Producer

Rustenburg Platinum

South Africa

PGEPlatinumPalladiumIridiumNickelCopperRutheniumGoldRhodiumOsmiumChromium

⌖ Show on map USGS source ↗

Description

Hans Merensky And A. F. Lombard

Commodities

PrimaryPGE, Platinum, Palladium

SecondaryIridium, Nickel, Copper, Ruthenium, Gold, Rhodium, Osmium

TertiaryChromium

Commodity typeM

Deposit

Model4: Merensky Reef PGE

Deposit sizeL

Orebody formTABULAR/BLANKET

Ore controlThe 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.

Materials

Ore mineralsChalcopyrite, Chromite, Cubanite, Electrum, Gold, Millerite, Pentlandite, Platinum, Pyrite, Sperrylite

GangueCassiterite, Graphite, Ilmenite, Rutile

Geology

Host rockGabbro,Norite,Anorthosite,Peridotite,Harzburgite

Associated rockMafic Intrusive Rock · Merensky Reef, Bushveld Igneous Complex

StructureInward-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., The Merensky Reef Is Extraordinarily Uniform As To Composition And Thickness. Faults And Folds, Locally, Are Almost Non-Existent. An Oxidized Zone Extends Down-Dip For An Average Of 200 Meters, Followed By Unaltered Sulfide Zones. The Hanging Wall Is Spotted Porite Underlain By Pseudo-Porphyritic Pyroxenitic Diallage-Norite, Feldspathic Pyroxenite, A Chrome-Rich Layer, And A Footwall Of Anorthositic Norite.

Tectonic settingPlatform

AlterationSurface And Near-Surface Alteration Of Feldspathic Material Only. Oxidation To 120 Ft Vertically.

Economic & production

Development statusProducer

First production1931

Discovery year1924

Identification

Deposit ID10079223

MRDS IDW028272

Alternate namesWaterval, Rustenburg Platinum Mines Ltd.

RegionAF

Data scoreA

Coordinates-25.66331, 27.33478

References

MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, FIFTH EDITION, HANDBOOK 7 ; 1976RUSTENBURG PLATINUM MINES LIMITED; BROCHURE; CIRCA 1964SOUTH AFRICAN MINING & ENGINEERING JOURNAL; JULY 1975MERTIE, 1969, ECONOMIC GEOLOGY OF THE PLATINUM METALS: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 630, P. 39-41.BRABERS, COMPILER, 1971, LIST OF WORKING MINES IN REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA: SOUTH AFRICA DEPT. OF MINES, 25 P.STUMPFL AND TARKIAN, 1976, PLATINUM GENESIS: ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, V. 71, NO. 7.KINGSTON, 1966, MERENSKY REEF AT RUSTENBURG MINE: MINERALOGY MAGAZINE, V. 35.PLATINUM METALS SERVICE, 1957, PLATINUM MINING IN THE TRANSVAAL: JOHNSON, MATTHEY AND CO., V. 1, NO. 1.BUTTERMAN, W.C., 1975, PLATINUM-GROUP METALS: U.S. DEPT. OF INTERIOR, BUREAU OF MINES MINES, MINERAL YEARBOOK, 1973.COVDINS, 1969, THE MERENSKY REEF BUSHVELD COMPLEX: ECONOMIC GEOLOGY MONOGRAPH, NO. 4.WAGNER, 1929, PLATINUM DEPOSITS AND MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA: EDINBURGH, OLIVER AND BOYD.MINING MAGAZINE, 1977, RUSTENBURG CUTS OUTPUT: V. 137, NO. 6.RUSTENBURG PLATINUM MINES LIMITED, 1975, ANNUAL REPORTS.RUSTENBURG PLATINUM MINES LIMITED, 1974, ANNUAL REPORTS.RUSTENBURG PLATINUM MINES LIMITED, 1973, ANNUAL REPORTS.RUSTENBURG PLATINUM MINES LIMITED, 1972, ANNUAL REPORTS.RUSTENBURG PLATINUM MINES LIMITED, 1971, ANNUAL REPORTS.RUSTENBURG PLATINUM MINES LIMITED, 1970, ANNUAL REPORTS.RUSTENBURG PLATINUM HOLDINGS LIMITED, 1977, ANNUAL REPORTS.RUSTENBURG PLATINUM HOLDINGS LIMITED, 1976, ANNUAL REPORTS.BEATH,C.B.,COUSINS, C.A., AND WESTWOOD, R.J., 1961, THE EXPLOITATION OF THE PLATINIFEROUS ORES OF THE BUSHVELD IGNEOUS COMPLEX WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO RUSTENBURG PLATINUM MINES.MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, FIFTH EDITION, HANDBOOK 7 , 1976;WORLD MINING, SEPTEMBER 1973; AND VARIOUS PRESS RELEASES.RUSTENBURG PLATINUM HOLDINGS DOES NOT PUBLISH PRODUCTION STATISTICS OR ORE VALUES ANNUALLY.DATA FROM OFFICIAL SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT SOURCES (I. E. DEPARTMENT OF MINES, MINERALS BUREAU) ARE EQUALLY UNAVAILABLE.MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, FIFTH EDITION, HANDBOOK 7, 1976;WORLD MINING, SEPTEMBER 1973; AND CURRENT PRESS RELEASES.DATA FROM OFFICIAL SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT SOURCES (I.E. DEPARTMENT OF MINES, MINERALS BUREAU) ARE EQUALLY UNAVAILABLE.MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, FIFTH EDITION, HANBOOK 7, 1976;