U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 930--E 

International Strategic Minerals Inventory 

Summary Report-Platinum-Group Metals 

Prepared as a cooperative effort among earthscience and mineral-resource agencies of 

Australia, Canada, the Federal Republic of 

Germany, the Republic of South Africa, the 

United Kingdom, and the United States of 

America 
M ajor · geologic age units 

Million years Age before present 

Holocene 

QUATERNARY f- 0.01 

Pleistocene 

u f- 2 

Pliocene 0 

N 5 fMiocene 0 

z 

w f- 24 

Oligocene TERTIARY u 

1--- 38 

Eocene f- 55 

Paleocene 

63 

Late Cretaceous 

Cretaceous - 96 

u Early Cretaceous 0 t-- N - 138 

0 Jurassic (/) 

w 

~ - 205 

Triassic 

240 

Permian 

1- 290 

Pennsylvanian - Carboniferous 1---~330 

Mississippian u - 360 0 

Devonian N 

0 - w f- 410 _J 

<( Silurian Cl.. 

f- 435 

Ordovician 

- 500 

Cambrian 

~570 

u Late Proterozoic 5 - 900 N 

0 

Middle Proterozoic a: 

w 

t- r--1600 z 

0 <( 

Early Proterozoic a: a: 

Q.. al 2500 ~ 

z <( 

u <( 

w w 

:I: a: 

u Cl.. 

a: 

<( 
International Strategic Minerals Inventory 

Summary Report-Platinum-Group Metals 

By David M. Sutphin and Norman J Page 

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 930-E 

Prepared as a cooperative effort among earthscience and mineral-resource agencies of 

Australia, Canada, the Federal Republic of 

Germany, the Republic of South Africa, the 

United Kingdom, and the United States of 

America 

1986 
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

DONALD PAUL HODEL, Secretary 

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

Dallas L. Peck, Director 

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data 

Sutphin, David M. 

International Strategic Minerals Inventory summary report-Platinumgroup metals. 

(Geological Survey circular ; 930-E) 

"Prepared as a cooperative effort among earth-science and mineral-resource 

agencies of Australia, Canada, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America." 

Bibliography: p. 33 

Supt. of Docs. no.: I 19.4/2:930-E 

1. Platinum group. I. Page, Norman J II. Geological Survey (U.S.) 

III. Title. IV. Series: U.S. Geological Survey circular; 930-E. 

TN490.P7S88 1986 338.2'7422 86-600273 

Free on application to the Books and Open-File Reports Section, 

U.S. Geological Survey, Federal Center, Box 25425, Denver, CO 80225 
FOREWORD 

Earth-science and mineral-resource agencies from several countries started 

the International Strategic Minerals Inventory in order to gather cooperatively 

information about major sources of strategic mineral raw materials. This circular summarizes inventory information about major deposits of platinum-group 

metals, one of the mineral commodities selected for the inventory. 

The report was prepared by David M. Sutphin and NormanJ Page ofthe U.S. 

Geological Survey (USGS). The platinum-group-metals inventory was compiled by 0. R. Eckstrand, Canadian Department of Energy, Mines and Resources (EMR), Geological Survey of Canada; Gabriele I. C. Schneider, South 

African Department of Mineral and Energy Affairs (MEA), Geological Survey; 

and Norman J Page (chief compiler), USGS. Additional contributions to the 

report were made by Antony B. T. Werner and Jan Zwartendyk, EMR, Mineral 

Policy Sector; Ian Goldberg, MEA, Minerals Bureau; C. Roger Pratt and Paul 

Coker, Australian Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics; and 

Robert L. Marovelli, U.S. Bureau of Mines. 

Director 

III 
LATE INFORMATION 

Price increases in the latter part of 1986 have led to a surge in exploration for 

platinum-group metals. The following three discoveries in South Africa, Australia, and 

Botswana were reported too late to be included in the platinum-group-metals inventory. 

In August 1986, the development of a major new platinum mine was announced 

in South Africa (E.C.I. Hammerbeck, Geological Survey of South Africa, written 

commun., 1986; Siconolfi, 1986). The platinum-group-metal resources of the Bushveld Complex were previously calculated to a vertical depth of 1,200 meters, but 

down -dip extensions of both the Merensky Reef and the U G2 chromitite layer are to be 

exploited in the new mine to a depth of 2,700 meters below the surface. 

This new development adds about 1,600 metric tons of platinum-group metals, 

contained in ore of an average grade of 10.1 grams per ton (g/t), to the R1E resources 

of the Merensky Reef, and 2,100 metric tons of platinum-group metals, in ore of an 

average grade of 6.6 g/t, to the R1E resources of the UG2 chromitite layer. These 

figures are additional to the resources reported in table 9 of this circular. (Resource 

categories are outlined in figure 1 of this circular.) 

A gold deposit having important platinum-group-metal values has been discovered at Coronation Hill, in the Alligator Rivers Region of the Northern Territory 

(Australian Bureau of Mineral Resources, written commun., 1986). The deposit and 

other similar prospects in that Region are still being tested. Resources of contained 

metal in the R2 category at the Coronation Hill deposit are 31 metric tons of gold, 5 

metric tons of palladium, and 2 'h metric tons of platinum. The deposit is unusual in 

that the gold and the platinum-group metals occur in metamorphosed interbedded felsic 

volcanics and clastic sediments intruded by diorite. 

In September 1986, it was reported (Todd, 1986) that exploratory drilling 140 

kilometers southwest of Gaborone, Botswana, had led to the discovery of the 9,000-

square-kilometer Molopo Farms Complex, which is similar to the Bushveld Complex of 

South Africa. Preliminary reports from very early stages of drilling indicate combined 

platinum-palladium grades of 1 g/t. 

References Cited 

Siconolfi, Michael, 1986, Platinum surges despite discovery of new deposits: Wall Street Journal, August 

22, p. 30. 

Todd, J. C., 1986, Potentially major platinum find being explored in Botswana: Engineering and Mining 

Journal, v. 187, no. 9, p. 9-10. 

IV 
CONTENTS 

Page 

Forevvord ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- III 

1\bstract ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 

Part 1--()vervievv -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 

Introduction --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 

lJses and supply aspects ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 

Distribution of platinum-group-metal deposits -------------------------------------------------------------- 4 

Platinum-group-metal resources --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 

Platinum-group-metal production -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 

Conclusions ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13 

Part 11--Selected inventory information for platinum-group-metal deposits and districts -------------------------- 13 

References cited ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 33 

1\dditional references on platinum-group-metal resources ------------------------------------------------------- 34 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

Page 

FIGURE 1. Diagram shovving lJnited Nations resource categories used in this report -·-------------------------- 3 

2-3. Maps shovving: 

2. Location, deposit type, and estimated resources of major platinum-group-metal deposits and 

districts in the vvorld -------------------------------------------- ---------------------- 5 

3. Economic classification of the World Bank for countries vvhere the vvorld's major platinumgroup-metal deposits and districts occur ------------------------------------------------ 8 

4-6. Bar graphs shovving: 

4. Platinum-group-metal resources in the vvorld's major deposits and districts according to their 

date of discovery ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 

5. Proportions of total vvorld mine production of platinum-group metals accounted for by countries 

having deposits and districts in the ISMI platinum-group-metal inventory, selected years 

1940-80 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11 

6. Platinum-group-metal mine production in countries having major deposits and districts in the 

ISMI platinum-group-metal inventory, selected years 1940-80 --------------------------- 12 

7. Graphs shovving concentration ratios for selected nonfuel mineral commodity production in 1913 and 

1980 --------------~------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13 

8. Map shovving major platinum-group-metal deposits and districts, their present production status, and 

their probable production status in 2020 ------------------------------------------------------- 14 

TABLES 

Page 

TABLE 1. Platinum-group-metal deposits, districts, and prospects not included in the International Strategic 

Minerals Inventory -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6 

2. Platinum-group-metal resources in the vvorld's major deposits and districts, by geologic deposit type and 

resource category ----------------·-- 6··------------------------------------------------------

7 

3. Tonnage and grade of identified economic resources of platinum-group metals and gold in selected 

deposits and districts by geologic deposit type -------------------------------------------------- 7 

v 
Page 

4. Platinum-group-metal resources in the world's major deposits and districts, by economic class of 

country and resource category ---------------------------------------------------------------- 10 

5-6. Estimated cumulative and annual mine production of platinum-group metals: 

5. For each country having major platinum-group-metal deposits or districts --------------------- 11 

6. By economic class for countries having major platinum-group-metal deposits or districts ------- 11 

7. Platinum-group-metal resources in the world's major deposits and districts, listed by mining method 

and economic class of country ----------------------------------------------------------------- 12 

8. Selected geologic and location information from ISMI records for platinum-group-metal deposits and 

districts ------------------------------------------- ·----------------------------------------- 16 

9. Selected production and mineral-resource information from ISMI records for platinum-group-metal 

deposits and districts ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26 

VI 
INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIC MINERALS INVENTORY 

SUMMARY REPORT 

PLATINUM-GROUP METALS 

By David M. Sutphin and Norman J Page 

ABSTRACT 

Major world resources of platinum-group metals are described in this summary report of information in the International Strategic Minerals Inventory (ISMI). ISMI is a cooperative data-collection effort of earth-science and 

mineral-resource agencies in Australia, Canada, the Federal 

Republic of Germany, the Republic of South Africa, the United 

Kingdom, and the United States of America. This report, designed to be of benefit to policy analysts and geologists, contains two parts. Part I presents an overview of the resources 

and potential supply of platinum-group metals on the basis of 

inventory information which covers only discovered deposits. 

Part II contains tables of some of the geologic information and 

mineral-resource and production data that were collected by 

ISMI participants. 

PART I-OVERVIEW 

INTRODUCTION 

The reliability of future supplies of so-called 

strategic minerals is of concern to many nations. 

This widespread concern has led to duplication of 

effort in the gathering of information on the 

world's major sources of strategic mineral materials. With the aim of pooling such information, a 

cooperative program named International Strategic Minerals Inventory (ISMI) was started in 1981 

by officials of the governments of the United 

States, Canada, and the Federal Republic of Germany. It was subsequently joined by the Republic 

1 

of South Africa, Australia, and the United Kingdom. 

The objective of ISMI reports is to make publicly available, in convenient form, nonproprietary data and characteristics of major deposits of 

strategic mineral commodities for policy considerations in regard to short-term, medium-term, and 

long-term world supply. This report provides a 

summary statement of the data compiled and an 

overview of the supply aspects of platinum-group 

metals in a format designed to be of benefit to 

policy analysts and geologists. Knowledge of the 

geologic aspects of mineral resources is essential 

in order to discover and develop mineral deposits. 

However, technical, financial, and political decisions must be made and infrastructure must be 

constructed before ore can be mined and processed 

and the products transported to the consumer; the 

technical, financial, and political aspects of 

mineral-resource development are not specifically 

addressed in this report. The report addresses the 

primary stages in the supply process for 

platinum-group metals and includes only peripheral considerations of platinum-group-metal demand. 

The term "strategic minerals" is imprecise. It 

generally refers to mineral ore and derivative 

products that come largely or entirely from foreign sources, that are difficult to replace, and that 
are important to a nation's economy, in particular 

to its defense industry. Usually, the term implies 

a nation's perception of vulnerability to supply 

disruptions and of a need to safeguard its industries from the repercussions of a loss of supplies. 

