To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: Mines and mining – South Africa.
Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Mines and mining – South Africa'
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the top 50 dissertations / theses for your research on the topic 'Mines and mining – South Africa.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Browse dissertations / theses on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.
1
Joubert, Barend Daniel. "Small-scale gold mining in southern Africa." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1992. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005615.
Full textAbstract:
The general characteristics of gold deposits are reviewed, and a classification of gold deposits based on mineability is proposed. Evaluation, mlnlng and beneficiation methods are briefly discussed. It is concluded that the most viable targets for small-scale companies comprise deposits that require the least pre-production time and expense. Great potential exists for the small-scale reclamation of gold from tailings dumps and abandoned mines in Southern Africa. There is also potential for developing new smallscale gold mines in the Archaean greenstone terranes of the Zimbabwean and Kaapvaal cratons.
2
Naidoo, Kumendrie. "Considerations for stope gully stability in gold and platinum mines in South Africa." Diss., Pretoria : [s.n.], 2001. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-11302005-123445/.
Full text
3
Scheepers, Antoinette. "Women in mining: overcoming the challenge of occupational culture at the mines." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/95647.
Full textAbstract:
This research report explores the actions taken by mining companies, with specific focus on Kumba Iron Ore, to overcome the challenges in creating an organisational culture that accommodates women in core positions in the mines.
Although more and more women are employed by mining companies worldwide, progress is hampered by the barriers in this historically male-dominated environment, which need to be overcome. South African legislation requires mining companies to meet women-in-mining targets as set out by the mining charter, forcing the mining industry to revisit opportunities for female employees. It necessitates innovative ideas to overcome challenges and to implement strategies to make women in mining work. The research investigates specifically how the mining environment is managing the transformation to overcome the historic views, physical challenges and emotional challenges of women. It discloses the willingness and commitment of mining companies to accommodate women in the workplace to eliminate discrimination and to benefit from the employment of diverse gender groups. Implemented coping strategies lead to changes in working conditions, dealing with and preventing sexual harassment, addressing physical and emotional barriers of women and other challenges to make women in mining work. However, initiatives taken do not necessarily produce the required results due to a lack of follow-up.
This report reveals efforts by Kumba Iron Ore to promote mining as an employment of choice and to make mining more attractive to women. It includes the way in which efforts in attracting qualified women supports closing the gap between vacant positions and employment of women in this predominantly male environment. The research report discloses that more efforts are required to make women in mining a reality and that it requires commitment throughout the organisation with the involvement of all stakeholders to overcome these challenges. It reveals the improvement of safety in the mining environment through a specific focus (though a lack of drive still exists), ownership and stakeholder involvement to make women in mining work.
A total of 22 men and women in the Kumba Iron Ore broader management team (middle and senior managers from the Mining, Plant, Safety, Human Resources and Supply Chain departments) situated at the production sites in the Northern Cape (Sishen and Kolomela), Limpopo (Thabazimbi) and the head office in Pretoria were interviewed to gather data from their direct experiences on overcoming the challenges of the organisational culture to make the mining environment more attractive and accessible for women. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the information. The data was analysed using a qualitative method and this research report theory emerges from the data obtained from the questionnaires.
Proposed future research topics were made.
4
Badenhorst, Louis. "Exploring the potential of contract farming as a solution to the growing unemployment in the mining sector." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/97310.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The mining bubble is over, and mining companies in South Africa are under pressure to remain viable concerns. This forces companies to cut their cost through organisational restructuring, closing down of mines and cost-saving technologies. All of these result in job losses in the mining sector. However, the companies do have a social responsibility to help uplift and create jobs in the mining areas and labour-sending regions. The study reviews examples of corporate-social-development projects of mines that relate to agriculture. Furthermore, the study looks at projects stemming from the government’s desire for land reform and rural social-economic upliftment of previously disadvantaged communities. In this context contract farming is an ideal way to tackle comprehensively the re-employment challenges. Against that background, which combines literature review and brief summaries of case studies, the dissertation reviews contract farming as an approach towards agricultural development and job creation. The lessons from the socio-economic development projects, rural-reforms and contract-farming projects are used as inputs to evolve a framework for the local approach to contract farming, related to mining areas. This includes considerations of implementation challenges likely to be experienced.
5
Xingwana, Lumkwana. "Management perceptions regarding skills shortages in gold mines." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1007959.
Full textAbstract:
The skills shortages in mining and mineral sector had existed for a decade and had a widespread effect on South Africa economy. It affects the level of economic productivity and reduces the country’s capacity to develop a knowledge society. This, in turn, affects the country’s functioning in the global economy. Despite the sector’s best efforts, the shortages continue to grow and threaten the delivery of projects and growth plans. Some researchers contend with the view that the persistence of skills shortages in mining and mineral sector is largely due to entrenched attitudes among both the industry and the community. They claim that employers have the means to change the educational profile of the subsectors by appointing recruits with higher levels of schooling. However, owing to the limited number of higher educated people living in the communities surrounding the mining operations and lack of interest in mining of people with higher levels of education, to name but few, employers are perceived to have a habit of employing people with little skills. The current study was aimed at investigating the impact of skills shortage on organisational performance, propensity to leave, competitive advantage and sustainability, from the management perceptive. The main objective of this study was to incorporate and embed previous research findings and theories into a comprehensive hypothetical model. A hypothetical model showed various factors that may influence skills shortage. Four independent variables (working environment, employment conditions, resources and education and training) were identified as variables that may influence skills shortage; and mediating variable (skills shortage) was also identified as a variable that have potential to affect dependent variables (organisational performance, propensity to leave, competitive advantage and sustainability) of gold mining sector. Furthermore, eight hypotheses were developed to test the relationship between independent, mediating and dependent variables. All these variables were clearly defined and operationalized with various items obtained from measuring instruments used in other similar studies. A purposive sample of 343 respondents was drawn from the population. A seven-point Likert scale and structured questionnaire were administered in person to the respondents and of which 300 were usable and subjected further to several statistical analyses. The validity and reliability of the measuring instrument was evaluated using significant effect p< = 0.001 and Pearson’s correlation test (α = 0.05). Data gathered were fed to and analysed by STATISTICA (version 10) and factor analysis and regression analyses were the statistical procedures used to test the significance of the relationships between the various independent and dependent variables. Consequently, working environment, resources and education and training were three independent variables that were identified as having ability to predict propensity to leave, competitive advantage and sustainability. An attempt was made to establish whether various demographic variables have an influence on mediating and dependent variables through the introduction of gender and position in the organisation while conducting an Analysis of Variance and Multiple linear regressions, but they obtained negative values. The conclusion is that demographic variables do not have over mediating and depended variables. The findings of this study states that with conducive working environment, availability of resources, the high levels of education and training, the country could produce skills that would reduce propensity to leave, drive competitive advantage and sustainability, innovation and entrepreneurship, create competitive advantages and boost employment sustainability.
6
Mphinyane, Andani. "Learning pathways for improving rehabilitation practices in the mining industry : two cases of coal mining and borrow pits." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013271.
Full textAbstract:
This research investigates cases of learning pathways for improving rehabilitation practices for key occupations in the mining industry. The study is set up as a partnership research programme between Rhodes University Environmental Learning Research Centre in South Africa, and the South African Qualification Authority, focussing on workplace learning and sustainability practices. This research programme seeks to understand the implications of the move to a knowledge society, with its emphasis on knowledge building over time, particularly in and for the environmental sector. The research was conducted as a qualitative case study that made use of semi-structured interviews, document analysis, visual photographs and observations as instruments of data gathering. Participants were sampled from two case studies, one in Limpopo province and the other one in Mpumalanga Province, who are directly involved in rehabilitation practices and related education and training programmes. The study makes use of career stories from the key occupations to provide insight into workplace learning pathways to inform education and training in the mining industry. A series of analytical statements captures some of the main findings on early education histories, career choices, learning pathway decisions and experiences related to sustainable practices and some complexities related to learning pathways. Environment and sustainability education is a cross-cutting issue in the NQF; and it pertains to the mining sector, especially to rehabilitation practices, which form the focus of this study as little is known about learning pathways associated with these sustainability practices. Insights from the study should enable the sector to enhance rehabilitation training for key occupations and at the same time encourage lifelong learning contributing towards sustainable development.
7
Gouws, Johan. "The cost benefit analysis of reclamation strategies used in surface coal mining to ensure sustainable post-mining land use." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/97326.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this study, a cost benefit analysis was done to determine the best possible methods for postmining reclamation. A comparison was made between a conventional method with additional organic material added to the soil and a Backgrounding method where cattle are reared on the land. The best method, according to the financial model that was built, was the method of Backgrounding cattle on the rehabilitated land. The main reason for this outcome may be due to the fact that the meat that is produced is a high value product. It might not be practically applicable to mines at this stage, but the calculation provides an insight into the possibilities that reclaimed mine land holds for the agricultural industry.
8
Du, Plessis Rudolf. "The South African mining industry towards 2055: scenarios." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/4215.
Full textAbstract:
The strained commodity price environment has triggered strong measures of cost containment and control by global and South African mining industries with workforce reductions, mine closures and shelved projects. Added to this, the South African mining industry is facing an unparalleled number of challenges, including an uncertain regulatory environment, infrastructure constraints, frequent industrial actions, rising costs and shortages of skills. The dynamism of discontinuous change has increased considerably and the South African mining industry is today facing an uncertain future with a blurred outlook. The results of the detailed analysis of future studies theory and practice in this research study support the argument that there is a strong need to fundamentally change the ways of planning for the future of the South African mining industry. The practice of developing new insight through the application of futures studies is central to this process. Today, collective decisions and strategies are progressively more founded on and informed by futures studies. The research study sought to develop insight regarding the future of the South African mining industry through the construction of four scenarios towards 2055: Divided We Fall, where a confident industry is threatened by social divisions as industry transformation is disregarded; Rock Bottom, where weak global economic conditions coincide with lacklustre industry innovation; Rising from Ashes, with similar economic conditions, but the industry responding positively through accelerated industry innovation; and Renaissance, set against positive global economic conditions with the South African mining industry adopting a collaborative, innovative approach to industry transformation. The research study further strived to uncover the preferred future for the South African mining industry as basis for the South African Mine of the Future Vision towards 2055. Throughout the research study, Inayatullah’s pillars of futures studies were applied as a guideline in mapping the present and future, deepening the future, broadening the future through the development of scenarios, and transforming the future by narrowing it down to the preferred. The study provides valuable insight into the driving forces relevant to the South African mining landscape. In addition, it provides insight on how to anticipate the changes these driving forces may bring about for the industry over the next 40 years from a decision-maker’s point of view. It is up to the mining industry to select the road to follow in terms of progress and sustainable development. Through an innovative approach, the creation of an environment of trust, the sharing of values, purposes and benefits, the South African Mine of the Future Vision is attainable. The South African mining industry must commit itself to working in collaborative partnerships with local communities, government, society and labour; stepping boldly into a world of social, environmental, technological and commercial innovation.
9
Mkubukeli, Zandisile. "Challenges and prospects for small-scale mining entrepreneurs in South Africa." Thesis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/2047.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016.Small-scale mining entrepreneurs are confronted with a variety of challenges during both the start-up and growth phase of their businesses not only in South Africa, but all over the world. Most small-scale mining entrepreneurs are not able to take advantage of the opportunities that are available to them. This retards the growth of their businesses. The aim of this study was to investigate the challenges and prospects for small-scale mining entrepreneurs in South Africa, the support structures available to them as well as the factors that could make them successful. The research problem in this study is that the mining sector is biased towards more established companies and against small-scale mining entrepreneurial operations, which marginalises small-scale mining entrepreneurs. Despite being a significant source of revenue for South Africa, the mining sector does not directly benefit the historically disadvantaged people. Notwithstanding government interventions, small-scale mining entrepreneurs face numerous challenges during both the business start-up and growth phase of their businesses with very few prospects of succeeding. This is a qualitative study that uses a series of face-to-face interviews with mining entrepreneurs in South Africa to generate data. Given that small-scale mining entrepreneurs are in most cases part of the informal sector and difficult to locate, a database of small-scale mining entrepreneurs was obtained from Mintek. Initially, 21 small-scale mining entrepreneurs were randomly selected to participate in this study. However, it soon became apparent that ten of them were no longer in business. This meant that the sample was reduced to eleven mining entrepreneurs, located in four provinces: Free State, KZN, Mpumalanga and Limpopo. The findings of this research reveal that small-scale mining entrepreneurs are handicapped by a lack of financial and technical resources, and therefore cannot purchase capital items. It seems that there are good prospects for small-scale mining, particularly in open markets. However, they are unable to exploit these prospects because they lack the necessary finance. Although there are support structures to assist them, they find it difficult to meet the criteria for loans or overdraft facilities from financial institutions. Although these mining entrepreneurs have benefited from the support they have received thus far, they need equipment and commitment to their businesses to remain successful. A series of recommendations are made to guide small-scale mining entrepreneurs already in business, prospective small-scale mining entrepreneurs and other stakeholder’s interested in transforming the industry.
Zandisile Holdings (Pty) Ltd National Research Foundation Mauerberger Foundation
10
Mooney, David G. "An evaluation of small scale open cast mining of UG2 in the Bushveld complex." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005555.
Full textAbstract:
The current weak state of the platinum market, as well as the large inventory of platinum group metals held by Russia, necessitates that the South African platinum mining industry must carefully evaluate the benefits and disadvantage of small-scale mining of shallow, open castable ore resources. Until the late 1980's, these resources were ignored due to the metallurgical complexities of treating oxidized ore, as well as the mind set that existed within the South African mining industry which militated against open cast mining in the Bushveld. During the latter part of the 1980's and early 1990's, advances in the metallurgical treatment of oxidized ore, specifically the UG2, as well as operational problems, created the impetus to begin the exploitation of these resources. Small-scale open cast mining has become viable due to the development of suitable mining methods that facilitate mining practices acceptable to the Department of Mineral and Energy Affairs, in terms of environmental legislation. Metallurgical advances and growing experience, especially with respect to the UG2, enables reasonable platinum group metals recovery from oxidized ore. The problems experienced in doing this can, and are being overcome. With growing public awareness of environmental issues, particularly related to the mining industry, the requirement to ensure that the small-scale open cast mine site is well managed is paramount. A methodology for the evaluation is presented along with a case study of a small-scale UG2 open cast pit. Evidence is presented that shows that these small-scale open cast mining operations are extremely profitable and require minimal capital expenditure. However, caution is advised when evaluating Merensky Reef open cast operations because of the problems that they present.
11
Madalane, Thembi. "The obligation to rehabilitate mining areas : post mining activities." Thesis, University of Limpopo (Turfloop Campus), 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10386/905.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (LLM) -- University of Limpopo, 2012The study focuses on rehabilitation, since absence of proper rehabilitation process result in indelible damage to the environment. South Africa, like many other countries, is faced with many environmental problems caused by mining. These problems are particularly caused by, inter alia, abandoned mining areas without rehabilitation, inadequate environmental impact assessment after closure, inadequate financial provision for rehabilitation, and lack of monitoring and aftercare system after post mine closure. The study found that many Companies ignore laws governing prospecting, extraction and rehabilitation. The main purpose of this research is to investigate and recommend guidelines in the rehabilitation process so as to instil respect for the environment. The study therefore recommended strict legislation relating to environmental protection against mining.
12
Dodd, Heather Margaret. "Rand Mines Properties : case study in design and development." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/24275.
Full text
13
Mather, Diarmid John. "An approach to analyzing gold supply from the South African gold mines." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002750.
Full textAbstract:
The gold mining fIrm in South Africa is viewed as a normal fIrm producing gold bearing ore but faced with a quality constraint (grade). Grade, however, is never uniformly distributed in a metalliferous deposit and because high grades are mined fIrst, the quality constraint becomes increasingly severe with cumulated production. The fIrm will continue to mine gold bearing ore until it reaches its mining limit where the marginal cost of recovering the gold is equal to the marginal revenue received from that gold and at that point the economic deposit becomes exhausted. Because the mining limit is determined by cost/technology and price, it is not fIxed and thus the point of economic exhaustion may change. When high grades are mined fIrst the relationship between the tonnage of gold ore and the grade describes the rate at which the grade is expected to fall with cumulated production. In this thesis, the grade for South African Witwatersrand gold producers is modelled to fall exponentially. The mining limit, determined by costs/technology and price, can be expressed in terms of grade. By predicting the decay in grade relative to the tonnage of gold ore and applying a mining limit, a life-time size of the economic deposit can be estimated. The remaining life of a producing gold mine can then be determined and the flow of gold predicted. An empirical treatment using the disk model of a gold deposit is undertaken for a gold mine, a goldfIeld and the total Witwatersrand gold deposit. A dynamic econometric analysis of expected mining costs and gold prices is not attempted; however certain examples are used to illustrate the applicability of the model and the influence of the South African gold mining tax formula on the life of the mine.
14
Koloti, Lehlohonolo. "CSR in South Africa mining sector." reponame:Repositório Institucional do FGV, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10438/15129.
Full textAbstract:
Submitted by Daniele Santos (danielesantos.htl@gmail.com) on 2015-12-22T18:29:39Z
No. of bitstreams: 1
Koloti.pdf: 3335905 bytes, checksum: 3031a3118a38db1e9d59ef431316ef16 (MD5)Rejected by Janete de Oliveira Feitosa (janete.feitosa@fgv.br), reason: Prezado aluno, sua submissão digital foi rejeitada pois o título da Dissertação não confere com o título descrito na Ata de Defesa. O impresso recebido pela Secretaria em 22/12/2015 será devolvido à coordenação do Curso juntamente com a Ata de Defesa para acerto no Título da sua Dissertação. Cordialmente, Janete on 2015-12-28T17:46:19Z (GMT)
Submitted by Daniele Santos (danielesantos.htl@gmail.com) on 2016-01-27T16:44:26Z No. of bitstreams: 3 Koloti.pdf: 3335905 bytes, checksum: 3031a3118a38db1e9d59ef431316ef16 (MD5) Koloti.pdf: 3335905 bytes, checksum: 3031a3118a38db1e9d59ef431316ef16 (MD5) Koloti.pdf: 3335905 bytes, checksum: 3031a3118a38db1e9d59ef431316ef16 (MD5)
Approved for entry into archive by Janete de Oliveira Feitosa (janete.feitosa@fgv.br) on 2016-01-27T17:33:52Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 3 Koloti.pdf: 3335905 bytes, checksum: 3031a3118a38db1e9d59ef431316ef16 (MD5) Koloti.pdf: 3335905 bytes, checksum: 3031a3118a38db1e9d59ef431316ef16 (MD5) Koloti.pdf: 3335905 bytes, checksum: 3031a3118a38db1e9d59ef431316ef16 (MD5)
Approved for entry into archive by Marcia Bacha (marcia.bacha@fgv.br) on 2016-02-01T12:03:24Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 3 Koloti.pdf: 3335905 bytes, checksum: 3031a3118a38db1e9d59ef431316ef16 (MD5) Koloti.pdf: 3335905 bytes, checksum: 3031a3118a38db1e9d59ef431316ef16 (MD5) Koloti.pdf: 3335905 bytes, checksum: 3031a3118a38db1e9d59ef431316ef16 (MD5)
Made available in DSpace on 2016-02-01T12:03:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 3 Koloti.pdf: 3335905 bytes, checksum: 3031a3118a38db1e9d59ef431316ef16 (MD5) Koloti.pdf: 3335905 bytes, checksum: 3031a3118a38db1e9d59ef431316ef16 (MD5) Koloti.pdf: 3335905 bytes, checksum: 3031a3118a38db1e9d59ef431316ef16 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-10-28
There are distinct ways in which mining companies in South Africa operate today that are different from the operations three decades ago. Companies have grown in proportion, and the extension of the businesses is directly proportional to the mining activities hence the ultimate prize of degradation and related challenges has to be faced. There is increasing need to understand the relationship between corporate social responsibility and company returns. Both the opponents and proponents of CSR argue their case through convincing arguments presented here concerning the subject as brought out in this discussion. The immediate stakeholders of any company are the consumers, and they form a critical component of the company’s operations. A study of the evolution of CSR Mining in South Africa strategies is critical; as brought out in the discussion of CSR strategies employed three decades ago with what is done today
15
Johnstone, Andrew Clifford. "A hydrogeological investigation of the Grootegeluk mine." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1989. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001895.
Full textAbstract:
The study concerns an assessment of the hydrogeological impact of an open cast coal mine in the North Western Transvaal Province of South Africa. The hydrogeological impact of the mine is assessed in terms of groundwater quality and levels. A monitoring system was installed to enable the present and future impact of mining operations on the hydrogeological regime to be assessed. Grootegeluk Mine is situated in the Waterberg Coal Field of South Africa and began production in 1980. The mine extracts fifteen million tons of mine material annually from a single open pit. Forty percent of the mined material is saleable product and the remaining sixty percent is stacked on discard dumps. The Daarby fault forms the northern boundary of the open pit and serves to bring the younger Letaba and Clarens Formations into contact with the older Beaufort and Ecca Groups. The mine discards are deposited north of the fault on a different hydrogeological environment from which they are mined. Dewatering of the mine open pit has resulted in a steady decline in water levels in the Ecca Group, south of the Daarby fault. In contrast, water levels north of the Daarby fault in the Letaba and Clarens Formations have risen. The short term hydrochemical impact of the mine discard dumps and slimes dams have resulted in a rise in the calcium, sulphate, chloride, fluoride and nitrate concentrations of the ambient groundwater . The longer term hydrochemical impact from the waste dumps, acid mine drainage, is not evident at present in the groundwater below the waste dumps. However, it is expected to manifest itself during the next ten years. A monitoring system was installed at the mine to allow groundwater levels and quality to be monitored. By measuring groundwater quality and levels the impact of the mine on the regional hydrogeology can be monitored and assessed presently, and during the next forty years of production. Monitoring will also enable the timeous implementation of remedial measures at an early stage and eliminate the need for large late stage "clean up" operations. Future monitoring of both water levels and quality will be crucial in evaluating the mine's impact on the regional groundwater regimes over the next forty years of production. The remedial measures recommended for leachate presently emanating from the waste dumps and slimes dams north of the Daarby fault, are a number of collector wells drilled into the basalts and sandstone north of the Daarby fault. The proposed positions of the wells (boreholes) are as close as possible to the dumps and slimes dams with expansion taken into consideration. The boreholes should be designed to lower the water level in the vicinity of the dumps in order to create a nett groundwater gradient towards the dumps and as a result, halt the spread of leachate away from the dumps. Grootegeluk plans to backfill the open pit with plant discards on completion of the mining of zone 2. The backfilled material will consist of the currently produced plant waste and will be covered with overburden and topsoil. It is expected that the backfilling will have a major impact on groundwater quantity if no remedial measures are implemented. The two remedial measures discussed are chemical treatment of the discard material before backfilling or the continual abstraction of water from the pit resulting in a nett groundwater inflow into the pit. No material from the present waste dumps and slimes dams will be transported into the open pit as backfill material
16
Tshivhandekano, Aubrey Ndinannyi. "Documenting reclamation and closure of Ermelo coal mines : implications for developing a national strategy for mine reclamation in South Africa." Diss., Pretoria : [s.n.], 2004. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-12082005-152604.
Full text
17
Wessels, Deon. "The transformation of the South African gold-mining corporate culture." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/53687.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Corporate cu~ure is the foundation of businesses today and in every way underties the way business is done. The discovery and subsequent mining of gold during the last century have shaped the gold-mining corporate cu~re; it gave birth to racial segregation and laid the foundation of the system in which the industry finds itse~ today. The purpose of this study is to uncover the deeper patterns of corporate cu~ure that drive visible behaviour and attitudes. Once the root metaphor or main undertying assumptions of the gold-mining corporate cutture have been determined, a process of multilevel, frame-breaking, radical transformation can be initiated. A 'paradigm interplay' approach, which describes cu~re as an explicit variable and an implicit root metaphor, was adopted. Within this frameworK the study aims to explore concepts and meanings of corporate cu~re in a hermeneutic fashion by uncovering the human, expressive, symbolic texture of life in a gold mine. The frameworK provided a way of thinking about organisations, not to present 1001s' or 'methods' for managing or transforming culture, but to think culturally and holistically about the process of transformation. An in-depth investigation into Schein's 'three levels of cu~re' model was necessary in order to derive at the core transformational aspect of the gold-mining corporate culture. An analysis of Schein's model indicated that behavioural characteristics are shaped and determined by undertying values, beliefs and attitudes, which are shared among members of the organisation. If not espoused, these in turn rest upon sets of undertying assumptions that are the innermost core of corporate cu~re. One such a se~ the nature of human relationships, had been identified as the main undertying theme behind the vested interests as well as ingrained paradigms that exist on both sides of a racially divided workforce. The historical background of the industry and cultural perceptions created a shared assumption set that shaped these deep-rooted, embedded mindsets, affecting human relationships significantly. The study made it clear that any transformation attempt could be possible only when one goes deeper than the stated values and norms to understand the undertying assumptions and the true nature of human relationships that drive the visible behaviour and attttudes. The central dimension of this study, the nature of human relationships, referred to the opposing concepts of individualism versus communalism. These opposing paradigms are manifested in the two main management approaches or corporate cultures that exist in South Africa. Many suggested that the acknowledgement and utilisation of the Afrocentric value system, Ubuntu, alongside a Westem individualistic corporate culture are imperative to improve relationships in general and promote humanism. This study proposed that the humane spirit of Ubuntu, a spirit of trus~ caring and respect for human dignity, should be 'married' with the Westem approach to management instead of Ubuntu being adopted as a single framework that may be perceived negatively by the current business community. Thinking culturally', the purpose phrase of this study, succeeded therefore in abandoning the eitheror kind of thinking in favour of a more holistic 'both-and' way of doing. A desired culture of trust, honesty, openness, integrity and non-
18
Van, Eeden Joseph Deon. "Cost-effective, post-mining environmental restoration of an open-cast phosphate mine at Langebaanweg, South Africa." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003801.
