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South Africa

Kudumane Mine

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Categories

Summary

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Manganese
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotKudumane (KMR) is authorised to mine manganese via two opencast pit operations namely the York and Hotazel Mines, with future plans of operating an underground mine.

The operation consists of two open-pit mines (Farm York A279 and Telele 312), a processing plant, various support infrastructure and a Rail Loadout Facility with a loading capacity of more than 4 million tons.

Underground mining on the farm Telele Mine has also been authorised under MR268 but has not yet commenced.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Asia Minerals Ltd. 49 % Indirect
Asia Minerals Limited via intermediate holding companies is a major shareholder in KMR (49%).

Bold Moves 1715 (Pty) Ltd (25,5%) and Afris Manganese (Pty) Ltd (25,5%) are the two BEE entity partners.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Banded iron formation

Summary:

Kudumane is exploiting the manganese from the Hotazel Formation (Transvaal Supergroup). The Hotazel Formation consists primarily of the Banded Iron Formation (BIF). Three laterally continuous stratiform manganese layers are interbedded within the BIF; upper, middle and lower manganese bodies. The lower body represents the main ore bed and varies in thickness from 5 to 45m. The middle body contains uneconomic grades of manganese and is only 1 to 2 m thick at neighbouring mines. The upper body is mined on a local scale and averages between 5m and 20m thick. The ore layer dips gradually to the west at approximately eight degrees (Evans et al, 2001 as cited in Saad, 2010).

The Hotazel Formation is underlain by basaltic lava of the Ongeluk Formation (Transvaal Supergroup) and directly overlain by dolomite of the Mooidraai Formation (Transvaal Supergroup); however, the extent of the dolomite within the study area is not fully understood.

On a regional basis, the sedimentary rocks of the Transvaal Supergroup in the Northern Cape region are gently folded into a series of wide open synclinal (saucer-shaped) and anticlinal (dome-shaped) structures. The sequence generally dips at shallow angles, about eight degrees to the west (Evans et al, 2001 as cited in Saad, 2010) and has also been deformed by a series of north to south and to north-north-south to south-south-west trending normal faults.

The main structural feature is represented by a north-east to south-west trending dyke that runs through the existing mining rights area (York and Telele). The dyke splits up into two entities, which continue roughly parallel to each other towards the south-west. The main resource is located on York to the north of the dykes. South of the dyke the resource is down-faulted by between 30m and 60m and largely eroded by younger Dwyka glacial activity.

The mineralogy tests undertaken showed that the key minerals of each of the nine samples are consistent with the different lithological units mined at the site:
• quartz, calcite, the weathered clay mineral smectite, and palygorskite (magnesium aluminium phyllosilicate) are dominant in samples of the Kalahari Formation (sand, calcrete, clay and quartzite);
• quartz and calcite were also dominant in the Banded Iron Formation (BIF) sample, although 45% of the sample was made up of hematite; and
• manganese ore sample was made up of bixbyite (44%), a manganese iron oxide mineral, calcite and kutnahorite (calcium manganese carbonate).

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Commodity Production

CommodityUnits202120202019201820172016
Manganese Mt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1.41.51.41.2
All production numbers are expressed as ore.

Operational metrics

Metrics20242021
Annual production capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Aug 29, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Aug 29, 2025

Workforce

EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2024

Aerial view:

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