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Railway Block

Producer in Midlands, Zimbabwe with commodity Chromium
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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. Ownership information
  13. Production statistics
  14. Workings at the site
  15. Links to other databases
  16. Bibliographic references
  17. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10305183
MAS/MILS ID 7960250006
Record type Site
Current site name Railway Block
Alternate or previous names Railwest Block East

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 29.99026, -19.65522 (WGS84)
Elevation 1400
Location accuracy 500(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Midlands(province)

Zimbabwe(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Zimbabwe Midlands

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Chromium Critical Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chromite Unknown
Dolomite Unknown
Serpentine Unknown
Talc Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 29.99026, -19.65522
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N30E
    Dip 85E
    Thickness 12M
    Length 310M
    Width 215M
    Depth to top 250M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 3
    Type of Orebody #1 OTHER
    Shape of Orebody #1 PIPELIKE
    Shape of Orebody #2 TABULAR
    Shape of Orebody #3 LENTICULAR
    Primary mode of Origin MAGMATIC DIFFER
    Primary Ore Control FAULTING
    Secondary Ore Control FOLDING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. INTENSE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 OTHER
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #2 SILICIFICATION
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #3 CARBONITIZATION
    Strike And Dip N30E:85E
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Date of Last Modification 830621

Comments on the geologic information

  • UNSPEC. METAMORPHIC ROCK IS TALC-CARBONATE. OTHER TYPE OF ALTERATION IS SERPENTINIZATION.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1905
Mining method Open Stope - Sublevel
Year of first production 1907
Milling method Gravity

Mining district

District name Selukwe District

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Unknown

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Zimbabwe Mining And Smelting Co. (Zimasco)
    Interest 100
    Home office Zimbabwe
    Year 1981

Production statistics

  • Year 1975
    Material CONC
    Ore mined 217590mt
    Description 217590 Mt Conc.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Chromium Chromium 217590mt
  • Year 1976
    Material CONC
    Ore mined 202445mt
    Description 202445 Mt Conc.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Chromium Chromium 202445mt
  • Year 1977
    Material CONC
    Ore mined 113938mt
    Description 113938 Mt Conc.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Chromium Chromium 113938mt
  • Year 1978
    Material CONC
    Ore mined 56330mt
    Description 56330 Mt Conc.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Chromium Chromium 56330mt
  • Year 1979
    Material CONC
    Ore mined 80261mt
    Description 80261 Mt Conc.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Conc. Chromium Chromium 80261mt

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • FOR ANALYSIS: 210,000 MTPY ROM FOR: 140,000 MTPY OF LUMP PRODS. GRADING 41.4-45.3 % CR2O3 PLUS 30,000 MTPY CONCS.GRADING 51 % CR2O3. ALL PRODUCTS SENT TO KWE KWE SMELTER. OPERATION PRODUCED AS MUCH AS 200-220,000 MTPY PRODUCTS BACK IN 1975/1976. PODIFORM RESOURCE.
  • BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF DETAILED GEOLOGIC DATA ON THE OREBODY OR THE ZONE OF INTEREST,IT WAS NECESSARY TO CONSTRUCT A MODEL OREBODY FOR ANALYSIS OF COSTS. THE MODEL THAT REPRESENTS THE 75% PROB. LEVEL IS A STEEPLY DIPPING ZONE 7 M THICK EXTENDING 80 M ALONG STRIKE AND 100 M DOWN DIP WITH THE TOP OF THE ORE ZONE AT 200 M BELOW SURFACE.ADDITIONAL DETAILED DATA IS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEFINE THIS OPERATION. THE RAILWAY BLOCK DEPOSITS COMMONLY HAVE BEEN DIVIDED PROPERTY, Q-MAT 1 TONNAGE AT 75% PROBABILITY LEVEL WAS ESTIMATED TO CONSIST OF TWO LARGE ORE BODIES WITH IDENTICAL DIMENSIONS OF 310 METERS ALONG STRIKE, 12 METERS THICKNESS AND AN ASSUMED EXTENSION DOWN DIP OF 215 METERS. ESTIMATED PRODUCTION FROM RAILWAY BLOCK DURING THE YEARS 1970 THRU 1979 WAS THEN SUBTRACTED OUT WHICH ASSUMES THAT ALL OR NEARLY ALL OF PRODUCTION CAME OUT OF THESE TWO ORE BODIES. THESE ORE BODIES ARE INTENDED TO SERVE MODELS FOR ANALYSIS OF COSTS AND DO NOT IMPLY THAT THESE ARE ONLY ORE BODIES WHICH CONTAIN RESOURCES AT THE RAILWAY BLOCK PROPERTY. THIS TONNAGE SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS AN ABSOLUTE TONNAGE AVAILABLE FROM RAILWAY BLOCK. IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE HOWEVER, THAT THE AVERAGE ORE BODY MINED AT RAILWAY BLOCK HAS BEEN SMALL HISTORICALLY (12,000 MT) AND THAT THE CENTRAL KINRAIDS AND BARBADOES ZONES CONTAIN ONLY SMALL ORE BODIES.
  • 1/89 INSITU DEMO.TONNAGE = ESTIMATE TO 360 M VERTICAL DEPTH (PROVEN ORE AT 305 M VERT.AS EARLY AS 1968). 100 PCT RECOV.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 500M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method SUBLEVEL 10-43
    Percent Recovery 90
    Hardness of Rock HARDROCK WITH LITTLE WATER
    Rock Characteristics ONE SYSTEM OF WEAKNESS PLANES
    Rock Support Chars. SUPPORTING MAY BACK SLAB
    Mine Support Chars. POST, HEADBOARD, CAPS, ROOF BOLTS
    Number of Shafts 2
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    Capacity 533
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 21.94
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 300
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1981

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    ALREY, N.M. "A REVIEW OF CHROMITE MINING IN THE GREAT DYKE"

  • Deposit

    CHAMBER OF MINES JOURNAL. JUNE 1975. PP. 35-43.

  • Deposit

    COTTERILL, P. "THE SELUKWE SCHIST BELT AND ITS CHROMITITE

  • Deposit

    DEPOSITS." GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF SOUTH AFRICA. VOL.5.

  • Deposit

    1979. PP. 229-245.

  • Deposit

    COTTERILL, P. "THE CHROMITE DEPOSITS OF SELUKWE, RHODESIA."

  • Deposit

    ECONOMIC GEOLOGY MONOGRAPH. VOL. 4. PP. 154-186.

  • Deposit

    STOWE, CLIVE W. "ALPINE-TYPE STRUCTURES IN THE RHODESIAN

  • Deposit

    BASEMENT COMPLEX AT SELUKWE." JOURNAL OF THE

  • Deposit

    GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. LONDON. VOL. 130. 1974.

  • Deposit

    PP. 411-425.

  • Deposit

    STOWE, C.W. "THE GEOLOGY OF THE COUNTRY SOUTH AND WEST OF

  • Deposit

    SELUKWE." RHODESIA, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN NO. 59.

  • Deposit

    SALISBURY. 1968. PP. 178-180.

  • Deposit

    TINDALE, R. AND M.A. BISCOE. "THE GEOLOGY OF THE COUNTRY

  • Deposit

    AROUND GWELO." SOUTHERN RHODESIA, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

  • Deposit

    BULLETIN NO. 39. 1949. PP. 120-137.

  • Deposit

    WILSON, N.H. "NOTES ON THE MINING INDUSTRY OF SOUTHERN

  • Deposit

    RHODESIA." GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF SOUTHERN RHODESIA.

  • Deposit

    PP. 55-59.

  • Deposit

    WORST, B.G. "THE GREAT DYKE OF SOUTHERN RHODESIA."

  • Deposit

    SOUTHERN RHODESIA, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN NO. 47.

  • Deposit

    1960. PP. 82-106, 186-231.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 19-AUG-92 Eastern Field Operations Center (EFOC) 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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