CANADIAN AND WORLD MINERAL DEPOSIT DATABASES
Geological Survey of Canada


Deposit number Country Location Names Commodities
575 South Africa (Limpopo Province) 23.59.32 S -- 031.07.42 E Palabora; Phaloborwa; Loolekop Cu; vermiculite; Fe; Zr; U; P; phlogopite; Au; REE; Ag; Pt; Pd; Ni; S; Th
 
Database name: World Fe-oxide+/-Cu-Au-U (IOCG) deposits
Compilers: Sunil S. Gandhi
Release date: 2015-03-04
   
Deposit name(s): Palabora (mine name); Phaloborwa (locality name); Loolekop
Political location(s): South Africa; Province or state: Limpopo Province; Nearest community: Phalaborwa
Deposit clan (type): Phalaborwa-type
Deposit (sub) types: intrusion-hosted; in late stage carbonatite phase of the intrusion; at the core of the intrusive complex; Reference: Verwoerd, W. J., 1993: Update on carbonatites of South Africa and Namibia; South African Journal of Geology, Volume 96, p. 75 - 95
Deposit status: producer; Size category: 1 billion tonnes; Status comments: Open pit started in 1966; reached bottom at 760 m in 2001; underground operation 2002-2022; ore exends to 1480 m, grades Cu 0.7 %; byproducts P, Zr, vermiculite, REE, Fe-Ti, phlogopite, U, Th.
Geologic province: Kaapval Craton
Deposit object located: open pit
Commodities: Cu; vermiculite; Fe; Zr; U; P; phlogopite; Au; REE; Ag; Pt; Pd; Ni; S; Th
Mineralization styles: dissemination; veins; fracture-fillings
Geological ages: Middle Paleoproterozoic (host rocks)
Tectonic setting: continental craton-intracratonic; stable (host rocks)
Coincident features: joints (concentric vertical joints of weakness)
Regional tectonic structure: circular zoned intrusion with ultramafic core surrounded by alkaline rocks (emplaced in Archean craton) Tectonic structure name: Phalaborwa Intrusion
Host rocks: (1) intrusive; carbonatite-lamprophyre association (concentrically zoned intrusion); Magma series/sedimentary package/metamorphic group: peralkaline; Depositional setting: continental; Metamorphic grade: none
External host rock forms:crystalline, coarse
Internal host rock structures:veins and segregations
Individual lithologies:carbonatite
syenite
carbonatite
foskorite
Host rock stratigraphy:Loolekop pegmatoid

(2) intrusive; ultramafic suite; Magma series/sedimentary package/metamorphic group: alkaline
External host rock forms:stock
multiphase intrusion
Individual lithologies:pyroxenite
Host rock stratigraphy:Palabora Igneous Complex
Related igneous rocks: (1) intrusive; ultramafic suite (Pyroxenite); Initials: Phalborwa complex; Magma series: alkaline; Depositional setting: continental
(2) intrusive; syenite-syenogabbro suite (syenitic ); Magma series: syenite
Metallogenic signatures: Cu
apatite
REE
U
Th
Mineralogy: (mineralization): chalcopyrite, bornite, magnetite (titaniferous), apatite, phlogopite, vermiculite, baddeleyite, cubanite, valleriite, uranothorianite, pentlandite, gold, silver, platinum, palladium, chalcocite
Radiometric ages: Object dated: Host Rocks(1); Age - Ma: 2,047; +11; -8; Dating method: U-Pb; Concentrate: baddeleyite, U-thorianite; Source rock: carbonatite and phoscorite; Event dated: host rock; Interpretive comment: Carbonatite and phoscorite are late stage intrusions in pyroxenite-syenite phases of the complex; Reference: Eriksson, S. C., 1984: Age of carbonatite and phoscorite magmatism of the Phalaborwa complex (South Africa); Isotope Geoscience (Chemical Geology), Volume 2, p. 291 - 299
Deposit shape: pipe-like
References:
Aldous, R., 1986
Copper-rich fluid inclusions in pyroxenes from the Guide Copper Mine, a satellite intrusion of the Palabora Complex, South Africa
Economic Geology, Volume 81, p. 143 - 155

De Jager, D. H., 1989
Phosphate resources in the Palabora Igneous Complex, Transvaal, South Africa
in Phosphate Deposits of the World, 2., Edited by Nosholt, A. J. G.; Sheldon, R. P.; Davidson, D. F., Cambridge University Press, p. 267 - 272

