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Winterveld Chrome Mine

Producer in South Africa with commodities Chromium, PGE, Iron, Silica
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Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10079236
MRDS ID W028409
Record type Site
Current site name Winterveld Chrome Mine
Related records 10158829

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 30.16808, -24.66332 (WGS84)
Elevation 911
Relative position 10 KILOMETERS NORTHWEST OF STEELPOORT
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Geographic areas

Country
South Africa

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Chromium Primary
PGE Tertiary
Iron Tertiary
Silica Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chromite Ore
Magnetite Ore
Anorthosite Gangue
Chalcopyrite Gangue
Pentlandite Gangue
Pyrrhotite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Surface And Near-Surface Alteration Of Feldspathic Material Only

Analytical data

Result CONCENTRATES: 97.8 % - 8 PLUS 40 MESH
Result 2.1 % 50 - 200 MESH
Result CR2O3 46.4 %, SIO2 0.8 %, FEO 25.2 %, AL2O3 15.0 %, MGO 10.9 %, P TRACE, S TRACE, CAO 0.12 %
Result AVG. CR:FE 1.60 - 1.63:1

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 2
USGS model code 2a
Deposit model name Bushveld Cr

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock
    Rock unit name Bushveld Igneous Complex (Including The Overlying Merensky Reef)
    Rock description Bushveld Igneous Complex (Including The Overlying Merensky Reef)
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pliocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Gabbro

Nearby scientific data

(1) 30.16808, -24.66332
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Geologic structures

Type Description Terms
Regional Inward-Dipping Cone-Like Structure; Folding And Faulting (Including Low-Angle Thrusting) Exists, But Are Of Minor Importance; Erosion, Peneplanation And Build-Up Of Younger Sediments Are Basic Criteria Regionally.
Local The Area'S Upper, Middle And Lower Chrome Groups (Underlying The Merensky Reef) Are Extraordinarily Uniform As To Composition And Thickness. Faults And Folds, Locally, Are Of Minor Importance Only. Seam Undulations, However, Are Common And Thus Present Localized (Albeit Moderate) Changes In The Dip.

Ore body information

  • General form TABULAR/BLANKET
    Strike NW - SE
    Dip 12 DEG SW
    Thickness 1.1M
    Depth to top 300M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • The Various Components Of The Bushveld Igneous Complex Have Been Emplaced In Successive Eruptions As Sheet-Like Masses Into The Pretoria Series Volcanics (Transvaal System), And In Some Cases Into One Another, Dipping Inward Toward The Center Giving A Cone-Like Structure To The Complex As A Whole.

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Discovery method Ore-Mineral In Place

Mining district

District name Eastern (Steelpoort-Mooihoek) Belt; Bushveld Igneous Complex

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Winterveld (T. C. L.) Chrome Mines (Pty) Ltd.
  • Type Owner
    Owner Transvaal Consolidated Land And Exploration Co., Ltd. (Barlow Rand)

Production statistics

  • Year 1978
    Material CON CR
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^46 % Cr2o3 (Approximately)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Cr2O3 Conc. Chromium Chromium 46wt-pct
  • Year 1979
    Material CON CR
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^46% Cr2o3 (Approximately)
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Cr2O3 Conc. Chromium Chromium 46wt-pct
  • Year 1980
    Material CON CR
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^46% Cr2o3 Approximately
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Cr2O3 Conc. Chromium Chromium 46wt-pct
  • Year 1981
    Period 1974-1981
    Material CON CR
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^46 % Cr2o3 Approx
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Cr2O3 Conc. Chromium Chromium 46wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • MINE (AND PRODUCTION) PREDATES 1937 . ESTIMATES PRIOR TO 1974 ARE NOT POSSIBLE, HOWEVER. ; NO PRODUCTION DATA AVAILABLE SINCE 1981

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1975
    Total resources 285,000,000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Chromium Cr2O3 35 wt-pct Chromium Major 1975

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • INDICATED RESERVES TO A VERTICAL DEPTH OF 300 METERS.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 300M

Comments on the workings information

  • SEE DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSIT COMMENTS. MINING IS BY DEVELOPMENT DRIFTS AND INCLINES IN ORE TO CREATE MODIFIED ROOM AND PILLAR METHOD. LONGHOLE DRILLING AND MODIFIED LONGWALL MINING ARE USED IN AREAS OF UNIFORM SEAM THICKNESS AND DIP. BROKEN ORE IS MOVED DOWNWARD INTO ORE PASSES BY SLUSHER AND RAIL HAULED TO MAIN HAULAGE INCLINE SHAFTS. SURFACE FACILITIES CONSIST OF HAND SORTING, SCREENS, BALL MILLS, VIBRATORY TABLES AND WASHING. OUTPUT CONSISTS OF HAND COBBED LUMP ORE AND TREATED FINES AS CONCENTRATES.

Comments on development

  • MILL.CAP: 0.5 MIL.MET. T/YR ; ECON.COM: EXPORT ORIENTED, THIS MINE IS THE LARGEST CHROMITE PRODUCER IN SOUTH AFRICA. PRODUCTS INCLUDE "TCL GRADE", CHIPS, SAND, WASHED FINES ("WVX GRADE") AND CONCENTRATES. CURRENTLY, CONCENTRATES ARE LARGELY DESIGNATED FOR SALE TO THE UCAR/GENERAL MINING CHARGE CHROME PLANT AT STEELPOORT.

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS W028409

Bibliographic references

  • Analytical Data

    SRC.REF: FERROUS AND NON-FERROUS MINES AND WORKS IN SOUTH AFRICA; MINERALS BUREAU DIRECTORY NO. 3/79

  • Deposit

    MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, FIFTH EDITION, HANDBOOK 7, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, DEPARTMENT OF MINES, 1976.

  • Deposit

    CHROMITE MINES AND RESOURCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA; UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO FOR M.A.S., US BUREAU OF MINES; SIEMS, P., CRIST, E. M. AND SHEEHAN, L. E. JR., 1976 .

  • Deposit

    MARKETING DIRECTORY, NO. 2 , FERROUS AND NONFERROUS METALS AND MINERALS IN SOUTH AFRICA; MINERALS BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF MINES; 1977 .

  • Deposit

    OPERATING MINES IN THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA; MINERALS BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF MINES; DIRECTORY NO. 1/79 ; 1979 .

  • Deposit

    "CHROMIUM AND FERROCHROMIUM IN SOUTH AFRICA"; SAUNDERS & TAYLOR, STOCK AND SHARE BROKERS; JOHANNESBURG; NOVEMBER 1975 ; "THE CHROMITE DEPOSITS OF THE BUSHVELD IGNEOUS COMPLEX"; GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, DEPARTMENT OF MINES, KUPFERBURGER, W. AND LOMBAARD, B. V.; 1937

  • Production

    REPORTERS ESTIMATES BASED ON INDUSTRY INDICATORS AND OFFICIAL (MINERALS BUREAU) COUNTRY TOTALS. ; REPORTER'S ESTIMATES BASED ON INDUSTRY INDICATORS AND OFFICIAL (MINERALS BUREAU) COUNTRY TOTALS. ; REPORTERS ESTIMATE BASED ON INDUSTRY INDICATORS AND OFFICIAL (MINERALS BUREAU) COUNTRY TOTALS

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit MAX. THICKNESS REFERS TO IN SITU WIDTH OF THE "MAIN" CHROMITE SEAM IN THE AREA'S "LOWER CHROME GROUP". DEPTH TO TOP IS RANGE FROM OUTCROP TO CURRENT VERTICAL MAX. MINING DEPTH. DEPTH TO BOTTOM (I.E. MAXIMUM DEPTH OF MINABLE ORE) NOT KNOWN.
Deposit INFORMATION MERGED FROM RECORD NUMBER W028905 ; W030788 ; W032253 ; W055325

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-AUG-1979 Sweetwood, Charles W. Department of State
Updater 01-JUL-1982 Mccarter, Lorna D. Department of State
Updater 01-MAY-1980 Sweetwood, Charles W. Department of State
Updater 01-JUL-1981 Mccarter, Lorna D. Department of State
Updater 01-JUL-1982 Mccarter, Lorna D. Department of State
Updater 01-JUL-1987 Mccarter, Lorna D. Department of State