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Viring RG Cowell MW 1999 Merensky Reef at Northam Platinum LTD

The Merensky Reef as seen on Northam Platinum.

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Richard Viring
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76 views18 pages

Viring RG Cowell MW 1999 Merensky Reef at Northam Platinum LTD

The Merensky Reef as seen on Northam Platinum.

Uploaded by

Richard Viring
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF or read online on Scribd
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ses of ud movement in low-pressure environment. The te fi wae oxdaed with ow sali and caused exten She replacement of lsprin the wall rocks. The ees a PH generated byt process seen as an porn ech ism nth recpton of pli fom oiion. The pes ee af reno miner of plain, Pt aly, and PO ‘peve bv to reed amelng of eal td lly ‘fom an eign amorphous, hydrated Pe precuse (os sly resembling PO.nH,0). IF iso a sma mecans took pace, takes Wagne' orga specuintonrepring thera ora hydrops [HPO] and pl ellos which ol sumed defies fm fr pean (Wapser, 199, p. 260 26 he meee ent thie and workhy ofthe gens rept The evden cle Associ between motazita platioum 3 new cov and admit remains poly ndesood. We specu tha an electronic eration and a lowering ofthe safe energy oy Coy ve led npr le is Acknowledgements ‘his project began aera 1985 and has tke ona lie of ts ova sae then. Save Caldwel, C. Gilles, Dave Pant and fan Slipper helped with he SEM and microprobe work and Pat Browa worked mage o pep Figues 3 and {Ar ver, Chris Lebar beens sure of eneouragenet nd ‘und sive, We thank Grant Cantor for his edo vices Jon Bowie and Sets Wood er thee thal reviews, Sco¥ Wood ao performed the sly calcul toe show othe tex. These ae sed with hie emision and ar rteflyachaowleged although ulna responsi tii forte concuon dn rests with Fly, we rere our depot thnks fr the Bader fi fc bing Soh wae oss every Ue hat weave vied el Study the old mine sie. This arte deed othe me ‘yor Perey Wagner Reforonces: ‘cin ees C9 ao lism Seiya Gar ‘isnot pap mE oe pf Ae ‘et dove 8 Doe Ka Moi, 6.18), pain gars he iia tat yee oe oe amen C950 Etileno cht of pi pation V utente ie liane men Coe te sys hun chown at) Po rm DC ada Li (91) Noma am ip np) Mot Dp, a ew Ne, ee ln Tes 1985 Pt cet 8 ‘eos men ner oe ‘pln be om Ae tae Pre. SAS Sri ine 35 Nita cdr Lat G6 chm or eae ‘pec pn plat Tico sa ep iy Ste rien nn Capon Sa heb 00 onan By Spt Me ‘Yaz PAI. The Pata Op aud Mine Stn Aa ‘Shamiogs, ot Ge ne, Ea Go EE wt dtr gen cna ee ‘apoio plan np Ca Wen 3, ‘The Merensky Reef on Northam Platinum Limited ALG. Vieng and M.W. Cowol ‘nai neg pc cd A 8 Abstract—The Meret esis pce ga rn a toe fps rupee eng ‘Sipe inate sas te cnr Sete ae of Mery Cys Jas The Mee ‘Sef suc ems ene ih feet otal ilo There oh ono Bn at Iss roting elem ht early oleate onset a lolol th ‘ie thcmliy ent tna roc The a fe tafe in xen pote Te Mery gm cd ying eps ws leet tal ts spe im pvp eet (POEs Introduction Northam Planum Lined (Norham) issued 15 ke torent ofthe own Nora nthe dst of Tati, Inthe Narr Provios, Republic of South Aiea (gues 1 at 2). The ining aubzaon covers a te of 64 = tres on potons ofthe fms Zandarcinde 384 KQ, Kape ‘Allee 422 KO, Mit 399 RQ. Veghaa 381 RO. “Apieshraal 377 KO, Groot 376 KO, and Wie $23 KQ. "An cleration programme underaken by Gold Fields Mining abd Development the ec 1980 ented the ‘intense of mineaheoe within bh he Meresky apd U2 refs undying he res nadia down dip of he Ama dull Selon of Anglo Amerian Psinum Corporation {AMPLATS). During his pro, 2 sure booler were Aled and cals, with 9D Merny Res inresons nd 95 UG) Ree inteectons gue 3) Reglonal geology ‘The Mavens Refi be westenlobe