Khumani mine

Last updated
Khumani mine
Location
Northern Cape
Country South Africa
Production
Products Iron ore

The Khumani mine is a large iron mine located in central South Africa in Northern Cape. Khumani represents one of the largest iron ore reserves in South Africa and in the world having estimated reserves of 709 million tonnes of ore grading 64.2% iron metal. [1]

Iron ore ore rich in iron or the element Fe

Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in colour from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the form of magnetite (Fe
3
O
4
, 72.4% Fe), hematite (Fe
2
O
3
, 69.9% Fe), goethite (FeO(OH), 62.9% Fe), limonite (FeO(OH)·n(H2O), 55% Fe) or siderite (FeCO3, 48.2% Fe).

South Africa Republic in the southernmost part of Africa

South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by 2,798 kilometres (1,739 mi) of coastline of Southern Africa stretching along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe; and to the east and northeast by Mozambique and Eswatini (Swaziland); and it surrounds the enclaved country of Lesotho. South Africa is the largest country in Southern Africa and the 24th-largest country in the world by land area and, with over 57 million people, is also the world's 24th-most populous nation. It is the southernmost country on the mainland of the Old World or the Eastern Hemisphere. About 80 percent of South Africans are of Bantu ancestry, divided among a variety of ethnic groups speaking different African languages, nine of which have official status. The remaining population consists of Africa's largest communities of European, Asian (Indian), and multiracial (Coloured) ancestry.

Northern Cape Province of South Africa

The Northern Cape is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It was created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up. Its capital is Kimberley. It includes the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, part of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, an international park shared with Botswana. It also includes the Augrabies Falls and the diamond mining regions in Kimberley and Alexander Bay. The Namaqualand region in the west is famous for its Namaqualand daisies. The southern towns of De Aar and Colesberg, in the Great Karoo, are major transport nodes between Johannesburg, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. In the northeast, Kuruman is known as a mission station and also for its artesian spring, the Eye of Kuruman. The Orange River flows through the province, forming the borders with the Free State in the southeast and with Namibia to the northwest. The river is also used to irrigate the many vineyards in the arid region near Upington.

Related Research Articles

Ore rock with valuable metals, minerals and elements

An ore is a natural occurrence of rock or sediment that contains sufficient minerals with economically important elements, typically metals, that can be economically extracted from the deposit. The ores are extracted at a profit from the earth through mining; they are then refined to extract the valuable element or elements.

Ilmenite oxide mineral

Ilmenite, also known as manaccanite, is a titanium-iron oxide mineral with the idealized formula FeTiO
3
. It is a weakly magnetic black or steel-gray solid. From a commercial perspective, ilmenite is the most important ore of titanium. Ilmenite is the main source of titanium dioxide, which is used in paints, printing inks, fabrics, plastics, paper, sunscreen, food and cosmetics.

Mineral resource classification

Mineral resource classification is the classification of mineral resources based on an increasing level of geological knowledge and confidence. Mineral deposits can be classified as:

Mining in India

The Mining industry in India is a major economic activity which contributes significantly to the economy of India. The GDP contribution of the mining industry varies from 2.2% to 2.5% only but going by the GDP of the total industrial sector it contributes around 10% to 11%. Even mining done on small scale contributes 6% to the entire cost of mineral production. Indian mining industry provides job opportunities to around 700,000 individuals.

Iron ore production in Africa is dominated by South Africa, Mauritania and Algeria. Many countries possess iron ore deposits that are as yet untapped/unmined. Countries and companies currently involved in production are listed here; measurements are in tonnes per annum(year).

Mining in Iran

Mining in Iran is underdeveloped, yet the country is one of the most important mineral producers in the world, ranked among 15 major mineral-rich countries, holding some 68 types of minerals, 37 billion tonnes of proven reserves and more than 57 billion tonnes of potential reserves worth $770 billion in 2014. Mineral production contributes only 0.6 per cent to the country's GDP. Add other mining-related industries and this figure increases to just four per cent (2005). Many factors have contributed to this, namely lack of suitable infrastructure, legal barriers, exploration difficulties, and government control over all resources.

Mining industry of South Africa

Mining in South Africa was once the main driving force behind the history and development of Africa's most advanced and richest economy. Large-scale and profitable mining started with the discovery of a diamond on the banks of the Orange River in 1867 by Erasmus Jacobs and the subsequent discovery and exploitation of the Kimberley pipes a few years later. Gold rushes to Pilgrim's Rest and Barberton were precursors to the biggest discovery of all, the Main Reef/Main Reef Leader on Gerhardus Oosthuizen's farm Langlaagte, Portion C, in 1886, the Witwatersrand Gold Rush and the subsequent rapid development of the gold field there, the biggest of them all.

