East Rand Mine

East Rand Proprietary Mine Ltd.
Location
East Rand Gold Mine
Location in South Africa
Location Boksburg
Province Gauteng
Country South Africa
Coordinates 26°06′S 28°19′E / 26.10°S 28.32°E / -26.10; 28.32Coordinates: 26°06′S 28°19′E / 26.10°S 28.32°E / -26.10; 28.32
Production
Production 79,479
Financial year 2007-08
History
Opened 1893
Active 120
Closed 2008
Owner
Company DRD Gold Limited
Website DRD Gold website
Year of acquisition 2002

East Rand Proprietary Mines (ERPM) is a 125-year-old underground gold mining operation on the Witwatersrand Basin at Boksburg, to the east of Johannesburg. The mine employed 3,850 people. It was the deepest mine in the world until 2008 at 3,585 metres depth, slightly more than the TauTona mine, also in South Africa, which was 3,581 metres at the time (in 2008 the TauTona mine completed a digging project that extended the depth of the mine by several hundred metres.)[1]

The mine closed in 2008. Historical gold production between 1896 and 2008 was 43 Moz at recovered gold grade of 8.1g/t (95% plant recovery).

A world class high grade gold deposit remains with existing in situ resources (SAMREC compliant) of 63 Moz, including; - Measured & Indicated resource of 13.6 Moz at 6.7g/t Au - Inferred resources of 50 Moz at 4.92 g/t Au.

The Cason mine dump was the world highest man made mountain. This dump is currently recycled. It is a shadow of itself and will probably disappear in the near future.

Production

Recent production figures:[2]

Year Production Cost per ounce
2007 80,216 ounces US $ 641
2008 79,479 ounces US $ 748

History

The ERPM engineering many mining techniques which are still in place today including, Long Wall Mining. The mine also built the worlds largest ice factory which produced up to 8,000t of ice daily to cool wall rock temperatures (50-60 deg celsius)

References

  1. ↑ "TauTona, Anglo Gold - Mining Technology". SPG Media Group PLC. 2009-01-01. Retrieved 2009-11-20.
  2. ↑ ERPM Archived 2009-10-11 at the Wayback Machine. DRD Gold website, accessed: 29 September 2009
  • Tucker, Rodney & Viljoen, Richard & J. Viljoen, Morris. (2016). A Review of the Witwatersrand Basin - The World’s Greatest Goldfield. Episodes. 39. 105. 10.18814/epiiugs/2016/v39i2/95771.
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