Because a mineral that is strategic to one country may not be strategic to another, no one list of 

strategic minerals can be prepared. The ISMI 

Working Group decided to commence with 

chromium, manganese, nickel, and phosphate. All 

of these studies have now been published. Additional reports on cobalt, vanadium, graphite, tin, 

titanium, and tungsten are in preparation. 

The data in the ISMI platinum-group-metal inventory were collected from August 1984 to January 1986. The report was submitted for review 

and publication in January 1986. The information 

used was the best available in various agencies of 

the countries that contributed to the preparation 

of this report. Those agencies were the Bureau of 

Mines and the Geological Survey of the U.S. Department of the Interior; the Geological Survey of 

Canada and the Mineral Policy Sector of the 

Canadian Department of Energy, Mines and Resources; the Federal Institute for Geosciences and 

Natural Resources of the Federal Republic of Germany; the Geological Survey and the Minerals 

Bureau of the Department of Mineral and Energy 

Affairs of South Africa; the Bureau of Mineral 

Resources, Geology and Geophysics of the Australian Department of Resources and Energy; and 

the British Geological Survey, a component of the 

Natural Environment Research Council. 

Deposits (or districts) are selected for the inventory on the basis of their present or expected future contribution to world supply. Records for all 

deposits compiled by ISMI participants meet this 

general "major deposit" criterion and are included 

in the inventory.l 

The ISMI record collection and this report on 

platinum-group metals have adopted the international classification system for mineral resources 

recommended by the United Nations Group of Experts on Definitions and Terminology for Mineral 

Resources (United Nations Economic and Social 

Council, 1979; Schanz, 1980). The terms, definitions, and resource categories of this system were 

established in 1979 to facilitate international exchange of mineral-resource data; the Group of Ex1No information is provided on deposits that were once significant but whose 

resources are now considered to be depleted. 

2 

perts sought a system that would be compatible 

with the several systems already in use in several 

countries. Figure 1 shows the U.N. resource classification used in this report. The term "reserves," 

which many would consider to be equivalent to 

r1E or R1E, has been interpreted inconsistently 

and thus has been deliberately avoided in the 

U.N. classification. Category R3, undiscovered deposits, is not dealt with in this report. 

Not all companies or countries report resource 

data in the same way. Mining recovery from an 

ore body depends on individual conditions and 

may vary considerably, typically in the range of 

75 to 90 percent for underground metal mining; 

that is, 10 to 25 percent of the in-place resources 

cannot be extracted. 

The World Bank economic classification of 

countries (World Bank, 1985, p. 174-175), which 

is based primarily on GNP per capita, has been 

used in this and other ISMI reports to illustrate 

distribution of resources and production according 

to economic groupings of countires. This classification was chosen because it relies primarily on 

objective economic criteria and does not contain 

political bloc labels that might be perceived differently by different countries. 

USES AND SUPPLY ASPECTS 

The platinum-group metals2 are platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, and osmium. Platinum and palladium are found in 

larger quantities than the others and therefore 

have the larger volume usages. Although 

rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, and osmium are 

normally byproducts of mining of platinumpalladium and nickel-copper deposits, they have 

been produced in the past as major products of 

placer mining. Estimates of sales from primary 

platinum-group-metal mines to the Western 

World ranged from 72 to 87 metric tons (2.3-2.8 

million troy ounces) of platinum per year between 

1975 and 1984 and from 72 to 90 metric tons (2.3-

2.9 million troy ounces) of palladium per year 

between 1980 and 1984 (Robson, 1985). Most of 

the world's platinum-group-metal supply comes 

from only eight mining districts, predominantly 

2Jn this report, the term ''platinum-group metals" is used synonymously with 

platinum-group elements and encompasses platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, and osmium. The abbreviation PGM is used sparingly in tables and 

figures and is defined as "platinum-group metals" in each place where it is used. 

This approach is taken to avoid confusion with the use ofPGM by mineralogists to 

mean platinum-group minerals, such as atokite, insizwaite, osmiridium, and 

zvyagintsevite. 
R* 

IN SITU RESOURCESQuantities of economic interest 

for the next few decades 

R1 R3 

KNOWN DEPOSITS- EXTENSIONS OF KNOWN DEPOSITS UNDISCOVERED DEPOSITSReliable 

~ 

estimates AND NEWLY DISCOVERED DEPOSITS- Tentative estimates 

Preliminary estimates 

R1E/ R1JM ~R1S R~2S Economically Marginally Subeconomic Economically Subeconomic 

exploitable economic exploitable 

*The capital "R" denotes resources in situ; a lower case "r" expresses the corresponding recoverable resources 

for each category and subcategory. Thus, r1 E is the recoverable equivalent of R1 E. This report deals only 

with R1 and R2, not with R3. 

FIGURE 1.-United Nations resource categories used in this report (modified from Schanz, 1980, p. 313). 

from four mining districts in two countriesSouth Africa and the Soviet Union. 

The unique combinations of chemical, physical, 

and mechanical properties (including extraordinary catalytic activity, chemical inertness, high 

melting points, and high ductility) of the 

platinum-group metals have resulted in their use 

in many vital industrial processes. Platinumgroup-metal catalysts are used in processing 

petroleum and other fossil fuels, in ammonium 

oxidation to produce nitric acid for fertilizers, and 

in other chemical processing as well as in emission controls for automobiles and industrial processes. Other uses are in fuel cells, electrical and 

electronic hardware, the manufacture of special 

glasses, spinnerettes for making glass fibers, jewelry, and dental and medical work. Much scientific effort has gone into finding substitutes, but 

this effort has met with little success. 

As shown in subsequent sections of this report, 

platinum-group-metal resources and production 

are not uniformly distributed around the world. 

The geologic factors that control the distribution 

of platinum-group-metal deposits, coupled with 

the geographical history of economic development, have required that many industrialized nations import platinum-group metals. Several aspects of platinum-group-metal uses and supply 

are especially noteworthy: 

• Platinum mining in the Bushveld Complex in 

South Africa is a function of demand, because 

3 

its resources of platinum can meet all projected demands, in contrast to the situation 

in Canada and the Soviet Union, where 

platinum-group metals are a byproduct of 

nickel mining. The supply of other platinumgroup metals produced from Bushveld Complex deposits, rhodium, ruthenium, and so on, 

is fixed because these metals are byproducts 

of platinum mining. 

• Platinum-group-metal sales by the Soviet 

Union do not seem to reflect world demand 

but do reflect the relative independence of the 

Soviet Union in the world market at a particular time. 

• In 1984, the United States and Japan accounted for 77 percent of the Western World's 

use of the available platinum produced. About 

two-thirds of the platinum used by Japan goes 

into jewelry, whereas only about 5 percent of 

platinum use in the United States is for jewelry. 

• The European Economic Community is moving toward the reduction of lead in gasoline 

and toward emission standards similar to 

those in the United States. Significant quantities of platinum-group-metal automobile catalysts may be required in 1988 with full emission standards on line by 1993 (Robson, 1985). 

Implementation of these standards will definitely increase the demand for platinumgroup metals. 
• Australia (starting in January 1986 for new 

gasoline-powered automobiles and July 1988 

for all other new gasoline-powered vehicles) 

and South Korea (in 1987 or 1988) also intend 

to introduce emission control legislation 

which will involve increased use of platinumgroup metals. 

• Japan's commitment to fuel cells and the 

United States' preliminary trials with small 

generating stations where electricity is created by fuel cells probably will raise the demand for platinum-group metals in the 

1990's. 

DISTRIBUTION OF PLATINUM-GROUP-METAL 

DEPOSITS 

The world map in figure 2 shows the locations of 

the major platinum-group-metal deposits and districts. Major deposits in the Soviet Union and 

South Africa together account for about 98 percent of reserves (Buchanan, 1979). The Stillwater 

Complex, presently under exploration in southwestern Montana, could contribute enough material to meet about 10 percent of the United States' 

demand for platinum-group metals. Additional 

deposits of platinum-group metals occur in Australia, Brazil, Burma, Chile, Colombia, Ethiopia, 

Finland, Japan, Papua-New Guinea, Sierra 

Leone, Zaire, and Zimbabwe, as well as in the 

Soviet Union, the United States, South Africa, 

and Canada (Mertie, 1969; Cabri, 1981; Blair and 

others, 1977; Till and Page, 1979; Mohide, 1979; 

National Materials Advistory Board, 1980). 

The world's most important deposits of 

platinum-group metals are associated with magmatic intrusions of mafic and ultramafic rocks. 

They fall into three main categories: 

• Stratiform deposits in which platinum-groupmetal deposits occur as layer-like zones in 

large Precambrian complexes (Bushveld 

Complex, South Africa; Great Dyke, Zimbabwe; and Stillwater Complex, United 

States). 

• A unique intrusion of norite (Sudbury irruptive complex, Canada), which probably was 

initiated by the impact of a meteor on the 

Earth's crust (Dietz, 1964; Rousell, 1984). 

• Nickel- and copper-bearing dikes and sills, 

which are found in association with rift structures (Noril'sk-Talnakh district, Soviet 

Union). 

4 

The stratiform deposits are the only ones mined 

principally for platinum-group metals, with 

nickel, copper, and cobalt being produced as 

byproducts. In the other deposit types, except for 

some placer deposits, platinum-group metals are 

byproducts of nickel and copper mining. 

Other deposits that contribute to the remaining 

2 percent of the reserves are of several geologic 

types and include placer deposits (such as Upper 

San Juan and Atrato Rivers district of Colombia, 

which includes the Choco-Pacifico area and which 

in the past contributed a major part to the supplies of platinum-group metals); nickel-sulfide deposits associated with komatiitic extrusive rocks; 

sulfide deposits associated with zoned ultramafic 

to mafic intrusions (such as Uralan, Alaskan, and 

concentrically zoned deposits); platinum-group 

metals in stratiform and podiform chromite deposits, porphyry copper deposits, and shale-hosted 

base-metal sulfide deposits; and miscellaneous 

hydrothermal platinum-group-metal deposits. 

One deposit listed in table 1, Jinchuan in the 

People's Republic of China, may eventually affect 

supply patterns of the platinum-group metals. 

Nickel ores discovered in 1958 in Gansu Province 

have become China's largest producer of nickel, 

copper, platinum-group metals, and cobalt. Ross 

and Travis (1981) estimated the resources of this 

district at 514 million metric tons of ore with 1.06 

percent nickel; the platinum-group-metal content 

is unknown, but using a value similar to that for 

Sudbury (0.9 grams per metric ton) would suggest 

440 to 470 metric tons (14-15 million troy ounces) 

of platinum-group metals. Robson (1985) suggests 

that expansion at Jinchuan would quadruple 

nickel output and thus increase the platinumgroup-metal output in the 1990's. 

Figure 3 shows the global distribution of major 

platinum-group-metal deposits and indicates the 

economic class (GNP per capita) of the countries 

where the deposits are located. 

PLATINUM-GROUP-METAL RESOURCES 

Magmatic, stratiform, Merensky Reef-type deposits of platinum-group metals account for 92 to 

93 percent of the resources reported in R1 and 

R2 categories. Tables 2 and 3 report resource 

estimates based on data in Part II and on an 

earlier resource estimate by Buchanan (1979), 

respectively. Comparison of the data in these 

tables highlights some of the problems of making, 
60° 

40° 

20° 

01 oo 

20° 

40° 

160° 

'• \ ~~~ 

~ f' ~~} -~~~f, ~ ~" 

,.,...:;, 

'"::~-/;;.~ fl"~;.\ 'v/ ·? r c~'*- ;J"'" <'~ / (k<> '""\; '>.J't'i. ~-- ~.\f 

r;r/~'}o t :::~::,'~ 11:\ ,, ( 1,,/\ 

i'f ~ " '\ \ ' I ~ ">,. .t;\J~ f.;; 

;:.:) T-:l 

•:;~ ~\;: 

t 

7 t····/ A-/ 

\ l '>\/ 

\, __ z 

/

·'\:\.\ 

·2-::f:;\;;:~:. }~~}~ CANADA 

1 ) Sudbury district (24) 

~ 

UNITED STATES 

Stillwater Complex (1) 

i 

;-,; ~· 

:?10,~c•('Y'':· 

, COLOMBIA ~l , 

San Juan and Atrata 'X Riv~rs district (1) i'> 

// 

f· 

MERCATOR PROJECTION ~~· jzpz 0 LATITUD~ !_.i 70 ~ 70 ~! 1 

1000 500 0 500 =-woo KILOMETERS ·~. #5' 

Base from Bundesanstalt fur Geow1ssenschaften und Rohsto1teBoundary and names representation not necessanly authont,at1ve 

Plac~r 

40° 80° 120° 

~-t'-l!>·., 5"7:/) ~ 

I: ;J / 'f/ . /i~ - '' \ t'.l 

;,., . i''p // ~- '..._,4.._);{> ,ry ·- '~ ' ' ~ 'I ~\ 

•,1;j~~ ;(?~,~~:~ r,y~;~ ' J 

. . -(> ::~":;·, SOVIET UNION~ /~ 1 

(( ,~~;: h Noril'sk-Talnakh district (1) 

. t • !. ?' \;:::;:~.\J • Pechenga district (1) 

()~:y}~::l' ' r·-~ 

.... 

-.. ,.'\ SOUTH AFRICA 

ushveld C~mplex (6) 

Witwatersrand (1) 

EXPLANATION 

Geologic deposit type 

Magmatic 

Symbol Resources (metric tons) Symbol 

• 

• 

• 

Resources (metric tons) 

0 Unreported >10,000 

1,000-10,000 

<1,000 

160° 

"; 

'"-. 

FIGURE 2.-Location, deposit type, and estimated resources of major platinum-group-metal deposits and districts in the world. Numbers in parentheses indicate 

number of records (deposits and districts) for each location. Location names are from the tables in Part II. 
TABLE 1.-Platinum-group-metal deposits, districts, and prospects not included in the International 

Name Geologic deposit type 

Australia 

Wannaway -----------------

Carnilya Hill mine ----------

Agnew mine - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kambalda-St. Ives-Tramways 

Magmatic, komatiitic. 

district -------------------

Windarra district------------

Botswana 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Pikwe district - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Magmatic. 

Phoenix - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Do. 

Selebi district - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Do. 

Selkirk - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Do. 

Brazil 

Serra Pelada ---------------- Hydrothermal gold deposit 

Canada 

Lac de Iles - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Magmatic, stratiform. 

Great Lakes Nickel ---------- Magmatic. 

Ungava district ------------- Magmatic, komatiitic. 

Shebandowan mine ---------- Do. 

Texmont - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Redstone - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Moak Lake mine - - - - - - - - -- - -

MysteryLake ---------------

Bucko mine -----------------

Birch tree mine - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Pipe No.1 mine-------------

Soab North and South mines -

Thompson mine - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Pipe No. 2 open pit center 

Magmatic. 

Do. 

Magmatic, dunitic. 

Do. 

Do. 

Magmatic. 

China 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Jinchuan mine -------------- Magmatic, stratiform. 

Ophiolite chromite-western 

China -------------------- Magmatic, ophiolite. 

Ethiopia 

Yubdo ---------------------- Placer, alluvial and eluvial. 

Finland 

Kotalahti mine - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Magmatic. 

Vammala mine ------------- Do. 

Hitura mine -- -------------- Do. 

Kontijarvi ------------------ Do. 

Kuohunki ------------------ Do. 

Penikat Layered Intrusion - - - Magmatic, stratiform. 

Indonesia 

Goenoegn-Lawack (Borneo) -- Placer, alluvial. 

Papua New Guinea 

Yodda Rivers Placer, alluvial. 

Gira Rivers ----------------- Do. 

6 

Name Geologic deposit type 

Philippines 

Acoje mine - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Magmatic, ophiolite. 

Poland 

Zechstein basin-Kupferschie- Shale-hosted base-metal 

fer (also would include parts sulfide deposit. 

of Germany) 

Norway 

Bruvann-Rana-Espedalen -- Magmatic, synorogenic. 

Sierra Leone 

Freetown layered complex --- Magmatic, stratiform and 

placer, alluvial. 

South Africa 

Insizwa --------------------- Magmatic, rift-related. 

Uitkomst deposit ------------ Magmatic. 

Messina - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Hydrothermal. 

Phalaborwa mine - - - - - - --- - - Carbonatite, copper deposit. 

Soviet Union 

Ural Mountain mines and 

deposits. 

Gusevogorsky deposit - - - - - - - -

Monchegorsk - - - - - - --- - - - - - - -

Placer, alluvial, eluvial; 

magmatic, zoned. 

Magmatic, zoned. 

Magmatic, stratiform. 

Sweden 

Lappvatlnet-----------------

Risliden --------------------

Mjoedvattnet - - - - - - - - - - - --- - -

Magmatic. 

Do. 

Do. 

United States of America 

La Perouse-Brady Glacier -- Magmatic, stratiform. 

Duluth Complex: 

Ely Spruce ---------------- Magmatic, rift-related. 

Minnamax ---------------- Do. 

Salt Chuck ----------------- Magmatic, zoned. 

Snettisham - - - - - - - - - - - - --- - - Do. 

Union Bay ------------------ Do. 

Yakobi Island-Bohemia 

Basin-------------· ·------ Do. 

New Rambler --------------- Hydrothermal platinumgroup-metal deposit. 

Salmon River-Goodnews Bay 

district - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

California-Sierran placers --

California-Klamath placers -

Porphyry copper deposits in 

Western United States -----

Placer, alluvial. 

Do. 

Do. 

Porphyry copper deposits. 

Yugoslavia 

Bor district ----------------- Porphyry copper deposits. 
Strategic Minerals Inventory 

Name Geologic deposit type 

·zaire 

Copper belt: 

Kolwezi district, Musoni, 

Rwe, Shinkolobwe 

Sediment-hosted red-bed 

copper. 

Zimbabwe 

Hunters Road deposit --------

Shangani mine - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Damba - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Trojan mine - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Epoch mine - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Selukwe mine - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Empress mine - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Madzi wa mine - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Magmatic, komatiitic. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Magmatic. 

Do. 

interpreting, and using estimates of platinumgroup-metal resources. The problems revolve 

around the lack of published reliable estimates of 

grade and tonnage. Buchanan (1979), for example, estimates 6,000 metric tons (200 million troy 

ounces) of platinum-group metals at Noril'sk with 

a grade of 3.8 grams per metric ton (g/t). These 

estimates suggest that there are about 1.64 billion metric tons of ore at Noril'sk. Ross and Travis 

(1981), however, estimate that ore reserves in the 

Noril'sk district are only 178 million metric tons. 

In addition, Newman (1973) estimates that the 

more massive ores contained 9.7 g/t and the disseminated ores 3.5 g/t. There appears to be no 

solution to this particular problem. Other discrepancies can occur in defining platinium-groupmetal resources for the Stillwater Complex as R1 

or R2. The more encouraging estimates are those 

that are independent and tend to converge. For 

example, von Gruenewaldt (1977) estimates 

62,890 metric tons (2.02 billion troy ounces) of 

platinum-group metals in the Bushveld Complex; 

his estimate is similar to Buchanan's (1979) estimate of 61,770 metric tons (1.99 billion troy 

ounces) and to an estimate of 75,000 metric tons 

TABLE 2.-Platinum-group-metal resources in the world's 

major deposits and districts, by geologic deposit type and 

resource category 

[Figures are in metric tons of platinum-group-metal resource; N.r. =None reported; numbers in parentheses are percent of column totals. Figures may not 

add to totals shown due to rounding] 

No. of Resource category 

Geologic deposit typel records All other R1E2 Rl and R23 

Magmatic, stratiform, 

Merensky Reeftype ---------------- 8 23,600 (96) 55,400 (100) 

Magmatic, riftrelated ------------- 2 488 (2.0) N.r. 

Magmatic, noritic ----- 24 383 (1.6) N.r. 

Placer ---------------- 2 N.r. N.r. 

Total - - - - - - - - - - - 36 24,500 (100) 55,400 (100) 

1Deposit types of the world's major platinum-group-metal deposits are shown in 

figure 2 and in table 8 of Part II. 

2Reliable estimates from identified deposits with economically exploitable resources (fig. 1). 

3That is, resources in the RIM, RlS, R2E, and R2S categories (fig. 1). 

TABLE 3.-Tonnage and grade of identified economic resources of platinum-group metals and gold in selected deposits and 

districts by geologic deposit type 

[Table is after Buchanan (1979). Identified economic resources are generally equivalent to RlE and R2E. (See fig. 1.) Deposit locations are shown in figure 2. Resources 

reported in metric tons with grade in grams per metric ton (g/t); numbers in parentheses are percent of column totals as reported in original source; resources tonnages 

calculated on the basis of percentages given and total resources for each deposit. N.a.=Data not available. Figures may not add to totals shown due to rounding] 

Platinum ----

Palladium - - -

Ruthenium --

Rhodium ----

Iridium ------

Osmium -----

Gold - - - - - - - - -

Total --

Grade (g/t) - - -

Merensky 

Reef 

10,300 (59) 

4,380 (25) 

1,400 (8) 

530 (3) 

180 (1) 

140 (0.8) 

560 (3.2) 

17,500 (100) 

8.1 

!Calculated to 1,200 m vertical depth. 

Stratifonnl 

Bushveld Complex 

UG2 

13,600 (42) 

11,300 (35) 

3,890 (12) 

2,600 (8) 

750 (2.3) 

230 (0.7) 

32,400 (100) 

8.71 

Platreef 

4,960 (42) 

5,430 (46) 

470 (4) 

350 (3) 

94 (0.8) 

71 (0.6) 

400 (3.4) 

11,800 (100) 

7-27 

Stillwater ComplexJ-M Reef 

7 

210 (19) 

730 (66.5) 

44 (4.0) 

84 (7.6) 

26 (2.4) 

6 (0.5) 

1,100 (100) 

22.3 

Noritic 

Sudbury 

106 (38) 

112 (40) 

8 (2.9) 

9 (3.3) 

3 (1.2) 

3 (1.2) 

38 (13.5) 

280 (100) 

0.9 

Rift-related 

Noril'skTalnakh 

1,560 (25) 

4,420 (71) 

60 (1) 

190 (3) 

6,220 (100) 

3.8 

Placer 

Upper San Juan 

and Atrato Rivers 

N.a. (93) 

N.a. (1) 

N.a. (2) 

N.a. (3) 

N.a. (1) 

N.a. (100) 

N.a. 
00 

160° 

40° 

I UNITE[ 

20o StiU~~ter Complex (lJ 

oo 

I 

20°. 

