The Mineral Industry of South Africa in 2008
2008 Minerals Yearbook SOUTH AFRICA U.S. Department of the Interior September 2010 U.S. Geological Survey THE MINERAL INDUS T RY OF SOU T H AFRICA By Thomas R. Yager The Republic of South Africa remained one of the world’s Production leading mining and mineral-processing countries. In 2008, South Africa’s estimated share of world platinum production In 2008, feldspar production increased by about 17%; iron ore, amounted to 77%; kyanite and other materials, 55%; chromium, 16%; manganese ore, 14%; mined copper, by 12%; and lead, 45%; palladium, 39%; vermiculite, 39%; vanadium, 38%; 11%. The output of mineral pigments decreased by 83%; talc, zirconium, 30%; manganese, 21%; rutile, 20%; ilmenite, 19%; 64%; slate, 59%; pyrophyllite, 35%; direct-reduced iron (DRI), gold, 11%; fluorspar, 6%; aluminum, 2%; antimony, 2%; iron 31%; ferromanganese, 28%; crude petroleum, silicomanganese, ore, 2%; nickel, 2%; and phosphate rock, 1%. South Africa and sodium sulfate, 23% each; kaolin, 22%; refined cobalt, 21%; also accounted for nearly 5% of the world’s polished diamond brick clay and shale, 19% each; andalusite and refined copper, production by value. The country’s estimated share of world 18% each; mined gold and mined nickel, 16% each; diamond, reserves of platinum-group metals (PGM) amounted to 89%; 15%; fire clay, refined zinc, and vanadium, 14% each; flint clay hafnium, 46%; zirconium, 27%; vanadium, 23%; manganese, and refined nickel, 12% each; sulfur and phosphate rock, 11% each; 19%; rutile, 18%; fluorspar, 18%; gold, 13%; phosphate rock, mica, 10%; and refined gold, an estimated 10% (Martin Kohler, 10%; ilmenite, 9%; and nickel, 5% (Bray, 2009; Carlin, 2009; Deputy Director of Statistics, Department of Minerals and Energy Corathers, 2009; Gambogi, 2009a, b; George, 2009; Jasinski, of the Republic of South Africa, written commun., July 17, 2009).
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