Mining in the United Kingdom

Mining in the United Kingdom produces a wide variety of fossil fuels, metals, and industrial minerals due to its complex geology. In 2013, there were over 2,000 active mines, quarries, and offshore drilling sites on the continental land mass of the United Kingdom producing £34bn of minerals and employing 36,000 people.

Kumba Iron Ore is an iron-ore mining company in South Africa. It is the fourth largest iron-ore producer in the world and the largest in Africa.

The Ocna de Fier mine is a large open pit mine in the western of Romania in Caraş-Severin County, 25 km west of Reşiţa and 511 km north-west of the capital, Bucharest. Ocna de Fier represents the largest iron ore reserves in Romania having estimated reserves of 200 million tonnes of ore grading 25% iron metal. The mine produces around 10,000 tonnes of iron ore/year.

The Băișoara mine is a large open pit mine in the north-western of Romania in Cluj County, 60 km south of Cluj-Napoca and 466 km north-west of the capital, Bucharest. Băișoara represents one of the largest iron ore reserves in Romania having estimated reserves of 6 million tonnes of ore. The mine produces around 50,000 tonnes of iron ore/year.

The Dognecea mine is a large open pit mine in the western of Romania in Caraş-Severin County, 23 km west of Reşiţa and 509 km north-west of the capital, Bucharest. Dognecea represents one of the largest iron ore reserves in Romania having estimated reserves of 9 million tonnes of ore. The mine produces around 10,000 tonnes of iron ore/year.

Roy Hill mine in Australia

Roy Hill is an iron ore mining project in the Chichester Range in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, located 115 kilometres (71 mi) north of Newman and 277 kilometres (172 mi) south of Port Hedland. With indicated and inferred reserves of more than 2.4 billion tonnes, it is set to become one of the largest mining projects in Australia. Mining operations will produce 55 million tonnes of iron ore per annum with an operating life of more than 20 years.

The Sishen mine is a large iron mine located in central South Africa in Kathu, Northern Cape. Sishen represents one of the largest iron ore reserves in South Africa and in the world having estimated reserves of 2.43 billion tonnes of ore grading 58.6% iron metal.

The Cacova Ierii mine is a large open pit mine in the north-western of Romania in Cluj County. Cacova Ierii represents one of the largest iron ore reserves in Romania having estimated reserves of 16.6 million tonnes of ore grading 42% iron metal. The mine has the capability to produce around 415,000 tonnes of iron ore/year.

The Rudăria-Bănia mine is a large open pit mine in the south-western Romania in Caraș-Severin County. Rudăria-Bănia represents one of the largest iron ore reserves in Romania having estimated reserves of 70 million tonnes of ore grading 45% iron metal and 20% manganese metal. The mine has the capability to produce around 500,000 tonnes of iron ore/year.

Nchwaning mine

The N'chwaning mine are located in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. N'chwaning has one of the largest manganese reserves in South Africa having estimated reserves of 323.2 million tonnes of manganese ore grading 42.5% manganese. There are three shafts, designated as N'Chwaning, N'Chwaning II and N'Chwaning III. The majority of the major mineral finds documented originate from the N'Chwaning II shaft.

The Black Rock mine is a mine located in the north of South Africa. Black Rock represents one of the largest manganese reserves in South Africa having estimated reserves of 70.4 million tonnes of manganese ore grading 39% manganese metal.

Beeshoek mine

The Beeshoek mine is a large iron mine located near Postmasburg in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. Beeshoek represents one of the largest iron ore reserves in South Africa and in the world, having estimated reserves of 117.5 million tonnes of ore grading 63.7% iron metal.

Mining industry of Guinea

The mining industry of Guinea was developed during colonial rule. The minerals extracted consisted of iron, gold, diamond, and bauxite. Guinea ranks first in the world in bauxite reserves and 6th in the extraction of high-grade bauxite, the aluminium ore. The mining industry and exports of mining products accounted for 17% of Guinea’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2010. Mining accounts for over 50% of its exports. The country accounts for 94% of Africa’s mining production of bauxite. The large mineral reserve, which has mostly remained untapped, is of immense interest for international firms.

References

  1. "Khumani iron mine" (PDF). assmang.co.za. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-04-18. Retrieved 2013-07-12.

Coordinates: 27°51′19″S23°00′48″E / 27.8554°S 23.0134°E / -27.8554; 23.0134

Geographic coordinate system Coordinate system

A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are often chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position and two or three of the numbers represent a horizontal position; alternatively, a geographic position may be expressed in a combined three-dimensional Cartesian vector. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation. To specify a location on a plane requires a map projection.