GEOclips Volume 58 September 2019

VOLUME 58 . SEPTEMBER 2019

INSIDE: The Council for Geoscience
expands its leadership corps
The Council for Geoscience expands
Taufeeq Dhansay Sibongiseni Hlatshwayo Willem Meintjes
its leadership corps I 1 Geoscience Mapping Economic Geology Engineering and Geohazards

Mapping and associated work in and Geochemistry

Malawi: the GEMMAP project I 4

Bob Thomas

Journey from a National Diploma to

an MSc degree I 7

Matome Sekiba

Vanadiferous magnetitite pipes
in the Main Zone of the Bushveld

Complex I 7

Flora Maja

Training in the production of

geochemical synthesis reports I 9

Doreen van der Walt

International Mine Water
Association Conference in Perm,

Russia I 11

Gloria Dube

PanAfGeo Geoscientific Information

Management Training Workshop I 11

Ntsako Mhlarhi

Fortress Netili Clement Rabaji Magda Roos
Water and Environment Information Knowledge GIS and Scientific Databases

and Technology

The Council for Geoscience wishes metamorphosis. Taufeeq experimented
to congratulate the managers who in art, joining various communities who
have been appointed in permanent adorned the streets of Cape Town with
positions during the first half of 2019. colourful anti-gangsterism and anti-drug
They are Taufeeq Dhansay, Sibongiseni murals. Later, considering the proximity
Hlatshwayo, Willem Meintjes, Fortress to the ocean, surfing seemed like a
Netili, Clement Rabaji and Magda Roos. good pastime. However, after having
fallen off his surfboard once too often,
Taufeeq Dhansay Taufeeq decided to focus really hard on
Taufeeq Dhansay was born on the lower his studies. He completed his secondary
slopes of Devil’s Peak in South Africa’s schooling at South Peninsula High before
year of the Chameleons and grew up continuing his education at the University
in Cape Town’s southern suburbs of of Cape Town. Considerations of a career
Retreat and Steenberg during a time as a biochemist, an engineer, an internet
when the nation was undergoing its own hacker and even an airforce pilot meant

2 I GeoClips

that his family never quite knew what required to enable and assist South Union from 2014 to 2018 where he dealt
he was studying. Eventually, Taufeeq Africa’s sustainable development goals. with a variety of labour issues.
crashed over some geology while
mountain biking down the Steenberg Sibongiseni Hlatshwayo The mission of the Economic Geology
Hills which launched his career in Sibongiseni Musawakhe Hlatshwayo and Geochemistry Unit is to continue
the geosciences. was born in Bergville (Emangwaneni), contributing valuable products such as
KwaZulu-Natal. He completed geochemical maps and mineral potential
In 2008, he completed his Honours his school career at Mqedandaba maps in support of mineral exploration
degree in Geology. His studies focussed High School in 2000. He initially within the minerals and energy theme
on the tectono-metamorphic evolution studied Electrical Engineering at the of the Council for Geoscience. The
along the East African Orogen in Mangosuthu Technikon in 2001. In drilling of promising mineral targets
Mozambique. Taufeeq joined the 2004, Sibo changed track to pursue or anomalies and the assessment of
Limpopo regional office of the Council a degree in Geology. He completed mineralisation is critical in unravelling
for Geoscience as a junior scientist. his undergraduate degree in Applied new mineral deposits and increasing
Projects on various early earth cratonic Geology at the University of the the country’s exploration budget. The
sequences, surrounding accretionary Western Cape in 2006 and enrolled for mid-term vision of the unit is to introduce
orogenic belts and small-scale mining an Honours degree at the University 3D modelling and mineral assessments,
programmes provided an ideal training of Pretoria in 2007. Being a bursary using the existing resources of boreholes
ground. Taufeeq also participated in student, he joined the Council for and other geoscience information to
mapping and exploration projects in Geoscience as a junior scientist in the add value to the products of the Council
