I was an Appie here, back when Gus was my Foreman, the plant , 50G had long since stopped, but the electrical and Bucket wheel workshops were still based here. Looking at this attached PIC, I cannot figure out if this is indeed 50G or not, anyone care to comment?
Hi Mike
Thinking of 50G if it was posible that this photo was flipped from left to right when looking at it in that perseption it could be 50G
thants my best bet
Alfred Boehme
Mike
I flipped the photo you posted and it is 50G
Alfred
Thanks Alfie, I actually flipped that image myself a couple of times yesterday to get the right direction, and thought that the way I had it was right, but on the otherhand the road coming off the haul road into 50G, came past the bucketwheel workshop on the right off it... so you are indeed correct!
The plant at 50G was the first clay treatment plant.With nearly all field screening plants, the waste dumps were sited to the north of each plant as the prevailing wind comes from the south. An exception where the oversize dump was on the south side of the plant was 65G, an inland plant.
Gordon, how far inland was 65G? Do you think there are diamonds under the pan at the airport?
Mike
I think G65 was where the old mining electrical workshops where, it was known as Gemsbok a old hostel that they changed into workshops. The office and tearoom where by the bar area (recreation area) and kitchen
The area was just north of the beacon for the tank farm
Alfred
There was a big wooden shed there? I remember being taken to an old wooden german shed, and inside were 5 abandoned bowl scrappers..... looked in good nick, just had flat tyres and was told that they were being "hidden" here...
Mike, the 65G Plant was about 1 kilometre inland on a parallel with the 68G Plant which was sited on the coast. There were two inland field screening plants in G Area in the 60's / 70's. These were 65G and further north the 103G Plant. They were dry plants and not very efficient as a consequence. In that particular section of the mine, near the eastcliff, the marine beaches were quite high (4 to 5 metres in places) and were full of quartz boulders and cemented material. We utilised 38 RBD (Ruston Bucyrus Diesel) excavators to dig out the ore body and load it onto Michigan 210 Haul Trucks. These two 'dry' treatment plants were closed down when 4 Plant started to treat run-of-mine ore. As you know, the 'N' blocks in Area 'G' contained some of the richest ore on the mine. The average stone size was close to a carat in size and the 'pick-ups' in the bedrock cleaning operations in the area were plentiful and large.One could see the diamonds lying in the dozer windrows in front of the advancing bedrock cleaning gangs. Whilst in charge of bedrock cleaning in Area 'G' I did, on one occasion, pick up a particularly large yellow stone of an estimated 20 carats and on another, a beautiful green diamond of great purity and shape, probably weighing in at 10 or so carats. Both went to the Boss Boy who deposited it in his "pick-up" box.
Quote from: Alfred Boehme on November 27, 2008, 02:56:17 PM
Mike
I think G65 was where the old mining electrical workshops where, it was known as Gemsbok a old hostel that they changed into workshops. The office and tearoom where by the bar area (recreation area) and kitchen
The area was just north of the beacon for the tank farm
Alfred
As Gordon said G65 was about half way between the east cliff rd and the haul rd this is where I was with mining elec, Gunther Mach's, Guss, Christie, Big Jack and a small thin guy can't remember he's name
Dear Mike, to answer your question; "Do you think there are diamonds under the pan at the airport?", trust this helps.
The pan you refer to forms a part of the esturine delta of the Orange River ( Gariep). An extensive survey of the pan was undertaken in the 1980's with little to justify further expenditure on further work to find viable ore reserves.
As you know the diamond deposits of the Sperrgebiet are found both in low grade river terraces and inthe richer and far more extensive marine terraces. (The town of Oranjemund stands on river terrace gravels.)
In the last 100 kilometres of the course of the Orange River before it reaches the sea, river terraces are found at the following elevations above mean sea level:-
6m; 15m; 22m ; 30m; 37m; 45m; 54m; 62m; 74m; and 117m.
Interestingly, these elevations correlate well with the heights of the raised marine beaches at the coast.i.e. 6m; (Lower terraces); 14m; 22m; 30m; and 35m (Upper terraces).
The coastal marine terraces or raised beaches as they are also referred to, are accumulations of beach material left behind above the present sea level by a retreating sea.
The marine terraces found on the narrow marine abrasion platform (bedrock), which ranges in width between 3 km. in Area 'G', to 200m at Affenrucken, were deposited over a period of 1 million years during which 6 recognisable marine transgressions (rising sea levels) took place, each followed by a major regression (retreating sea levels).
As those who have worked on the mine know, the bedrock has been intensely gullied and 'potholed' by the action of the waves.
The raised beaches furthest from the sea terminate against the 'Eastcliff' which was cut into the bedrock by the sea. The base of this cliff (the easterly extent of the coastal diamond deposits) stands at an elevationof 25m above sea level in the south and at 9m above sea level at Affenrucken; proof that there was coastal downwarping of the schist bedrock to the north.
When drilling for the foundations of the E. Oppenheimer Bridge in 1953, it was discovered that the bedrock was 43 metres below river level. At the fall rate for the river bottom, this translates into a bedrock depth of 70 metres at the river mouth because a river does not normally erode its bed below sea level. This means that the coastline was further west of its present position by at least a distance equivalent to a vertical 70m drop. I calculate this at 7 kilometres. In other words, the Orange River commenced disgorging its diamondiferous load about 1 million years ago along a coastline which was 7 km. west of the present coastline.
These drowned beaches which were deposited between the ancient and present coastlines, represent a reserve of diamonds twice the size of the onshore deposits.
In the esturine delta area the very deep bedrock is likely overlain in parts by low grade submerged river terraces which in turn are covered by huge amounts of barren sand and silt. There are no rocks on the beach near Oranjemund as tghe bedrock is deep. This points to sediment having filled in a large bay-like area north of the Orange River mouth. The delta is unlikely to contain diamonds which can be recovered economically.
