Gefco Kuruman mine, Cape Province

The Kuruman mine of the Griqualand Exploration and Finance Co. (Gefco), in the Cape Province of South Africa, gave crocidolite, the blue asbestos: the U.S. Bureau of Mines' Minerals Yearbook for 1975, drawing on Gefco's own preliminary statement, called the "Kiruman mine" "reportedly the world's largest source of blue (crocidolite) asbestos with a nominal 55,000-ton annual production in the last few years."² Later figures in Asbestos, the industry's trade journal, are for all of Gefco's mines around Kuruman together: in 1977 the journal said the company operated "ten mines, six sorting plants and four main milling complexes" there.¹ Gefco's 1976 annual report, as the journal printed it, said "817,000 metric tons of ore were mined and 545,000 tons of ore were milled, to produce 57,483 tons of fiber."³ The journal gave "Gefco Blue" production for 1977 as "76,103 tonnes, 32% over 1976."⁴ In 1979, the journal reported, Gefco bought "high grade fiber for blending with its own product from the nearby Wandrag mine," and its fiber production "was reduced 21.5% in 1979 to 50,485 metric tonnes," with operations "concentrated at the higher grade mines."^5,6

The documents report this mine producing asbestos fiber for sale.³

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.

1975

• Description: “Gefco shows an astounding 49% rise in unit cost of production” (Griqualand Exploration and Finance Co. (Gefco)), as reported by Gefco preliminary 1975 statement, p. 10²
• Output: “a nominal 55,000-ton annual production in the last few years” (Griqualand Exploration and Finance Co. (Gefco)), as reported by Gefco preliminary 1975 statement, p. 10²
• Fiber: “reportedly the world's largest source of blue (crocidolite) asbestos” (Griqualand Exploration and Finance Co. (Gefco)), as reported by Gefco preliminary 1975 statement, p. 10²

1976

• Output: “817,000 metric tons of ore were mined and 545,000 tons of ore were milled, to produce 57,483 tons of fiber” (Griqualand Exploration and Finance Co. Ltd. (Gefco)), said by Griqualand Exploration and Finance Co. Ltd., as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 36³
• Worked: “In the Kuruman area of the Northwestern Cape Province it operates ten mines, six sorting plants and four main milling complexes; Production of Blue asbestos in 1976 reached 57,483 tons” (Griqualand Exploration and Finance Co. Ltd. (Gefco)), p. 35¹

1977

• Output: “Production of Gefco Blue in 1977 reached 76,103 tonnes, 32% over 1976” (Griqualand Exploration and Finance Co. Ltd. (Gefco)), p. 44⁴

1979

• Description: “Gefco buys high grade fiber for blending with its own product from the nearby Wandrag mine” (Griqualand Exploration and Finance Co. Ltd. (Gefco)), as reported by Mining Annual Review, p. 40⁶
• Output: “Fiber production was reduced 21.5% in 1979 to 50,485 metric tonnes; Operations were concentrated at the higher grade mines” (Griqualand Exploration and Finance Co. Ltd. (Gefco)), p. 32⁵

Other names

Documents call this mine “Kiruman mine”, “Gefco Blue”.

References

1. Asbestos Magazine, 1977, December 1977 (December 1, 1977), p. 35.
2. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1975 (January 1, 1976), p. 10.
3. Asbestos Magazine, 1977, September 1977 (September 1, 1977), p. 36.
4. Asbestos Magazine, 1978, December 1978 (December 1, 1978), p. 44.
5. Asbestos Magazine, 1981, January 1981 (January 1, 1981), p. 32.
6. Asbestos Magazine, 1979, December 1979 (December 1, 1979), p. 40.