60 km west of Warmbath (now known as Bela-Bela).

At Rooiberg Mine the mineralization consists of major steeply dipping fractures and associated bedding plane mineralization, mineralization in finer fractures and fissures, and pocket mineralization.

The highest-grade mineralization was present in the well-defined major fractures, but mining today is concentrated more in the bedding-plane mineralization and pockets, which dip at about 5 to 7 degrees.

The main levels are at 30 m intervals, and the ore is extracted by modified room-and-pillar mining on successive intervals 3 to 4 m apart. The development ends are 2,2 by 2,2 m, and the pillars are nominally 3,0 by 3,0 m. Owing to the erratic nature of the mineralization, a regular pattern of development is not always maintained, and development ends follow higher-grade features where these exist. Once the limits of a zone of mineralization have been reached, both laterally and vertically, the pillars are stripped as far as possible in areas where surface-protection restrictions are not necessary. Locally, this is termed 'block mining'.

The development is equipped with 450 mm gauge tracks. On the inter-levels, hand lashing and tramming using 0.7 t side tippers are practised and, on the main levels, mechanized cleaning and tramming. Drilling on all the mines is carried out by the use of hand-held jackhammers and airlegs, and all the blasting is done by Anfex and delay fuses.

Mining operations have continued down dip from a few metres below surface to the current lowest level of 189 m below surface.

Two inclined surface rock-hoisting shafts and one chairlift service the mine. Ore is transported approximately 5 km by road to the concentrator at A Mine.

As the tin mineralization is sporadic, each blast has to be sampled before tramming to ore or to waste. At A Mine, which is close to the assay facilities, a sample taken from the blasted rock at the start of the shift is returned on the same shift. At the other mines, the sample is returned the next day. As a backup, the miner pans a sample and is able, with experience, to get a reasonably accurate value. Samples from cars trammed from the end, from cars tipped on the levels, from the shaft boxes, and at the concentrator tip complete this control.

Rooiberg (A) mine closed in 1993 owing to prevailing low tin prices.

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References