Did You Know Mponeng Gold Mine Located
On-reef evolution and thus the start of product, are scheduled for 2013 with full production due in 2015.
Some 5126 people were employed full time at Mponeng in 2007 with 435 contractors.
Mponeng is one of the world'due south deepest and richest golden mines with grades at over 8 yard/t.
AngloGold Ashanti'due south Mponeng mine is located in Gauteng province of South Africa. It is mined to an average depth of 2,800m-iii,400m beneath surface and is ane of the globe'southward deepest and richest golden mines with grades at over 8g/t. It is ane of 3 AngloGold projects in the West Witts area apart from Savuka and TauTona mines. The name ways 'look at me' in the local Sotho language.
Formerly the Western Deep Levels Southward Shaft, or Shaft No i, Mponeng is the most recently sunk of the three former Western Deep Levels mines. Sinking of Mponeng shafts began in 1981, and the main shaft was completed in 1986, with the subshaft completed in 1993.
"Mponeng is the well-nigh recently sunk of the three former Western Deep Levels mines."
Currently all production is sourced from the VCR (Ventersdorp Contact Reef). The mine has been expanded through many deepening projects with the latest i beingness the extension from 109 to 120 levels. Work is currently in progress to extract the ore from the Carbon Leader Reef (CLR) below it.
The project will facilitate the development of many other smaller projects and extend the mine life. Information technology is yet to be canonical past the company board. The other major project, VCR below 120, entails accessing the mineral reserves below 120 level. AngloGold Ashanti estimates that this project will add together 2.5Moz to production for 10 years at a cost of R2.03bn ($252m).
The VCR beneath 120 project is expected to increase the mine's life by eight years to 2024. The project was canonical past the board in February 2007, following which structure began. On-reef evolution and thus the start of production is scheduled for 2013 with full production due in 2015.
Geology and reserves
Mponeng is located on the due north-western rim of the Witwatersrand Basin. There are vii gold bearing conglomerates within the lease expanse, of which 2 are economically viable at present. The VCR is a gold-bearing quartz-pebble conglomerate of intermediate grade, capping the last athwart Witwatersrand non-conformity.
The CLR is a 20cm thick tabular auriferous quartz pebble conglomerate.
As of December 2010, proven reserves at the VCR stood at ii.05Mt with an average form of ix.98g/t Au at 109-120 level and 0.31mt graded at viii.85g/t Au below 120 level.
The however-to-be-mined CLR below 120 level has probable reserves of 22.52Mt graded at eleven.30g/t Au..
Mining
The South shaft deepening project commenced in 1996 and as a result Mponeng mines the Ventersdorp Contact Reef (VCR) to the 120 level, which is some iii.4km beneath datum. Mponeng mines on average at deeper than 2.7km below the surface. The VCR reef that Mponeng mines dips at 22ยบ, and has an average aqueduct width of 78cm.
The deepest operating stope is at a depth of 3.37km below surface. The grade at this functioning varies considerably, therefore a sequential filigree mining method is used which allows for selective mining and increased flexibility in dealing with changes in form ahead of the stope. The mine utilises a twin-shaft system housing two vertical shafts and two service shafts.
Exploration
Exploration drilling for the CLR below 120 project commenced in early on 2008. CLR comprises 3 economic units. Unit of measurement 3 is centrally located and is the oldest of the CLR deposits. Unit two is a small size complex channel eolith situated in the east of Unit 3. The unavailability of infrastructure to access these units raised the opportunity of containing additional ounces of aureate at the mine.
A series of sub-vertical holes were drilled from underground in 2010 to intersect at the CLR depth. The boilerplate length of the pigsty drilled was 900m with the deepest hole beingness one,090m
Ore processing
Ore mined is treated and smelted at Mponeng's gold institute. The ore is initially basis downwardly past means of semiautogenous milling later which a conventional gold leach process incorporating liquid oxygen injection is applied. The gold is and so extracted by means of carbon-in-pulp (CIP) technology. The plant conducts electro-winning and smelting (consecration furnaces) on products from Savuka and TauTonaas well.
"The constitute conducts electro-winning and smelting (induction furnaces) on products from Savuka and TauTona."
Production
Production in 2007 fell two% to 587,000 ounces compared with 2006.
The various planned and unplanned work stoppages and rubber initiatives conducted towards the end of the year, combined with a decline in form and reduced confront advance, contributed to the decrease in production.
There was a four% refuse in the surface area mined in 2007, largely equally a upshot of a iii% decrease in face length. Mponeng undertook extensive price cutting measures throughout the year. Gold Production at the Mponeng mine in 2010 was 532,000oz.
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Source: https://www.mining-technology.com/projects/mponeng/
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