Amosa (Pty.), Ltd. amosite operation, South Africa

The Amosa mine was an amosite mine in the Transvaal, South Africa.^6,7 A 1930 profile of W. S. Weingarten in Asbestos, the industry's trade journal, says he "opened up the Amosite deposits in the Transvaal," later selling his interests there, "the 'Egnep' and 'Amosa' mines, to the Cape Asbestos Co."; it gives no date for either.⁷ In 1920 the journal printed a U.S. Bureau of Mines report that "the Egnep and Amosa Syndicate mines are in good condition, and that large quantities of fibre are available."¹ In 1928 Asbestos reported that the Cape Asbestos Company would "now own or control the three largest producing amosite concerns in the Transvaal—the Penge mine, the Amosa mine and the Malips mine."² In August 1930 it called the Cape company's mine "at Penge and Amosa" the only amosite mine of importance still running, though operations "have been considerably reduced owing to the stagnation in the Asbestos market."³ A 1945 Cape Asbestos account explained that "the Penge and Amosa mines, which adjoin, are located on two adjoining farms," and named the Amosa among the company's four mines along the outcrop.⁴ In 1959 the company wrote that "Egnep (Pty) Ltd. and Amosa (Pty) Ltd. operate the amosite asbestos mines in the Transvaal," and the Minerals Yearbook for 1961 noted a report on "production of amosite by Amosa (Pty.), Ltd."^5,6

The documents report this mine producing asbestos fiber for sale.²

Year by year

Every statement about this mine in the documents, in each document's own words, by the year it is about.

1920

• Worked: “the ... Amosa Syndicate mines are in good condition” (Amosa Syndicate), as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 44¹

1928

• Ownership: “The Cape Asbestos Company Limited will therefore now own or control” (Cape Asbestos Company Limited), p. 45²

1930

• Worked: “The only amosite mine of importance now running, belonging to the Cape Asbestos Company at Penge and Amosa; operations considerably reduced” (Cape Asbestos Company), p. 57³
• Ownership: “Weingarten sold his interests in the "Amosa" mine to the Cape Asbestos Co.” (Cape Asbestos Co.), p. 22⁷
• Opened: “W. S. Weingarten opened up the amosite deposits in the Transvaal ("Amosa" mine)” (W. S. Weingarten), p. 22⁷

1945

• Worked: “Along this outcrop the Company has four mines” (Egnep, Limited), said by Cape Asbestos Company, Limited, as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 8⁴
• Description: “the Penge and Amosa mines, which adjoin, are located on two adjoining farms” (Egnep, Limited), said by Cape Asbestos Company, Limited, as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 8⁴

1959

• Worked: “Egnep (Pty) Ltd. and Amosa (Pty) Ltd. operate the amosite asbestos mines in the Transvaal” (The Cape Asbestos Company Limited), said by The Cape Asbestos Company Limited, as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 4⁵

1961

• Fiber: “amosite” (Amosa (Pty.), Ltd.), p. 12⁶
• Worked: “production of amosite by Amosa (Pty.), Ltd.” (Amosa (Pty.), Ltd.), as reported by Mineral Trade Notes, p. 12⁶

Other names

Documents call this mine “Amosa (Pty.), Ltd.”, “Amosa mine”, “Amosa Syndicate mines”, “Amosa”.

References

1. Asbestos Magazine, 1920, March 1920 (March 1, 1920), p. 44.
2. Asbestos Magazine, 1928, January 1928 (January 1, 1928), p. 45.
3. Asbestos Magazine, 1930, August 1930 (August 1, 1930), p. 57.
4. Asbestos Magazine, 1945, August 1945 (August 1, 1945), p. 8.
5. Asbestos Magazine, 1959, June 1959 (June 1, 1959), p. 4.
6. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1961 (January 1, 1962), p. 12.
7. Asbestos Magazine, 1930, May 1930 (May 1, 1930), p. 22.