Moshanang mine, about 40 miles northwest of Labatsi, Botswana

The Moshanang (or Moshaneng) mine was a chrysotile mine in Bechuanaland, now Botswana, by the village of Moshaneng in the Bangwaketse Tribal Territory.^3,4 The sources place it in different ways: the U.S. Bureau of Mines' Minerals Yearbook for 1956 says "about 40 miles northwest of Labatsi," a 1965 report of the Bechuanaland Geological Survey Department, as Asbestos, the industry's trade journal, printed it, says "near Kanye," and a 1966 summary of the Bureau's figures says "about 13 kilometers west of Kanye."^3,4,7

Writing in Asbestos in 1954, Doctor P. Snideman, managing director of Marlime Chrysotile Asbestos Corporation, said that prospecting by "trenching, drilling and shaft-sinking" had been carried out "as long ago as 1920, when cobbed fibre was produced in small quantities."¹ In 1951, he wrote, Marble, Lime and Associated Industries, Limited acquired a Crown Grant "over approximately 50 square miles," and formed Marlime Chrysotile as a wholly owned subsidiary to prove and develop the deposit.¹ He said "over a million dollars was spent by the Company to build the new mill and bring the mine to its present production stage of 200 tons of fibre per month."¹

The Minerals Yearbook for 1956 said production at the mine "was increased," and for 1961 that "the mine at Moshaneng produced 1,500 tons of chrysotile annually."^4,5 According to the Geological Survey Department, Marlime operated the mine "on a royalty basis and all royalties accrue to the Bangwaketse Tribal Treasury," and "in 1963, 1,744 tons were produced."³ The Bureau of Mines put Bechuanaland's 1964 production "at 1,960 metric tons," all from the Moshaneng mine, and said the firm "reportedly was making efforts to enter the asbestos fiber filter market."⁷ Asbestos reported in 1967, summing up the Bureau's chapter, that output dropped sharply in 1965 "owing to the closing of the Moshaneng mine" in November 1965; the country's production that year was "806 metric tons."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.

1920

• Exploration: “prospecting was carried out ... as long ago as 1920, when cobbed fibre was produced in small quantities”, said by Dr. P. Snideman, Managing Director, Marlime Chrysotile Asbestos Corporation, Limited, as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 14¹

1951

• Ownership: “In 1951 Marble, Lime and Associated Industries, Limited acquired a Crown Grant ... over approximately 50 square miles” (Marble, Lime and Associated Industries, Limited; Marlime Chrysotile Asbestos Corporation Limited), said by Dr. P. Snideman, Managing Director, Marlime Chrysotile Asbestos Corporation, Limited, as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 14¹

1954

• Mill: “over a million dollars was spent by the Company to build the new mill” (Marlime Chrysotile Asbestos Corporation Limited), said by Dr. P. Snideman, Managing Director, Marlime Chrysotile Asbestos Corporation, Limited, as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 14¹
• Output: “bring the mine to its present production stage of 200 tons of fibre per month” (Marlime Chrysotile Asbestos Corporation Limited), said by Dr. P. Snideman, Managing Director, Marlime Chrysotile Asbestos Corporation, Limited, as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 14¹
• Fiber: “chrysotile”, said by Dr. P. Snideman, Managing Director, Marlime Chrysotile Asbestos Corporation, Limited, as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 14¹

1955

• Output: “The value of output in 1955 was about £150,000 compared with £113,000 in 1954”, p. 12⁴

1956

• Fiber: “chrysotile”, p. 12⁴
• Output: “Production of chrysotile at the Moshanang mine ... was increased”, p. 12⁴

1960

• Worked: “Workings were expanded and operations further mechanized in Bangwaketse Territory deposits”, p. 9²

1961

• Output: “produced 1,500 tons of chrysotile annually”, p. 11⁵
• Fiber: “chrysotile”, p. 11⁵

1963

• Output: “In 1963, 1,744 tons were produced” (Marlime Chrysotile Asbestos Corporation Limited), as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 19³
• Worked: “operated by the Marlime Chrysotile Asbestos Corporation Limited on a royalty basis” (Marlime Chrysotile Asbestos Corporation Limited), as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 19³

1964

• Output: “Bechuanaland's asbestos production in 1964, at 1,960 metric tons, was all from the Moshaneng mine” (Marlime Chrysotile Asbestos Corporation Limited), as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 20⁷
• Buyers: “The firm reportedly was making efforts to enter the asbestos fiber filter market” (Marlime Chrysotile Asbestos Corporation Limited), as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 20⁷

1965

• Output: “Production of Chrysotile asbestos in Botswana was 806 metric tons in 1965” (Marlime Chrysotile Asbestos Corporation Limited), as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 28⁶
• Closed: “the closing of the Moshaneng mine ... in November 1965” (Marlime Chrysotile Asbestos Corporation Limited), as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 28⁶

Other names

Documents call this mine “Moshanang mine”, “Moshaneng”, “Moshaneng Mine”.

References

1. Asbestos Magazine, 1954, October 1954 (October 1, 1954), p. 14.
2. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1960 (January 1, 1961), p. 9.
3. Asbestos Magazine, 1965, March 1965 (March 1, 1965), p. 19.
4. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1956 (January 1, 1957), p. 12.
5. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1961 (January 1, 1962), p. 11.
6. Asbestos Magazine, 1967, October 1967 (October 1, 1967), p. 28.
7. Asbestos Magazine, 1966, December 1966 (December 1, 1966), p. 20.