Full textAbstract:
Approaching the ecological rehabilitation of an open-cast phosphate mine in the West Coast of South Africa during the post-operational phase presented some challenges. The area was extensively modified during the mining operations. Soils from different layers were mixed with topsoil being covered by subsoil, overburden dumps and tailing dams being constructed resulting in extensive cross-zoned soils. Large areas of subsoil areas were exposed on the mine floor with localized and small scale salinity being evident. The modified topography as well as the complex new surface material posed a challenge in terms of identifying suitable local species that could be used to rehabilitate the post-mining environment. The mine area was heavily infested with woody alien invasive plants, such as Acacia cyclops, established in an attempt to reduce the dust and little natural vegetation cover was present. In the arid west coast environment, the four-month-long winter growing season is followed by hot and windy dry summers (Chapter 2) presenting a challenge reestablishing local vegetation in modified soils. Moreover, little was known about the local vegetation in terms of their propagation and use in stabilization techniques as an alternative to exotic vegetation such as the A. cyclops, which had been more often used in revegetation projects. A study was conducted to determine the most efficient and cost-effective methods of vegetative rehabilitation of the Chemfos site (Chapter 1). A review of the literature available at the time as well as approaches that were successfully implemented in other Western Cape rehabilitation projects such as the Du Toitskloof Pass and the Sishen–Saldanha railway line (Chapter 3), were considered. Previous studies on the west coast dunes at Blaauwberg had shown using Marram grass as a dune stabilizer was most successful. Marram grass was tested in trials alongside local grasses, such as Chaetobromus dregeanus and Ehrharta villosa, that showed potential but had not been formally evaluated. The environmental context of Chemfos (Chapter 2) as well as the Conceptual Rehabilitation Plan that considered the modified environment, soils and closure objectives of the mine, were reviewed to determine the most pressing rehabilitationrelated questions that required answers. This led to the final experimental design that was implemented mid-winter in 1996 (Chapter 5). The trials were implemented in the areas perceived to be the most difficult to rehabilitate, namely the mobile sands in the tailings dam and the exposed subsoil or mine floor areas. The use of brushwood together with specific plants and seeds appropriate for the use in either sandy soil or subsoil were evaluated in a variety of combinations and application densities to determine the most effective treatment combination at the minimum effective density. The best initial cover of the tailings dam were recorded in the Ammophila arenaria trials but the use of the local grass species Ehrharta villosa, performed better from year two onwards and was much cheaper to establish. On the subsoil, the trials where a cover of topsoil was used performed better than the combination trials. This indicated that topsoil placement on post-operational phase shaped subsoils during the mining operation to be the most desirable treatment. Initial results of the trials were used as a basis for developing the rehabilitation techniques that were rolled out across the Chemfos landscape. The approaches were refined as indications of trial responses became evident. Lessons learned were incorporated in the adaptive management approach that was followed and the rehabilitation techniques (Chapter 6) were continually re-evaluated and adjusted. This resulted in a significant step towards achieving the overall research objective of finding cost-effective approaches to rehabilitation. Components such as refinement of the seed collection and processing techniques (Chapter 7) where the post-harvest processing cost was significantly reduced by introducing specially designed drying racks. Processing techniques were adjusted to suit the different species, and a variety of mechanical processing options were explored. The scale of the Chemfos project led to the development of new techniques of manufacturing a smoke-derived germination stimulant (Chapter 8) since commercial availability of these products was very limited. The development of FireGrow assisted in the overall aim of reducing cost by increasing germination of seed in the rehabilitation sites using a very cost-effective smoke concentrate. Socio-economical aspects were considered during the implementation as well as the post-closure phases of the rehabilitation and BHPBilliton invested through the agency of the SAMANCOR Trust. This led to the development of livelihoods of the staff that remained in the area and that lived in the mine village. The demography of the population has changed over time in the Green Village as well as the skills that the inhabitants have developed. Thus, the new economic opportunities that were pursued have brought a new lease on life beyond the lifespan of the mine (Chapter 9) once the closure certificate had been issued.
19
Loots, Erik. "HME Management in Mega Mining: Sishen Mine – South Africa." Thesis, University of Canterbury. Engineering Management, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/7441.
Full text
20
Squelch, Andrew Peter. "Application of virtual reality for hazard awareness training in South African gold mines." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 1998. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.243505.
Full text
21
Andersen, Lindsay Marguerite. "A relative moment tensor inversion technique applied to seismicity induced by mining." Thesis, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/10539/20887.
Full textAbstract:
Three hybrid moment tensor inversion methods were developed for seismic sources
originating from a small source region. These techniques attempt to compensate for
various types of systematic error (or noise) that influence seismograms recorded in the
underground environment in order to achieve an accurate and robust measure of the
seismic moment tensor. The term 'hybrid' was used to distinguish between the
relative method proposed by Dahm (1995) and the methods developed in this thesis.
The hybrid methods were essentially weighting schemes designed to enhance the
accuracy of the computed moment tensors by decreasing the influence of any low
quality observations, to damp (or amplify) any signals that have been overestimated
(or underestimated) due to local site effects, and to correct for raypath focussing or
defocussing that results from inhomogeneities in the rockmass.
The weighting or correction applied to a particular observation was derived from the
residuals determined when observed data were compared with corresponding
theoretical data (for a particular geophone site, sensor orientation and wave phase) and
were calculated using a cluster of events rather than a single event. The first and
second weighting schemes were indirectly related to the mean and the median of the
residuals where the residuals were defined as the ratio of the theoretical to observed
data. In the third scheme, the residuals were defined as the difference between the
observed and theoretical data and the weights were based on the distance of a data
point (measured in standard deviations) from the mean residual. In each of the
weighting schemes, the correction was applied iteratively until the standard error of
the least-squares solution (normalised to the scalar seismic moment) was a minimum.
The schemes were non-linear because new weights were calculated for each iteration.
A number of stability tests using synthetic data were carried out to quantify the source
resolving capabilities of the hybrid methods under various extreme conditions. The
synthetic events were pure double-couple sources having identical fault-plane
orientations, and differing only in rake. This similarity in the mechanisms was chosen
because the waveforms of tightly grouped events recorded underground often show
high degrees of similarity. For each test, the results computed using the three hybrid
methods were compared with one another and with those computed using the single
event, absolute method and two relative methods (with and without a reference
mechanism). In the noise-free situation, it was found that the relative method without
reference mechanism showed the highest resolution of mechanisms, provided that the
coverage of the focal sphere was not too sparse (> 3 stations). The hybrid method
using a median correction was found to be the most robust of all the methods tested in
the most extreme case of poor coverage (2 stations) of the focal sphere.
When increasing levels of pseudo-random noise were applied to the data, the absolute
moment tensor inversion method, the hybrid method using a median correction, and
the hybrid method using a weighted mean correction all showed similar robustness
and stability in extreme configurations concerning network coverage of the focal
sphere and noise level. When increasing levels of systematic noise were added to the
data, the hybrid methods using a median correction and weighted mean correction
were found to exhibit similar robustness and stability in extreme configurations
concerning network coverage of the focal sphere and systematic noise. In all
situations investigated, these two hybrid methods outperformed the relative and
absolute methods.
The hybrid moment tensor inversion methods using a median and weighted mean
correction were applied to a cluster of 14 events, having remarkably similar
waveforms, recorded at Oryx Gold Mine. For comparative purposes, the absolute
method was also applied. The inputs to the inversion methods consisted of the spectral
plateaus of both P- and S-waves at frequencies below the comer frequency of the
time-integrated displacement traces. The polarities of dominant motion were used as
an additional constraint and were determined from cross-correlation of observed with
synthetic P- or S-waves. The solutions computed using the hybrid moment tensor
inversion using a median correction displayed a distinct improvement after the
iterative residual correction procedure was applied. The radiation patterns and faultplane
solutions showed a high degree of similarity, and are probably more accurate
reflections of reality than those computed using the absolute moment tensor inversion
methods. These observations are very encouraging and point towards the method's
potential for use as a standard processing tool for mine seismicity.
The implications of this work are a better understanding of the focal mechanisms of
seismic events induced by mining activities, ultimately leading to improved safety
underground.
22
Stott, Joan. "Preservation or exploitation? : a study of the development of the mining rights legislation on the Witwatersrand goldfields from 1886 to 2008." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002723.
Full textAbstract:
Elinor Ostrom (2005: 238) assumes that in understanding the make up and behaviour of institutional systems governing natural resources: “Resource users are explicitly thought of as rational egoists who plunder local resources so as to maximise their own short-term benefits. Government officials are implicitly depicted, on the other hand, as seeking, the more general public interest, having the relevant information at hand and the capability of designing optimal policies.” This thesis examines the validity of this assumption through an historical analysis of the deep-level gold mining industry of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. The main focus of the assessment is on the institutions of ownership – that is, the development of mining rights and title legislation between 1886 and 2008. The study looks at the legislations’ transformation and implementation from the perspective of the gold mining industry – made up of the mining finance houses and the Chamber of Mines of South Africa – and that of the state. The transformation of the mining industry’s institutional framework was both a choice by government as well as that of the firms in the mining industry. The theoretical framework is constructed from four areas of economic thought. These include: the neoclassical and Keynesian schools of macroeconomic thought; industrial organisation and its relevance to the relationship between firms and the market; institutional and new institutional economics; and finally property rights. The determinants of policy design and the impact of such design on firms and industry is examined. The development, implementation and use of the aforementioned legislation is examined from two perspectives, namely, that of preserver or exploiter. Throughout the history of this prominent South African industry, the motivation for action from the industry or government has oscillated between the two extremes of preserver or exploiter over the time period examined. The conclusion is drawn on an overall and broad focus of actions – with a strong focus on the most recent developments in mining legislation – post-1992.
23
Moore, Bronwyn Ann. "Investigation into the technical feasibility of biological treatment of precious metal refining wastewater." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002013.
Full textAbstract:
The hydrometallurgical refining of platinum group metals results in large volumes of liquid waste that requires suitable treatment before any disposal can be contemplated. The wastewater streams are characterized by extremes of pH, high inorganic ion content (such as chloride), significant residual metal loads and small amounts of entrained organic compounds. Historically these effluents were housed in evaporation reservoirs, however lack of space and growing water demands have led Anglo Platinum to consider treatment of these effluents. The aim of this study was to investigate whether biological wastewater treatment could produce water suitable for onsite reuse. Bench-scale activated sludge and anaerobic digestion for co-treatment of an acidic refinery waste stream with domestic wastewater were used to give preliminary data. Activated sludge showed better water treatment at lab scale in terms of removal efficiencies of ammonia (approximately 25%, cf. 20% in anaerobic digestion) and COD (70% cf. 43% in digestion) and greater robustness when biomass health was compared. Activated sludge was consequently selected for a pilot plant trial. The pilot plant was operated on-site and performed comparably with the bench-scale system, however challenges in the clarifier design led to losses of biomass and poor effluent quality (suspended solids washout). The pilot plant was unable to alter the pH of the feed, but a two week maturation period resulted in the pH increasing from 5.3 to 7.0. Tests on algal treatment as an alternative or follow-on unit operation to activated sludge showed it not to be a viable process. The activated sludge effluent was assessed for onsite reuse in flotation and it was found that there was no significant difference between its flotation performance and that of the process water currently used, indicating the effluent generated by the biological treatment system can be used successfully for flotation. Flotation is the method whereby minerals refining operations recover minerals of interest from ore through the addition of chemicals and aeration of the ore slurry. Target minerals adhere to the bubbles and can be removed from the process.
24
Gitari, Wilson Mugera. "Evaluation of the leachate chemistry and contaminants attenuation in acid mine drainage by fly ash and its derivatives." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2006. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=gen8Srv25Nme4_6041_1254305614.
Full textAbstract:
This study aimed at understanding the chemistry of the neutralization of the acid mine drainage with fly ash by considering the acid mine drainage : fly ash ratios that produce neutral and alkaline process waters.
25
Veldman, Kirmar Adriaan. "A focussed approach towards safety in support of coal mining operations in the South African coal mining industry." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/978.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The South African Mining industry has had a poor safety performance over the past couple of years, which led to a lot of questions being asked about how effective mining operations are managed. Numerous concerns and opinions have been raised on the reasons why no improvement is seen in organisations’ safety trends. The general concern in the mining industry is that safety and operations are managed as separate entities and not as an integrated unit. Besides the perception of operational issues that are managed more diligently than safety issues, the associated competency levels of line personnel are also questioned. Safety management systems in mining organisations are also under the spotlight in respect of quality, effective application and a positive contribution in preventing accidents and incidents. A more intensified focus on safety is required by the respective mining houses. The main contributing factors that lead to accidents and incidents need to be determined. The possible reasons for the unsatisfactory safety results can be divided into controllable and uncontrollable elements when seen from a safety perspective. The controllable elements are all possible reasons for why a safety management system is not working. There might also be different contributors to poor safety performance but these are definitely underlying to the main reasons identified. The influence of human behaviour on accidents as well as the considered organisation safety system is essential in safety management. Human behaviour is a function of the characteristics of both the person and the environment. Individuals bring elements to the organisational setting, including abilities, personal beliefs, expectations and past experiences. The environment provided by an organisation has a number of features: jobs, relationships between people, work that needs to be done, rewards available to individuals, and so on. Behaviour results from the interaction of individual and organisational characteristics. The behaviour of humans and the understanding thereof will be a science in its own right. To prevent incidents, one should know their causes. As Louis Pasteur put it, over 100 years ago: “All things are hidden obscure and debatable if the cause of the phenomena be unknown, but everything is clear if the cause be known.”
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Suid-Afrikaanse mynboubedryf presteer die afgelope aantal jaar swak wat betref veiligheidsbestuur en ʼn hele aantal vrae word gevra oor hoe effektief mynbouoperasies bestuur word. Verskeie besorgdhede en opinies is gelug oor die moontlike redes waarom daar geen verbetering in ondernemings se veiligheidsindekse ervaar word nie. Die algemene bekommernis in die mynboubedryf is dat veiligheid en operasionele verantwoordelikhede afsonderlik bestuur word en nie as ʼn geïntegreerde eenheid nie. Afgesien van die persepsie dat operasionele uitdagings meer doelgerig bestuur word as veiligheid, word die gepaardgaande bevoegdheidsvlakke van lynpersoneel ook bevraagteken. Veiligheidsbestuurstelsels in mynbouondernemings is ook onder verdenking wat betref gehalte, effektiewe toepassing en ’n positiewe bydrae ten opsigte van ondersteuning en voorkoming van insidente en ongelukke. ʼn Meer intense fokus op veiligheid word benodig by die onderskeie mynhuise. Die belangrikste bydraende faktore wat tot ongelukke en insidente lei, moet bepaal word. Die moontlike redes vir onbevredigende veiligheidsresultate kan verdeel word in beheerbare en onbeheerbare elemente wanneer gesien vanuit ʼn veiligheidsperspektief. Die beheerbare elemente is moontlike redes waarom ʼn veiligheidbestuurstelsel nie werk nie. Daar kan moontlik ook ander bydraende faktore wees tot ʼn swak veiligheidsprestasie maar dit is definitief onderliggend tot die hoofredes soos geïdentifiseer. Die invloed van menslike gedrag op ongelukke sowel as die inaggenome veiligheidstelsel van die organisasie is essensieel by veiligheidsbestuur. Menslike gedrag is ʼn funksie van die eienskappe van beide die persoon en die omgewing. Individue bring sekere elemente na die organisatoriese opset wat vermoëns, persoonlike oortuigings, verwagtings en ondervinding insluit. Die omgewing geskep deur organisasies behels ʼn aantal elemente: werksomskrywing, verhoudings tussen mense, werk wat gedoen moet word, vergoeding van individue, ens. Gedrag is die resultaat van die interaksie tussen individue en die kenmerke van die organisasie. Die gedrag van mense en begrip daarvan sal ʼn wetenskap in eie reg bly. Om insidente te verhoed, moet die oorsake bekend wees. Soos Louis Pasteur dit meer as 100 jaar gelede gestel het: “All things are hidden obscure and debatable if the cause of the phenomena be unknown, but everything is clear if the cause be known.”
26
Van, Jaarsveld Francis. "Characterising and mapping of wind transported sediment associated with opencast gypsum mining." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/2352.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (MSc (Earth Sciences))--Stellenbosch University, 2008.This study aims to provide a practical tool for the prediction and management of dust generated by the activities of an opencast mining operation. The study was conducted on opencast gypsum mines in the semi-arid environment of the Bushmanland, 90 km north of Loeriesfontein in the Northern Cape Province from April 2000 to October 2007. The vertical and horizontal components of wind transported sediment were sampled and a dust settling model was designed to predict the settling pattern of dust generated by opencast mining operations. The model was applied to soil samples collected from an area surrounding a mine. The influence sphere of the mining operation was predicted by the application of the model and then mapped. Once the influence sphere is mapped, the dust influence can be managed with the aid of an onsite weather station. By further applying the predictions based on climatic data, the influence sphere can be modelled. The model is not only applicable to the planning phase of an opencast mine to plan the position of dust sensitive areas like the living quarters, office buildings and workshops etc., but also to indicate the historical impact that a mining operation had once a quarry on an active mine is worked out and rehabilitated or a mine is closed. The model application can also aid with the explanation and visual or graphic representation of the predicted impact of planned mining operations on communities or neighbouring activities to them and thus avoid later penalties.
27
De, Klerk Ian Duncan. "The nature and origin of gold mineralization in the Tugela valley, Natal Structural and Metamorphic Province." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1991. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005591.
Full textAbstract:
The project area is situated within the Tugela Valley, located in the Northern Marginal Zone of the Natal Structural and Metamorphic Province, and this work outlines the different styles of gold mineralization found in the Tugela Valley. Two different styles have been recognized and both have economic significance:- 1) Epigenetic shear zone-hosted gold occurs in late-stage relatively undeformed thin quartz veins confined to shear zones, and is present in both the greenschist facies Natal Thrust Belt and the amphibolite facies Natal Nappe Complex. However the vast majority of these occurrences are concentrated within the thrust front (i.e. the Natal Thrust Belt). The gold grades (up to 7 g/t) and the hydrothermal alteration assemblages associated with the epigenetic deposits have been documented. 2) An as yet unrecognized occurrence of syngenetic gold mineralization is found associated with the sediment-hosted exhalative massive, to semi-massive, sulphides of the iThuma prospect, located within the amphibolite facies Natal Nappe Complex. Here gold (up to 3 g/t) is concentrated together with the main sulphide are, as well as some gold enrichment (230ppb) in the hydrothermally altered footwall feeder pipe. It is proposed that the epigenetic mineralization was formed as a consequence of the northward directed abduction of the major thrust slices of the Natal Nappe Complex. This increased the permeability of the rocks and provided channelways for the focussing of fluids. Deposition took place at the thrust front where metamorphic hydrothermal fluids interacted with meteoric water.
28
Marx, Carl. "An analytical accident investigation model for the South African mining industry." Thesis, University of Pretoria, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/25826.
Full text
29
Mabikwa, Nomathemba. "Expectations of mining companies and the needs of mining communities in South Africa." Thesis, 2018. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/27631.
Full textAbstract:
A research article submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Administration
Johannesburg, 2018This research study focused on identifying the gap between the expectations of mining companies and communities in relation to development and social responsibility. This qualitative research study focused on trying to understand the alignment or misalignment of the different stakeholder’s expectations. This study was relevant; first, given the recent community unrest in the mining communities; and second, because of the Department of Mineral Resources’ (DMR) focus on community development around the mining towns, with particular emphasis on mines being expected to uplift the communities around the mines. Identifying the gap between their respective expectations would be beneficial for both the communities as well as the mining companies. The benefit to the communities would come in the form of relevant development and assistance being given to the communities. Another benefit would be to the mining companies who face community unrest, yet do not understand the communities’ needs. The research methodology was qualitative; data was collected through interviews with Pilanesburg Platinum Mines (PPM) mine management, questionnaires distributed to community leaders, community influencers and ordinary community members, and semi-structured interviews with activists and mine representatives of other mines. This allowed the identification of further stakeholders that were not in the original proposal. The ordinary community members, randomly selected to understand grassroots expectations, implied that the decisions made by community leaders were not necessarily representative of the community’s needs. The study found that some of the expectations from community leaders were different to those of the activists. Community leaders expected mines to focus on building schools, hospitals, and roads, developing skills, and giving business opportunities to community members, while activists were more concerned about environmental issues, land degradation, pollution of water and air, as well as rehabilitation of the land after the mine had used it. Similarly, the study identified that the government, represented by the DMR, expected the mines to develop the communities, as stipulated in the mines’ SLPs. The mine representatives of other mines experienced unrest in their communities similar to that which was happening at PPM. PPM management, on the other hand, felt that community leaders should have a clear understanding of business processes so as to avoid production disruptions caused by community unrest. Management were of the opinion that proper structures in the community should be formed and used to address issues with the mines. It is clear from the study that the communication between the different stakeholders can assist in closing the gap between the communities’ and mines’ expectations. This in turn would prevent community unrest and subsequent road closures, and enable the mines to operate profitably, and offer employment and development opportunities to the community. Recommendations for each stakeholder group are made in this regard. This research article is inclusive of the requirements of The Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM)
MT 2019
30
Galvin, James Maurice. "The mining of South African thick coal seams: rock mechanics and mining considerations." Thesis, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10539/17289.
Full text
31
Snyder, Kossouth Van Rensburg W. C. J. "Mining and mineral industries in post-apartheid South Africa." 2004. http://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/bitstream/handle/2152/1411/snyderk94838.pdf.
Full text
32
Khoza, Nyiko. "Determinants of employment in the Platinum mining industry in South Africa." Thesis, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10386/1992.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M. Com. (Economics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2017The study intends to investigate the determinants of employment in the platinum mining industry in South Africa. Employment levels decreased dramatically in the platinum mining industry in South Africa. This is due to decrease in export demand for platinum, high operating cost, labour unrest, low levels of production and other determinants of employment. The specific objective of the study is to determine the nexus between employment, output, domestic demand and export demand. Annual time series data covering the period between 1992-2013 was used. The study employed the Vector Error Correction Model approach. Johansen Cointegration test results confirmed the existence of a long run relationship amongst variables under investigation. Export demand and output are found to be positively related with employment. The speed of adjustment to equilibrium is -0.283202. Impulse response functions and variance decomposition are also generated to explain the response to shock amongst variables. The results of the study vindicate that the platinum mining industry should implement policies and strategies to increase output which will lead to higher levels of employment as well as economic growth. In addition, government should also create a conducive environment to enable the industry to expand and the industry should also intensify its export drive, these findings are envisaged to contribute significantly to the existing but limited literature on the subject under investigation.
National Research Foundation
33
Moolman, Coenraad Jacobus. "A critical evaluation of the productivity of South African surface coal mines." Diss., 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/26834.
Full text
34
"The optimal depletion of a non renewable resource : ban empirical study." Thesis, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10210/10261.
Full textAbstract:
M.Phil. (Mineral Economics)This work is an attempt to discover whether or not South Africa's gold reserves have been properly exploited - has the wealth that has been removed been used to the best advantage. It became apparent to the author whilst conducting feasibility studies on both projected and operating mines that scant attention is paid to the determination of an optimal time path of depletion for a mineral deposit by the planners. The main, if not sole, criterion is the maximising of returns on the capital invested. The thesis proposes a methodology to describe the actual depletion paths achieved by a selection of South African gold mines. The work of mineral economists, especially Harold Hotelling, is used to provide a theoretical base for the. proposals. The mines were selected to cover as wide a range of the exploitation cycle as possible from the planning stage to final abandonment.
35
Applegate, John Daniel. "Rock mechanics aspects of sequential grid mining." Thesis, 1991. http://hdl.handle.net/10539/22127.
Full textAbstract:
A project report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering,
University, of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial
fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of
Science in Engineering
Johannesburg, 1991As mining proceeds deeper on Elandsrand Gold Mine scattered mining will no longer be viable due to the excessive stress levels which would occur during mining of the final remnants between raises. Longwall mining with strike stabilizing pillars would eliminate this need for remnant mining. However, since the Ventersdorp contact Reef on Elandsrand has a relatively large number of faults and dykes and highly variable grade, longwall mining would result in a excessive amount of off-reef mining and mining of unpayable reef.
GR 2017
36
Engelbrecht, Jennifer Esme-Louise. "A stakeholder analysis of the Marikana mining incident : implications for HR management." Thesis, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13772.
Full textAbstract:
M.Com. (Leadership in Performance and Change)In August 2012 the South African mining industry was the focus of attention due to an illegal strike at Lonmin Platinum mine that resulted in the police shooting striking employees on 16 August 2012. Thirty-four employees lost their lives on that day. An additional ten people died in violent protests in the build-up to the main shooting incident. This strike period has become widely known as ‘Marikana’. This historical incident illustrates how a single incident within an organisation can have an impact at various levels and affect multiple stakeholders. The main objective of this study was to identify the effect that the Marikana mining incident had on Lonmin (the organisation) and its main stakeholders as well as to identify the effect the stakeholders and Lonmin had on each other. In order to reach these objectives an historical timeline of the sequence of events surrounding the Marikana incident was constructed. The main stakeholders involved in the Marikana incident were then identified, and the relationships and the relative strengths between these stakeholders were mapped. The methodology used in the study was Quantitative Narrative Analysis (QNA) as applied by Franzosi (2010). In particular, the content from English newspaper articles sourced from South Africa and England relating to the Marikana mining incident for the period 1 to 24 August 2012 were reviewed, coded and analysed. All relevant data from the articles were recorded in a manual database, coded according to the semantic triplet of ‘actors’, ‘actions’ and ‘subjects’ (S-V-O) (Franzosi, 1989) and analysed based on QNA principles (Franzosi, 2010). First, a sequence analysis was conducted, identifying the roles (consequences) that the respective actors (stakeholders and subgroupings of stakeholders) enacted as well as the order in which they unfolded. The analysis was used to produce a series of network graphs to visually depict the sequence of events and the respective effects of the sequencing of these events. These graphs take the form of stake maps and visually tell the story of how events unfolded and the effects of these events on all the actors involved ...
37
Sebutsoe, Tshele Christopher. "Empirical characterisation of a mining production system." Thesis, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10539/23517.
Full textAbstract:
A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering.
Johannesburg, 2017The primary objective of any mining business unit is to make profit by extracting, processing and selling minerals from a particular mineral deposit. It is important to optimise the extraction of the mineral resource given time, space and resource constraints. The mineral extraction process is often associated with uncertainty due to variable technical and human factors. Technical factors such as grade distribution, ground conditions and equipment reliability influence the performance of the mining production system (MPS). The performance of the MPS is also impacted by human factors such as employee skills, health and attendance. Uncertainty associated with technical and human factors often leads to planned output being different to actuals obtained. Therefore an in-depth analysis of the significant causes of deviations from the planned outcomes becomes a very important exercise. This research investigated the empirical relationships between inputs and outputs in a MPS in order assist management in directing efforts at key production drivers. A literature review revealed that production output is an end result of a chain of processes dependent and directly linked to each other, often referred to as the Mining Value Chain. The processes can be seen as milestones to be achieved within a production project. The process requires technical and human factors as resources. The literature review also highlighted that the production stage is the most obvious stage for investors to realise their return on investment. The production stage which constitutes a MPS was chosen as a relevant research area for the reason mentioned. Once a MPS has been empirically characterised, more effort and resources can be focused on the key decision making variables (DMVs) in order to meet the planned outcomes. A production function was developed accordingly, based on the production logic and historical data. The research concludes that for a typical platinum mine the face advance, face length mined, number of teams, and team size (independent variables) have a statistically significant relationship with the centares (m²) (dependent variable / response variable) produced which is a key performance indicator (KPI) for a platinum mine. A statistically significant regression equation with a coefficient of determination R2 = 0.99835 was obtained for the MPS. The production function can be used to align the physical, technical and human factors together to predict the optimal output level. The production function also highlights that the most significant production lever of the MPS is the face advance, contrary to a commonly held sentiment that lost blasts are the most significant.
MT 2017
38
Snyder, Kossouth. "Mining and mineral industries in post-apartheid South Africa." Thesis, 2004. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/utexas/fullcit?p3150924.
Full text
39
Mokoena, Mothemba Cecilia. "A constructive analysis of safety control mechanisms and production costs at a coal mine." Thesis, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10352/315.
Full textAbstract:
M. Tech. (Cost and Management Accounting, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of TechnologyStatistics in South Africa show that the fatality and injury rates within the mining industry have dropped since the end of the apartheid era. Regardless of the drop the fact remains that the mine workers, who are often the breadwinners, are still dying in the country’s mines leaving their families behind without any source of income. If they do not die they may suffer crippling injuries due to mine accidents making it impossible for them to perform their daily duties at work which results in the loss of income, loss of quality of life and this produces a humanitarian and a socio-economic problem. Mining companies incur enormous costs due to fatalities and injuries. Hence a target for zero fatalities was set in the mining industry for 2013. However, the industry has failed to reach this target that it set for itself and it is therefore of the utmost importance to encourage mining companies to invest more than they do currently in safety in order to prevent these fatal and crippling injuries due to mine accidents. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not the requirements of safety legislation are observed and complied with by a single Colliery in South Africa that was selected for this study. The study also sought to investigate whether or not the employees of this mine observe the safety regulations to ensure safety and to maintain an accident free working environment. An analysis of organizational safety control mechanisms and production cost was conducted through the use of a structured questionnaire, completed by 151 participants. Descriptive statistics, frequency tables, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and t-test were utilized to analyse the data. The results indicate that the Colliery was compliant with the safety legislations, a positive employee safety attitude had been cultivated and there was provision of adequate safety facilities through safety investments. Cost reduction due to the application of safety controls was also established, yet it was found necessary for the Colliery to enforce and encourage the application of safety measures to reduce the costs that are still incurred as it is evident that the application of safety controls results in reduced costs. Although the Colliery was considered compliant, with its employees showing a positive attitude towards safety controls, and with safety investments made and cost reduction achieved due to safety measures, ANOVA revealed different perceptions based on the departments in which the employees work, years of experience, English proficiency and qualifications. However, no differences were found in relation to gender and designation.
40
Boaduo, Adwoa Pokuaa. "Towards sustainable economic development in the gold mining areas of South Africa and Ghana." Thesis, 2017. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/25541.
Full textAbstract:
A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering, 2017In many mineral resource rich African countries, mining activity makes a significant contribution towards the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and economic growth. This stimulus gives the mining industry the potential to fuel growth and development. Although some mining areas have been able to experience positive economic growth, many have struggled to achieve and sustain economic development due to the inability to manage mineral wealth challenges. African mining regulatory bodies generally lack proper local planning, resulting in inadequate policy instruments to enable the sector to make a sustainable contribution towards economic welfare. This research investigates how mineral wealth can be used as a catalyst for sustainable economic development. The research presents the case studies of three mining areas with the aim of determining why the economic development of Johannesburg differs substantially from that of Tarkwa and Obuasi. The research gives a comparative analysis of the political economy and socio-economic trends that have transpired in the three areas over the years. It ends by making recommendations on how Tarkwa and Obuasi can better manage the challenges of mineral wealth, and work towards achieving sustainable economic development that is like or even better than that of Johannesburg
CK2018
41
Landman, Gysbert van Rooyen. "Ignition and initiation of coal mine explosions." Thesis, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10539/17313.
Full text
42
Clatworthy, Geoffrey Charles. "The main factors which affect productivity and costs on South African gold mines." Thesis, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/10539/22825.
Full textAbstract:
A project report to the Faculty of Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, In fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of ScienceA detailed analysis was performed on statistics obtained from twenty two gold mines in different mining districts, to determine the parameters which affect labour productivity and working costs, (Abbreviation abstract)
AC2017
43
Mphahlele, Emmanuel. "Managers’ attitudes towards workplace trade unionism at a coal mining company." Thesis, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8496.
Full textAbstract:
M.Comm. (Business Management)Trade unionism and trade unions activities in South Africa’s labour relations system and workplaces has a long history of racial segregation characterised by confrontation and antagonism between the employer (management) and trade unions in the workplaces. However, in the South African contemporary labour relations environment the emphasis is more on creation of constructive and cooperative relations between the employer (management) and trade unions in the workplace. The literature study cites managers’ attitudes towards trade unions as one of the factor that could facilitate genuine interaction and promote productive cooperative management – trade unions relations in the workplace. The objective of this study was to assist in identifying and understating managers’ attitudes towards workplace trade unionism in the workplace utilising a coal mining company as a case study. For the purpose of investigating managers’ attitudes towards trade unionism and trade unions in the workplace, a literature review was conducted and the self-administered questionnaire was utilised as the research instrument to collect the primary data about managers’ attitudes towards trade unionism and trade unions in the workplace. The findings of the study reveal that most of the respondents generally harbour positive attitudes towards trade unionism and trade unions in the workplace. Another significant research finding of the study is the identification and existence of four factors underlying managers’ attitudes towards trade unionism and trade unions in the workplace. The factors identified relates to the awareness and understanding of the concept trade unionism and trade unions in the workplace, operational aspects in terms of perceived destructive and constructive role and function of trade unions in the workplace and lastly, management – trade union cooperation and relationship building in the workplace. Recommendations of the study were presented that will assist in improving and entrenching managers’ positive attitudes towards trade unionism and trade unions in the workplace.
44
Brogan, Paul Louis. "The measurement of the viability of PGM-mining projects in a competitive market." Thesis, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10539/20976.
Full text
45
Venier, Katherine-Marie. "Institutional impediments to growth in the mining sector in South Africa." Diss., 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/45027.
Full textAbstract:
The
South
African
mining
sector,
once
the
bedrock
of
the
economy,
has
been
in
decline
this
century
while
other
countries
have
experienced
growth
in
this
sector.
The
mining
sector
in
South
Africa
makes
a
significant
contribution
to
the
South
African
economy
through
direct
and
indirect
jobs,
taxes,
royalties,
skills
development
and
foreign
exchange
revenue.
The
decline
of
this
sector
is
concerning
given
its
potential
for
employment,
taxes
and
foreign
exchange
in
a
South
Africa
in
great
need
of
all
three.
Gold,
PGMs1,
coal
and
iron-‐ore
account
for
about
81%
of
South
Africa’s
mining
output.
The
price,
demand
and
production
of
these
four
commodities
in
the
21st
century
will
be
established
as
a
benchmark
and
South
Africa’s
production
will
be
tested
against
this.