Rwanda, Namibia and Tanzania before Geochemistry and Laboratory Unit for Geoscience. Sibo supports capacity
completing his Master’s degree on in 2008. building by encouraging staff to study
energy economics and geothermal towards MSc and PhD qualifications to
energy development. In this time, he From 2008 to 2011, he was involved enable the production of quality products
spent several months as a researcher in geochemical mapping projects in for the benefit of stakeholders and the
at the International Institute for Applied support mainly of mineral exploration public. The ultimate vision of the unit
Systems Analysis, working from the and geological mapping. Sibo enrolled is to produce geoscience products that
plush comfort of one of Maria Theresa’s for his MSc in Exploration Geology will contribute to prefeasibility studies of
Habsburg palaces in Vienna. at Rhodes University in 2012, after exploration projects.
receiving a Julian Baring Scholarship.
In 2015, Taufeeq moved to the Western At the same time, he continued leading Sibo is a passionate supporter of Kaizer
Cape regional office and began his and participating in regional geochemical Chiefs and Manchester United. He
research on brittle tectonics. This mapping projects and target generation enjoys travelling, visiting interesting
research considered sustainably or follow-up projects. The main projects places and meeting new people. Most of
inducing dynamic fracture reactivation included work in the Sabie–Barberton, all, he loves spending time with his family
and system processes within the earth’s Bushveld Complex, Tugela, Hoedspruit– and children.
Critical Zone. In 2017, he completed Phalaborwa and Namaqualand areas.
his PhD degree at Nelson Mandela He was also involved in international Willem Meintjes
University, within the Africa Earth geochemical mapping in Uganda in Willem Meintjes was born on 24 March
Observatory Network, where he worked 2011. Sibo has presented at local and 1987 in the Highveld Ridge area,
in the Jena Structural Geology and international geochemistry conferences where he matriculated from Secunda
Tectonics research group at Friedrich in the USA, New Zealand, China, High School. After matriculating, he
Schiller University in Germany. Canada and the 35th International moved to Potchefstroom to complete
Geological Congress in South Africa. His his undergraduate tertiary studies
In 2017, Taufeeq swapped his field main research interests are the geology, in geology at North West University.
boots for a collared shirt when he geochemistry and mineralisation of the Willem furthered his tertiary education
took up first the position of technical PGE-rich Bushveld Complex. He is a in Geology as a result of his keen
assistant in the Office of the CEO fellow of the Non-Aligned Movement for interest in dolomite stability. His Master’s
and, eventually, of manager of the Minerals Processing and Beneficiation degree focussed on a correlation of the
Geoscience Mapping Unit in January and attended a training programme at structural geological context, dolomite-
2019. This is a particularly critical period Mintek in 2017. Sibo was assigned to related surface instability and regional
for the geosciences in South Africa as the position of acting manager of the dolomite risk management.
the country is transitioning towards Economic Geology and Geochemistry
newer and more sustainable mineral and Unit in 2018 and was subsequently While conducting his tertiary studies,
energy technologies while also pursuing appointed as the manager of the unit in Willem worked as an external financial
socio-economic development. Taufeeq’s January 2019. He is a member of the auditor at KPMG before accepting a
aim will be to lead the Geoscience Geological Society of South Africa, a position as engineering geologist at the
Mapping Unit towards unravelling the Professional Natural Scientist and was geo-environmental and engineering
fundamental geological information an ex officio executive of the Nehawu consulting firm AGES.

