Mined
  • Year 1982
    Description 2919000 Mt Conc Produced
  • Year 1982
    Description 18157000 Mt Ore Mined
  • Year 1983
    Description 2720000 Mt Conc Produced
  • Year 1983
    Description 17091000 Mt Ore Mined
  • Year 1984
    Description 2721000 Mt Conc Produced
  • Year 1985
    Description 2371000 Mt Conc Produced
  • Year 1986
    Description 2777000 Mt Conc Produced
  • Year 1987
    Description 2823000 Mt Conc Produced
  • Year 1988
    Description 2743000 Mt Conc Produced

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1975
    Indicated 1288700000mt ore
    Demonstrated 1288700000mt ore
    Inferred 3231800000mt ore
    Total resources 4520500000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Phosphorus-Phosphates P2O5 6.7 wt-pct Phosphorus Major 1975

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • ALSO RECEIVES TAILINGS FROM PALABORA MINING CO. CU & FE MILL
  • PRODUCTION SINCE 1975 HAS BEEN DEDUCTED FROM RESOURCE FIGURES

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 2000HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Percent Waste Rock 33.3
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 10
    Primary Material Cover M-HARD ROCKS
    Hardness of Ore M-HARD ROCKS
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 12
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 45
    Capacity 72424
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Operating Days per Year 330
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1985
  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 2000HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 2
    Status of Mining Method PROPOSED
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Percent Waste Rock 33.3
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 10
    Primary Material Cover M-HARD ROCKS
    Hardness of Ore M-HARD ROCKS
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 12
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 45
    Capacity 101818
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Operating Days per Year 330
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1985
  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 2000HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 3
    Status of Mining Method PROPOSED
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Percent Waste Rock 33.3
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 10
    Primary Material Cover M-HARD ROCKS
    Hardness of Ore M-HARD ROCKS
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 12
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 45
    Capacity 124545
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Operating Days per Year 330
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1985

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    AGUIRRE, C.A., PALABORA MINE, PALABORA MINING CO., LTD.,

  • Deposit

    TRANSVAAL, SOUTH AFRICA, AUGUST, 1980 ( UNPUBLISHED)

  • Deposit

    BARCLAYS BANK LTD., LETTER DATED 3/26/81

  • Deposit

    BUREAU OF MINES, LETTER DATED 4/14/80 FROM COMMODITY SPECIAL

  • Deposit

    PHOSPHATE ROCK TO CHIEF, BRANCH OF DOMESTIC DATA.

  • Deposit

    DIXON, ATLAS OF WORLD MINING - SOUTH AFRICA, 1979.

  • Deposit

    HANEKOM, H.J., VAN STADEN, C.M.V.H., SMIT, P.J. AND PIKE, D.

  • Deposit

    THE GEOLOGY OF THE PALABORA IGNEOUS COMPLEX: SOUTH

  • Deposit

    AFRICA DEPT. OF MINES, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, MEMOIR 54,

  • Deposit

    PRETORIA, 1965.

  • Deposit

    HEINRICH, E. WM., THE PALABORA CARBONATITIC COMPLEX-- A

  • Deposit

    UNIQUE COPPER DEPOSIT: CANADIAN MINERALOGIST, VOL. 19,

  • Deposit

    PART 7, 1970, P. 585-598.

  • Deposit

    JAGER, D.H. DE AND FOURIE, P.J., A REVIEW OF SOME NEW AS-

  • Deposit

    PECTS ON PHOSPHATE MINERALIZATION IN THE PALABORA IGNE-

  • Deposit

    OUS COMPLEX SOUTH AFRICA: AIME, DENVER, FEB.-MAR.,1978.

  • Deposit

    MINING ANNUAL REVIEW - 1980, P. 496.

  • Deposit

    PALABORA MINING CO., LTD., PALABORA, SOUTH AFRICA, JULY 1977

  • Deposit

    NEL, VIC, PALABORA'S NEW HEAVY MINERALS PLANTS ADDS URANIUM

  • Deposit

    CONCENTRATE TO THE RECOVERY LIST: E & M.J., NOV. 1972

  • Deposit

    PHOSPHATE DEVELOPMENT CORP., LTD. ANNUAL REPORT, 1980

  • Deposit

    PHOSPHATE DEVELOPMENT CORP., LTD., FOSKOR, N.D., 24 P.

  • Deposit

    PHOSPHATE DEVELOPMENT CORP., COETZEE, C.B. AND VISSER, H.N.

  • Deposit

    MEHLISS, A.T.M., PHOSPHATES: MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE

  • Deposit

    REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, 5TH EDITION, HANDBOOK 7,

  • Deposit

    1976, 8 PP.

  • Deposit

    ROUX, E.H., THE SOUTH AFRICAN PHOSPHATE ROCK INDUSTRY,

  • Deposit

    FERTILIZER SOCIETY OF SOUTH AFRICA JOURNAL,VOL. 2,1975.

  • Deposit

    RUSSELL, B.G., THE POSSIBLE RECOVERY, DURING THE MANUFACTURE

  • Deposit

    OF PHOSPHORIC ACID, OF RARE EARTHS FROM FOSKOR CONCEN-

  • Deposit

    TRATE, BULLETIN NO. 1, MINERALS BUREAU, JOHANNESBURG,

  • Deposit

    SOUTH AFRICA, 1977.

  • Deposit

    WHAT IS BELIEVED TO BE THE WORLD'S LARGEST MOBILE CRUSHING

  • Deposit

    UNIT...: E. & M. J., MARCH 1980.

  • Deposit

    INDUSTRIAL MINERALS, FEB. 1983, PP. 11-12.

  • Deposit

    NORTHOLT, ARTHUR,"IGNEOUS PHOSPHATE RESOURCES...", PAPER

  • Deposit

    PRESENTED AT THE INDUSTRIAL MINERALS CONFERENCE ON

  • Deposit

    PHOSPHATES, FLORIDA, DEC, 1983.

  • Deposit

    INDUSTRIAL MINERALS, JAN. 1984, PP. 57-58.

  • Deposit

    MINING ANNUAL REVEIW, 1984.

  • Deposit

    INDUSTRIAL MINERALS, JANUARY 1985, P. 12.

  • Deposit

    E & MJ, JAN. 1985, P. 41.

  • Deposit

    GREEN MARKETS, AUGUST 26, 1985, P. 5.

  • Deposit

    MINING ANNUAL REVEIW, 1985, P. 413.

  • Deposit

    SOUTH AFRICAN COAL, GOLD, AND BASE MINERALS, JAN. 1986, P.23

  • Deposit

    DIRECTORY, MINERALS BUREAU OF SOUTH AFRICA, "NON-METALLIC

  • Deposit

    COMMODITIES PRODUCED IN THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA",

  • Deposit

    MAY 1986.

  • Deposit

    MINING ANNUAL REVIEW, 1987, P. 390.

  • Deposit

    MINING ANNUAL REVEIW, 1988, P. 370.

  • Deposit

    INDUSTRIAL MINERALS, AUGUST 1989, P. 38.

  • Deposit

    PHOSPHOROUS & POTASSIUM, NO. 169, SEPT/OCT. 1990, PP. 32-33.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit AREA OF MINERALIZATION APPROXIMATELY 2000 HECTARES. STRIKE IS DUE NORTH WITH A VERTICAL DIP.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 10-MAR-97 Fantel, Richard J. 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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