Eriksson, S. C., 1984
Age of carbonatite and phoscorite magmatism of the Phalaborwa complex (South Africa)
Isotope Geoscience (Chemical Geology), Volume 2, p. 291 - 299

Eriksson, S. C., 1989
Phalaborwa: a saga of magmatism, metasomatismnd miscibility
in Carbonatites: Genesis and Evolution, Edited by Bell, K., Unwin Hyman, London, p. 221 - 254

Fourie, P. J. ; De Jager, D. H., 1986
Phosphate in Phalaborwa complex
in Mineral Deposits of Southern Africa, II, Edited by Anhaeusser, C. R.; Maske, S., Geological Society of Southern Africa, Geological Society of South Africa, Johannesburg, p. 2239 - 2253

Leroy, A. J., 1992
Palabora - not just another Copper Mine
Minerals Industry International, March 1992 issue, p. 14

Moore, A. C., 1984
Orbicular rhythmic layering in the Palabora carbonatite, South Africa
Geological Magazine, Volume 121, p. 53 - 60

Richards, T., 1995
Palabora Igneous Complex, South Africa
The Gangue, July 1995 issue, p. 1

Verwoerd, W. J., 1986
Mineral deposits associated with carbonatites and alkaline rocks
in Mineral Deposits of Southern Africa, II, Edited by Anhaeusser, C. R.; Maske, S., Geological Society of Southern Africa, Geological Society of South Africa, Johannesburg, p. 2173 - 2191

Verwoerd, W. J., 1993
Update on carbonatites of South Africa and Namibia
South African Journal of Geology, Volume 96, p. 75 - 95

von Backstrom, J. W.; Jacob, R. E., 1979
Uranium in South Africa and South West Africa (Namibia)
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Volume 291, p. 307 - 319

Resource data:
Disclaimer - Reserves/Resource Data

Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Natural Resources (NRCan) does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy, completeness or fitness for any purpose of Reserve and Resource information (Data) contained in this database, including whether the Data is compliant with any securities regulations or standards, and NRCan does not assume any liability with respect to any damage or loss incurred as a result of the use made of the Data.

Resource and reserve figures are historical in nature. The Data source provided with each set of figures should be cited if the Data are re-reported.

Estimate date: 2006-12-31; Component: underground operation; 117.8 million metric tons ore; Combined with production?: no; Provisional entry?: no; Resource category: proven reserve
Grade-commodity information:Cu: 0.64 percent
Cutoff grade-commodity:Cu: 0.5 percent
Reference: Anonymous, 2007: Palabora Mining Company Limited Annual Report 2006; Annual Report, Palabora Mining Company Limited, 88 p.
Percent weights allocated to deposit: 100.0%


Estimate date: 2006-12-31; Component: pit; 38.9 million metric tons ore; Combined with production?: no; Provisional entry?: no; Resource category: proven+probable reserve
Weight-commodity information:vermiculite: 14 million metric tons
Reference: Anonymous, 2007: Palabora Mining Company Limited Annual Report 2006; Annual Report, Palabora Mining Company Limited, 88 p.
Percent weights allocated to deposit: 100.0%


Estimate date: 2006-12-31; Component: Copper mixed stockpiles; 0.44 million metric tons ore; Combined with production?: no; Provisional entry?: no; Resource category: measured resource
Grade-commodity information:Cu: 0.5 percent
Reference: Anonymous, 2007: Palabora Mining Company Limited Annual Report 2006; Annual Report, Palabora Mining Company Limited, 88 p.
Percent weights allocated to deposit: 100.0%


Estimate date: 2006-12-31; Component: Copper oxide stockpiles; 4.16 million metric tons ore; Combined with production?: no; Provisional entry?: no; Resource category: measured resource
Grade-commodity information:Cu: 0.64 percent
Reference: Anonymous, 2007: Palabora Mining Company Limited Annual Report 2006; Annual Report, Palabora Mining Company Limited, 88 p.
Percent weights allocated to deposit: 100.0%


Estimate date: 2007-12-31; Component: Copper sulphide stockpiles; 12 million metric tons ore; Combined with production?: no; Provisional entry?: no; Resource category: measured resource
Grade-commodity information:Cu: 0.14 percent

Percent weights allocated to deposit: 100.0%

Generated 2015-03-04 14:16:33 with GQuery -- 3.7 ADO (3.19..3.22 -- 2008-12-16)
GlobalDB System, Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada