.
Location: 8 km E from Wonderkop, South Africa
Portion 8 Farm 342 JQMarikanaSouth Africa0284
Stay on top of the latest gold discoveries. Examine the latest updates on drilling outcomes spanning various commodities.
Mining scale, mining and mill throughput capaciites.Full profiles of select mines and projects.
Shaft depth, mining scale, backfill type and mill throughput data.Full profiles of select mines and projects.
Equipment type, model, size and quantity.Full profiles of select mines and projects.
Camp size, mine location and contacts.Full profiles of select mines and projects.
- subscription is required.
The Tharisa Mine is situated on the southwestern limb of the Bushveld Complex, one of the world’s largest layered mafic intrusions, which host layers rich in PGM, chromium and vanadium, and constitute the largest known resource of these metals. The Tharisa Mine is underlain by the MG and UG Chromitite Layers straddling the boundary between the Marikana and Rustenburg facies. The MG Chromitite Layers outcrop is on the property, striking roughly east to west, with a gentle change in strike to northwest-southeast in the far west. The layers dip at between 12° and 15° to the north. Towards the western extent of the outcrop, the dip is steeper. The stratigraphy typically narrows to the west and the dip steepens. The dip typically shallows out at depth across the extent of the mine area. The entire MG package is developed over a true thickness of 47 m on the eastern portion of 342 JQ and thins to 25 m to the west near the Spruitfontein upfold.The MG Chromitite Layer package consists of five groups of Chromitite Layers, being the MG0 Chromitite Layer at the bottom, followed by the MG1 Chromitite Layer, the MG2 Chromitite Layer (sub-divided into A, B and C Chromitite Layers), the MG3 Chromitite Layer and the MG4 Chromitite Layer (sub-divided into 4(0), 4 and 4A Chromitite Layers). The layers between the Chromitite Layers frequently include stringers or disseminations of chromite. The MG Chromitite Layers at the Tharisa Mine are a typical stack of tabular deposits.Of the four main chromite layers (seams), the MG1 has the highest chrome content. It is common for the MG1 to be divided into more than one band. Shearing in the MG1 is also common but the location varies. The MG2s have three subdivisions, with the MG2A, MG2B and MG2C identifiable from the base upwards. MG2A and MG2B usually occur as one layer but are distinguishable by their definite analytical signature. Of the three subdivisions, MG2C contains the highest content of PGMs followed slightly by MG2A. MG2B has a much lower content in comparison. The MG2s are hosted in a felspathic pyroxenite but directly underlay the anorthositic marker. The anorthositic marker is a prominent anorthosite and often a norite separating the MG2s and the overlying MG3. Chrome stringers are sometimes present within the marker and can be high in PGM content. The MG3 appears as a banded layer of chrome stringers and bands within norite and anorthosite. The MG4s are subdivided into the MG4(0) at the base, MG4 and MG4A at the top.The structural interpretation of the Tharisa Mine geology is based on the aeromagnetic data, the available drilling, and observations in the operating open pits. The only significant fault is a steeply dipping northwest-southeast trending normal fault with a downthrow of less than 30 m to the east. This fault occurs only on the far north-eastern corner of the property and will have little effect on mining of the MG Chromitite Layers on the mine. A northwest-southeast sub-vertical dyke of some 10 m thickness was exposed in the east pit. The dyke is not expected to have a major impact on mining. The other major feature of interest is the Spruitfontein upfold or pothole, which is located on the properties immediately west of the mine. It affects the UG2 Chromitite Layer and the rest of the critical zone below.The Mineral Resource, is restricted at a depth of 750 m below surface based on the “realistic expectations for eventual extraction”.
