1. Mineral Resources
  2. Online Spatial Data
  3. Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS)

Epoch

Producer in Zimbabwe with commodities Copper, Nickel
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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 10304659
MAS/MILS ID 7960200035
Record type Site
Current site name Epoch
Alternate or previous names Epoch Nickel Mine, No Alternate Names

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 30.35136, -20.43017 (WGS84)
Elevation 1200
Location accuracy 10000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Zimbabwe(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country
Zimbabwe

Comments on the location information

  • EST.LOCATION IS 13 KM N OF FILABUSI, 120 KM SW OF GWELO. OF BINDURA NICKEL CORPORATION LTD.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Secondary
Nickel Critical Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Millerite Unknown
Pentlandite Unknown
Pyrrhotite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 30.35136, -20.43017
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N90E
    Dip 80S
    Length 320M
    Width 50M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 2
    Type of Orebody #1 STOCKWORK
    Shape of Orebody #1 PIPELIKE
    Primary mode of Origin MAGMATIC DIFFER
    Primary Ore Control IGNEOUS
    Secondary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. MODERATE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 OTHER
    Strike And Dip N90E:80S
    Date of Last Modification 830614
  • Area 250HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 250
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1970
Mining method Caving Methods - Sublevel Caving
Year of first production 1976
Milling method Flotation

Mining district

District name Filabushi

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Bindura Nickel Corp. Ltd. (Bnc)
    Home office Zimbabwe
    Year 1991
  • Type Owner
    Owner Anglo American Corp. Of South Africa, Ltd.
    Interest 100
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1991

Comments on the ownership information

  • RHODESIAN NICKEL CORP.LTD. IS A SUBSIDIARY OF ANGLO AMERICAN CORP.OF S.AFRICA. TROJAN NICKEL MINES LTD. IS A WHOLLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY

Comments on the production information

  • TROJAN NICKEL MINES LTD. PURCHASED 9 BLOCKS OF CLAIMS FROM EPOCH NICKEL IN EARLY 1974. AS OF EARLY 1974 R400,000 HAD BEEN SPENT ON THE PROPERTY. ASSUME DEVELOPMENT STARTED LATE 1974. MINE & MILL ON-STREAM IN JAN.1976 AT MILLING RATE OF 300,000 MTPY ORE.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1992
    Demonstrated 3040000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Nickel Ni 0.6 wt-pct Nickel Major 1992
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1987
    Indicated 1600000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Nickel Ni 0.62 wt-pct Nickel Major 1987
    Copper Cu 0.04 wt-pct Copper Minor 1987

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • REFERENCE STATES THAT RESERVES TOTAL 3.04 MMT AT 0.6% NI
  • OPERATOR: TROJAN NICKEL. 6/19/92 MINING JOURNAL VOL318, NO.8178 STATED THAT MINE IS SCHED. TO CLOSE IN 1996.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 300M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method SUBLEVEL 10-43
    Percent Waste Rock 10
    Percent Recovery 90
    Hardness of Rock HARDROCK WITH LITTLE WATER
    Rock Characteristics MULTIPLE SYSTEMS OF WEAKNESS PLANES
    Rock Support Chars. SUPPORTING
    Mine Support Chars. POST, HEADBOARD, CAPS, ROOF BOLTS
    Number of Shafts 3
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    Capacity 1667
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 30
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 300
    Year of Information 1987

Comments on other economic factors

  • UNDERGROUND DEVELOPMENT CONFINED TO ABOVE THE 100 M LEVEL.
  • BINDURA IS LISTED AS PLANNING TO KEEP THE EPOCH MINE OPEN UNTIL 1996.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Reserve-Resource

    NICKDATA, INC. NICKEL REFERENCE DATA. 1987. BINDURA

  • Reserve-Resource

    PRODUCTION UNIT.

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING, AUG.1974.

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE, SEPT.1974.

  • Deposit

    E/MJ, AUG.1976, PP.137-138.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, MARCH 29,1974.

  • Deposit

    METALS SOURCEBOOK, APRIL 8,1974. ITEM B2212.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, JUNE 21,1974.

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING, DEC.1975, P.37.

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE, NOV.1975.

  • Deposit

    DMA SERIES 1501 MAP, SHEET SF 35.4, SCALE 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    RHODESIAN GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN NO. 8.

  • Deposit

    RHODESIAN NICKEL CORPORATION LIMITED--DESCRIPTION OF

  • Deposit

    RHONICK OPERATIONS .VISIT TO TROJAN AND B.S.R. BY THE

  • Deposit

    INSTITUTION OF MINIG AND METALLURGY,RHODESIAN SECTION.

  • Deposit

    STAGMAN,J.G. "AN OUTLINE OF THE GEOLOGY OF RHODESIA."

  • Deposit

    PP.11-15,33.

  • Deposit

    UNITED STATES BUREAU OF MINES. MINERALS YEARBOOK 1970-76.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 10-MAR-97 Bleiwas, Donald 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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