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Wessels

Producer in South Africa with commodities Iron, Magnesite, Manganese, Phosphorus-Phosphates, Silica
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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. Ownership information
  11. Reserves and resources
  12. Workings at the site
  13. Links to other databases
  14. Bibliographic references
  15. General comments
  16. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10304745
MRDS ID W028267
MAS/MILS ID 7910050002
Record type Site
Current site name Wessels
Alternate or previous names Wessels Mine
Related records 10079219

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 22.83482, -27.16332 (WGS84)
Elevation 1200

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

South Africa(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country
South Africa

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Iron Tertiary
Magnesite Tertiary
Manganese Critical Primary
Phosphorus-Phosphates Tertiary
Silica Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Bixbyite Unknown
Braunite Unknown
Cryptomalene Unknown
Hausmanite Unknown
Jacobsite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 22.83482, -27.16332
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N18W
    Dip 10W
    Thickness 5M
    Depth to top 365M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 SEDIMENTARY
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin SEDIMENTATION
    Primary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Secondary Ore Control BEDDING
    Strike And Dip N18W:10W
    Date of Last Modification 900425

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Producer
Commodity type Both
Deposit size Large
Significant Yes
Year of first production 1973
Milling method Washing

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Samancor Ltd
    Interest 100
    Home office South Africa
    Year 1989

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1988
    Indicated 180000000mt ore
    Demonstrated 180000000mt ore
    Total resources 180000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Manganese Mn 44 wt-pct Manganese Major 1988
    Phosphorus-Phosphates P 0.035 wt-pct Phosphorus Trace 1988
    Iron Fe 13 wt-pct Iron Trace 1988
    Silica SiO2 7 wt-pct Silica Trace 1988
    Calcium CaO 4 wt-pct Calcium 1988

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • TALJAARDT, 1982.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 395M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method ROOM AND PILLAR 10-34
    Percent Waste Rock 10
    Percent Recovery 81
    Hardness of Rock HARDROCK FISSURED WITH MODERATE WATER
    Rock Support Chars. SUPPORTING
    Number of Shafts 1
    Length of Inclines (m) 1800
    Slope of Inclines 15
    Number of Inclines 1
    Capacity 5670
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Operating Days per Year 300
    Year of Information 1990

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    ASSOCIATED MANGANESE MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA(AMMOSOL). VARIOUS

  • Deposit

    ANNUAL REPORTS AND BROCHURES.

  • Deposit

    BOARDMAN, L.G. FURTHER GEOLOGICAL DATA ON THE POSTMASBURG

  • Deposit

    AND KURUMAN MANGANESE ORE DEPOSITS, NORTHERN CAPE PRO-

  • Deposit

    -VINCE. (IN) GEOLOGY OF SOME ORE DEPOSITS IN SOUTHERN

  • Deposit

    AFRICA, V. 2. GEOL. SURV. OF SOUTH AFRICA. 1964,

  • Deposit

    PP. 415-440.

  • Deposit

    DEVILLI9ERS, JOHN. MANGANESE DEPOOSITS OF THE UNION OF SOUTH

  • Deposit

    AFRICA. GEOL. SURV. OF SOUTH AFRICA. HANDBOOK NO. 2.

  • Deposit

    1960, 248 PP.

  • Deposit

    DEVILLIERS, P.R. THE GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY OF THE KALAHARI

  • Deposit

    MANGANESE FIELD, NORTH OF SISHEN, CAPE PROVINCE. GEOL.

  • Deposit

    SURV. OF SOUTH AFRICA MEMOIR 59. 1970, 58 PP.

  • Deposit

    DUKE, V.W.A.(COMPILER). MANGANESE, A MINERAL COMMODITY RE-

  • Deposit

    -VIEW. SOUTH AFRICA DEPT. OF MINES, MINERALS BUREAU

  • Deposit

    INTERNAL REPORT NO. 53. 1979, PP. 90-113.

  • Deposit

    FRANKEL, J.J. MANGANESE ORES FROM THE KURUMAN DISTRICT, UP-

  • Deposit

    -PER CAPE PROVINCE. SOUTH AFRICA ECON. GEOL. V. 53,

  • Deposit

    1958, PP. 577-597.

  • Deposit

    HAMMERBECK, E.C.I. AND J.J. TALJAARFT. MANGANESE.(IN) MIN-

  • Deposit

    ERAL RESOURCES ODF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA. HAND-

  • Deposit

    BOOK NO. 7.(C.B. COETZEE, ED.). PRETORIA, 1976,

  • Deposit

    PP. 167-172.

  • Deposit

    NATRIONAL MATERIALS ADVISORY BOARD. NATIONAL ACADAMY OF SCI-

  • Deposit

    -ENCE-NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL. MANGANESE RESOURCES OF

  • Deposit

    THE WORLD AND THEIR INDUSTRIAL IMPLICATIONS. NMAB-374,

  • Deposit

    WASHINGTON D.C. 1981, PP. 186-200.

  • Deposit

    PELLETIER, R.A. MINERAL RESOURCES OF SOUTH-CENTRAL AFRICA.

  • Deposit

    OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, LONDON. 1964, P. 98.

  • Deposit

    STREIDER, PETER. SOUTH AFRICA'S ROLE IN WORLD MANGANESE.

  • Deposit

    PRES. AT SOUTHERN AFRICAN METALS AND MINERALS CONFER-

  • Deposit

    ENCE. JOHANNESBURG, MAY 12, 1981, 15 PP.

  • Deposit

    TALJAARDT, J.J. MAJOR MANGANESE FIELDS, REPUBLIC OF SOUTH

  • Deposit

    AFRICA. JOHANNESBURG, NOV. 1979, UPDATED NOV. A982

  • Deposit

    U.S. DEPT. OF STATE SOUTH AFRICA'S MANGANESE SECTOR. AIR-

  • Deposit

    -GRAM A-30. JOHANNESBURG, APR. 30, 1982, 53 PP.

  • Deposit

    COAL, GOLD, AND BASE MINERALS OF SOUTH AFRICA. ORE-INSPIRING

  • Deposit

    TRAMMING PROGRAM. APR. 1981, PP. 40-43.

  • Deposit

    COAL, GOLD, AND BASE MINERALS OF SOUTH AFRICA. WORLD'S

  • Deposit

    LARGEST UNDERGROUND MANGANESE MINE. MAY 3 1973,

  • Deposit

    SOUTH AFRICAN MINING AND ENGINEERING JOURNAL. FIRST

  • Deposit

    UNDERGROUND MANGANESE MINE. JUNE 1972, P. 50.

  • Deposit

    SAMANCOR LTD. ANNUAL REPORTS AND BROCHURES.

  • Deposit

    PP. 35-37.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THE MINE IS ACCESSED BY A 393M VERTICAL TWO COMPARTMENT SHAFT (PRODUCTION LEVEL - 365M_ AND A 1800M DECLINE THAT CONTAINS A CABLE CONVEYOR SYSTEM FOR TRANSPORT OF THE ORE TO THE SURFACE. THE SHAFT IS PRINCIPALLY USED FOR THE TRANSPORT OF MEN AND MATERIALS. THE ORE IS MINED SELECTIVELY AN UPPER 0.6 M OF LOW GRADE IS MINED FIRST, THEN THE LOWER 4.4M HIGH GRADE. FROM THE WORKING FACES THE ORE IS HAULED TO PRIMARY STATIONS WHERE IT IS REDUCED TO MINUS 125 MM, AND THEN TO SECONDARY CRUSHERS WHERE THE FINAL SIZE IS 63MM, BEFORE IT IS TRANSFERRED TO THE CABLE BELT FOR TRANSPORT TO THE SURFACE. THE MINING IS ON TWO ORE BODIES, THE "NORTH" AND THE "SOUTH", AND THE MANGANESE HORIZON IS 3-5M THICK. BECAUSE OF VARIATIONS IN THE ORE THICKNESS AND CHANGE IN DIP, THE SIZE OF THE EQUPMENT IS SOMEWHAT LIMITED. THE CAPACITY OF THE MINE IS ESTIMATED TO BE ON THE ORDER OF 1.2 MILLION T/YR; CONCENTRATION IS THROUGH WET SCREENING.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 05-AUG-1994 Coffman, Joe 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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