Mining Intelligence and News
South Africa

Mine Waste Solutions

Click for more information

Categories

Overview

Mine TypeTailings
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Uranium
Mining Method
  • Hydraulic mining
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotMine Waste Solutions (MWS) is a reclamation operation in the Stilfontein/Orkney area treating 2.2 million tonnes per month from historical tailings facilities through the MWS plant. The residue is deposited on the existing Kareerand Tailings Storage Facility (TSF). Kareerand TSF is a cyclone facility on a 560ha footprint and based on the current production plan will reach its authorised height of 80 metres in 2025. The existing Kareerand TSF was sized to receive the reprocessed tailings from the MWS sources. The project progressed through feasibility study and detailed design.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Harmony Gold Mining Company Ltd. 100 % Indirect
The operation was acquired from AngloGold Ashanti Limited in October 2020. Harmony’s subsidiary, Chemwes, the owner of Mine Waste Solutions.

Deposit type

  • Tailings

Summary:

Material contained in the Tailings Storage Facilitys (TSF) and Waste Rock Dumps (WRD) predominantly originates from deep level gold mines, operated by Harmony and others, mostly located in Klerksdorp and Carletonville. The West Wits mining operations predominantly extract tabular goldbearing conglomeratic reefs, namely the Carbon Leader Reef (CLR) and Ventersdorp Contact Reef (VCR). The Mine Waste Solutions (MWS) Operation, however, mainly exploits TSFs and WRD derived from the VR. The Witwatersrand reefs occur within the Archean Witwatersrand Basin which hosts the Witwatersrand Supergroup succession. The VCR horizon is located at the top of the Turffontein Subgroup of the Central Rand Group (CRG), capping the Witwatersrand Supergroup. The Vaal Reef (VR) horizon is situated within the Krugersdorp Formation, in the Johannesburg Subgroup of the CRG. The CLR is situated near the base of the Johannesburg Subgroup. The TSF material comprises previously treated residues of gold-bearing conglomeratic reefs processed by CIL. They are man-made “deposits” and are not the result of natural sedimentary processes. The grade of the TSFs is determined by the grade of the ore source at the time that they were processed, and the processing efficiency. The WRDs are unconsolidated and are comprised of untreated, low grade, gold-bearing material from underground workings. The WRDs are also man-made deposits, with very little structure or continuity, and one in which the grade does not behave as a natural mineral deposit. The most significant mineral in the TSFs and WRDs is quartz, which makes up more than 60% of the bulk mineral composition. The gold predominantly occurs in pyrite. Other minerals identified include uranium, iron oxide, titanium oxide and calcite from the VR, VCR and CLR conglomerates.

Reserves

Lock

- subscription is required.

Mining Methods

Lock

- subscription is required.

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

Lock

- subscription is required.

Production

Production in 2021 for nine months from October 2020 to June 2021
CommodityUnits2024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Gold koz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe176171192186193
All production numbers are expressed as metal in doré. ^ Guidance / Forecast.

Operational metrics

Metrics20232022202120192018201720162015
Daily processing capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Tonnes processed  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe33.8 Mt33.5 Mt35.8 Mt36.4 Mt33.6 Mt

Production Costs

CommodityUnits2023202220212020201920182017
Cash costs Gold USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Total cash costs Gold USD  ....  Subscribe 987 / oz **   1,030 / oz **   969 / oz **  
All-in sustaining costs (sold) Gold USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 1,043 / oz **   1,094 / oz **   1,045 / oz **  
All-in costs Gold USD  ....  Subscribe
** Net of By-Product.

Financials

Units20242023202220212020201920182017
Capital expenditures (planned) M USD  ....  Subscribe
Capital expenditures M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 7   12   12  
Revenue M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Gross profit M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe

Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jan 16, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jan 16, 2024

EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2022
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2021
...... Subscription required 2020
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2019
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2018

Aerial view:

Lock

- subscription is required.