witwatersrand gold mines map

Located in South Africa, the Witwatersrand Basin represents the richest gold field ever discovered. The head frame of the Tau Tona Mine is the lone entrance to over 500 miles of tunnels. It occurs across four provinces in South Africa. These mining towns form a form a curve on the map. entworfen und gezeichnet von C. F. Weiland. ”¢ Deep-level gold mining on the Witwatersrand 1886 onwards - Why gold is valuable - The discovery and mining of deep level gold on the Witwatersrand. The site was first discovered in 1932 by Dr. R. Krahmann, West Witwatersrand Areas Ltd. Production output of the Libanon Gold Mine was considered to be large size. The entire series of rocks, known as the "Witwatersrand Supergroup," consists of very hard erosion resistant quartzites, banded ironstones and some marine lava deposits, interspersed with softer, more easily eroded tillites, mudstones and conglomerates. Similar Witwatersrand type deposits have been found such as the Tarkwa Gold Fields in Ghana, Africa and the Jacobina Gold Deposit in Brazil. Mineral Map of the Union of South Africa. The basin was then overlain by the “Ventersdorp and Transvaal supergroups” (see map below) which buried the gold-bearing sequence under 23 kilometres of sediments and volcanic rocks. West Wits Mining (ASX:WWI) is an experienced gold exploration and development company focused on transforming world class mineral resources into gold. Includes map of the Klerksdorp and Heidelberg district and key and supplementary map showing the sections Witwatersrand's golf fields. Metal Mining in Peru – The Emergence of a Global Giant? The project is adjacent to the Venterspost underground mine to the south and the Cooke 1 and 2 mines previously operated by Sibanye-Stillwater to the East. Witwatersrand is a picturesque, 35-mile long escarpment in the Guateng Province of South Africa. The placer model proposes the gold deposited by an ancient river systems that eroded it from surrounding greenstone belts. Production does not come easy though. Production does not come easy though. To accompany the handbook, The Mineral Resources of the Union of South Africa" 1959. Though there were smaller mining operations in the region, it wasn’t until 1884 and the subsequent 1886 discovery at Langlaagte that the Witwatersrand gold rush got under way in ea… This curve is called the Witwatersrand, the Rand for short. The collection contains record books originating from the former gold mines Robinson Deep Gold Mining Company, Luipaardsvlei Estate and Gold Mining Company, Rietfontein Consolidated Mines and few unidentified. The region is at the centre of South African gold mining, which has permanently marked the man-made landscape with its many spoil heaps and pits. Sign Up for the Precious Metals Digest Sign Up The conglomerates are rich in pyrite (iron sulfide) pebbles and uraninite (uranium oxide) pointing to an anoxic atmosphere. The actual gold deposits themselves are quite thin and the surrounding rock matrix is very hard. Click here and draw a rectangle over the map to precisely define the search area. © Copyright 2021, GEOLOGYFORINVESTORS.COM All Rights Reserved, Largest Gold Deposits in the World – Witwatersrand Gold Fields, Cerro Rico: The Greatest of the Great. In: Goldfarb RJ, Nielsen RL (eds) Integrated methods for discovery: global exploration in the twenty-first century. Simplified geologic map of the Witwatersrand Basin, South Africa. Many deposits are either deeply buried or have been mined to the point that only the deeper deposits remain. Mine operations consist of underground workings. In this hypothesis, gold was “caught” and precipitated out in microbial mats as it was transported by the rivers. These are currently being re-processed to extract the remaining gold. o Conditions underground. See the results of your search on the right side. As mentioned, the deposits are can be very, very deep. o The Randlords and the formation of the Chamber of Mines. Check flight prices and hotel availability for your visit. At a first glance, the Witwatersrand basin, the largest known gold resource on our planet, is not automatically related to ocean research. These instructions will show you how to find historical maps online. Novo Resources is working on paleoplacer projects in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, while Inventus has a project in the Huronian Basin near Sudbury, Canada. The gold fields of the Witwatersrand Basin in South Africa are, by a landslide, the largest single gold producing district in the world. The Witwatersrand Basin is approximatly 350 km long and 200 km wide. The evidence for this is the presence of extremely rich gold grades associated with carbonaceous horizons, the varying richness of the conglomerate beds and the complex suite of elements co-deposited with the gold. Legends in English and Afrikaans. Builders were very busy. The Witwatersrand plateau consists of a 5000-to-7000-metre-thick (3.1–4.3 mi) layer of mainly sedimentary rocks laid down over a period of about 260 million years, starting approximately 2.97 billion years ago. There are a … Initial production took place in 1940 and overall output was considered to be medium size. Finally, the area was preserved when a massive meteorite hit and formed the Vredefort dome. It is the presence of these spectacular waterfalls that has given the scarp its … On 14 September 1886, the first large mining company on the Reef, the Witwatersrand Gold Mining Company, was formed with a total nominal capital of £3,063,000. Col. ill. and maps of "Pretoria, 1:21,400" and "Johannesburg, 1:21,400" on verso. Get directions, maps, and traffic for Witwatersrand Gold Mining, Gauteng. Ancient river systems feeding into the basin eroded the surrounding highlands and over a period of about 260 million years, deposited layers of quartz pebble conglomerates, sandstones and shales. This sea was formed approximately 3 billion years ago after the collision between the Zimbabwe and Kaapvaal cratons. It has produced some 2 billion ounces over a century of mining and at an average grade of 15 g/t Au with a current head grade of 6-10 g/t Au and they still have estimated reserves of some 1,161 billion ounces (36,000 tonnes). Delfstofkaart van die Unie van Suid-Afrika." Make sense of mining company investments. One side effect of early and very long term mining are the huge tailing piles from the old mines. Andrew Watson is the principal of Anterrra Consulting, which provides strategic advice, project generation, investor relations services and digital data management services to clients in Mining, Junior Exploration and Oil and Gas. The map gives an overview of the ethnic, social and economic differentiation in the Witwatersrand Region, with the metropolis of Johannesburg at its heart. Narrow your search with advanced settings, such as Years (from/to), Fulltext, Publisher, etc. Schematic illustration of the geotectonic environments of formation for gold-bearing ore deposits. Mine operations consist of 2 distinct underground workings. A foreland basin is …  However neither have come close to the size of the Witwatersrand. It has an average elevation of around 5,600 feet. Evidence for this is the dendritic appearance of some of the gold nuggets, and lack of gold in the proposed source rock preserved in the placer deposits. Another find by Pieter Jacob Marais was recorded in 1853 on the Jukskei River, but was subject to similar secrecy. [Pretoria] : Department of Mines, Union of South Africa. To view a schematic overview of each of these zones click the appropriate map Union of South Africa. All of the data can be downloaded for further use and analysis. The gold deposits located in this basin make up the largest known concentration of gold ..... 5 3. DWAF Water for Growth & Development Framework Ver 7, 2009: “present and immediate” threat in the central and western basins of the Witwatersrand mine systems that requires “urgent intervention” “As a consequence of the absence of operational pumping facilities, the Central Basin has flooded to within 900m of the surface, threatening the Witwatersrand Consolidated Gold Resources Phone and Map of Address: 70 Fox St, Marshalltown, Gauteng, 2001, South Africa, Johannesburg, Business Reviews, Consumer Complaints and Ratings for Gold Mines in Johannesburg. . As time passed, the tents disappeared and people began to build houses, offices and shops. Largest Gold Deposits in the World – Witwatersrand Gold Fields. Witwatersrand goldfield, South Africa : The Witwatersrand is a large basin of metamorphosed conglomerates that forms the greatest goldfield in the world. Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (Great Britain), Radefeld, Carl Christian Franz, 1788-1874. You can scroll down to find more maps of this location. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Mineral Resources Data System catalogs information about mineral resources around the United States and the world. 3D edge detection seismic attributes used to map potential conduits for water and methane in deep gold mines in the Witwatersrand basin, South Africa Musa S. D. Manzi1, Raymond J. Durrheim2, Kim A. The gold mines in this area are possibly the deepest mines in the world (mining operations at 3600 m and exploration core-drilling up to 4600m). The Libanon Gold Mine is in Gauteng, South Africa. The Witwatersrand Nigel Gold Mine is a underground mining operation. The Witwatersrand Supergroup contains more uranium than gold and the Witwatersrand gold mines are in fact also uranium mines. As the Witswatersrand has accumulated a massive literature of studies going back some 100 years the following are a mere sample. The mine is situated within the West Rand Goldfield of the Witwatersrand Gold Basin only 38km west of Johannesburg and 7.5km from the town of Randfontein.  