Griqualand Exploration and Finance Co. mines, near Kuruman, South Africa

The Griqualand Exploration and Finance Co. mined crocidolite, or blue asbestos, near Kuruman in South Africa: the U.S. Bureau of Mines' Minerals Yearbook for 1962 called it "the second largest producer, with 30 percent of the total output coming from six small mines near Kuruman."² In 1975 Asbestos, the industry's trade journal, said the company, known as Gefco, worked "small mines in the Kuruman District of the Northern Cape Province" through subsidiaries, with total fiber production in 1974 of "about 53,000 metric tons"; for 1976 it reported production "projected at 62,000 tons."^4,5 The 1986 yearbook reported that the company "implemented an environmental program to revegetate old mine dumps," which grazing livestock had left exposed.⁶ The U.S. Geological Survey reported that "South Africa's last remaining crocidolite mine, which is owned by Griqualand Exploration and Finance Co., closed in early 1997."¹

The documents report this mine producing asbestos fiber for sale.⁴

Location

Output the documents report

Figures as printed, in the units each document uses (short tons before about 1990, metric tons after, in most U.S. chapters). Some are a year's output, some a daily rate or a capacity, some a company's total rather than this mine's alone; the statement for that year below says which.

Year by year

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

1962

• Output: “the second largest producer, with 30 percent of the total output coming from six small mines near Kuruman” (Griqualand Exploration and Finance Co., Ltd.), p. 11²

1964

• Output: “found it necessary to increase the production of blue asbestos in the latter half of 1964” (Griqualand Exploration and Finance Co. Ltd.), p. 19³

1974

• Output: “produces Crocidolite at small mines in the Kuruman District; Total fiber production in 1974 was about 53,000 metric tons” (Griqualand Exploration and Finance Co. Ltd. (Gefco)), p. 40⁴

1976

• Output: “Total production for the year 1976 is projected at 62,000 tons” (Griqualand Exploration and Finance Co. Ltd. (Gefco)), p. 38⁵

1986

• Dust and health: “The mine dumps ... were exposed owing to the grazing of livestock” (Griqualand Exploration and Finance Co. Ltd.), p. 6⁶
• Dust and health: “implemented an environmental program to revegetate old mine dumps” (Griqualand Exploration and Finance Co. Ltd.), p. 6⁶

1997

• Ownership: “owned by Griqualand Exploration and Finance Co.” (Griqualand Exploration and Finance Co.), as reported by Republic of South Africa Department of Minerals and Energy, p. 2¹
• Fiber: “South Africa's last remaining crocidolite mine” (Griqualand Exploration and Finance Co.), as reported by Republic of South Africa Department of Minerals and Energy, p. 2¹
• Closed: “closed in early 1997” (Griqualand Exploration and Finance Co.), as reported by Republic of South Africa Department of Minerals and Energy, p. 2¹

Other names

Documents call this mine “old mine dumps”, “six small mines near Kuruman”, “South Africa's last remaining crocidolite mine”.

References

1. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1997 (January 1, 1998), p. 2.
2. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1962 (January 1, 1963), p. 11.
3. Asbestos Magazine, 1965, June 1965 (June 1, 1965), p. 19.
4. Asbestos Magazine, 1975, December 1975 (December 1, 1975), p. 40.
5. Asbestos Magazine, 1976, December 1976 (December 1, 1976), p. 38.
6. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1986 (January 1, 1987), p. 6.