40° ·-

COLOMBIA 

San Juan and Atrata 

.:_,. .. Rivers district (1 Y 

MERCATOR PROJECTION 

~'LATITUDE 

70' - 70° 

1000 500 0 500 1000 KILOMETERS 

Base from Bundesanstalt fUr Geow1ssenschaften und 

·-. .(. 

Boundary a~d nar:'es representation, not ~ecessanly a~thon\at1ve 

40° oo 40° 80° 120° 160° 

_,.r...:...---7 

~=~~~~fst~fll~~~~~~~~~~~~~w~~~ • .. -"'---

·-· ,(, " .J"" c.,. I ~l >, 

EXPLANATION 

lower middle-income economies 

Upper middle-income economies 

-

G 

Industrial market economies 

East European nonmarket economies 

FIGURE 3.-Economic classification of the World Bank (1985, p. 174-175), based principally on GNP per capita, for countries where the world's major platinum-group-metal 

deposits and districts occur. Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of records (deposits and districts) for each location. Location names are from the tables in 

Part II. 
(2.4 billion ounces) ofRl and R2 resources derived 

from the inventory record forms. 

Other problems with estimates of platinumgroup-metal resources are exemplified by the listing of deposits in table 1. Among those deposits 

listed are large magmatic stratiform complexes in 

which a Merensky Reef-type deposit has yet to be 

identified, but for which observed geologic and 

geochemical characteristics indicate there is a 

possibility for such an occurrence. (The Penikat 

Layered Intrusion in Finland may be such a deposit.) New discoveries of this type of deposit could 

drastically change the distribution of the world's 

resources of platinum-group metals. 

Table 4 shows the distribution of resources 

(metric tons of in-place material) of major 

platinum-group-metal deposits among the World 

Bank country economic classes from figure 3. 

Upper middle-income countries, represented only 

by major deposits in South Africa, have most of 

the platinum-group-metal resources of the major 

deposits (72 percent of RlE and 89 percent of reported resources in other categories). Deposits in 

the Soviet Union, the one country representing 

eastern European nonmarket economy class, contribute 27 percent of reported RlE, and deposits in 

Canada and the United States, the two countries 

representing the industrial market economy 

class, contribute 1.5 percent of reported RlE and 

4.2 percent of resources in other categories. Deposits in Zimbabwe and Colombia, countries in 

the lower middle-income class, have 6.9 percent of 

reported resources in categories other than RlE 

(although resources for Colombia are not reported). 

The addition to world platinum-group-metal resources in major deposits by discovery of new deposits is shown in figure 4. Production from 

platinum-group-metal-bearing placers in the San 

Juan and Atrato Rivers district, Colombia, was 

the major source of platinum-group metals until 

additional discoveries were made in the Sudbury 

irruptive complex, Canada, in the 1880-99 period. The deposits of the Great Dyke were discovered during the 1900-19 period. Discoveries in 

the Bushveld Complex, South Africa, and in the 

Noril'sk-Talnakh and Pechenga districts in the 

Soviet Union make the 1920-39 period one in 

which 91 percent of currently reported resources 

were discovered. R.esources in Canada's Thomp9 

son Nickel Belt, which were discovered in 1956 

and 1959, are included in the resource estimates 

for the Sudbury irruptive complex, and resources 

in the Stillwater Complex, United States, which 

were discovered in 1973, are the only major 

platinum-group-metal deposits discovered since 

1939. 

Conclusions drawn from figure 4 should take 

account of (1) the uncertainty of discovery date 

due to difficulties in defining "discovery"; (2) the 

limited validity of assigning all of a deposit's (or 

district's) resources to the initial discovery date, 

as done in figure 4; and (3) the different standards 

used by different countries to report resource 

data. The relatively smaller size of discoveries 

made since 1939 may be a result of incomplete 

information about the extent of recently discovered deposits and of the time lag in reporting 

information about new discoveries and may also 

reflect reduced exploration more recently due to 

depressed market conditions. 

PLATINUM-GROUP-METAL PRODUCTION 

The 36 platinum-group-metal deposits and districts in the International Strategic Minerals Inventory occur in six countries (fig. 5); these countries have collectively accounted for the vast 

majority (99.5 percent) of the world's platinumgroup-metal production since the early 1700's. 

The data plotted in figure 5 include a very small 

amount of platinum-group metals from countries 

that are not in the inventory. 

Figure 6 shows the production of platinumgroup metals from each of the countries included 

in the figure 5 totals. Because of sharp increases 

in production from South Africa and the Soviet 

Union during the 1940-80 period shown, the proportion of world platinum-group-metal production accounted for by other countries, such as 

Canada, Colombia, and the United States, has 

fallen from about 53 percent in 1940 to about 

7 percent in 1980. Production growth has been so 

rapid in South Africa and the Soviet Union that 

Canada's proportion of world platinum-groupmetal prod-:;ction has fallen from 43 percent in 

1940 to 6 percent in 1980 even though Canadian 

output in 1980 was more than double the 1940 

production. 
TABLE 4.-Platinum-group-metal resources in the world's 

major deposits and districts, by economic class of country and 

resource category 

[Figures are in metric tons of resource; N.r.=None reported; numbers in parentheses are percent of column totals. Figures may not add to totals shown due to 

rounding] 

No. of Resource category2 

Economic classl records All other RIE Rl and R2 

Lower middleincome ------------- 2 N.r. 4,320 (6.9) 

Upper middleincome ------------- 7 16,600 (72) 55,400 (89) 

Industrial market - - - - - 25 359 (1.5) 2,600 (4.2) 

Eastern European 

nonmarket - - - - - - - - - - 2 6,240 (27) N.r. 

Total - - - - - - - - - - - 36 23,200 (100) 62,300 (100) 

lBased principally on GNP per capita and, in some instances, other distinguishing economic characteristics (World Bank, 1985, p. 174-175). Countries where 

major platinum-group-metal deposits or districts occur are, by class: lower middleincome economies-Colombia, Zimbabwe; upper middle-income economies-South 

Africa; industrial market economies-Canada, the United States; eastern European nonmarket economies-the Soviet Union. Two economic classes, lowincome economies and high-income oil exporters, are not listed because those countries do not have identified major platinum-group-metal deposits. See figure 3. 

2Categories are defined in figure 1. 

Information for 1983 production and cumulative production from 1735 to 1983 for countries 

with deposits in the inventory is shown in table 5. 

Production at 1983 levels would double world 

cumulative production in about 20 years. These 

production data have been grouped by World 

Bank economic class in table 6. 

The eastern European nonmarket economy 

class (the Soviet Union) accounted for 56 percent 

of 1983 production and about half of reported 

world production since 1735. About one third of 

cumulative production and 41 percent of1983 production took place in upper middle-income countries (South Africa). Industrial market economy 

countries (Canada and the United States) rank a 

distant third in cumulative production (14 percent) and 1983 production (less than 3 percent). 

Platinum-group metals are produced from surface and underground mining operations. Table 7 

shows the distribution of reported resources by 

mining method. In general, surface-mining methods are used on placer deposits (resources for 

placer deposits were not reported), and other 

types of deposits are mined underground. The exceptions are the Witwatersrand of South Africa, 

which is a placer deposit of Early Proterozoic age 

that extends to great depth and must be mined 

underground, and the Thompson Nickel Belt, a 

90 

80 

70 (/) 

...J 

~60 w 

::2:50 

~ 

5 40 a: 

~30 ~ 

~20 

t= 

~ ~ 

LL 9 0 

(/) 

z 8 

0 

t- 7 u 

a: 

1- 6 w 

::2: 5 0 

z 

<( 4 (/) 

::J 

0 

::t: 3 

t- 2 

0 To 1879 1880-99 19CXH9 19~39 1940-59 

DATE OF DISCOVERY 

EXPLANATION 

• Reported production to 1983 from discoveries made in the time periods 

specified, 

R1P 

D Other resource categories3 

1The production shown for deposits and districts in the 

inventory is about 1,216 metric tons. Cumulative production 

from countries with deposits in the inventory for the 

same period (1735-1983) as reported by the sources 

listed in table 5, is 4,236 metric tons. The difference 

(3,020 metric tons) is because not all production is directly 

attributable to the specific deposits in the inventory and 

because the national production totals include deposits 

that are not in the inventory. 

2Aeliable estimates from identified deposits with economically exploitable resources (fig. 1 ). 

Jtncludes resources in the R1M, R15, R2E, and R2S 

categories (fig. 1 ). 

FIGURE 4.-Platinum-group-metal resources in the world's 

major deposits and districts according to their date of discovery. If the year of discovery was not reported, year of first 

production was used instead. Years of discovery are listed in 

table 9 of Part II. 

10 

magmatic-stratiform deposit which has surface and underground mines. Of the resources 
~ 90 

i= 

u 

::::> 

0 

0 

1%: 

Q.. 

LL 

0 

80 

1- 20 

z 

w 

u 

1%: 

~ 10 

0 

1940 1950 1960 

YEAR 

1970 1980 

• Drill 

• • 

D 

Canada 

Colombia 

South Africa 

Soviet Union 

United States 

Zimbabwe and other (above) countries 

with major platinum-group-metal 

deposits and districts that had less 

than 1 percent of world production 

during indicated year 

Countries that produced platinumgroup metals but that do not 

have deposits in the ISMI 

platinum-group-metal inventory 

FIGURE 5.-Proportions of total world mine production of platinum-group metals accounted for by countries having 

major deposits and districts in the ISMI platinum-group-metal inventory, selected years 1940-80. Reported 

production (U.S. Bureau of Mines, 1943-83) for countries listed in table 5. 

TABLE 5.-Estimated cumulative and annual mine production 

of platinum-group metals for each country having major 

platinum-group-metal deposits or districts 

[Figures are in metric tons of contained platinum-group metals; numbers in parentheses denote production ranking of country] 

Country Cumulative production! Annual production! 

1735-1983 1983 

Soviet Union ------ 2,110 (1) 112 (1) 

South Mrica - - - - - - 1,420 (2) 80.9 (2) 

Canada ----------- 550 (3) 5.2 (3) 

Colombia --------- 115 (4) .6 (4) 

United States ----- 39.8 (5) .2 (5) 

Zimbabwe -------- .8 (6) .1 (6) 

lCumulative production calculated from reported production (U.S. Bureau of 

Mines, 1927-34, 1933-84; Quiring, 1962). Data for all countries for all years are 

not always available. Production for 1983 is from Loebenstein, 1984, p. 694. 

included in table 7, 45 percent are not being 

mined at present and 55 percent are mined underground. 