Geoclips - Volume 58 - September 2019 GeoClips I 3

During his time in the consulting industry, consulting firm in Polokwane, where planning in mining, and by supporting
Willem oversaw the successful execution he worked briefly, before returning to the coexistence of mining and other
of over 150 geotechnical, geohydrological university to pursue further studies. ecosystem infrastructures.
and geological site investigation
projects, ranging from investigations for Fortress joined the Council for Fortress holds an MSc (Hydrogeology),
infrastructure and urban development to Geoscience in 2004 as a bursar after BSc (Honours — Earth Sciences), a
integrated multidisciplinary programmes receiving a sponsorship to study towards Postgraduate Diploma in Business
on regional groundwater supply and an MSc degree in Hydrogeology. For a Administration and is currently registered
dolomite risk management. Before joining decade (from 2004–2014), he gradually for a PhD in Groundwater Governance.
the Council for Geoscience, Willem developed within the ranks of the He is a member of the International
headed the Geotechnical Business Unit organisation as a hydrogeologist, project Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH)
at AGES where he had the responsibility manager and, later, as the manager of and the Groundwater Division (GWD) of
of managing and executing all facets of the Water Geoscience Unit. Fortress the Geological Society of South Africa.
the geotechnical projects, maintaining was a project leader of the mine water Fortress is an Associate Member of
client relations and ensuring technical management task in the Witwatersrand the Water Institute of Southern Africa
excellence in the business unit. which developed a range of solutions and a Registered Professional Scientist
for the management of mine water with SACNASP. He has a keen interest
Willem joined the Council for Geoscience pollution from the abandoned mines in and is committed to continued
in April 2019 as the manager of the of Gauteng Province. He was also a professional development in decision
Engineering and Geohazards Unit. member of the Team of Experts of the making, environmental sustainability
He is focussed on steadily taking the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) tasked and water security as well as all aspects
engineering and geohazards expertise to advise the Cabinet of South Africa of integrated environmental planning,
of the Council for Geoscience forward on the assessment and reappraisal policy, management and the assessment
towards realising the full potential of of the situation with respect to acid of natural resources.
the organisation. The organisation mine drainage in the Witwatersrand
is mandated by government to act goldfields, from which the IMC Acid Mine Clement Rabaji
as the national advisory authority on Drainage Report 2011 was produced. Clement Rabaji was born on
geohazards. In order to fulfil this function, Fortress left the Council for Geoscience 30 September 1971 in Lichtenburg in the
the Engineering and Geohazards in 2014 for a period of three years to North West Province. He completed his
Unit will build on world-class research pursue his career development and to primary and secondary school education
undertaken by exceptional scientists and tackle some of the most pressing water in Itsoseng and obtained a BSc (Ed)
researchers over more than a century. As security and environmental degradation degree in Mathematics and Chemistry
the business magnate Mr Warren Buffett issues. In this time, Fortress gained at North West University. He briefly
eloquently stated: “Someone is sitting experience in a wide range of sectors worked at Plascon Paints as a laboratory
in the shade today, because someone — consulting, government (Department technician after which he pursued a
planted a tree a long time ago”. of Water and Sanitation) and a non- career in IT.
profit organisation locally and in the
Family and relationships are at the core SADC region (International Water Clement joined Telkom as a software
of Willem’s world view and he is happily Management Institute). tester after completing a programming
married to Nicolene. Their two children, diploma with Crux IT. He moved from
Thomas (3) and Joachim (8 weeks) Fortress rejoined the Council for software testing and joined Medscheme
are the joy of his heart. He enjoys Geoscience in February 2019 as as a Java and Oracle developer.
practicing various hobbies related to manager of the Water and Environment He worked on developing a claims
building things, and enjoys playing golf, Unit. In this position, he provides assessment system and automated the
cycling and participating in competitive leadership to a team of more than submission of claims from the Afrox
team sports. 50 staff who are dedicated and Hospital group to Medscheme’s claims
committed to developing and providing assessment and processing systems.
Fortress Netili a variety of groundwater and related
Fortress Netili was born and raised in environmental services and solutions Clement joined Paracon Consulting
the rural area Dzimauli Ha-Rambuda to water and environmental challenges as a contract developer. As a Paracon
in Mutale, Limpopo Province. His main that threaten the socio-economic contractor, he worked on a number of
interest during his school career at development the country and that projects at various financial institutions
Luheni Primary School and Ratshilumela pose a risk to the sustainability of as a Java and Oracle developer. The
High School were the natural sciences. the ecosystem. His focus is to lead most significant of the projects were
After matriculating, he headed to the the team in contributing towards the the implementation of a new insurance
University of Venda where he completed realisation of vision 2030 (NDP) by business management system at Sage
a four-year degree in the earth sciences. implementing recommendations of Life, the enhancement of an international
After graduation, Fortress started his national ground(water) strategies banking system at Standard Bank and
career as a junior hydrogeologist at a by facilitating economic succession the implementation of an operational

4 I GeoClips

risk and key risk scenario management spending time with his family and provided her with the opportunity to
system at ABSA. his wife, son and daughter. He is an gain valuable experience in database
enthusiastic reader and thanks to management and interactive web-
After working for more than ten years e-books, his library is compact and based mapping. Magda’s vision is
as a developer on transactional portable. Clement also loves cooking to continue building on the CGS
systems, Clement joined SITA as a and experimenting with new recipes. legacy databases in pursuance
Business Intelligence (BI) consultant of an integrated geoscience data
where he completed a project to Magda Roos management solution.
modernise a legacy BI system. He Magda Roos was born in the province
later joined FNB Life as a BI solutions of the rising sun, Mpumalanga, and With over 25 years of solid work
architect, and implemented a modern matriculated from Lydenburg High experience in geoscience data
BI and analytics platform. School in 1980. Her childhood dream management and her meticulous
was to become a teacher, but she approach to data collation and
Before joining the Council for decided to venture into the fascinating presentation, Magda has the
Geoscience in April 2019, Clement was world of cartography. Ms Roos holds a knowledge and skills to assist the
a team leader in the SITA Applications tertiary qualification in Cartography and Council for Geoscience in delivering on
Development Department responsible a Postgraduate Diploma in Geographic its data and information strategies. She
for the e-government applications Information Systems, obtained from the has been pivotal in incorporating critical
platform and the modernisation of University of Pretoria in 2001. control measures into the development
legacy systems. His mission is to of the CGS data and information
implement stable and modern IT Eager to absorb as much knowledge policy which, in future, will provide the
infrastructure and applications to and insight as possible in geoscience foundation for data and information
support business operations and to knowledge management, Magda management in the organisation.
enhance the service offerings of the has been involved in a number of
Council for Geoscience. significant projects. The Seismotectonic Magda is creative and a keen
Map of Africa, among the official reader and enjoys travelling. She
Clement has a keen interest in hiking projects of the Organisation of African prefers to take the roads less
and photography, and normally takes Geological Surveys, and the SADC travelled which mostly lead to truly
the family along on trips. He enjoys Hydrogeological Mapping project have amazing experiences.

Mapping and associated work in Malawi:
the GEMMAP project

The Geological Mapping and Mineral the largest modules. The CGS project 5) C onstruction of a documentation
Assessment Project (GEMMAP) administration has been efficiently centre at the GSD head office in
is presently undertaking various handled by Gosia Paweska and, since Zomba (BRGM)
geoscience activities for the Geological the start of the current financial year,
Survey Department (GSD) in Malawi, by Chameney Engelbrecht. The CGS 6) S mall-scale and artisanal mining
including the production of geological Project Leader, Bob Thomas, attends (John Tyschen, subcontractor to the
maps of the whole country. The tender the consortium meetings, held each consortium).
for GEMMAP was awarded in 2016 January in Zomba and, occasionally,
to a consortium led by the BRGM in France or Finland. The components Training of GSD staff in all modules is
(French Geological Survey) with the consist of: seen by the client as one of the most
CGS (Council for Geoscience) and important outcomes of the project and
GTK (Geological Survey of Finland). 1) G eological mapping (Bob Thomas the Council for Geoscience has played
GEMMAP is a five-year project which — CGS Project Manager, Stephen a significant part in this respect. Indeed,
will run until the end of 2021. The Boger — on contract, Paul Macey — on-the-job training is a continuous
project officially commenced in June from 2019) feature of fieldwork. In addition, many
2016 and, in September 2016, the formal lecture courses and practical
full-time project managers (from the 2) M ineral resources (Alazar Billay, sessions have been presented and five
BRGM) took up residence in an office in Emmanuel Sakala) GSD geologists are currently enrolled
Zomba, Malawi. for MSc studies on various aspects of
3) Geohazards (BRGM) the project. Some courses are open to
GEMMAP has a modular structure geology students of Chancellor College
comprising six main components. CGS 4) D atabase design and implementation (University of Zomba) and, in this
science staff are contributing to two of (BRGM) regard, the college provided the venue

Geoclips - Volume 58 - September 2019 GeoClips I 5

a) b) c)

Revised
geological mapping

programme

GEMMAP mapping programme. a) Outline of the forty 100 000-scale sheets to be mapped in Malawi. There are also eleven 1:250 000 scale sheets to be produced;
b) New high-resolution geophysical data (aeromagnetics) for the whole of Malawi; c) Progress of mapping in 2019.

for a project conference in 2018 which In addition, a substantial number the petrographic details entered into a
was attended by over 100 participants, of radiogenic isotope analyses are custom petrographic database. The first
including representatives of the scheduled to elucidate the petrological batches of whole-rock major- and trace-
private sector. evolution of the basement rocks. element analyses, U-Pb zircon dates
and Sm-Nd radiogenic data are under
The Geological Mapping module is by Over 90% of the surface area of Malawi review by consortium experts.
far the largest component of the project is underlain by Precambrian basement
and constitutes the largest contribution rocks and this naturally forms the focus In the inception report, delivered
by the Council for Geoscience. The of the mapping, especially as a mineral early in 2017, a thorough analysis
entire country has to be surveyed and resource evaluation of the country is the of all available geological, satellite,
geological maps produced at a scale main driver of the project. The younger geophysical and geochemical data
of 1:100 000 (40 maps), 1:250 000 rocks (Karoo Supergroup, Cretaceous (published and unpublished) in Malawi
(11 maps) and 1:1 million (1 map). “Dinosaur Beds” and widespread and the surrounding countries led to a
Each map will be accompanied by a Quaternary deposits) are being mapped proposal that the basement of Malawi
sheet explanation along with several by specialists from the BRGM and GTK. can probably be subdivided into nine
geological domain-specific memoirs. separate tectonostratigraphic terranes.
To date, five of the eight x six-week These range from Palaeoproterozoic
The whole country was mapped from geological mapping seasons have been in age (Ubendian) to Mesoproterozoic
the 1950s to the 1980s by the British completed. Each season comprises (several “Grenville-age” terranes) with
Geological Survey, who produced highly four or five teams (composed of a unknown, but probably pervasive,
detailed and geologically accurate maps consortium expert, a GSD geologist reworking during the Neoproterozoic
at the same scales as those mentioned and a driver), with the Council for (Pan-African) East African Orogen.
above. GEMMAP mapping is thus Geoscience supplying two field teams The geological mapping and the new
concentrated on a modern approach each season. Two tranches of 12 geochronological data tend to bear out
enabled by the new geophysics, remote x 1:100 000-scale draft geological these inferences, with the extent of
sensing and comprehensive analytical maps have been submitted to the Pan-African reworking and magmatism
programmes which will provide new client (i.e. 24 out of the 40 map sheets probably exceeding expectations.
high-precision U-Pb zircon dates which comprise the country). The
(minimum 150 samples) and whole-rock sampling and analytical programme is The contribution of the Council for
major- and trace-element geochemical well underway. Several hundred thin Geoscience to the Mineral Resources
analyses (minimum 400 analyses). sections have been described and module has been completed, with Alazar

6 I GeoClips b)

a)

c) d)

a) Two GSD geologists studying an outcrop of Pan-African syenite; b) field training of GSD geologists in the Zomba area; c) the GEMMAP office just outside Zomba,
and d) the rock sample processing bays at the GEMMAP office site and the two rock-saw facilities.

Billay’s review on the economic potential
of the alkaline and associated rocks of
Malawi and Emmanuel Sakala’s course
on ground geophysics, delivered in and
around Zomba.

The project is on track to meet its
targets within the prescribed timeframe
and the Council for Geoscience is
fully committed to playing its part
in the successful submission of all
contractual deliverables.

For more information contact:
Bob Thomas
Geoscience Mapping
+27 (0)21 943 6700
bthomas@geoscience.org.za

Last outcrop of the day, GSD mappers at work in southern Malawi.

Geoclips - Volume 58 - September 2019 GeoClips I 7

Journey from a National Diploma to an MSc degree

Fhatuwani Matome Adolph Sekiba For his MSc degree, Matome studied the In 2019, Matome Sekiba obtained an MSc degree in
was born in Nzhelele, Vhulaudzi in application of geophysical techniques Geohydrology from the University of the Free State.
Limpopo Province. He completed his in the delineation of aquifer systems
primary school education at Mudzinga in the Beaufort West area, Western Rwanda and Malawi. He has been
and Boduma Primary Schools and Karoo, South Africa. The research involved in various projects where
matriculated in 2000 from Sefoloko aimed to elucidate the deeper aquifer geophysical techniques have been
Secondary School. During 2001, systems of the Karoo Basin in view of used to delineate groundwater-bearing
Matome improved on his school results improving the prediction of potential structures, including the delineation
by studying Physical Science and impacts of georesource exploration of pathways that may lead to the
Mathematics at Tshwane South College. activities on the deep groundwater contamination of groundwater or surface
He continued his academic journey in systems. Strong emphasis was placed water. Matome has a keen interest in
2002 and completed a National Diploma on the use of airborne and deep-probing geohydrological studies, particularly as
in Geology through Tshwane University of magnetotelluric (MT) geophysical these relate to groundwater exploration.
Technology. During his studies, Matome techniques to better understand
joined the Council for Geoscience on geological structures and deep aquifer In addition to his interest in science,
a twelve month contract as a Technical systems. The results of the geophysical Matome likes reading motivational novels
Assistant, during which time he mostly surveys showed that the airborne such as “Who Moved My Cheese?” and
conducted gravity surveys. In 2008, magnetic method was very effective “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”. Being a family
Matome was appointed by the Council for in mapping intrusive magmatic bodies man, he also enjoys spending quality
Geoscience on a six-month experiential and other major geological structures. time with his family. Soccer, in particular,
learning contract during which time he The magnetotelluric results indicated is one of favourite pastimes.
was exposed to various geophysical the presence of highly resistive layers
techniques such as survey planning and that appear to be associated with For more information contact:
data processing. Matome was appointed dolerite intrusives. Furthermore, the Matome Sekiba
as a Technical Officer at the Council for vertical displacement of a conductive Geophysics and Remote Sensing
Geoscience in February 2009. In this zone indicated the possible presence of +27 (0)12 841 1159
year, he completed a six-month course lineaments. The results of this research msekiba@geoscience.org.za
in the basics of project management showed that the combined use of
through the University of South Africa airborne and deeper probing geophysical
(UNISA). Matome obtained a BTech methods can significantly contribute to
degree in Geology through Tshwane the understanding of the deep geological
University of Technology in 2010. He and geohydrological conditions in the
correlated the southeastern limb of Karoo Basin. The approach can be
the Bushveld Igneous Complex with further utilised for similar investigations
other limbs of the complex to determine of other Karoo satellite basins in South
whether similar physical properties can Africa and neighbouring countries.
be delineated. The results of the study
were used in fulfilment of his BTech Matome has a vast amount of experience
dissertation entitled “Magnetostratigraphy in the application of geophysical
of the southeastern limb of the Bushveld techniques in geotechnical, mineral and
Complex”. Matome obtained a BSc groundwater exploration studies. He has
Honours degree in 2014 and an MSc carried out geophysical investigations
degree in Geohydrology in 2019 from the to solve earth science-related problems
University of the Free State. in South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia,