Close to the mouth of the river the marine beaches are cut off by the river and the old river course which is the salt pan you refer to. The marine terraces in this area peter out gradually in the river terrace gravels without curving round the edge of the salt pan.
Best regards. Gordon
Wow, thanks Gordon. Very interesting facts. Must admit, even though I find geology, archeology and geography fascinating, I know very little about it and wish I knew more. Now (as if I have time to read!) you've triggered a new interest in me - msn emoticon (9) msn emoticon (8)
Thanks for that Gordon. ..... I still tend to wonder, spoke to a Surveyor here a few years back, reckons that there are even diamonds under the dunes north of the river , but not economical to mine due to the vast sand deposits covering them.....
What do you know about the old time stories about certain spots in the Spergebiedt having blue ground, volcanic pipes..... these stories date from the 60's and 70's....
Digressing a bit from the topic Mike but anyway, to answer your query; numerous barren kimberlite pipes are indeed present in an 'off-craton' position in Namibia. 'Off-craton' pipes rarely have economic potential.
There are approximately 5000 kimberlite pipes worldwide, of which 500 are diamondiferous and almost exclusively occur on Archaean cratons. A craton is a part of the earth's crust which is abnormally thick (220kms) and has been stable for a long period of time. The roots of these cratons are regions of high pressure and relatively low temperature, ideal for the formation and preservation of diamonds.
In Africa south of the Zambezi, kimberlite pipes of economic importance are found on the Kalahari Craton which extends from Ghanzi (Botswana) in the west to Nelspruit in the east, and from Britstown in the south to Harare/ Lake Kariba in the north. Namibia does not sit on the Kalahari Craton and therefore any pipes found there are unlikely to contain diamonds.
Diamonds do occur in the sand dunes of the Sperrgebiet but not in payable deposits.
Regards, Gordon
Gordon, where did you work while u where at Oranjemund
Alfred
Alfred, I joined CDM in June 1968. From the time of my employment I worked in the mining department for five years in the various mining processes ie overburden stripping, bedrock cleaning, drilling and blasting, screening plant supervision, foreshore mining and mine planning. I also did a stint as a geological field assistant working with the Williams drill sampling programme, reporting to Doc. Stocken in the Geology department. Following this, I joined the newly created Work Study Department under the capable and much liked Brian Johnson. This formed part of the Management Services Division comprised of Computer Services, Stats Services and Work Study. Much of my time was taken up on mining related projects. Five years later, I joined the management team as technical assistant to the General Manager working for another great guy; Jim McCluskie. Was sad to see him go and be replaced by a string of rather mediocre managers. I worked in this position for five years, leaving CDM in May 1983, fifteen years after I had joined them.Regards Gordon
Hi Gordon,
Recognise these, alas it is no more (first place I worked on the mine)
Nice pics Clive. When I arrived on the mine Martin Gerber was the operator at 32G, Guy Yeadon at 68G, Piet Badenhorst at 65G and the mine foremen were Alex Cruickshank, Adam Swart, Leon Botes, and Dave Lineker. The senior mine foreman was Arthur Snow, a great bunch of practically minded down-to-earth miners. Remember you also working as an an operator for a while before you did your apprenticeship. Jimmy Agnew and Denis Symes were two of the mechanical engineering team that serviced and maintained the 'G' Area plants in good nick. Dougie Freemantle (dad-in-law), Cassie Castle and Ginger Olivier were the electrical engineering team.Jack Gregory looked after the earthmoving equipment and Oom Koos Maritz took good care of the belts, camel back conveyors and other mining engineering work. All good men it was a pleasure a privilege to work with.Kind regards. Gordon
Alfred trying to place your dad Fred. Seem to remember he was in mechanical workshop at Central Fields. A large man if I recall correctly. Could he have been in the boilermaking section working with Jimmy and Denis? In that case I would have come across him while working on one of the screening plants.Do you have some background info about your dad's work. Regards. Gordon
Clive, also remember China de Jager worked at 100G, Claude Short at 122G and Jim Hall at 103G. Gordon
All I remember about my father (Fred) is that he worked at engine bay in town and was a Diesel Fitter. He did work out at central fields at one time. We also lived over the road from the Freemantles at E15/11. OK Alfred thats my 10cents.....you can add now. 202
Thanks Diana. Nice pic of your dad. The diesel engine bay; was that at the town garage where Zip Turnley and Bob Stensen worked? Visited there often to have landrover serviced and when we doing work study on transport projects.Best regards. Gordon
Quote from: Gordon Brown on December 09, 2008, 05:39:32 AM
Thanks Diana. Nice pic of your dad. The diesel engine bay; was that at the town garage where Zip Turnley and Bob Stensen worked? Visited there often to have landrover serviced and when we doing work study on transport projects.Best regards. Gordon
Hi Gordon, the Engine bay was accross the road from the mine store northern side basicaly between the mine store and the hostel they then moved to Uubvley where they are still situated today (taday the building is the new fire station before then it was the Town mechanical maintnance workshops)
Alfred
Thanks for that info Alfred. Didn't get around to your dad's workshop but know now where it was situated.I worked with Doc Thurtell at Work Study and remember him having some connection with the diesel engine bay. Not sure if he worked there or did a study there. It may have been I saw your dad in 11th avenue as you stayed so close to Pat and Dougie Freemantle. Definitely have recollection of seeing him often. Kind regards and seasons greetings to you and Diana and your respective families. Gordon and Ingrid.
Gordon
Best wishes to you and your family for x-mass and may 2009 be a great year for you guys
I will be at work during the festive season Standby duties it's my turn had last year off
Alfred