11 

TABLE 6.-Estimated cumulative and annual mine production 

of platinum-group metals by economic class for countries 

having major platinum-group-metal deposits or districts 

[Figures are in metric tons; numbers in parentheses denote production ranking of 

economic class. Figures may not add to totals shown due to rounding] 

Economic classl 

Lower middle-income ------------

Upper middle-income ------------

Industrial market ---------------

Eastern European nonmarket - - - -

Total ---------------------

Cumulative 

production 

1735-19832 

116 (4) 

1,420 (2) 

590 (3) 

2,110 (1) 

4,240 

Annual 

production 

19832 

.75 (4) 

80.9 (2) 

5.4 (3) 

112 (1) 

199 

lBased principally on GNP per capita and, in some instances, on other distinguishing economic characteristics (World Bank, 1985, p. 174-175). Countries 

where major platinum-group-metal deposits or districts occur are, by class: lower 

middle-income economies-Colombia, Zimbabwe; upper middle-income economies-South Mrica; industrial market economies-Canada, United States; eastern European nonmarket economies-Soviet Union. Two economic classes, low-income economies and high-income oil exporters, are not listed because those 

countries do not have identified major platinum-group-metal deposits. See figure 3. 

2Reported production from countries in indicated economic class (U.S. Bureau of 

Mines, 1927-34, 1933-84; Quiring, 1962). Production for 1983 is from Loebenstein, 

1984, p. 694. 
METRIC TONS METRIC TONS 

0 

1940 1940 

50 Canada 50 

60 60 

70 70 

80 80 1940 

50 a: 

< 60 w 

>- 70 

Colombia 

1940 United States 

a: 50 

< w 60 

>-

70 * 

80 80 * 1940 

50 South Africa 

1940 

50 Zimbabwe 

60 60 

70 70 

80 80 * 

"Reported mine production of less than 600 kilograms 

FIGURE 6.-Platinum-group-meta.l mine production in countries having major deposits and districts in the ISMI platinumgroup-metal inventory, selected years 1940-80. Reported mine production (U.S. Bureau of Mines, 1943-84) for those countries listed in table 5. 

In studies of the structure of industrial markets, one way of measuring market concentration 

is to focus directly on observable dimensions, such 

as number of suppliers. The market concentration 

ratio, defined as a percentage of total industry 

sales or output contributed by the largest firms 

(Scherer, 1970, p. 50-51), can be applied to countries as well. Figure 7 shows the four-country and 

eight-country concentration ratios for 1913 and 

1980 production of several nonfuel mineral commodities. By these measures, platinum-group 

metals (reported as platinum in 1913) ranked 

high among those mineral commodities controlled 

by a few producing countries in 1913. This concentration of platinum-group-metal production declined only slightly from 1913 to 1980 based on 

both the four-country ratio and the eight-country 

ratio. 

In 1913, Russia, Colombia, and Australia were 

the major suppliers of platinum-group metals 

(USGS, 1921, p. 48), while in 1980 the Soviet 

Union and South Africa supplied over 90 percent 

of the world's platinum-group metals. 

Present and probable future production of 

platinum-group metals from the major deposits 

included in the International Strategic Minerals 

TABLE 7.-Platinum-group-metal resources in the world's major deposits and districts, listed by mining method and economic 

class of country 

[Resources are those in the Rl and R2 categories (fig. 1). N.r.=None reported. Figures are metric tons of contained platinum-group metals. Figures may not add to totals 

shown due to rounding] 

Economic classl 

Surface 

Lower middle-income -------------------- N.r. 

Upper middle-income -------------------- N.r. 

Industrial market ----------------------- N.r. 

Eastern European nonmarket ------------ N .r. 

Total - - - - --- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - N .r. 

Underground 

N.r. 

37,900 

2,960 

6,250 

47,100 

Mining method 

Surface and underground Not mined 

N.r. 4,320 

N.r. 34,100 

N.r. N.r. 

N.r. N.r. 

N.r. 38,400 

1Based principally on GNP per capita and. in some instances. other distinguishing economic characteristics (World Bank, 1985, p. 174-175). Countries where major 

platinum-group-metal deposits or districts occur are, by class: lower middle-income economies-Colombia, Zimbabwe; upper middle-income economies-South Africa; 

industrial market economies-Canada, United States; eastern European nonmarket economies-Soviet Union. Two economic classes, low-income economies and highincome oil exporters, are not listed because those countries do not have identified major platinum-group-metal deposits. See figure 3. 

12 
i= 

z 

w 

u 

a: 

w 

~ 

0 

F= 

<( 

a: 

z 

0 

F= 

<( 

a: 

1-

z 

w 

u 

z 

0 

u 

100 

90 

80 

70 

60 

50 

40 

1913 1980 

~ 

FOUR-COUNTRY 

RATIO 

~ 

Mica 

v 

Au 

Co 

Mn 

Cr 

Sb 

Sn 

Ni 

w 

Fe 

Cu,F 

Pb 

Barite 

Gypsum 

,... 1913 1980 

Pt.Au. Ni, Mica 

Cr 

Mn 

Sb 

Pb 

Fe 

Sn 

Cu 

w 

EIGHT-COUNTRY 

RATIO 

FIGURE 7 .-Concentration ratios for selected nonfuel mineral 

commodity production in 1913 and 1980. The ratios are 

percent of total world production for the indicated commodities, designated by chemical-element symbols (PGM for 

platinum-group metals), for the four or eight countries with 

the largest reported production of the commodity in 1913 

and 1980. (Sources of data: U.S. Geological Survey, 1921; 

U.S. Bureau ofMines, 1982.) 

Inventory are shown on the map in figure 8. 

Present major producers (such as Sudbury district, Noril'sk-Talnakh district, and the Bushveld 

Complex) will probably continue to be significant 

producers through the year 2020. The recent cessation of production from placer deposits in Upper 

San Juan and Atrato Rivers district of Colombia 

will probably be compensated for by production 

from the Stillwater Complex. The Great Dyke, 

although shown in figure 8 as a nonproducer or an 

insignificant producer, may also compensate for 

the loss of production in Colombia. An analysis by 

Anstett and others (1982) suggests that the price 

13 

of platinum would have to quadruple before mining in the Great Dyke could begin. 

The Penikat Layered Intrusion in Finland 

(table 1) is reported to contain platinum-groupmetal mineralization of the Merensky Reef-type 

(Alapieti and Lahtinen, 1985). Layered mafic and 

ultramafic intrusions similar to this one have 

been identified in other countries and have as yet 

not been explored thoroughly for platinum-groupmetal deposits. Such discoveries and new exploration have been encouraged by the rapid expansion of published geologic and geochemical 

information on platinum-group-metal deposits 

and the development of precise, rapid analytical 

techniques in the last decade. It is possible that 

discoveries such as the Penikat occurrence and 

future discoveries of other Merensky Reef-type 

deposits could change the present platinumgroup-metal supply structure by the year 2020. 

CONCLUSIONS 

At present, platinum-group-metal supply is 

dominated by mines in South Africa and the 

Soviet Union. Worldwide demand is increasing 

because of current or pending emission-control 

legislation that necessitates platinum-based catalysts in gasoline-powered vehicles. Development 

and potential use of fuel cells could add to this 

demand. Continuing exploration and development ofMerensky Reef-type mineralization in the 

Stillwater Complex, Montana, and the potential 

discovery of other deposits of this type could dramatically change the supply situation evolving by 

2020. 

PART II-SELECTED INVENTORY 

INFORMATION FOR PLATINUM-GROUPMETAL DEPOSITS AND DISTRICTS 

Tables 8 and 9 contain information from the 

International Strategic Minerals Inventory record forms for platinum-group-metal deposits and 

districts. Only selected items of information about 

the location and geology (table 8) and mineral 

production and resources (table 9) of the deposits 

are listed here; some of this information has been 

abbreviated. 
1-' 

~ 

60° 

40° 

20° 

oo 

20° 

40° 

160° 80° 

\, i 

UNITED STATES/ "--7/,;~ 1 :r,' 

Stillwater Complex (1) /<~·;t-;t ''<~-- ; 

·i"'· 

·~ ..,· 

COLOMBIA _, 

San Juan and Atrata .,'[ 

-Rivers district (1) · '1\ , . !' >,"·•,"<;', I 

MERCATOR PROJECTION :; 

0 0' LATITUDE 'j 70 70c ~: 

1000 500 0 500 1000 KILOMETERS ~~ w 

Base from Bundesanstalt fur Geow1ssenschaften und Rohsto'fre" 

Boundary and names representation not necessarily authontat1ve 

e Producer in 1985; probably a significant 

producer in 2020 

-,t 

t~ 

40° 

'~ ,"' 

'( l 

\ I 

"'V 

oo 40° 80° 

:,_:,-~-'S-, ,;r.ri.N!i~,_, ·- ._- .·- \ ;, \ '··,.. -, ". . '-, (> ," ,';' 

: I ' '': ( <\; h • SOVIET UNION \ 

'"· ~{' ~ f:f? ' Norll'sk-Talnakh district (1) 

\ i. ~~~ .J ' Pechenga district ( 1) 

i?":~ \us_)"':-..: 

~rt 

'v/ 

\.' • ' •• ',~-<: '~; ' • \ 

ZIMBABWE A,·~ -;r: OUTH AFRICA 

Great Dyke (1) S h ld Complex (6) 

Bus ve '1) Witwatersrand !i 

EXPLANATION 

120° 160° 

:,--~ 

t/J::, r"' 

./,,) ~ _, 

() No production in 1985; probably a significant 

producer in 2020 

0 No production in 1985; probably an 

insignificant producer or no production by 

2020 

FIGURE 8.-Major platinum-group-metal deposits and districts, their present production status, and their probable production status in 2020. 
Summary descriptions and data are presented 

in the tables as closely as possible to the way that 

they were reported in the inventory records. For 

instance, significant digits for amounts of production or resources have been maintained as reported. Data that were reported in units other 

than metric tons have been converted to metric 

tons for comparability. Some of the data in the 

tables are more aggregated than in the inventory 

records, such as cumulative production totals that 

for some mines have been reported by year or by 

groups of years. Some of the abbreviations used in 

the inventory records forms have been used in 

these tables; they are explained in the headnotes. 

15 
1--l 

~ 

TABLE B.-Selected geologic and location information from ISM! records for platinum-group-metal deposits and districts 

Abbreviations used throughout this table include: 

---, Not reported on the ISMI record form 

PGM, Platinum-group metals 

Ma, Million years 

Host rock includes some or all of the following items (separated by semicolons): main host rock type, 

formation name, and host rock age. 

