Moab Khotsong mine
The Moab Khotsong mine is a large mine located in the northern part of South Africa in North West some 180 kilometers 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.[1][2]
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Gauteng | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Coordinates | 26.9792° S, 26.7815° E |
| Production | |
| Products | uranium, Gold |
| History | |
| Opened | 1995 |
| Owner | |
| Company | AngloGold Ashanti (1995 - 1 March 2018) Harmony Gold (1 March 2018 - Present) |
Moab Khotsong claims to be home to the world’s deepest mine shaft at 3,000 metres (9,800 ft).[3]
During the years 1995 and 1996, Moab Khotsong recorded the worst safety statistics in the mining industry.[3]
History
Harmony Gold successfully acquired Moab Khotsong from AngloGold Ashanti Limited on 1 March 2018. The $300-million deal includes the Moab Khotsong mine, one of the newest South African deep-level mines, with life-of-mine grade forecast at 8.2 g/t (0.29 oz/long ton), taking the average Harmony underground grade to 5.7 g/t (0.20 oz/long ton).[4]
Initially, the mine was named only Moab, which is the name of the original farm on which it has been built and which was commonly believed to mean fertile ground.[3] However, its association with the Biblical Moab prompted workers to request that it be twinned with Khotsong, Sotho for 'peaceful place', and this is now the commonly-used classification.[3]
References
- "Uranium in South Africa". wise-uranium.org. 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
- Paul Voosen (31 May 2017). "Deep in a South African gold mine, scientists drill for the heart of an earthquake". American Association for the Advancement of Science. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
- World's deepest single-lift mine ever, By: Elizabeth Rebelo, 29 September 2003, miningweekly.com
- Moab Khotsong, Harmony