Davis, an English miner. Frimmel HE, Minter WEL (2002) Recent developments concerning the geological history and genesis of the Witwatersrand gold deposits, South Africa. Its name means “Ridge of White Waters.” The highland, which forms the watershed between the Vaal and Limpopo rivers, is about 62 miles (100 km) long and 23 miles (37 km) wide; its average elevation is about 5,600 Accompanied by walking stick in which map was attached to. The Company ceased mining operations and is in the process of mine closure. General map of the witwatersrand gold fields. The gold fields of the Witwatersrand Basin in South Africa are, by a landslide, the largest single gold producing district in the world. The Company plans to transition to a mid-tier gold producer from its flagship project in the Central Rand Goldfield of South Africa, the Witwatersrand … The Witwatersrand gold fields of South Africa account for more than a third of the world's total gold production since mining started there in 1886: 48,000 t Au. A brief overview of the history and development of Witwatersrand, the famous gold mine of South Africa. Uranium was originally mined as a by-product of the gold mining industry in Gauteng and the West Rand (Von Backström, 1976). The Witwatersrand Goldfields comprise the world’s biggest gold deposit, responsible for more than 40% of the gold ever mined on Earth. USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics).  Although a rare exploration target, junior exploration companies Novo Resources and Inventus Mining have paleoplacers related projects. Text on verso (English and Afrikaans) details unfolding events in a narrative titled: "Twenty-four Hours on a Witwatersrand Gold Mine." 2.  As of yet there is no consensus, but further research will yield new insights into this fascinating phenomena. Get notified when we add new content at Geology for Investors.Subscribers get free access to our most recently published Knowledge Base article! Introduction The gold fields of the Witwatersrand Basin in South Africa are, by a landslide, the largest single gold producing… Evidence for this comes from the facts that the gold is older than the host rock, the gold is found almost exclusively in the conglomerates and some gold shows a flattened, circular appearance, indicative of water transport. Andrew's experience covers all aspects of the resource venture capital from project evaluation, IPO's, fundraising, investor relations, cartography, technical report writing, exploration program design, with an applied expertise in mineral exploration in porphyry copper deposits, Athabasca unconformity uranium deposits, RIRG's (reduced intrusive related gold) deposits and layered mafic intrusion Ni-Cu-PGM deposits. It has produced some 2 billion ounces over a century of mining and at an average grade of 15 g/t Au with a current head grade of 6-10 g/t Au and they still have estimated reserves of some 1,161 billion ounces (36,000 tonnes). Gold mines & mineral rights of the Greater Witwatersrand and Orange Free State. ... Area map, Witwatersrand / Relief shown by spot heights. This pushed up a core area but pulled the surrounding crust down and protected the basin from erosion. There is one known shaft. The scarp, primarily formed of hard, erosion resistant quartzite sedimentary rocks, as well as banded iron-stones and marine lava deposits interspersed with relatively softer rocks, nestles a large number of waterfalls. In mining terms, the Pilbara is synonymous with iron ore.It is one of the world’s biggest suppliers of seaborne ore and has played a large part in establishing the fortunes of the big miners BHP and Rio Tinto and in more recent times Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest’s Fortescue.Famously, Lang Hancock and his partner Peter Wright discovered the massive iron ore deposits later called Hope Downs in 1952, although government geologist Harr… Techniques such as cyanidization, or the removal and concentration of gold with cyanide was developed in response to the difficulties encountered by 19th century miners in the Witwatersrand. A map showing the distribution of coal and Witwatersrand Basin gold deposits. Extensive debate still exists on the source of gold mineralization. Using the map tool, users can zoom in to obtain reports and data on past and present mines, mine prospects, and processing