Age abbreviations and prefix: 

Triassic 

Devonian 

Site name 

QUAT 

TRI 

CARB 

DEV 

Latitude, 

Longitude 

PROT 

ARCH 

PREC 

Deposit type Host rock 

Abbreviations for mineral names (after Longe and others, 1978, p. 63-66): 

Atokite -------------- ATKT 

Bornite--------------- BRNT 

Braggite -------------- BRGT 

Chalcopyrite ---------- CLCP 

Chromite ------------ CRMT 

Clinopyroxene -------- CLPX 

Cobaltite ------------- CBLT 

COPR 

Cubanite ------------- CBNT 

Gersdorffite ----------- GRDF 

Gold------------------ GOLD 

Heazlewoodite -------- HZLD 

Ilmenite -------------- ILMN 

INZW 

lridosmine --------------- IDSM 

Kotulskite --------------- KTSK 

Laurite ----------------- LART 

Mackinawite ------------ MCKN 

Magnetite --------------- MGNT 

Marcasite --------------- MRCS 

Merenskyite ------------- MRSK 

Michenerite ------------- MCNR 

Millerite ---------------- MLRT 

MNCH 

OLVN 

ORPX 

OSMR 

PLVT 

Age of 

mineralization 

Tectonic 

setting Local environment Principal mineral 

assemblages 

CANADA 

East mine (Sud- 46°35'N., Magmatic, gabbroic, Gabbro-norite; Sudbury EPROT, final Intracratonic Penecontemporaneous PYTT, PNLD, 

bury district 80°47'W. Sudbury-type. nickel irruptive; EPROT emplacement intrusion fault cutting basal CLCP, PYRT; 

(Ontario)- (1,849.5±3 Ma). after nickel triggered contact of intru- minorMGNT, 

Falconbridge irruptive. by impact sion. GRDF, VOLR, 

Ltd.). of meteor- MRCS. PGM 

ite. minerals probably similar to 

those in Inco 

mines at Sudbury; see 

Creighton 

mine. 

Falconbridge 46°35'N., -------- do -------- ----------- do ---------- EPROT, slightly ---- do---- Penecontemporaneous PYTT, PNLD, 

mine (Sudbury 80°48'W. before or after fault cutting basal CLCP, PYRT; 

district (On- nickel irrup- contact of irruptive. minorMGNT, 

tario)-Falcon- tive (1,849 GRDF, VOLR, 

bridge Ltd.). Ma). MRCS. PGM 

minerals probably similar to 

those at 

Creighton 

mine. 

Pentlandite -------------- PNLD 

Plagioclase -------------- PLGC 

Platinum-group metals --- PGM 

Polydymite -------------- PLDM 

Pyrite ------------------- PYRT 

Pyrrhotite --------------- PYTT 

Quartz ------------------ QRTZ 

Sperrylite- --------------- SPRL 

Sphalerite --------------- SPLR 

Uraninite ---------------- URNN 

Violarite ----------------- VOLR 

Vysotskite --------------- VSSK 

Zvvalrintsevite ----------- ZVGS 

Comments Reference 

Ore body Pye and others 

parallel to, (1984). 

but distinct from, 

Falconbridge 

mine ore 

body. 

Consists of a Do. 

sheet of 

massive 

and 

brecciasulfide occupying a 

nearly vertical fault 

zone. 
Fecunis-North 46°39'N., -------- do -------- "Granite breccia"; proba- ------ do ----- ---- do---- Footwall breccia PYTI, PNLD, Ore body Do. 

mine (Sudbury 81°2l'W. bly Sudbury sublayer; below the base of CLCP. PGM mainly in 

district (On- EPROT. Sudbury nickel ir- minerals proba- granite 

tario)-Falcon- ruptive. bly similar to breccia. 

bridge Ltd.). those in Inco 

mines at Sudbury; see 

Creighton 

mine. 

Fraser mine 46°40'N., - -- --- -- do - -- --- -- - --- - ---- - - do - - ---- - --- ------ do ----- ---- do ---- --- PYTI, PNLD, Deposit may Do. 

(Sudbury dis- 81°2l'W. CLCP, PYRT: consist of 

trict (Ontario)- minorMGNT, copper-rich 

Falconbridge GRDF, VOLR, footwall 

Ltd.). MRCS. PGM veins. 

minerals probably similar to 

those at 

Creighton ~ mine . ...:] 

Lockerby mine 46°26'N., -------- do -------- Sudbury sub layer; EPROT. ------ do ----- ---- do---- --- -------do ------ No published Do. 

(Sudbury dis- 81°20'W. geologic 

trict (Ontario)- informaFalconbridge tion. 

Ltd.). 

Onaping-Craig 46°38'N., -------- do -------- Probably "granite breccia"; ------do ----- ---- do---- --- -------do ------ Ore body Do. 

mine (Sudbury 81°23'W. Sudbury sublayer; forms a 

district (On- EPROT. sheet lying 

tario )-Falcon- within the 

bridge Ltd.). footwall 

gneiss. 

Strathcona mine 46°40'N., -------- do -------- "Granite breccia"; proba- ------do ----- ---- do---- Sudbury sublayer in- PYTI, PNLD, Ore body Do. 

(Sudbury dis- 81°20'W. bly Sudbury sublayer; trusion at base of CLCP; also consists of 

trict (Ontario)- EPROT. nickel irruptive. minor PYRT, three 

Falconbridge CBNT. PGM zones: 

Ltd.). minerals proba- gabbrobly similar to norite, 

those in Inco granite 

mines at Sud- breccia, 

bury, see and 

Creighton gneiss. 

mine. 
....... 

00 

Site name 

Clarabelle No.2 

open pit (Sudbury district 

(Ontario)-lnco 

Ltd.). 

Coleman mine 

(Sudbury district (Ontario)-

Inco Ltd.). 

Copper Cliff 

North mine 

(Sudbury district (Ontario)-

lnco Ltd.). 

Copper Cliff 

South mine 

(Sudbury district (Ontario)-

Inco Ltd.). 

Crean Hill mine 

(Sudbury district (Ontario)-

Inco Ltd.). 

TABLE B.-Selected geologic and location information from ISM! records for platinum-group-metal deposits and districts-Continued 

Latitude, 

Longitude 

46°31'N., 

81°04'W. 

46°41'N., 

81°20'W. 

46°30'N., 

81°04'W. 

46°28'N., 

81°05'W. 

46°26'N., 

81°21'W. 

Deposit type Host rock Age of Tectonic Local environment Principal mineral 

mineralization setting assemblages 

CANADA-continued 

Magmatic, gabbroic, Xenolithic gabbro-norite; EPROT, slightly Intracratonic Sudbury sublayer in- PYTT, PNLD, 

Sudbury-type. Sudbury sublayer; before or after intrusion trusion at base of CLCP. For a 

EPROT. nickel irrup- triggered nickel irruptive. description of 

tive (1,849 by impact PGM minerals 

Ma). of meteor- in Inco mines 

ite. at Sudbury, see 

Creighton 

mine. 

-------- do -------- "Leucocratic breccia"; Sud- --- ---- do---- -------do ------

bury sublayer; EPROT. 

-------- do -------- Quartz diorite; Copper EPROT, slightly ---- do ---- Apophysis (offset) of PYTT, CLCP, 

Cliff. before or after the sublayer intru- PNLD, PYRT. 

nickel irrup- sion at base of the For a descriptive (1,849 nickel irruptive. tion ofPGM 

Ma). minerals in 

lnco mines at 

Sudbury, see 

Creighton 

mine. 

--------do-------- -----------do---------- ------ do ----- ---- do---- -------- do -------- -------do ------

------- - do ------- - "Greenstone breccia"; Sudbury sublayer; EPROT. 

------ do ----- ---- do ---- Probably part of the 

sublayer intrusion 

at base of the 

nickel irruptive. 

PYTT, PNLD, 

CLCP. For a 

description of 

PGM minerals 

in Inco mines 

at Sudbury, see 

Creighton 

mine. 

Comments 

Xenolithic 

gabbronorite contains suifides 

which increase 

with 

depth. 

Ore body is 

an extension of 

Strathcona 

ore body. 

Ore bodies 

consist of 

nearvertical 

sheets or 

pipes. 

---- do----

"Greenstone 

breccia" is 

probably 

xenolithic 

mineralized 

gabbronorite of 

the sublayer. 

Reference 

Pye and 

others 

(1984). 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 
Creighton mine 46°28'N., Magmatic, gabbroic, Xenolithic gabbro-norite; ------ do ----- ---- do---- Sudbury sublayer in- Inco mines Sud- --- Do. 

(Sudbury dis- 81°11'W. Sudbury-type, sev- Sudbury sublayer; trusion at base of bury: MCNR, 

trict (Ontario)- eral ore types. EPROT. the nickel irrup- SPRL; less 

Inco Ltd.). tive. common 

MNCH (North 

Range only), 

MRSK; small 

amounts of Pt, 

Pd, and Rh in 

CBLT, GRDF. 

Frood mine 46°32'N., Magmatic, gabbroic, Quartz diorite; Frood- ------do ----- ---- do---- Apophysis ("offset") of PYTT, PNLD, "Offset" is a Do. 

(Sudbury dis- 81°00'W. Sudbury-type. Stobie offset; EPROT. the Sudbury sub- CLCP; PGM downwardtrict (Ontario)- layer intrusion at and Ni ar- wedging 

lnco Ltd.). base of the nickel senide minerals body of 

irruptive. are unusually quartz 

abundant. For diorite. 

a description of 

PGM minerals 

in Inco mines 

at Sudbury, see 

Creighton 

"""" mine. co 

Garson mine 46°34'N., -------- do -------- Gabbro-norite; Sudbury EPROT, final Intracratonic Penecontemporaneous PYTT, PNLD, About 80 Do. 

(Sudbury dis- 80°52'W. nickel irruptive; EPROT emplacement intrusion fault cutting basal CLCP, GRDF. percent of 

trict (Ontario)- (1,849.5±3 Ma). after nickel triggered contact of intru- For a descrip- ore is masInco Ltd.). irruptive. by impact sion. tion ofPGM sive and 

of meteor- minerals in breccia 

ite. Inco mines at sulfides 

Sudbury, see along 

Creighton branching 

mine. fault 

zones. 

Levack mine 46°39'N., -------- do -------- "Leucocratic breccia"; Sud- EPROT, slightly ---- do---- Sudbury sublayer in- PYTT, PNLD, About 70 Do. 

(Sudbury dis- 81°23'W. bury sublayer; EPROT. before or after trusion (at base of CLCP. For a percent of 

trict (Ontario)- nickel irrup- the nickel irruptive description of ore is disInco Ltd.). tive (1,849 and underlying PGM minerals seminated 

Ma). footwall breccia). in Inco mines sulfides in 

at Sudbury; see a leucoCreighton cratic 

mine. breccia. 
TABLE B.-Selected geologic and location information from ISM! records for platinum-group-metal deposits and districts-Continued 

Site name Latitude, Deposit type Host rock Age of Tectonic Local environment Principal mineral Comments Reference Longitude mineralization setting assemblages 

CANADA-continued 

Levack East 46°39'N., Magmatic, gabbroic, Probably "leucocratic brec- --- Intracratonic --- PYTT, PNLD, Probably a Pye and 

mine (Sudbury 81°22'W. Sudbury-type. cia"; Sudbury sublayer; intrusion CLCP. For a typical others 

district EPROT. triggered description of North (1984). 

(Ontario)-lnco by impact PGM minerals RangeLtd.). of meteor- in Inco mines type deite. at Sudbury; see posit like 

Creighton Levack 

mine. and 

Strathcona 

ore bodies. 

Little Stobie 46°33'N., -------- do -------- Xenolithic gabbro-norite; EPROT, slightly ---- do---- Sudbury sublayer in- PYTT, PNLD, Little pub- Do. 

mine (Sudbury 81°00'W. Sudbury sublayer; before or after trusion at base of CLCP, minor lished geodistrict EPROT. nickel irrup- the nickel irrup- PYRT, MGNT, logic infor-

(Ontario)-lnco tive (1,849 tive. ILMN. For a mation. 

Ltd.). Ma). description of 

PGM minerals 

in Inco mines 

at Sudbury, see 

1.\:) Creighton 0 mine. 

McCreedy West 46°38'N., -------- do ------- - "Leucocratic breccia"; Sud- ------do----- ---- do---- Footwall breccia and PYTT, PNLD, Similar to Do. 

mine (Sudbury 81°24'W. bury sublayer; EPROT. sulfide veins below CLCP. For a Strathcona 

district the sublayer intru- description of ore body. 

(Ontario )-lnco sion at base of the PGM minerals 

Ltd.). nickel irruptive. in Inco mines 

at Sudbury, see 

Creighton 

mine. 

Murray mine 46°31'N., Magmatic, gabbroic, Xenolithic gabbro-norite; ------do----- ---- do---- Sudbury sublayer in- PYTT, PNLD, Xenoliths Do. 

(Sudbury dis- 81°04'W. Sudbury-type, Sudbury sublayer; trusion at base of CLCP, minor are peritrict (Ontario)- stratiform, dissem- EPROT. the nickel irrup- PYRT, MGNT. dotite, 

Inco Ltd.). ina ted. tive. For a descrip- gabbro, 

tion ofPGM and 

minerals in metavolInco mines at canic 

Sudbury, see rocks. 

Creighton 

mine. 
t>.:l 

~ 

Stobie mine 

(Sudbury district (Ontario)-

Inco Ltd.). 

Totten mine 

(Sudbury district (Ontario)-

Inco Ltd.). 

Pipe No. 2 open 

pit (Thompson 

Nickel Belt 

(Manitoba)). 

Thompson mine 

(Thompson 

Nickel Belt 

(Manitoba)). 

46°32'N., 

81°00'W. 

46°23'N., 

81°28'W. 

55°30'N., 

98°09'W. 

55°43'N., 

97°5l'W. 

Magmatic, gabbroic, 

Sudbury-type. 

Quartz diorite; FroodStobie "offset"; EPROT. 

-------- do -------- Quartz diorite; Worthington "offset"; EPROT. 

Magmatic, stratiform, disseminated. 

Serpentinized peridotite; 

EPROT. 

-------- do -------- "Biotite schist"; Thompson 

metasedimentary band; 

EPROT. 

- - - - - - do - - - - -

------ do -----

EPROT, 2,320 

±30 Ma based 

on Pb isotopes 

in nickel sulfide ore. 

------do -----

---- do---- Apophysis ("offset") 

of the Sudbury sublayer intrusion at 

the base of the 

nickel irruptive. 

- - - - do - - - - - - - - - - - - do - - - - - - -

PROT supra- Ultramafic sill emcrustal se- placed in metasediquence 

near margin of 

ARCH 

craton. 

mentary sequence. 

---- do---- -------- do -------

PYTT, PNLD, 

CLCP. For a 

description of 

PGM minerals 

in Inco mines 

at Sudbury, see 

Creighton 

mine. 

For a description 

of PGM minerals in Inco 

mines at Sudbury, see 

Creighton 

mine. 

PYTT, PNLD, 

PYRT, VOLR; 

no information 

on PGM minerals. 

PYTT, PNLD, 

PYRT, CLCP; 

no information 

on PGM minerals. 

Common ore 

body with 

Frood 

mine. 

Presumed to 

be similar 

to FroodStobie ore 

body. 

Ore is found 

in serpentinite lens 

which occupies 

west limb 

of a tight, 

steeply 

plunging 

fold. 

Irregular, 

continuous 

sulfide 

layer (containing ultramafic 

inclusions) 

within 

folded biotite 

schist; intensely deformed 

and metamorphosed. 

Do. 

Do. 

Peredery and 

others 

(1982). 

Do. 
TABLE B.-Selected geologic and location information from ISM! records for platinum-group-metal deposits and districts-Continued 

Site name Latitude, Deposit type Host rock Age of Tectonic Local environment Principal mineral Comments Reference Longitude mineralization setting assemblages 

COLOMBIA 

San Juan and 05°42'N., Placer Alluvium; QUAT QUAT Outerfold of River placers GOLD, PGM al- Placers occur Wokittel 

Atrato Rivers 76°39'W. Colombian loys. in a 300- (1961). 

district. Andes. km belt 

along the 

flank of 

the West 

Cordillera 

with 

Quibdo 

near center. 

SOUTH AFRICA 

Merensky Reef: 24°19'S., Magmatic, strati- Pyroxenite; Merensky EPROT (2,095 Intracratonic Plutonic CLCP, PNLD, Independent Schwellnus 

Eastem 29°50'E. form, massive. Reef, Dwars River Sub- ±24 Ma). PYRT, PYTT; platinoid and others 

Bush veld suite, Rustenburg Lay- COPR, BRGT, minerals (1976). 

(Bush veld ered Suite; EPROT LART, SPRL, are quite 

Complex). (2,095±24 Ma). MNCH, PLVT, rare; PGM 

ATKT. are com-

!:...:> monly as- !:...:> sociated 

with basemetal sulfides. 

Merensky Reef: 25°40'S., -------- do -------- Pyroxenite; Merensky ------ do ----- ---- do---- -------- do -------- PNLD, PYTT, --- Coetzee 

Westem 27°15'E. Reef, Schildpadnest Sub- CLCP; SPRL, (1976). 

Bush veld suite, Rustenburg Lay- COPR, LART, 

(Bush veld ered Suite; EPROT BRGT, Pt-Fe 

Complex). (2,095±24 Ma). alloy; PYRT, 

CBNT,MCKN. 

Platreef 23°57'S., Magmatic, strati- Pyroxenite; Platreef, Gras- ------do----- ---- do---- -------- do -------- PYTT, PNLD, Unaltered Gain and 

(Bush veld 28°54'E. form, massive and vally norite-anorthosite, CLCP; COPR, igneous Mostert 

Complex). disseminated. Rustenburg Layered BRGT. rocks are (1982). 

Suite; EPROT (2,095 uneco-

±24 Ma). nomic, but 

relatively 

high concentrations of 

PGM are 

in serpentinized 

zones. 
UG2 chromitite 24°40'S., Magmatic, strati- Chromitite; UG2 chromi- ------ do ----- ---- do---- -------- do -------- CRMT, ORPX, UG2 occurs McLaren and 

layer: Eastem 30°00'E. form, massive. tite layer, Dwars River PLGC; LART, 145 to DeVilliers 

Bush veld Subsuite, Rustenburg COPR, BRGT, 370m be- (1982). 

(Bush veld Layered Suite; EPROT Pt-Rh-Cu sui- low 

Complex). (2,095±24 Ma). fide, Pt-Pb-Cu Merensky 

sulfide, Pt-Fe Reef. 

alloy, Pd-Cu 

alloy, Pd-Pb 

alloy, Pd-Hg 

alloy; PNLD, 

CLCP, PY'IT, 

PYRT. 

UG2 chromitite 25°42'S., -------- do -------- Chromitite; UG2 chromi- -- --- - do - -- -- ---- do---- -------- do -------- CRMT, ORPX, Dips 8 to soo Vermaak and 

layer: Westem 27°30'E. tite layer, Schildpadnest PLGC; LART, toward von GrueneBush veld Subsuite, Rustenburg COPR, BRGT, center of waldt 

(Bush veld Layered Suite; EPROT Pt-Ir-Rh-Cu Bushveld (1981). 

Complex). (2,095±24 Ma). sulfide, Pt-Pb- Complex. 

Cu sulfide, PtFe alloy, Pd-Cu 

alloy, Pd-Pb alloy, Pd-Hg 

alloy; PNLD, t.:) CLCP, PY'IT, "" PYRT. 

Volspruit de- 24°22'S., Magmatic, strati- Pyroxenite; Volspruit py- ------do----- ---- do---- -------- do -------- PY'IT, PNLD, Average Hulbert and 

posit 28°57'E. form, dissemi- roxenite, Zoetveld Sub- CLCP, CBNT. thickness von Gruene-

(Bush veld nated. suite, Rustenburg Lay- of mineral- waldt 

Complex). ered Suite; EPROT ized zone 5 (1982). 

(2,095±24 Ma). to 6 m; 

depth of 

cover 3m. 

Witwatersrand 26°10'S., Placer, continental, Conglomerate; Witwater- PROT (2,500, Intracratonic Clastic sedimentary QRTZ, PYRT, Osmium and Feather 

28°00'E. fossil. srand Supergroup; 2,300, 2,000 facies. GOLD, URNN, iridium (1976). 

EPROT (2,500 Ma). Ma). OSMR, IDSM, are main 

SPRL, various PGM 

PGM alloys. present; 

Au/PGM 

ranges 

from 100 

to 8,000. 
1:>.:) 

~ 

Site name 

Noril'skTalnakh district. 

Pechenga district. 

J-M Reef deposit (Stillwater Complex). 

TABLE B.-Selected geologic and location information from ISM! records for platinum-group-metal deposits and districts-Continued 

Latitude, 

Longitude 

69°20'N., 

88°08'E. 

69°20'N., 

29°44'E. 

43°23'N., 

109°53'W. 

Deposit type 

Magmatic, gabbroic, 

intercontinental 

rift zone. 

Magmatic, gabbroic, 

stratiform, massive and disseminated. 

Magmatic, stratiform, Merensky 

Reef-type, disseminated. 

Host rock 

Tholeiitic basalt; Siberian 

traps; TRI. 

Serpentinite; Pechenga 

series; PROT. 

Harzburgite-olivine cumulate; Stillwater Complex, 

05B; ARCH (2, 700-

2,900 Ma). 

Age of Tectonic Local environment mineralization setting 

SOVIET UNION 

TRI Interconti- Magmatic sulfides 

nental rift separated from gabzone. broic liquids and 

formed ores concentrated in sills along 

Noril'skKharaelakh fault 

system. 

--- Fault in Sulfides separated in 

PREC mafic magmas. 

shield. 

UNITED STATES 

Stable PREC Layered mafic intrucraton. sion. 

Principal mineral 

assemblages 

PYTT, CLCP, 

MGNT, BRNT, 

MCKN, MRCS, 

MLRT, PLDM, 

SPLR, HZLD, 

BRGT, VSSK, 

ZVGS, INZW, 

KTSK, COPR, 

MCNR, PLVT, 

MNCH. 

PYTT, PNLD, 

CLCP; PYRT; 

MGNT; VOLR. 

PYTT, PNLD, 

CLCP, BRGT, 

COPR, KTSK, 

MNCH, Pt-Fe 

alloy, PLGC, 

CLPX, ORPX, 

OLVN. 

Comments 

Gabbroic to 

basaltic 

magmas 

assimilated sulfur from 

DEVCARB 

evaporites 

which 

caused 

precipitation of 

magmatic 

sulfides 

rich in CuNi-PGM. 

Over 20 deposits in 

district. 

J-M reef is 

1to3m 

thick and 

extends for 

40 km. It 

is distinguished by 

0.5 to 1.0 

percent 

sulfide 

minerals 

which contain PGM 

minerals. 

Reference 

Genkin and 

others 

(1981). 

Smirnov 

(1977). 

Todd and 

others 

(1982). 
~ 

01 

Great Dyke 19°00'8., 

30°15'E. 

