Unisel Gold Mine

Producer in Free State, South Africa with commodities Gold, Sulfur-Pyrite

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10080049
MRDS ID W031000
Record type Site
Current site name Unisel Gold Mine
Related records 10183326

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 26.75149, -28.06321 (WGS84)
Relative position SOUTH OF ST. HELENA GOLD MINE AND TOWN OF WELKOM
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Geographic areas

Country State
South Africa Free State

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Sulfur-Pyrite Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Pyrite Ore

Alteration

  • (Local) None

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 193
USGS model code 29a
BC deposit profile C04
Deposit model name Quartz pebble conglomerate Au-U (BC name is Paleoplacer U-Au-PGE-Sn-Ti

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic)
    Rock unit name Ventersdorp System-Lava
    Rock description Ventersdorp System-Lava
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock > Quartzite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale

Nearby scientific data

(1) 26.75149, -28.06321

Geologic structures

Type Description Terms
Regional Continuity Of Gold-Bearing Horizons Over Extended Area. Marked By Faulting, Folding And Local Erosion And Redeposition Of Overlying Sediments
Local Gentle Dip Regionally, With Folds And Faults Locally. Overlying Lavas, Quartzites And Conglomerates Are Massive.

Ore body information

  • General form TABULAR/BLANKET
    Strike N-S
    Dip 35 DEG E
    Thickness 3M
    Width 2.5M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Contle Uplift Of Continental Mass; Peneplanation; Erosion, Folding, Faulting, Volcanicity, Dike Injection And Build-Up Of Younger Sediments.

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Discovery year 1939
Year of first production 1979

Mining district

District name O.F.S. Area Of The Witwatersrand Goldfields

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Unisel Gold Mines Ltd
  • Type Owner
    Owner Ownership Distribution:
  • Type Owner
    Owner Union Corp.
    Interest 67.7
  • Type Owner
    Owner Selection Trust
    Interest 34.3

Production statistics

  • Year 1980
    Material ORE AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.200 Toz Ai/Met Ton Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Ore Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1980
    Material AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.220 Toz Au/Met Ton Ore Mileld
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1981
    Material ORE AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.230 Toz Au/Met Ton Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Ore Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1981
    Material AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.231 Toz Au/Met Ton Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1982
    Material AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.221 Toz Au/Met Ton Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1983
    Material AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.216 Toz Au/Met Ton Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1983
    Material ORE AU
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^0.219 Toz Au/Met Ton Ore Milled
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Ore Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1986
    Period 1986
    Material ORE
    Description Cp_Grade: ^0.244 To2 Au/Met Ton
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Ore Gold Gold 0g/mt
  • Year 1986
    Period 1986
    Material ORE AU
    Description Cp_Grade: ^0.244 Toz Au/Met Ton Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Ore Gold Gold 0g/mt

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1986
    Total resources 505,000,000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 7.589 g/mt Gold Major 1986

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • CHAMBER OF MINES ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS - 1985
  • CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA 1986 ; IN ADDITION, 200,000 TONS OF UNAVAILABLE RESERVES EXIST IN THE BASAL REEF AT A GRADE OF 0.212 TOZ AU/MET TON ORE ; CHAMBER OF MINES ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS - 1984. ; CHAMBER OF MINES ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS-1986

Comments on the workings information

  • DUE TO EXTENSIVE FAULTING WHICH PRECLUDES LONGWALL MINING, THE MORE FLEXIBLE CENTER GULLY STRIKE TRACT SYSTEM IS BEING USED IN THIS MINE.

Comments on development

  • TOTAL$: 102.96 ; EXPAN$: 14.52 ; ECON.COM: 1980 OPERATING COSTS: $186.91/TOZ AU RECOVERED

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS W031000

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    UNISEL ANNUAL REPORTS 1976-198

  • Deposit

    1968 DIREXPL UNION CORPORATIO

  • Production

    CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA ; CHAMBER OF MINES ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS-1986 ; CHAMBER OF MINES ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS - 1983 ; CHAMBER OF MINES ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS - 1984 ; CHAMBER OF MINES ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS - 1985 ; CHAMBER OF MINES ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS-1982 ; CHAMBER OF MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA - ANALYSIS OF WORKING RESULTS - 1981

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit INFORMATION MERGED FROM RECORD NUMBER W032359 ; W032954 ; W033164 ; W033790 ; W044616 ; W055292

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-APR-1981 Mccarter, Lorna D. Department of State
Updater 01-JUL-1987 Mccarter, Lorna D Department of State
Updater 01-AUG-1982 Mccarter, Lorna D. Department of State
Updater 01-JUL-1984 Mccarter, Lorna D Department of State
Updater 01-JUL-1983 Mccarter, Lorna D. Department of State
Updater 01-JUN-1985 Mccarter, Lorna D Department of State
Updater 01-APR-1986 Mccarter, Lorna D Department of State
Updater 01-JUN-1987 Mccarter, Lorna D. Department of State