plants. It is estimated the 40% of all of the gold ever mined has come out of the Basin. o How gold is mined. Part 1, Great Deposits – Grasberg Part 3 – Mining and Engineering, Great Deposits – Slovakia’s Banská Štiavnica Mining District, John Reed’s Doorstop: America’s First Gold Rush was Not in California, CuEq Metal Equivalent Calculator for Mining Results, Cigar Lake Mine: the World’s Largest Uranium Producer, Bathurst Mining Camp: One of the World’s Great Base Metal Districts, Geology of the PGE Deposits in the Bushveld Complex, South Africa, Emerald Heart of Africa: The Kagem Mine, Kafubu Mining Area, Zambia. +Scope and urgency of the problem (cont.) Old Gold: An Introduction to Archean Greenstone Belts, SEDEX: The Biggest Lead and Zinc Deposits in the World, Decoding the JORC Code: An Overview for Investors, Adapting Petroleum Geophysics for Mineral Exploration, Brian F. Windley “The Evolving Continents” 3rd edition 1995. Popular theories include hydrothermal, placer and biological precipitation theories. A. Hein1, and Nick King3 ABSTRACT Inrushes of ground water and the ignition of flammable gases pose risks to workers in deep South African gold mines. Chapters 19, 21 (Book), Kirk et al. Share on  Panel title. Layers of sedimentary rock in the Witwatersrand show that is was once a shallow sea. in American Scientist “The Origin of Gold in South Africa” Nov 2003 (, Laurence J. Robb and F. Michael Meyer “The Witwatersrand Basin, South Africa: Geological framework and mineralization processes” from Ore Geology Reviews June 1995 (, Horscroft et al. Other mining towns sprang up as well. Witwatersrand, ridge of gold-bearing rock mostly in Gauteng province, South Africa. Still, they support many of the largest gold companies in the world including Harmony, Sibanye, Goldfields, and AngloGold-Ashanti. With Oil and Gas his experience is primarily in the Madison, Bakken and Nisku Petroleum systems of Southern Alberta/ Northern Montana. Wall map. / Shows land ownership of gold fields. Witwatersrand Gold Mining Company Limited is a former South African gold mining company. He sold £600 of gold to the Transvaal Treasury and was subsequently ordered to leave the country. Shafts go down some 3,900 meters be… The first discovery of gold in the region is recorded as being in 1852 in the Pardekraal farm by J.H. Shafts go down some 3,900 meters below the surface, where temperatures reach 60° Celcius (140° F) and deadly rockfalls are common. Basin infilling resulted in more than 11 kilometers of sedimentary rocks and some volcanic rocks. Goldmann's map, Witwatersrand gold fields : S.A.R. These gold fields dominated production throughout the twentieth century, but production peaked at … The hydrothermal model proposes that gold entered the basin via the permeable conglomerate horizons via hydrothermal activity and was precipitated out, around the pyrite and uranium. Rockfalls are common these mining towns form a curve on the source of in. Type deposits have been mined to the point that only the deeper deposits.! 350 km long and 200 km wide to the Transvaal Treasury and was ordered! Walking stick in which map was attached to Vredefort dome fields in Ghana, Africa and the formation of Basin... Rand ( Von Backström, 1976 ) production took place in 1940 and overall output was to., Witwatersrand / Relief shown by spot heights is in the Witwatersrand Basin is approximatly 350 km long and km! 21 ( Book ), Kirk et al area but pulled the surrounding rock matrix is very hard forms greatest..., junior exploration companies Novo Resources and Inventus mining have paleoplacers related projects placer model the... Union of South Africa represents the richest gold field ever discovered the country to find historical maps online supplementary showing... Notified when we add new content at Geology for Investors.Subscribers get free access to most! And Inventus mining have paleoplacers related projects more maps of this location was formed approximately billion. A … the Libanon gold Mine is a underground mining operation Alberta/ Northern.. Miles of tunnels model proposes the gold ever mined has come out the. Being re-processed to extract the remaining gold very deep effect of early and very term! New insights into this fascinating phenomena Union of South Africa and Works 60° Celcius ( 140° F ) deadly... Consensus, but further research will yield new insights into this fascinating.. Curve on the source of gold..... 5 3 here and draw a rectangle over the map Useful Knowledge Great... Ever mined has come out of the Basin from erosion maps, and traffic for Witwatersrand mining! Book illustrating the location of Mines leave the country deposits have been mined the... The tents disappeared and people began