Lessons from the past
Basin specialists,
are familiar with the
great debate and the
heated discussions
about placer gold,
hydrothermal sources,
and a combination of
the two, called modified
placer-theory.
We haven’t seen too many drill rigs searching
for gold deposits in the Karoo lately — it’s
about time we do. For once, we should listen
to and believe in geologists. Contrary to
widespread belief, gold mining is not a sunset
industry in South Africa; in fact, its rebirth
might be imminent.
I conclude with an excerpt from an article
written by three legendary South African
geologists: twin brothers Morris and Richard
Viljoen and Rodney Tucker.
Although the Witwatersrand is a mature
goldfield with declining production, it is
estimated that it still contains six times more gold
than the world’s second-largest goldfield. Much
of the remaining resource occurs at considerable
depths; however, there are still opportunities
for extracting some of this resource, as well as
generally somewhat lower-grade mineralisation,
at moderate to shallow depth. The Basin thus
remains a major exploration target.
The article “A review of the Witwatersrand Basin
– the world’s greatest goldfield” was authored by
Rodney F. Tucker; Richard P. Viljoen, and Morris
J. Viljoen, and appeared in the June 2016 issue
of Episodes Journal of International Geoscience
(Vol. 39 No. 2, titled: The great mineral fields of
Africa).
Basin specialists, are familiar with the great
debate and the heated discussions about placer
gold, hydrothermal sources, and a combination
of the two, called modified placer-theory. Most
placer-theory proponents believe that the
Witwatersrand gold was deposited in a shallow
marine environment (the Basin). But a group
of alternative thinkers believes that the gold
was deposited by ice age glaciers — this could
open a whole new world for geologists, gold
miners, and explorers in South Africa.
www.miningmirror.co.za
If gold had been transported by glaciers, it
could have been deposited much further south
than what is currently believed. According to
the glacier theorists, another gold basin exists,
covering a large area of the Great Karoo, but has
not yet been discovered. This idea is dismissed
too often and should receive more attention.
A lack of funding, regulatory and political
constraints, and rising costs have prevented
exploration companies from taking on the
risk and venturing into unknown territory.
In the March 2019 editions of
African Mining and Mining Mirror, several
top geologists share their views about the
history, geology, and potential of both the
Witwatersrand Basin and the gold mining
industry in South Africa. Make sure you get
your copies.
FEBRUARY 2019 MINING MIRROR [43]