Vanadiferous magnetitite pipes in the Main Zone of
the Bushveld Complex

The Council for Geoscience, under One of the key mineral resources being iron-rich ultramafic pegmatite (IRUP) and
the theme “Geoscience for Minerals investigated is vanadium. The Bushveld as seams of magnetitite. Although the
and Energy”, is undertaking research Complex has the world’s largest resource demand for vanadium has traditionally
into hydrothermal and magmatic of high-grade primary vanadium, found been reliant on the demand from the
mineralisation in the Bushveld Basin. in discordant pipe-like bodies called steel market, recent interest in vanadium

8 I GeoClips

centres on its role as a potential battery
element for energy storage.

Bushveld Minerals has recently Simplified geology map showing the location of sampled magnetitite pipes in the Roossenekal mapped area
announced the rolling out of vanadium- within an approximate 10 km radius around the existing Mapoch Mine.
based electricity storage devices for
Eskom as part of their flagship 360 contain high-grade vanadium with a
MW/1440 MWh battery energy storage strong potential to underpin a simple, low-
system (BESS). South Africa, the cost, high-grade direct shipping operation
third-largest producer of vanadium, (DSO) that can be sold to end users as
is particularly well positioned for the feedstock for a downstream processing
development of vanadium redox plant or solution to meet growing energy
batteries (VRB) because of the abundant storage demands.
vanadium resources in the Bushveld
Complex. It is anticipated that the Since these results were received, Outcropping vanadium pipe in the Main Zone with
increase in battery usage for large-scale investigations into the potential for
energy storage will stimulate the market other pipes in the eastern limb of the enormous quantities of magnetitite rubble forming
for a substantial increase in the demand Bushveld Complex from a number of
for vanadium. The magnetite-bearing current and historical sources have been small conical hills.
pipes occur erratically from the base of undertaken. These include historical
the Main Zone up to the Upper Zone, reports, geological maps, high-resolution was extracted using the direct leaching
transgressing the stratigraphy of the aeromagnetic data, remote sensing method, which simplifies the processing,
Rustenburg Layered Suite. The V2O5 data and Landsat imagery. Additionally, resulting in a higher-purity vanadium
content of the magnetitite pipes seems to further work on the subsurface extent, product. Similarities between Tando’s
correspond approximately with that of the length and geometry of these pipes is SPD project (Nebo map sheet), Mapoch
seams in their vicinity, with the lowermost required to determine their potential Mine (Roossenekal map sheet) and the
seams containing the highest V2O5 contribution to future mineral resource Kennedy’s Vale Mine mean that these
content (2%). Pipes occurring below estimations. For example, Tando’s operations could also possibly extract the
the main magnetitite layer may contain high-grade SPD vanadium project magnetite using direct leaching, which
higher V2O5 grades. It is for this reason in the Nebo mapped area is already would make exploitation attractive to
that only the magnetitite plugs in the Main estimated to host a resource three makers of vanadium redox flow batteries.
Zone have been considered for sampling. times bigger than similar projects, at These types of deposits may virtually
over 500 million tonnes. The discovery amount to “dig and ship” operations.
During fieldwork undertaken in the of further magnetite pipes outside of Given that the areas are relatively small,
2018/19 financial year, outcropping resource could indicate significant they will be reasonably quick to drill out
magnetitite pipes were sampled. In potential upside. The advantage of and if these operations are successful in
the field, the magnetitite pipes form magnetite pipes is that they comprise
enormous quantities of magnetitite rubble almost 100% magnetite, meaning that
and, in places, small conical hills. The there is no stripping of waste material
dimensions of these pipes are difficult to required to obtain the mineral-bearing
determine in the field because of sand ore. Ore from the Kennedy’s Vale Mine
cover, with evidence of minor rubble on
the surface in places.

Samples from ten magnetitite pipes
within the Main Zone returned consistent
grades of 1.7% V2O5 (whole-rock XRF
analysis) and 1.9% V2O5 (electron
microprobe analysis of magnetite)
respectively and compare favourably
with the average resource grade of the
Mapoch Mine (estimated to be 1.52%
V2O5 — cf. ASX announcement 22
March 2018). EMPA results of five
samples exceeded 2% V2O5 which is
higher than many prominent vanadium-
producing mines globally. These results
further promote the advancement of the
project as they suggest that the pipes

Geoclips - Volume 58 - September 2019 GeoClips I 9

finding a number of the magnetite pipes,
yielding a 5 to 10 million tonne resource,
they would provide at least five years’
worth of feed. Selectively mining the
pipes means that these operations could
fast track production.

