Pomfret mine, South Africa

In November 1953 the consulting mining engineer W. E. Sinclair, writing in Asbestos, the industry's trade journal, reported that "the Cape Blue Mines are producing at Pomfret 150 miles west of Vryburg."¹ The Cape Asbestos Company, as the journal reported in December 1958, said that through its subsidiary Cape Blue Mines (Pty) Ltd. it operated blue asbestos mines at Koegas and Westerberg and "at Pomfret on the border of Bechuanaland."² The U.S. Bureau of Mines' Minerals Yearbook for 1962 said that Cape Blue Mines, "a subsidiary of Cape Asbestos S.A. (Pty.), Ltd., with the Koegas and Pomfret mines, was the world's largest producer of crocidolite."³

Shafts and mills

The Cape Asbestos annual report for 1965, as Asbestos printed it, said the company's main mining operations "at Koegas/Westerberg and Pomfret have run well during 1965 and production exceeded that of the previous year."⁴ Drawing on Mineral Trade Notes, the journal reported in January 1968 that Pomfret Mine "began working a new section, the No. 6 mine."⁵ In August 1970 it reported that "the No. 8 Incline Shaft" at Pomfret, "in the northern part of Cape Province," was being installed and that "the sinking of another vertical shaft will be commenced in the near future."¹⁰ The same report said the treatment plant had been modified "to insure good working conditions as well as a first-class product," with "an additional 75,000 cubic feet per minute of exhaust air" to be provided "to bring capacity to approximately 120,000 cubic feet per minute."¹⁰ The company reported for 1970 that work "to extend the mining area at Pomfret has been carried out and the plant enlarged."⁶ In December 1972 the journal reported "the sinking of a new shaft at the Pomfret Mine in Cape Province, and expansions to the mill to produce 2S grade fiber for use in the manufacture of pressure pipes," and the company said the blue mines at Koegas and Pomfret "had a satisfactory year."^7,8

Output and the new mill

In December 1975 Asbestos gave Cape Blue Mines' two crocidolite operations, at Pomfret and Koegas (Westerberg), a combined annual production of "approximately 55,000 tons," and a year later it reported "about 55,000 tons" for the two mines together.^11,12 The new Pomfret mill complex "was officially opened August 22, 1978, thus marking the completion of a US$12-million expansion program," the journal reported; the new mill ran at "its capacity of 30,000 tonnes per annum," and with the existing mill's 40,000 tonnes, "total annual capacity at Pomfret is now 70,000 tonnes."¹³ The Minerals Yearbook reported that "Cape Industries, Ltd., completed the expansion and moderization of the mining and milling facilities at Pomfret in 1978," and that "the new R10 million mill can produce 70,000 tons per year of fiber."¹⁴ A November 1978 feature in Asbestos said the blue fibers produced at Pomfret were "used mainly in the production of asbestos-cement pipes and sheets."¹⁵ In 1979 Cape Industries said that "production is now concentrated at Pomfret," where "the Blue deposit is the richest of its kind in the world" and "fresh reserves have been identified."¹⁶

New owners

On June 29, 1979, according to Asbestos, Cape Industries announced the sale of its Mining Division to Transvaal Consolidated Land & Exploration Co. Ltd. (TCL) "for a total consideration of £15.6-million," leaving Cape Blue Mines, the producer of blue asbestos at Pomfret, wholly owned by TCL.¹⁷ The Minerals Yearbook said that TCL "now owns all of the asbestos mines acquired by Cape Industries since it started mining in the Republic of South Africa in 1893."¹⁴ In January 1981 the journal gave Pomfret an annual production capacity of "70,000 tonnes."¹⁸ For 1981 the yearbook reported that General Mining Union Corp. (Gencor) "made an offer for the former Cape Asbestos, Ltd., asbestos properties acquired in 1979 by Transvaal Consolidated Land and Exploration, Ltd."; it did not name the mines.¹⁹

