East Rand Mine

Last updated

East Rand Proprietary Mine Ltd.
Location
South Africa adm location map.svg
Schlaegel und Eisen nach DIN 21800.svg
East Rand Gold Mine
Location in South Africa
Location Boksburg
Province Gauteng
Country South Africa
Coordinates 26°06′S28°19′E / 26.10°S 28.32°E / -26.10; 28.32
Production
Production79,479
Financial year2007-08
History
Opened1893
Active120
Closed2008
Owner
Company OroTree Limited
Website www.orotree.com
Year of acquisition2019

East Rand Proprietary Mines (ERPM) is a 125-year-old underground gold mining operation on the Witwatersrand Basin at Boksburg, to the east of Johannesburg. The mine employed 3,850 people. It was the deepest mine in the world until 2008 at 3,585 metres, slightly more than the TauTona mine, also in South Africa, which was 3,581 metres at the time (in 2008 the TauTona mine completed a digging project that extended the depth of the mine by several hundred metres.) [1]

Contents

The mine closed in 2008. Historical gold production between 1896 and 2008 was 1,300 tonnes (43,000,000 ozt) recovered gold grade of 8.1g/t (95% plant recovery).

High grade gold deposits remain with existing in situ resources (SAMREC compliant) of 63,000,000 troy ounces (2,000 t), including; - Measured & Indicated resource of 13,600,000 troy ounces (420 t) at 6.7g/t. - Inferred resources of 50,000,000 troy ounces (1,600 t) at 4.92 g/t.

The Cason mine dump was once the world’s highest man made hills. This dump is currently being recycled. It is now a shadow of its former self and will probably disappear in the future.

Production

Recent production figures: [2]

YearProductionCost per ounce
200780,216 ouncesUS $641
200879,479 ouncesUS $748

History

Share of the East Rand Proprietary Mines Ltd, issued 19 October 1928 East Rand Proprietary Mines Ltd 1928.jpg
Share of the East Rand Proprietary Mines Ltd, issued 19 October 1928

The ERPM engineered many mining techniques which are still in place today, including "Long Wall Mining". The mine also built the world's largest ice factory which produced up to 8,000 t of ice daily to cool wall rock temperatures of 50-60 degrees Celsius.

The mine was acquired by private Malaysian mining company OroTree [3] on 26 February 2019.

References

  1. "TauTona, Anglo Gold - Mining Technology". SPG Media Group PLC. 1 January 2009. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
  2. ERPM Archived 2009-10-11 at the Wayback Machine DRD Gold website, accessed: 29 September 2009
  3. OroTree Limited Archived 30 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine