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/ Gold mining at Pilgrim's Rest |
The Beta reef has much the same appearance and width as the Lower Theta and occurs 150-350 feet below it. The Beta is, however, more refractory in places due to copper minerals. It responds well, when pyritic, to treatment by flotation. It has only been found payable at Pilgrim's Rest and has been mined at Theta, Browns Hill and Beta mines.
The Portuguese is the lowest of the upper reefs in the dolomite series and occurs about 200-400 feet below the Beta reef. The reef, where worked, is 8 to 18 inches in width and follows the pattern of other reefs. It has been mined at Desire, Jubilee and Ponieskrans mines. A high proportion of silver is occasionally associated with gold.
The Glynn's reef horizon occurs 150-850 feet above the base of the dolomite series and is the most extensively mined reef in the district. Mining on this reef has taken place at Elandsdrift, Glynn's Lydenburg and at a number of smaller mines in the Sabie area, and at Vaalhoek to the north of Pilgrim's Rest. It is free-milling in the Sabie area and some rich, well defined shoots have better mined. An unusual quartz "blow" is associated with the reef at Elandsdrift mine. An extensive diamond drilling programme failed to disclose any payable Glynn's reef between Vaalhoek to the north and Pilgrim's Rest. At Vaalhoek the reef contains a low percentage of copper and presents problems in treatment.
Only the more important horizons in the Dolomite Series have been mentioned. It can be said in general that the reefs lose payability with increased depth of cover and as all reefs outcrop to surface, making for fairly easy prospecting, the chances of finding new areas of payability are not great.
Small occurances of chrysotile asbestos have been found at a number of places in the district and a number of horizons in the dolomite. The deposits are very limited in extent but the quality of the fibre is at times good. The asbestos occurs as a result of the alteration of dolomite to serpentine by contact with igneous intrusions. On Olifantsgeraamte at Sabie, and Sacramento Creek and Normandale at Vaalhoek the asbestos is located in the upper zones of the dolomite, while at Graskop the occurance is near the base.
The dolomites have been examined as a possible source of lime but the results were not encouraging. They contain, however, fairly extensive occurances of low-grade manganese ore. The zones are irregular and occur in association with the Lower Theta and Portuguese reefs and near the base of the dolomites. Little work, however, has been done on this mineral.
The Black Reef Series varies considerably in width in the district. At Sabie in the south it averages approximately 50 feet while to the north of Bourke's Luck at Marieps Kop it reaches a width of 2500 feet. If you are still reading this history I am very impressesd. Mineralization has only been found in the uppermost beds of the series. The Betty reef occurs in the transition shales and the Sandstone reef in the upper sandstone beds.
In the Sabie area the Sandstone reef is well developed at Klein Sabie and has been extensively worked. The reef is at times refactory and carries a high percentage of sulphide minerals. Pyrites has been mined for the sulphur content.
To the south of Graskop, on Malidyke mine, gold has been mined in the transition beds in proximity to a dyke.
To the north of Graskop in the proximity of the Waterfall River and further north a number of flat reefs and leaders have been worked in the transition beds. At the Lisbon mine and on Gould's Claims the reefs and leaders tend to be refractory and difficulties have been experienced with gold extraction.
At Bourke's Luck, at the start of the Blyde gorge, the unique and highly mineralized Trixie lodes have been worked. The lodes and associated reefs occur in the sandstones in a faulted zone of the Dientje dyke. The lode has been followed for a distance of 18300 feet on strike. The mine was at one time worked as a copper mine with the contact reef carrying good copper values. The Trixie lode has been the main gold producer and owing to its high pyritic content the mill tailings are treated for the extraction of pyrites.
Little mineralization of economic importance has been found in the older granites which occur below the escarpment and comprise the whole of the Lowveld region to the Lebombo mountains in the east. Two vertical quartz reefs, the Rietfontein and Sunlight reefs, occur in the older granites and have been worked between Malieveld siding and Kowyn's Pass. The Rietfontein mine on the Sabie River was the biggest operator on the reefs. The ore was most refractory and values petered out with depth. The reef in places contained a high percentage of sulphides. Treatment was by flotation and subsequent roasting.
South of the Olifants River to the east of railway line a number of farms have been made available for corundum prospecting and a mine has been opened. On the farm Bultfontein to the north of White River a deposit of kaolin has been worked in the granites.
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See also: Gold links
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