The mine in 1983

The Minerals Yearbook for 1983, drawing on Mining Magazine, described "the underground Pomfret Mine of the Griqualand Exploration and Finance Co. Ltd." as "the premier crocidolite mine of the world," a mine and mill that "produced roughly one-half of the world's crocidolite in 1982."⁹ Ore "of grades not less than 6%" was selected at the face "to maintain an average ore grade of 12% to the mill," and "except for a wash cycle to recover fibers, the mill process was dry."⁹ "Pomfret's 2,400 employees live in the town of Pomfret, which is owned by the company," the yearbook said.⁹

The documents report this mine producing asbestos fiber for sale.¹⁵

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	Figure	Source
1975	55,000 tons	11
1976	55,000 tons	12

Year by year

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

1953

• Worked: “the Cape Blue Mines are producing at Pomfret 150 miles west of Vryburg” (Cape Blue Mines), said by W. E. Sinclair, M.I.M.M. (Consulting Mining Engineer), as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 10¹

1958

• Worked: “at Pomfret on the border of Bechuanaland” (Cape Blue Mines (Pty) Ltd.), said by The Cape Asbestos Company Ltd., as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 46²

1962

• Worked: “Cape Blue Mines (Pty.), Ltd., ... with the Koegas and Pomfret mines, was the world's largest producer of crocidolite” (Cape Blue Mines (Pty.), Ltd.), p. 11³
• Fiber: “crocidolite” (Cape Blue Mines (Pty.), Ltd.), p. 11³
• Ownership: “Cape Blue Mines (Pty.), Ltd., a subsidiary of Cape Asbestos S.A. (Pty.), Ltd.” (Cape Asbestos S.A. (Pty.), Ltd.), p. 11³

1965

• Worked: “main mining operations at Koegas/Westerberg and Pomfret have run well during 1965” (The Cape Asbestos Company Limited), said by The Cape Asbestos Company Limited, as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 24⁴

1966

• Opened: “began working a new section, the No. 6 mine” (Cape Blue Mines (Pty.) Limited), as reported by U.S. Mineral Trade Notes, p. 28⁵

1970

• Dust and health: “An additional 75,000 cubic feet per minute of exhaust air is to be provided” (Cape Asbestos Group), p. 54¹⁰
• Exploration: “The No. 8 Incline Shaft ... is being installed and the sinking of another vertical shaft will be commenced” (Cape Asbestos Group), p. 54¹⁰
• Mill: “Work at the Blue fields to extend the mining area at Pomfret has been carried out and the plant enlarged” (The Cape Asbestos Company Limited), said by The Cape Asbestos Company Limited, as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 49⁶

1972

• Exploration: “the sinking of a new shaft at the Pomfret Mine in Cape Province” (Cape Blue Mines (Pty) Ltd.; The Cape Asbestos Co. Ltd.), p. 14⁷
• Mill: “expansions to the mill to produce 2S grade fiber for use in the manufacture of pressure pipes” (Cape Blue Mines (Pty) Ltd.), p. 14⁷
• Worked: “The Blue mines at Koegas and Pomfret had a satisfactory year” (Cape Asbestos South Africa (Pty) Ltd.), said by Cape Asbestos Co. Ltd., as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 38⁸

1975

• Output: “runs two Crocidolite (Blue) mining and milling operations at Pomfret and Koegas (Westerberg); Combined annual production is approximately 55,000 tons” (Cape Blue Mines (Pty.) Ltd.), p. 40¹¹

1976

• Output: “Annual Crocidolite production of about 55,000 tons is reported for the Pomfret and Koegas Mines” (Cape Industries Ltd.), p. 38¹²

1978

• Buyers: “The Blue asbestos fibers produced at Pomfret are used mainly in the production of asbestos-cement pipes and sheets” (Cape Asbestos S.A.), p. 8¹⁵
• Reserves: “At Pomfret, where the Blue deposit is the richest of its kind in the world, fresh reserves have been identified” (Cape Industries Ltd.), said by Cape Industries Ltd., as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 43¹⁶
• Ownership: “This company now owns all of the asbestos mines acquired by Cape Industries since it started mining in the Republic of South Africa in 1893” (Transvaal Consolidated Land and Exploration, Ltd. (TCL)), p. 12¹⁴
• Mill: “The new R10 million mill can produce 70,000 tons per year of fiber” (Cape Industries, Ltd.), p. 12¹⁴
• Mill: “completed the expansion and moderization of the mining and milling facilities at Pomfret in 1978” (Cape Industries, Ltd.), p. 12¹⁴
• Mill: “The new Pomfret mill complex was officially opened August 22, 1978; total annual capacity at Pomfret is now 70,000 tonnes” (Cape Asbestos South Africa), p. 46¹³

