Groenwater mine, Postmasburg, Cape Province

The Groenwater operation was a crocidolite (Cape Blue) asbestos venture in the Postmasburg District of Cape Province, South Africa; the sources name companies, not a mine.^2,3 In 1927 Asbestos, the industry's trade journal, reported that the Groenwater Asbestos Company, "controlling 11,000 acres in South Kuruman," was "already producing on a small scale."¹ In 1966 the journal reported that Postmasburg Cape Blue Asbestos "and its affiliated company, Groenwater Asbestos Mining," had "constructed a new mill to produce various grades of Cape Blue asbestos fibers."³ In 1975 it named Groenwater Asbestos Mining among three affiliates "which operate Crocidolite mines in the Postmasburg District," selling through Valley Asbestos with a combined capacity of "about 10,000 metric tons a year."²

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

Location

Year by year

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

1927

• Worked: “This company is already producing on a small scale” (The Groenwater Asbestos Company), p. 49¹

1966

• Fiber: “Cape Blue asbestos fibers” (Postmasburg Cape Blue Asbestos; Groenwater Asbestos Mining), p. 7³
• Mill: “has constructed a new mill to produce various grades of Cape Blue asbestos fibers” (Postmasburg Cape Blue Asbestos; Groenwater Asbestos Mining), p. 7³

1975

• Worked: “three affiliates which operate Crocidolite mines in the Postmasburg District” (Groenwater Asbestos Mining Co. (Pty.) Ltd.), p. 42²

Other names

Documents call this mine “Groenwater Asbestos Mining”, “Postmasburg Cape Blue Asbestos”, “Groenwater Asbestos Mining Co. (Pty.) Ltd.”.

References

1. Asbestos Magazine, 1927, November 1927 (November 1, 1927), p. 49.
2. Asbestos Magazine, 1975, December 1975 (December 1, 1975), p. 42.
3. Asbestos Magazine, 1966, December 1966 (December 1, 1966), p. 7.