Zwartkop Compound Seam

Plant in South Africa with commodity Chromium
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. Production statistics
  13. Workings at the site
  14. Links to other databases
  15. Bibliographic references
  16. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10304623
MRDS ID W028281
MAS/MILS ID 7910200223
Record type Site
Current site name Zwartkop Compound Seam
Related records 10079230, 10231583, 10280286, 10231513

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 27.30144, -24.78837 (WGS84)
Elevation 1070
Location accuracy 10000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

South Africa(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country
South Africa

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Chromium Critical Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Pyroxene Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 27.30144, -24.78837

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N45E
    Dip 23E
    Thickness 0.33M
    Length 3000M
    Width 460M
    Depth to top 0M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 2
    MAS Column # 2
    Type of Orebody #1 STRATIFORM
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin MAGMATIC DIFFER
    Primary Ore Control IGNEOUS
    Secondary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Strike And Dip N45E:23E
    Minimum Depth to Top 150
    Date of Last Modification 930517

Comments on the geologic information

  • A LARGE DOLORITE DYKE CUTS THE SEAM FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Plant
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1934
Mining method Filled Stopes - Resuing
Year of first production 1934
Plant type Beneficiation (Mill)
Plant subcategory Gravity
Milling method Gravity

Mining district

District name West Bushveld Complex

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Samancor / Gencor
    Interest 100
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1989
  • Type Operator
    Owner Chrome Mines Of South Africa
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1989

Production statistics

  • Year 2064
    Period 1987-2064
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Estim. Etd 1/89 Prod. 1987-2064 100000 Mt / Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Chromium Chromium 100000mt

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • 1/89 INSITU DEMO. TONNAGE = TO 300 M VERT., 90 % RECOV.
  • Q-MATRIX 1 REPRESENTS TONNAGES FROM A VERT. DEPTH OF 0-150 M, WITH COL 1 BEING THE IN-SITU RESOURCE AND COL 2 BEING THE RECOV- ERABLE RESOURCE. Q-MATRIX 2 REPRESENTS TONNAGES AT A VERT. DEPTH OF 0-300 M. ONCE AGAIN, COL 1 AND COL 2 INPUT IS IN-SITU AND REC- OVERABLE RESOURCE RESPECTIVELY.
  • LAST MINING AT ZKWARTKOP (ALL SEAMS) IN 1979; ALL EQUIPMENT REMOVED BY 1984. COMPOUND SEAM ANALYZED AT 100,000 MTPY ROM FOR: 48,000 MTPY CONCS. AT 48 % CR2O3. CONCS. AT 1.5-1.75/1 CR/FE. COMPOUND SEAM = .30 M THICK, DIP OF 19 DEGS. SEQ. NUM. 791-020-0223 APPLIES ONLY TO THE COMPOUND SEAM OF THE ZWARTKOP OPERATION. OTHER SEQ. NUMBERS FOR ZWARTKOP ARE: 791-020-0036 (MAGAZINE SEAM), 791-020-0221 (NEW SEAM) AND 791-020-0222 (INTERMEDIATE SEAM).

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method RESUING 10-61
    Percent Recovery 90
    Hardness of Rock HARDROCK WITH LITTLE WATER
    Rock Characteristics ONE SYSTEM OF WEAKNESS PLANES
    Rock Support Chars. SUPPORTING
    Mine Support Chars. POST, HEADBOARD, CAPS, ROOF BOLTS
    Length of Inclines (m) 460
    Slope of Inclines 23
    Number of Inclines 2
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    Capacity 400
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 45.08
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 250
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1989

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    JOURNAL OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METAL-

  • Deposit

    LURGY, 1968, "CHROMIUM IN SOUTH AFRICA", V68.

  • Deposit

    GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF SOUTH AFRICA, 1959, "MINERAL RESOURCES

  • Deposit

    OF THE UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA", 4TH ED. P 187-200.

  • Deposit

    RANKIN G, 1975, "CHROMIUN AND FERROCHROMIUM IN SOUTH AF-

  • Deposit

    RICA", SAUNDERS AND TAYLOR INC., INVESTMENT INDUSTRY REP-

  • Deposit

    PORT, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA, P. 1-117.

  • Deposit

    METALS BULLITIN, 1969, "UNION CORP.'S ZWARTKOP", DEC. 16

  • Deposit

    1969, P. 25-28.

  • Deposit

    COAL, GOLD & BASE METALS, 1975, "LONGHOLING HITS GOLD AT

  • Deposit

    ZWARTKOP", V. 23, NO. 6, P. 15-21.

  • Deposit

    DE WET J F, 1952, "CHROMITE INVESTIGATIONS-PART IV", JOURNAL

  • Deposit

    OF THE CHEMICAL, METALLURGICAL & MINING SOC. OF SOUTH

  • Deposit

    AFRICA, V. 53, NO. 1, P. 1-10.

  • Deposit

    WASSERSTEIN B, 1936, "CRITICAL ZONE OF THE BUSHVELD GABBRO

  • Deposit

    TRANS. OF THE GEOL. SOC. OF S. AFRICA", PAPER READ 23 JUNE

  • Deposit

    SEIMS P, 1976, "CHROMITE MINES AND RESOURCE OF THE UNION OF

  • Deposit

    SOUTH AFRICA", MINERALS AVAILIBILITY SYSTEM, DEC. 1976,

  • Deposit

    P. 21-23.

  • Deposit

    INDUSTRIAL MINERALS, 1970, " THE ZWARTKOP MINE OF CHOME IN

  • Deposit

    SOUTH AFRICA", FEB. 1970.

  • Deposit

    SILK M H, 1988, "WORLD CHROMITE RESOURCE AND FERROCHROME

  • Deposit

    PRODUCTION", MINTEK SPECIAL PUBL. NO. 11.

  • Deposit

    DAVIDOFF R L, BOYLE E H JR., "NOTES FROM VISIT TO THE RE-

  • Deposit

    PUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA", USBM PUBL. 1988.

  • Deposit

    GOLDER AND ASSOC., 1981, " DEPOSIT PROFILE - ZWARTKOP,

  • Deposit

    SOUTH AFRICA".

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 18-MAY-1993 Boyle, Ed U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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