1979

• Ownership: “the sale of the company's Mining Division to Transvaal Consolidated Land & Exploration Co. Ltd. (TCL) for a total consideration of £15.6-million; Cape Blue Mines produces Blue (Crocidolite) asbestos at Pomfret” (Transvaal Consolidated Land & Exploration Co. Ltd. (TCL)), p. 40¹⁷

1980

• Mill: “Annual production capacity stands at 160,000 tonnes—90,000 tonnes at Penge and 70,000 tonnes at Pomfret” (Cape Blue Mines (Pty) Ltd.), p. 32¹⁸

1981

• Ownership: “Gencor made an offer for the former Cape Asbestos, Ltd., asbestos properties acquired in 1979 by Transvaal Consolidated Land and Exploration, Ltd.” (General Mining Union Corp. (Gencor)), p. 8¹⁹

1982

• Output: “a mine and mill that produced roughly one-half of the world's crocidolite in 1982”, as reported by Mining Magazine, p. 5⁹

1983

• Reserves: “grades not less than 6% ... an average ore grade of 12% to the mill”, as reported by Mining Magazine, p. 5⁹
• Ownership: “Pomfret Mine of the Griqualand Exploration and Finance Co. Ltd.” (Griqualand Exploration and Finance Co. Ltd.), as reported by Mining Magazine, p. 5⁹
• Workforce: “Pomfret's 2,400 employees live in the town of Pomfret, which is owned by the company”, as reported by Mining Magazine, p. 5⁹
• Mill: “Except for a wash cycle to recover fibers, the mill process was dry”, as reported by Mining Magazine, p. 5⁹
• Fiber: “the premier crocidolite mine of the world”, as reported by Mining Magazine, p. 5⁹
• Description: “The underground Pomfret Mine of the Griqualand Exploration and Finance Co. Ltd. was considered to be the premier crocidolite mine of the world” (Griqualand Exploration and Finance Co. Ltd.), as reported by Mining Magazine, p. 5⁹

Other names

Documents call this mine “Pomfret”, “Pomfret Mine”, “No. 6 mine”, “No. 8 Incline Shaft”, “Pomfret mine”.

See also

• Pomfret mine in the Lexicon
• Cape Industries, Ltd.: the company's documents, people, products and plants
• All asbestos mines

References

1. Asbestos Magazine, 1953, November 1953 (November 1, 1953), p. 10.
2. Asbestos Magazine, 1958, December 1958 (December 1, 1958), p. 46.
3. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1962 (January 1, 1963), p. 11.
4. Asbestos Magazine, 1966, May 1966 (May 1, 1966), p. 24.
5. Asbestos Magazine, 1968, January 1968 (January 1, 1968), p. 28.
6. Asbestos Magazine, 1971, September 1971 (September 1, 1971), p. 49.
7. Asbestos Magazine, 1972, December 1972 (December 1, 1972), p. 14.
8. Asbestos Magazine, 1973, June 1973 (June 1, 1973), p. 38.
9. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1983 (January 1, 1984), p. 5.
10. Asbestos Magazine, 1970, August 1970 (August 1, 1970), p. 54.
11. Asbestos Magazine, 1975, December 1975 (December 1, 1975), p. 40.
12. Asbestos Magazine, 1976, December 1976 (December 1, 1976), p. 38.
13. Asbestos Magazine, 1978, December 1978 (December 1, 1978), p. 46.
14. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1978–79 (January 1, 1980), p. 12.
15. Asbestos Magazine, 1978, November 1978 (November 1, 1978), p. 8.
16. Asbestos Magazine, 1979, July 1979 (July 1, 1979), p. 43.
17. Asbestos Magazine, 1979, December 1979 (December 1, 1979), p. 40.
18. Asbestos Magazine, 1981, January 1981 (January 1, 1981), p. 32.
19. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1981 (January 1, 1982), p. 8.