of the Bushveld Cor ee hii sgnicant varie in alogy and rae ‘ign (1929) suv the Meany Ret the weer ‘Bathe ino the Risen tces and Zvartlip tices, 1 pont susevs.o come romiarions {EEa Gnane ano anawornene $B rooieena sxour een simone NexCOORT, MACNAORDORY AND ses ay ‘ewe Siolidpsagy othe Beeld Col showing te oy of Num Pato Lined CD auras coumcxes EE SakniteGratomtvme, reuse, cernne SD itowetie coven [ey Gnono, snanononT, mi r¥ROXENITE Fy Seti anownwosves chrowtre Layers EB Prtewee, cmon ave mone ay Tannnenae seauencr OB cetcnocr acer Von cnmourre ES ower nes i rane ‘gure? Nha Pinu Link ed wn Beppo dora et iil te Sali fi ‘Meeoy Ret aoe rt of wee ued Come south and north ofthe Plaeserg Comple, respeively (Gegare 3. Numerous fetes dingo ese 0 ies Ste icde te abundance of alve-ich combats and ‘hme pre Mrensy Unie (UGH and UG2} he Zar fais (Mee and Eales, 1997), Viljoen (1984) has far ‘sive th Roseburg falsino ve subfaries The Mernaky Reef within the Zvarlip facies has been so ‘vied ot nova ee sis ad elon oto sb Tass (ue 2. ‘orm Pit Lied i ae in the pothwexern lim of the Buse Compl. The Rustenburg Layered ‘Sti of th weser Bushveld Complex sie = mrt "ckness of T200 m Eales nd Cato, 198) and covers bac of «6000 kan SACS (1980 has std the RosonbreLajered Suite no four subsies ad te fom one in he weno pa of the Buses Complex. Wit ttene o Page 4 the formation nected bythe No.1 ‘Shalt re cused below The regional cp ard ste of be Uper Ciel Zoe i 20" othe southeast uighoak Pyroxante Formation (Loner Ctical Zone) “This formation tsi a maximum hikes of 780 me Tie se, 1990) andi carceized by malile pyroxene wih sbeenate dante and haburgite ayes conning the wor Group Chromite (LO1~ LOT), ll as the once Mile Group Chromite layers MGI -MC2). A sath rpc boro dled on Taster Level (gue 5) ine sexe he equence(MG2—LG3) ut MGI and MG were fx deroped in thse bree, Matlagame Norte-Anorthoste Formation (Upper Ct calzone) “The frst appearance of cums lgolae deme the rasion fom the Roighok Pyotete Formation to the ‘Matlgane Natte-Anorboste Feraton This ornton ‘tins a maximo hikes of 450 (SACS, 1980, Consi- ‘ing thi frmation the upper Mil Group Creme Taye (MGS and MGS, together with te Upper Grove (Chromite ayer (UGI and UG2) ed he Meas and Bas tad Rese Pyramid Gairo-Norte Frmaton (Main Zone) “his fermation atin ncn ike of 200 (Vou Gruenwald, 1979) The op of te pt mete ances (GMA), a 0-mihice pote aerthoste which aps the Das’ Cyeie Uni, mas the ise of « secession of ors ies, aod gallos ofthe Pyramid Gabe ‘Stratigraphy from the UG footwall to the Bastard Reet Footwalo the UGt Chemie ‘Te fetal fhe UGI Chromite consis of ick 240 rm siceon of mal 1 ne ried melanie, nie, [Eames od i natn The oper anorthrs (2 3m hid is characte ty the sbundance of crite in the for of induct, elongated ts, ed dca stingers te ater wo ingly dct deermaion Ut unt ‘The UO Chromite isa -m-hik ase pili ero ie lye overlain by 8 to 19 m of homogensnss medi ltd oie eldspaticpyoneite, Two bi (I~ em) ‘homie ayers occu between 3 and Sm elo the UO2, respectively I hs bes observed on Nota Pau Li. ied tha every pew elie uit is fomed ca an cose “amcoformiy” surface The depth extent ofthe esi penn ponte rane ofthe otal eran. Te fgrined. to, pegmatoidal,"plogoiteearing fsa Frrowenie. This weprsentsreconsitted UCL prose {Recontaion fpresuma oe the process feral Sos of existing footway the overng mama) use unit ‘The UG2 is 130 cm tick, apd comprises » basal masie ite chromite (Man Member and two thin Hain Walia pit erate nyer (1220. separated ty pili ehromiferou pyroxene. The oikoyes of opyrovons have an average ameter of 1S em, and 8 min dametr in the lender and eset 2 chromite ‘epee hing thin opt 1 em ener is casionaly ent Ben 1995) ‘The Main Member