Mixed
method
research
using
secondary
quantitative
data
and
a
qualitative
survey
will
be
utilised
to
test
the
hypotheses.
Quantitative
secondary
data
is
used
to
establish
price
and
production
trends.
A
qualitative
survey
conducted
with
key
stakeholders
in
the
mining
sector
identifies
opinions
and
reasons
for
the
South
African
mining
trends.
This
study
confirms
the
important
role
of
institutions
in
creating
certainty
and
encouraging
investment.Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014.
zkgibs2015
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
Unrestricted
46
"The safe mindset of managers, shiftbosses and miners on a platinum mine in South Africa." Thesis, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3451.
Full textAbstract:
M.Phil.The mining industry in South Africa is in a process of transformation, which can be ascribed to various influences. First and foremost is the process of the conversion of mineral rights, employment equity and black economic empowerment. The ethnic distribution of mining employees at the time of the study reflected that Managers were predominantly white, the majority of Shift bosses were white and Miners were predominantly black. Central to the transformation process is maintaining and improving production output in a safe manner. Leadership in addition also impacts on health and safety in the workplace and the process to transform the organisation to world- class status commences with leadership. Transforming health and safety in the organisation to world-class status is a leadership imperative. The fatality rates in South African mines are continuously being addressed not only through initiatives from the Chamber of Mines of South Africa, but also through the various mining houses. The introduction of the Mine Health and Safety Act and Regulations 29 of 1996 made a profound impact on health and safety management on South African Mines. The introduction of blasting certificate holders replaced the scheduled person (contract miner). Various mining houses grasped the opportunity and trained their own miners from previously disadvantaged communities. This also assisted in achieving transformation objectives. The fatalities on platinum mines in South Africa since 1995 have remained constant up to 2007 although a slight decrease is reported. Nevertheless, injuries and fatalities in South African mines are attracting negative attention from society and the investment community. This is not in the interest of the mining industry. Research indicates that unsafe behaviour contributes 87% and more to incidents and injuries (including fatalities) on mines. The study of behaviour as a contributing factor in organisational safety is a relatively young science since the first reported studies in the 1980's. Research in this domain strives to develop an understanding of behaviour as a contributing factor in organisational safety.
47
Du, Toit Anthea. "Evaluation of productivity trends in the South African coal mining industry." Thesis, 2017. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/25563.
Full textAbstract:
A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built
Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the
requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering, 2017Productivity is an important topic within the mining industry and advances in productivity open up opportunities to make the best possible use of South Africa’s mineral wealth. The report uses publicly available data to assess trends in productivity in the SA coal mining industry since the 1980s and to compare SA’s performance with that of the US and Australia. It is found that between 1980 and 2003, productivity growth in the SA coal mining sector was primarily driven by capital deepening. However, productivity growth has been negative from 2004 onwards, despite continued capital deepening. Possible explanations include resource depletion, investment lags, deteriorating worker quality, increased complexity, more stringent safety regulations and adverse labour market conditions. The report highlights skills development and investment in innovation as possible ways of addressing declining productivity performance in the SA coal mining sector and recommends improvements to the availability of data for productivity research purposes.
CK2018
48
Ferreira, Ricardo Isidro Loureiro. "Quantitative aspects of mining induced seismicity in a part of the Welkom Goldfield." Thesis, 1997. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/24502.
Full textAbstract:
A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the
Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Scieuce in Geophysics .Rockbursts continue to be one of the more high profile and problematic worker hazards in the South African gold mining industry. Recent advances in the technology of seismic monitoring systems and seismic data analysis and interpretation methods hold considerable promise towards improving the success rate of rockburst control measures. This study tests different methods for the evaluation of the response of geological structures to mining induced stress changes. A small part of Western Holdings Gold Mine in the Welkom goldfield -- the Postma Area -- offers a challenge because of its geological complexity, accessibility and high incidence of seismicity. The sensitivity of the local network to ground motions in this area of interest and the expected spatial location accuracy is established and deemed adequate for a detailed investigation of seismic activity. The local mining geometry, geology and methods of mining are discussed. The fractured state of the rock mass observed in situ, close to the stope faces, is in agreement with the results of numerical elastic modelling and the high stresses inferred seismically. Almost immediately after the incidence of a large event (ML 3.7) which occurred close to one end of a dyke, an increased rate of seismic activity became apparent at another part of the same dyke, some 250 m to the east. A change in the state of seismic stress, before and after the large event, points to a transfer of stress along this geological discontinuity. A quantitative analysis of recorded seismicity indicates spatial and temporal variations in the state of stress and strain throughout the rock mass surrounding Mining excavations. The elastic stress modelling performed routinely by rock mechanics engineers in the deep gold mines is, by itself, incapable of catering for the rheological nature of the rock mass, but taken together with independent seismic evaluations of a fault orthogonal to a highly stressed dyke it is shown that both methods are mutually complementary and can enhance the assessment of the seismic instability of the structures. A back-analysis is conducted on ten large seismic events (ML> 2.5) to identify precursors. These show that the timely recognition of high gradients in physical seismic parameters pertaining to strain rate and stress in time and space immediately prior to major seismic events is a real and practical possibility, as such constituting an early warning mechanism. The fore-warning of a large event is best served by an analysis of seismicity over the short term (weeks or days) through time-history variations and/or contouring of various seismic parameters, although long-term seismic responses (months or weeks) characterise specific patterns and trends which are useful in the forecast.
AC2018
49
"The investment potential for a South African mining house in the Australian coal mining industry." Thesis, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13194.
Full textAbstract:
M.Phil. (Mineral Economics)The energy crises in the seventies and eighties had led to an awareness in the world's business community about the profit potential in the energy mineral supply market. All the sectors in this industry came under scrutiny, also the coal export sector. This awareness and rising interest in the world's coal export market caused amongst others, two major developments : a) a significant rise in investments in coal exporting ventures b) a higher expectation by shareholders with respect to capital returns and future growth Most companies participated in this expansion campaign, and committed resources to achieving the higher objectives. The downturn in'the world's economy , and the resultant diminished demand for energy minerals, caused the coal export market to come under pressure. The long lead time existing in the establishment of mining projects, and the fact that mines under construction cannot be mothballed until times improve, also contributed to the over-capacity situation that eventuated in the coal export industry worldwide. Many companies faced a battle for survival, and participants in the industry had to re-appraise their long term strategies. Established coal producing companies had to determine which strategies would best answer their requirements : a) whether it be to divest from coal production b) whether they should diversify their operational base and many others...
50
Rupprecht, Steven Michael. "Best practice for personnel, material and rock transportation in ultra deep level gold mines." Thesis, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/4217.
Full textAbstract:
Ultra deep mining presents many challenges to the mining engineer, one of which is the logistics to support mining operations quickly and efficiently. Typically, Witwatersrand gold mines operate at depths in excess of 2000 m with stoping taking place to 3500 m and investigations underway to mine to a depth of 5000 m. As mining progresses deeper and further from the shaft, the role of logistics becomes increasingly important if production targets are to be achieved. Access to the workings is often via sub vertical and even tertiary subvertical shaft systems with working faces as far as five kilometers from the shaft. It is inevitable therefore, that distance will negatively impact the working time available at the stope face, material transportation and distribution, as well as the removal of broken ore. Possible solutions to these logistical problems may be found in the use of different transportation systems or by applying sound design and operational principles to transportation systems, both in the horizontal and instope areas. This thesis investigates the challenges of logistics for ultra deep level gold mining in the Witwaterstrand basin for mining layouts planning to mine between 3000 m and 5000 m underground with typical horizontal distances of over 3000 m. The transportation needs analysis recognised that vertical transportation is a wellmanaged and organised system and is mainly the same for both shallow and deep level operations. As a result of this, the thesis only focuses on the logistical issues of the horizontal and in-stope processes. The literature review indicates that the majority of work previously conducted on transportation focused around the area of horizontal transportation with limited inputs to in-stope transportation systems. The review concludes that the traditional locomotive transportation system is the most applicable mode of horizontal transportation. Thus, special emphasis is given to trackbound transportation. An integrated approach is taken towards mine transportation advocating that underground logistics be considered as equally important as any other discipline, Le. rock engineering, ventilation, etc. In addition, the transportation process should consider each area equally important. All to often, the transportation of rock is considered of paramount importance over the transportation of personnel and material. Thus, the planning any transportation system should incorporate personnel, material and rock. To enable this, scheduling, communication and control are important with special attention required for transfer points in the transportation system. As each site has its own particular requirement, thus the final transportation systems must be drawn up based on the specific requirements of each mine. A guideline is proposed for the design of ultra deep level underground transport systems for personnel, material and rock transportation. Thus, providing mining engineers with sufficient information and data to select an appropriate transportation system to meet specific mine requirements. The thesis highlights areas requiring consideration by mine engineers when designing a transportation system from shaft to the working face.Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.