It is envisioned that the results of this
study will provide critical information
on the geological controls on the
development of vanadium mineralisation
contributing towards the growing demand
for cleaner energy fuels.

For more information contact:
Flora Maja
Mapping Geology
+27 (0)12 841 1163
fmaja@geoscience.org.za

Hand specimen of vanadiferous titanomagnetite from the Roossenekal mapped area.

Training in the production of geochemical
synthesis reports

Geochemical synthesis reports are
the primary deliverable for most
international geochemical mapping
contracts. Since these reports are
such an important requirement, a
training programme was initiated
in the Economic Geology and
Geochemistry Unit as part of a skills
transfer initiative.

The study area selected for the • Introduction, geology, economic Regional
training programme is in the geology, geomorphology and geochemical
Griqualand West region in the geochemical sample localities index (Sr) for
Northern Cape Province. The area the Allanridge
consists of 32 1:50 000-scale mapped • Statistics and statistical interpretation Formation.
areas, representing eight areas, of the data
with each area covered by four to ArcGIS as well as the compilation
1:50 000-scale topographical sheets. • Geochemical map compilation, of locality, topography, geology and
interpretation and synthesis economic commodity maps. Phases
Both junior and senior staff members 2 and 3 were completed in October
participated in the training programme. • Compilation and editing of the 2018 and comprised the calculation of
The trainees were Nthabiseng synthesis report. general statistics and the application
Mashale, Neithel Mashiane, Thato of statistical methods such as
Ntikang, Molebogeng Modiba, Rudzani Phase 1 of the training programme Pearson correlation coefficients
Lusunzi, Mzoli Breakfast, Mahlogonolo was completed in July 2018. The and principal component analyses,
Kobola, Schalk Strauss, Mehdi Bensid, phase consisted of an introduction followed by the compilation of single-
Kobus Elsenbroek and Doreen van element geochemical maps and
der Walt. synthesis maps. Phase 4 entailed
the compilation of eight synthesis
The training programme consisted of
four phases:

10 I GeoClips reports. This phase was completed in
March 2019.
Regional geochemical anomalous distribution map of Cr (ppm).
These reports provide valuable
background geochemical information in
support of the geology in the study area.
Areas where the geochemistry does not
support the known geology normally
suggest a deviation from the norm and
remapping is suggested for these areas.
An example of geological mapping using
a predetermined geochemical index is
shown for the Allanridge Formation where
the upper classes clearly delineate the
formation in the area. Only three small
anomalies falling outside the known
extent of the Allanridge Formation may
have to be revisit in this case.

Study area for The maps also predict possible
the training exploration target areas that will
programme. eventually lead to exploration follow-
up studies. An example of one such
anomaly in the area that could serve both
purposes (remapping and exploration)
is the large Cr anomaly which is neither
supported by the known geology in the
area, nor by any known Cr mineralisation,
and is therefore suggested to present
a major deviation from the norm. In
such a case, it is the mandate of the
Council for Geoscience to provide a
logical geological and/or mineralogical
explanation before the data is released
into the public domain.

Geochemical synthesis reports are the
primary instrument for the evaluation of
data and the presentation of geological
information. The reports contribute
significantly to geological mapping and
exploration. The training programme
therefore, in addition to having produced
up-to-date geochemical synthesis
reports, also served to equip staff with
skills to face future challenges in the
global market.

For more information contact:
Doreen van der Walt
Economic Geology and
Geochemistry
+27 (0)12 841 1410
doreen@geoscience.org.za