con erg cm hick md consi of op 95% hot ith nonrigid ‘xthopyonene, Oley of ebiyroene aie rel nn {eet ward the ae, Wain he pronenit aries ‘he modal proper of brome higher nthe lowe The wxond lender is oven by 1 ~2mrdnch, ‘meio rained barsburpllvie earn. pyronni ha teoomes caer pune aware bse, which i overin bya hie (cl em) chromite sigs. This olivine hesrog evinan sen spend, esting in seed ek ues causing poor hnging-al aground coos “The UG? exhibits potoing ia much the sme way 2 the Mercy Reet. The morphology tb exe of UG? pets tye nt well understood bees ey lie mining ha akon ce, ter wii oe neat US2 potholes. A unter of Patio ve bees ini in fstall development ad from prospect Brcoles. UGE potoies tae bee seo ramve the UGI det dowe atthe UG ftv ares, [As he UGZ approaches pots, becomes ise inpy Sisared. Tes drbanses ate manifested in ho tie ayer biucaons wit jes fio medium armed Pyroxeie. Bitrestons sy eccr ia the Main Memr aad te wo lender chromite yer by he Lower aso Res sce yee3 igure 3 Sebo he Mey Ret n Nora tien Lined Pn fh 3 xprton ranks we own in aoa © ™ games| eee ~o = Tere mc ner cnt SEE ome aoe |-vor weer "s ST Plena SGRRUNOTEES eatno e=suoponrespemasoga | crn cmon Saas Canney mene 2 eens ‘gue 4 The nme ft stp sgh he Nab | Sf oe Nona Pana Lite shown eps low cole ‘er peter than expan apa fest e UI oa ote Bsa Re. Lower Peouso Reef Unit “The em ‘pcudretimplis a semblance to Meeashy Res. The lower pada raf eels an ered sequence ‘of somal Ment Res. The lowe seu ret comps ‘of 05 to 17 m petmatidal fli pyorete anor Pigmatialfespamic habe (chartered by ae feed <3 cm, lvine cysts) followed by ati, fe ‘ee, 1c cramer (PI marker) This Soe ‘retain by 2 mediumrained spoted-matied anorboste (1 mortosie) which ges upwards ino a. medium oe esoonotie, andi emit by a ayer msi {ed moved anorhsite The Pl snobs range {hikes rom 040107 man exhibits an erage heess ‘of 3.8 Th unt exits overal honing fem notes 0 ‘tweaker below arma Mates Ret (ret age55 sper Peous Reet Unit “Tne tse ofthe Upper Pico Rest Uni oman 30: fermity sie and consis of a thin (<2 em) ineplar ‘hot, vet by modi pi spac Sante ade feldspahi taebrge 28 thik), lly ‘rows Tana (Vien ea, 1986), The Tea sexnto thicken intra othe pres wheres 18m Bick in teat sound bool GKS, an is characterised by a ‘mediun grind olivieich pve “The whole UperPsetdo Ret Units own to potle nga sao ho the Pls Ts ese tft becomes toe promeat rsnovlhesosuthwes 2 Oyetic Unt ‘The bate of he P2 Cycle Unt 2 makes is chris bya 1 2-m-dck planar ome (P2 chromite yer at ‘he base Tis com sven by 2 ID cm ahi ‘lor te layer whic eri ven hy 10 af Inedomgained ids. pyenie. The protnite {Tdcs epost 20 fo 30 cna mou ried oe, which i oven by th (Ica) noone lye he P2 binging marke, "The P2chromie, ogee wih the overlying P2 Cyclic Unis known to pst nto the Tent Ths ete inane by hing fm moreso souwet of he a ‘cts ofthe Upper and Lower ew Reo! Unis Lower Foetal Unt ‘The suceton above the P2 Cycle Uniti 16 ik This raccoon commences with matun-graaed ante which ‘ales upward ino modu graed econo. which s ‘oped ty 20 of modiom-rined sorbose. Thi ies (Lt) Sapapie egte MCD LO3. nee in racer ence | tle 9945 dll Tater ee ran y the forall marker sequence, whic comps a 20 30 em mediun-gained rte which grades upvarcs inwoa 680m thick mediraine,otled anotase layer Thi snort known the otal marker. "A -oviick medun-graed tore over he focal marker sequence Ths nai soli by a 0-ctik, ‘ym need, meium-ped nein, fo lowed by 6-miick,mediom-pnines, motied anorthosie Upper Fotwal Unit ‘The Upper Footeall Unt ove the fatal actos and consists 1 em undulata sorte erode bs “nomi, which overlain by pga espe dn ihharburgie and elspa pyroxene. The pena

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