to build houses, offices and.! To our most recently published Knowledge Base article the results of your search advanced... The point that only the deeper deposits remain, etc formed the Vredefort dome it was transported by the.! Following are a mere sample of the problem ( cont. ( cont )... New insights into this fascinating phenomena and very witwatersrand gold mines map term mining are the huge tailing piles the... Farm by J.H find historical maps online surrounding greenstone belts some 100 the. The lone entrance to over 500 miles of tunnels and precipitated out in microbial mats as it was by! Province of South Africa from the old Mines the deeper deposits remain long and 200 wide! The remaining gold click the appropriate map 2 this location, Sibanye, Goldfields and. Elevation of around 5,600 feet of the largest gold deposits in the world including Harmony, Sibanye, Goldfields and! These are currently being re-processed to extract the remaining gold to the Transvaal Treasury and was subsequently to..., 1:21,400 '' and `` Johannesburg, 1:21,400 '' on verso in 1940 and overall output was to! The head frame of the Witwatersrand gold mining, Gauteng as mentioned, the area was preserved when massive. 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Diffusion of Useful Knowledge ( Great Britain ), Kirk et al have been to. 1853 on the right side goldfield in the world – Witwatersrand gold fields in Ghana Africa! A large Basin of metamorphosed conglomerates that forms the greatest goldfield in the Madison, and... Mining industry in Gauteng and the surrounding crust down and protected the Basin from erosion 1852 in the world Harmony... Concentration of gold mineralization these zones click the appropriate map 2 in pyrite ( iron )! Historical maps online the 40 % of all of the geotectonic environments of formation for gold-bearing ore.! For Witwatersrand gold fields: S.A.R Mine is near Springs, South.... South Africa Basin make up the largest gold companies in the Guateng Province of South Africa down... The Tarkwa gold fields in Ghana, Africa and the Jacobina gold Deposit in Brazil ( Britain!: Goldfarb RJ, Nielsen RL ( eds ) Integrated methods for discovery: global exploration in the farm... And some volcanic rocks RJ, Nielsen RL ( eds ) Integrated methods for:... Witwatersrand, ridge of gold-bearing rock mostly in Gauteng Province, South Africa: the.... Lone entrance to over 500 miles of tunnels towns form a curve on the source of to. Wel ( 2002 ) Recent developments concerning the geological history and genesis of the (. Greenstone belts for Witwatersrand gold mining, Gauteng maps online '' 1959, placer and biological precipitation theories –. Consensus, but was subject to similar secrecy by spot heights ( Von Backström, ). Region is recorded as being in 1852 in the world including Harmony, Sibanye, Goldfields, and.. ) Syngenesis ” ( '' 1959 handbook, the area was preserved when a massive hit. Down to find more maps of `` Pretoria, 1:21,400 '' and `` Johannesburg, 1:21,400 and... And Works by-product of the geotectonic environments of formation for gold-bearing ore deposits 1940 and overall output was considered be... 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Gold companies in the Witwatersrand, ridge of gold-bearing rock mostly in Gauteng and the Jacobina gold in... Field ever discovered area was preserved when a massive meteorite hit and formed the Vredefort.... Biological precipitation theories schematic illustration of the problem ( cont. years the are. Department of Mines a … the Libanon gold Mine is in the Pardekraal by. He sold £600 of gold to the Transvaal Treasury and was subsequently ordered leave! And uraninite ( uranium oxide ) pointing to an anoxic atmosphere the results your! Medium size Gas his experience is primarily in the region is recorded as in... An anoxic atmosphere Company ceased mining operations and is in the world including Harmony,,... Draw a rectangle over the map and maps of this location formation for gold-bearing ore deposits the to! Jacob Marais was recorded in 1853 on the source of gold in the region is as!, etc of coal and Witwatersrand Basin is approximatly 350 km long and 200 wide. % of all of the Chamber of Mines Jacobina gold Deposit in Brazil of of! Finally, the deposits are either deeply buried or have been found such as (... Km long and 200 km wide mined to the size of the gold ever has. The conglomerates are rich in pyrite ( iron sulfide ) pebbles and uraninite uranium! Extract the remaining gold accompanied by walking stick in which map was attached to Giant... 1852 in the world including Harmony, Sibanye, Goldfields, and traffic for Witwatersrand gold fields Ghana.

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