Geoclips - Volume 58 - September 2019 GeoClips I 11

International Mine Water Association Conference in
Perm, Russia

The International Mine Water Association Lufuno Ligavha-Mbelengwa, Rudzani Lusunzi and Gloria Dube discussing her MSc work with delegates
(IMWA) has been hosting annual Gloria Dube attending the conference dinner in at the conference.
conferences since 1979 and the 2019 Perm, Russia.
IMWA conference took place in Perm,
Russia from 15 to 19 July 2019. The solutions many of these have not been biggest mineral wastes in South Africa for
theme for the conference was Mine implemented. The conference focussed mine reclamation: a geotechnical study
Water: Technological and Ecological on providing insight into solution- (Viswanath Vadapalli); application of
Challenges. The focus areas included oriented research and implementation, artificial intelligence (AI) to predict mine
mine water treatment, hydrogeology, ranging from emerging technologies water quality, a case study in South Africa
geochemistry, environmental monitoring, to proven solutions that have been (Viswanath Vadapalli); geochemical
mine closure and remediation. successfully implemented. and mineralogical characterisation of
Four delegates from the Council for precipitates from the Sabie–Pilgrim’s Rest
Geoscience — Viswanath Vadapalli, It was also beneficial to see how sources goldfields for the potential of acid mine
Rudzani Lusunzi, Gloria Dube and of polluted mine water scattered over drainage (Rudzani Lusunzi); the use of
Lufuno Ligavha-Mbelengwa — attended large areas are currently being managed passive treatment systems to remediate
the conference. and treated abroad. The only existing AMD from abandoned coal mines,
management programme of polluted eMalahleni, South Africa — column
New solutions and cutting-edge mine water in South Africa with an experiments (Gloria Dube); assessment
technologies for mine water treatment, extensive footprint is the active lime of water quality in the Witwatersrand
together with ways to prevent damage treatment technique which is being Basin using inorganic contaminants
to the environment and ecosystem, applied in respect of some abandoned (Lufuno Ligavha-Mbelengwa).
were presented. Some of the solutions mines in the Central, East and West
will be incorporated into the present Rand Basins of the Witwatersrand For more information contact:
projects of the Council for Geoscience, goldfields and in the Witbank coalfield Gloria Dube
notably in the passive treatment of in eMalahleni. Water and Environment Unit
polluted mine water, ingress control +27 (0)12 841 1395
and pollution prediction tasks. It was The CGS team delivered oral and poster gdube@geoscience.org.za
noted that there are many countries who presentations based on the following
are already implementing advanced topics: comparative study of the two
mine water control, treatment and
management protocols.

In South Africa, several studies have
been done on contaminated mine
water around gold and coal mines and
many researchers have reported on
poor-quality mine water discharge,
disposal and contamination. Although
some researchers have recommended

PanAfGeo Geoscientific Information Management
Training Workshop

Pan-African Geoscience, “PanAfGeo”, the Organisation of African Geological standards–Data dissemination allowed
is a project which supports the Surveys (OAGS) and is led by the trainees to attain a state-of-the-art
training of geoscientific staff from French Geological Survey (BRGM). tool kit and experience in various
African Geological Surveys through fields including geoscientific mapping,
the development of an innovative The PanAfGeo WP7-B Geoscientific geohazards, geoheritage, geoscientific
training programme. The programme Information Management Training information management and mineral
is a partnership between the Workshop in Spatial data infrastructure– resources assessment. The rationale
European Geological Surveys and Data modelling–Interoperability behind the training was to equip junior

scientists with geoscientific knowledge in Delegates from
spatial data management, with a special various countries
emphasis on data infrastructure, data showing their
modelling, interoperability standards certificates of
and data dissemination. The training participation.
focussed on the use of open-source
software as a tool to manage and
disseminate spatial data.

The workshop took place in Lobatse,
Botswana and was attended by about 20
delegates from the geological surveys
of nine African countries. The countries
that were represented were South
Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Tanzania,
Nigeria, Cameroon, Liberia, Kenya and
Ethiopia. The Council for Geoscience
is a leading participant in the OAGS
through programmes such as PanAfGeo.
Ntsako Mhlarhi and Siphindiwe Noruka
represented the organisation as trainees
at the workshop.

The delegates of the Council for Ntsako Mhlarhi and Siphindiwe Noruka receiving their participation certificates.
Geoscience and the Namibian
Geological Survey gave extensive the OAGS. Case studies from Slovenia procedures and to enhance the
presentations of their spatial data and South Africa were used in most of production process of maps and other
infrastructure and management systems the exercises to demonstrate the user support services in the organisation.
while the Geological Survey of Slovenia friendliness of the software in terms of This includes the improvement of digital
introduced the delegates to their data manipulation, management and data dissemination, public awareness
geoportal. The Geological Survey of dissemination. Open-source and custom and internal data sharing.
Tanzania presented a comprehensive software for database management,
overview of the mineralogical potential of web services, data dissemination and For more information contact:
their greenstone belts. Other geological metadata cataloguing was utilised Ntsako Mhlarhi
surveys provided contributions of their throughout the training. GIS and Scientific Databases
data infrastructure for comparison and +27 (0)12 841 1085
knowledge sharing to find better ways of The CGS delegates benefitted nmhlarhi@geoscience.org.za
implementing and managing their data. immensely from this training and
are currently investigating ways to
The workshop lasted ten days and implement some of the skills acquired
was facilitated by trainers from the in the workshop to improve working
Slovenian Geological Survey, European
institutes and co-trainers from the
Botswana Geoscience Institute and

If you are not on our mailing list and you would like to receive a copy of GEOclips, please send an e-mail to:
Mahlako Mathabatha, Marketing, Communication & Stakeholder Relations, mmathabatha@geoscience.org.za

Private Bag X112, Pretoria 0001, South Africa / 280 Pretoria Street, Silverton, Pretoria 0184, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0)12 841 1911 / Fax: +27 (0)12 841 1221 / www.geoscience.org.za