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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 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.
The mineral industry of Russia is one of the world's leading mineral industries and accounts for a large percentage of the Commonwealth of Independent States' production of a range of mineral products, including metals, industrial minerals, and mineral fuels. In 2005, Russia ranked among the leading world producers or was a significant producer of a vast range of mineral commodities, including aluminum, arsenic, cement, copper, magnesium compounds and metals, nitrogen, palladium, silicon, nickel and vanadium.
The second-largest mineral industry in the world is the mineral industry of Africa, which implies large quantities of resources due to Africa being the second largest continent, with 30.37 million square kilometres of land.With a population of 1.4 billion living there, mineral exploration and production constitute significant parts of their economies for many African countries and remain keys to economic growth. Africa is richly endowed with mineral reserves and ranks first in quantity of world reserves for bauxite, cobalt, industrial diamond, phosphate rock, platinum-group metals (PGM), vermiculite, and zirconium.
Blyvooruitzicht is a gold mine and gold-mining village in Gauteng, South Africa. It is situated about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) south of the centre of Carletonville and 80 kilometres (50 mi) westwards from Johannesburg.
The Tummalapalle Mine is a uranium mine in Tumalapalli village located in Kadapa of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Results from research conducted by the Atomic Energy Commission of India, in 2011, led the analysts to conclude that this mine might have one of the largest reserves of uranium in the world.
Namibia has one of the richest uranium mineral reserves in the world. There are currently two large operating mines in the Erongo Region and various exploration projects planned to advance to production in the next few years.
The world's largest producer of uranium is Kazakhstan, which in 2019 produced 43% of the world's mining output. Canada was the next largest producer with a 13% share, followed by Australia with 12%. Uranium has been mined in every continent except Antarctica.
The Driefontein mine is a large mine located in the northern part of South Africa in Gauteng. Driefontein is an important gold producer and represents one of the largest uranium reserves in South Africa having estimated reserves of 238 million tonnes of ore grading 0.0053% uranium.
The KDC mine, formerly the Kloof mine, is a large mine located in the northern part of South Africa in Gauteng, near Carletonville, and represents one of the largest uranium reserves in South Africa having estimated reserves of 256.4 million tonnes of ore grading 0.0036% uranium.
The Buffelsfontein mine is a large mine located in the northern part of South Africa in Gauteng. Buffelsfontein represents one of the largest uranium reserves in South Africa having estimated reserves of 59.3 million tonnes of ore grading 0.016% uranium.
The Hartebeestfontein Mine is a large mine located in the northern part of South Africa in Gauteng. Hartebeestfontein represents one of the largest uranium reserves in South Africa having estimated reserves of 641 million tonnes of ore grading 0.007% uranium.
The Beaufort West mine is a large mine located near Beaufort West in the northern part of the Western Cape, South Africa. Beaufort West represents one of the largest uranium reserves in South Africa having estimated reserves of 23 million tonnes of ore grading 0.08% uranium.
The Kopanang mine is a large mine located in the northern part of South Africa in Gauteng. Kopanang represents one of the largest uranium reserves in South Africa having estimated reserves of 37.1 million tonnes of ore grading 0.065% uranium.
The Moab Khotsong mine is a large mine located in the northern part of South Africa in North West some 180 kilometers (110 mi) southwest of Johannesburg, South Africa. Moab Khotsong represents one of the largest uranium reserves in South Africa having estimated reserves of 57.2 million tonnes of ore grading 0.058% uranium.
The Dominion mine is a large mine located in the northern part of South Africa in Dominionville. Dominion represents one of the largest uranium reserves in South Africa having estimated reserves of 113.1 million tonnes of ore grading 0.037% uranium.
The Denny Dalton mine is a large mine located in the northern part of South Africa in Gauteng. Denny Dalton represents one of the largest uranium reserves in South Africa having estimated reserves of 31.2 million tons of ore grading 0.03% uranium.
The Old Randfontein mine is a large mine located in the northern part of South Africa in Gauteng. Old Randfontein represents one of the largest uranium reserves in South Africa having estimated reserves of 247.2 million tonnes of ore grading 0.025% uranium.
The Blyvooruitzicht mine is a large mine located near the village of Blyvooruitzicht in the northern part of Gauteng, South Africa. Blyvooruitzicht represents one of the largest gold reserves in South Africa. It is part of the Witwatersrand Basin.
The Husab Mine, operated under the Husab Uranium Project, is a uranium mine near the town of Swakopmund in the Erongo region of western-central Namibia. The mine is located approximately 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) south of the larger Rössing uranium mine and 45 kilometres (28 mi) from Walvis Bay. Swakop Uranium believes the Husab Mine has the potential to become the second largest uranium mine in the world after the McArthur River uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan, Canada and the largest open-pit mine on the African continent. Mine construction started in February 2013. The Husab Mine started production towards the end of 2016 after completion of the sulfuric acid leaching plant.
The geology of Niger comprises very ancient igneous and metamorphic crystalline basement rocks in the west, more than 2.2 billion years old formed in the late Archean and Proterozoic eons of the Precambrian. The Volta Basin, Air Massif and the Iullemeden Basin began to form in the Neoproterozoic and Paleozoic, along with numerous ring complexes, as the region experienced events such as glaciation and the Pan-African orogeny. Today, Niger has extensive mineral resources due to complex mineralization and laterite weathering including uranium, molybdenum, iron, coal, silver, nickel, cobalt and other resources.
References
- ↑ "Uranium in South Africa". wise-uranium.org. 2012. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