Magmatic, stratiform, Merensky 

Reef-type, disseminated. 

Feldspathic pyroxenite; 

Pyroxenite Band No.1; 

ARCH (2,532±89 Ma). 

ZIMBABWE 

Stable craton. 

Layered mafic intrusion. 

PY'IT, PNLD, 

CLCP, SPRL, 

COPR. 

The Great 

Dyke is 

500 km 

long covering 7,500 

km2 and is 

comprised 

of6 concave layers 6 km 

wide and 

extending 

to 3,000 m 

depth. 

Worst (1960). 
~ 

~ 

TABLE 9.-Selected production and mineral-resource information from ISM! records for platinum-group metal deposits and districts 

Abbreviations used fhroughout this table include: 

---, Not reported on the ISMI record form 

PGM, Platinum-group metals 

glt, Grams per metric ton 

Abbreviations for mining method: S, surface; U, underground; N, not yet producing. 

Cumulative production includes some or all of the following items (separated by semicolons): production in 

metric tons of material mined (unless other processing stage is indicated); grade of reported material; and 

years for reported cumulative production. 

Annual production includes some or all of the following items (separated by semicolons): production in metric 

tons of material mined (unless other processing stage is indicated); grade of reported material; and year 

of production (or range of years used to estimate average annual production). 

Resources includes, for various resource categories, some or all of the following items (separated by semicolons): resource in metric tons; U.N. resource classification (United Nations Economic and Social Council, 1979; Schanz, 1980); grade (unless resource is specified as contained metal); and year of estimate. 

Grades reported for mining properties often are the grade of mill feed while for undeveloped properties, 

in-place grades are usually reported. Dilution in the mill feed grades may be about 15 percent for 

underground mining. 

Site name 

East mine (Sudbury 

district 

(Ontario)-

Falconbridge 

Ltd.). 

Falconbridge mine 

(Sudbury district 

(Ontario)-

Falconbridge 

Ltd.). 

Fecunis-North mine 

(Sudbury district 

(Ontario)-

Falconbridge 

Ltd.). 

Fraser mine (Sudbury district 

(Ontario)-

Falconbridge 

Ltd.). 

Lockerby mine (Sudbury district 

(Ontario)-

Falconbridge 

Ltd.). 

Year of 

discovery 

1949 

1916 

1964 

Pre-1970 

1919 

Mining 

method 

u 

u 

u 

u 

u 

Year of 

first 

production 

1953 

1930 

1965 

1981 

1975 

Elements of 

economic interest 

Ni, Cu, PGM, 

Au, Ag, Co, 

Se, Te. 

Ni, Cu, PGM, 

Au, Ag, Co, 

Se, Te. 

Ni, Cu, PGM, 

Au, Ag, Co, 

Se, Te. 

Ni, Cu, PGM, 

Au, Ag, Co, 

Se, Te. 

Ni, Cu, PGM, 

Au, Ag, Co, 

Se, Te. 

Annual production 

CANADA 

Cumulative 

production Resources 

See Falconbridge See Falconbridge r1E (see Falconbridge 

mine. mine. mine). 

2,498,000; 1.3 78,248,000; 66,769,000; r1E; 1.51 

percent Ni, 1.5 percent percent Ni, 1.1 

1.0 percent Ni, 0.8 per- percent Cu, 0.45 

Cu, 0.04 cent Cu, g/t PGM; 1983. 

percent Co, 0.45 g/t 

0.45 g/t PGM; 1952-

PGM; 1979- 83. 

83. 

See Falconbridge See Falconbridge r1E (see Falconbridge 

mine. mine. mine). 

- - - - - - do - - - - - - - - - - - - do - - - - - - - - - - - - - - do - - - -- - - -

- - - - - - do - - - - - - - - - - - - do - - - - - - - - - - - - - - do - - - - - - - -

Comments 

Production and resources 

for all Falconbridge 

operations in Sudbury district (Ontario); Falconbridge 

mine closed after 

June 1984 rock burst. 

Believed to be an extension of Crean Hill 

No. 2 deposit. 
Onaping-Craig mine 1942 u 1961 Ni, Cu, PGM, - - - - - - do - - - - - - - - - - - - do - - - - - - - - - - -- - - do - - - - - - - - Operation suspended in-

(Sudbury district Au, Ag, Co, definitely Sept. 1982. 

(Ontario)- Se, Te. 

Falconbridge 

Ltd.). 

Strathcona mine 1951 u 1962 Ni, Cu, PGM, - - - - - - do - - - - - - - - - - - - do - - - - - - - - - - - - - - do - - - - - - - - PGE+Au about 0.4 g/t, of 

(Sudbury district Au, Ag, Co, which Pt=50 percent, 

(Ontario)- Se, Te. Pd=40 percent, 

Falcon bridge Os+Rh+Ru=5 perLtd.). cent, and Au=5 percent. 

Clarabelle No.2 1883 s 1979 Ni, Cu, PGM, See Creighton See Creighton r1E (see Creighton 

open pit (Sud- Au, Ag, Co, mine. mine. mine). 

bury district Se, Te. 

(Ontario)-lnco 

Ltd.). 

Coleman mine (Sud- Pre-1964 u 1971 Ni, Cu, PGM, - - - - - - do - - - - - - - - - - - - do - - - - - - - - - - - - - - do - - - - - - - - Last production in 1982. 

hj bury district Au, Ag, Co, -....) 

(Ontario)-lnco Se, Te. 

Ltd.). 

Copper Cliff North Pre-1960 u 1967 Ni, Cu, PGM, - - - - - - do - - - - -- - - - - - - do - - - - - - - - - - - - - - do - - - - - - - - Last production in 1978. 

mine (Sudbury Au, Ag, Co, 

district Se, Te. 

(Ontario)-lnco 

Ltd.). 

Copper Cliff South Pre-1967 u 1970 Ni, Cu, PGM, - - - -- - do - - - - - - - - - - - - do - - - - - - - - -- - - - - do - - - - - - - - mine (Sudbury Au, Ag, Co, 

district Se, Te. 

(Ontario)-lnco 

Ltd.). 

Crean Hill mine Pre-1905 u 1905 Ni, Cu, PGM, ------ do ------ - - - - - - do - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - do - - - - - - - - Placed on standby in 

(Sudbury district Au, Ag, Co, 1978. 

(Ontario)-I nco Se, Te. 

Ltd.). 
TABLE 9.-Selected production and mineral-resource information from ISM! records for platinum-group metal deposits and districts-Continued 

Year of Mining Year of Elements of Cumulative Site name first Annual production Resources Comments discovery method production economic interest production 

CANADA-continued 

Creighton mine 1900 u 1901 Ni, Cu, PGM, 7,107,707; 1.37 438,250 ,000; 360,000,000; r1E; Production and resources 

(Sudbury district Au, Ag, Co, percent Ni, 1.25 percent 1.24 percent Ni, for all Inco operations 

(Ontario)-lnco Se, Te. 1.27 percent Ni, 1.04 per- 1.06 percent Cu, in Sudbury district 

Ltd.). Cu, 0.7-1.0 cent Cu, 0.05 percent Co, (Ontario), Thompson 

g/t PGM; 0.02 percent 0. 7 to 1.0 g/t mines (Manitoba), 

1979-83. Co, 4.11 g/t PGM; 1983. and for Shebandowan 

Ag, 0.026 g/t mine. 

Au, 0.7-1.0 

g/t PGM; 

1950-83. 

Frood mine (Sudbury 1884 u 1889 Ni, Cu, PGM, See Creighton See Creighton r1E (see Creighton 

district Au, Ag, Co, mine. mine. mine). 

(Ontario)-lnco Se, Te. 

Ltd.). 

~ Garson mine (Sud- 1891 u 1908 Ni, Cu, PGM, -- - - - - do - - - - - - - - - - - - do - - - - - - - - - - - - - - do - - - - - - - -

00 bury district Au, Ag, Co, 

(Ontario)-I nco Se, Te. 

Ltd.). 

Levack mine (Sud- 1888 u 1914 Ni, Cu, PGM, - - - - - - do - - - - - - - -- - - - do - - - - - - - - - - - - - - do - - - - - - - -

bury district Au, Ag, Co, 

(Ontario)-lnco Se, Te. 

Ltd.). 

Levack East mine Pre-1970 u None Ni, Cu, PGM, None None - - - - - - - - do - - - - - - - - (Sudbury district Au, Ag, Co, 

(Ontario)-lnco Se, Te. 

Ltd.). 

Little Stobie mine 1885 u 1902 Ni, Cu, PGM, See Creighton See Creighton - - - - - - - - do - - - - - - - - (Sudbury district Au, Ag, Co, mine. mine. 

(Ontario)-lnco Se, Te. 

Ltd.). 

McCreedy West Pre-1939 u 1973 Ni, Cu, PGM, - - - - - - do - - - - - - - - - - - - do - - - - - - - - - - - - - - do - - - - - - --

mine (Sudbury Au, Ag, Co, 

district Se, Te. 

(Ontario)-lnco 

Ltd.). 

------
Murray mine (Sud- 1883 S, U 1889 Ni, Cu, PGM, -- - - - - do - - -- - - - - - - - - do - - - - - - - - - - - - - - do - - - - - - - - Last production 1971 (on 

bury district Au, Ag, Co, standby). 

(Ontario)-lnco Se, Te. 

Ltd.). 

Stobie mine (Sud- 1884 u 1887 Ni, Cu, PGM, - - - - - - do - - - - - - - - - - - - do - -- - - - -- - - - - - - do - - - - - - - -

bury district Au, Ag, Co, 

(Ontario)-lnco Se, Te. 

Ltd.). 

Totten mine (Sud- 1885 u 1966 Ni, Cu,PGM, - - - - - - do - - - - - - - - - - - - do - -- - - - - - - - - - - - do - - - - - - - - Last production in 1972. 

bury district Au, Ag, Co, 

(Ontario)-lnco Se, Te. 

Ltd.). 

Pipe No. 2 open pit 1959 s 1970 Ni, Cu, Co, - - - -- - do - - - -- - - - - - - - do - -- - - - - - -- - - - - do - - - - - - - - Last production in 1984. 

(Thompson PGM, Au, 

Nickel Belt Ag, Se, Te. 

~ 

(Manitoba)). 

co 

Thompson mine 1956 u 1967 Ni, Cu, Co, - - - - - - do - - - - - - -- - - - - do - - - - - - - - - - - - - - do - - - - - - - - Resources and production 

(Thompson PGM,Au, for Thompson Nickel 

Nickel Belt Ag, Se, Te. Belt mines are in-

(Manitoba)). eluded with Inco's figures for Creighton 

mine. Thompson 

mines account for 10 

percent of Inco's 

PGM + Au produced 

annually. 

COLOMBIA 

San Juan and Atrato Prehistoric s Early PGM, Au 0.516 (PGM in 115 (PGM in --- World's first platinumRivers district. 1500's. products); products); group-metal produc1983. through tion; it has been esti1983. mated that only half 

of Colombian PGM 

production is traded 

on the free market. 
TABLE 9.-Selected production and mineral-resource information from ISM! records for platinum-group metal deposits and districts-Continued 

Year of Mining Year of Elements of Cumulative Site name first Annual production Resources Comments discovery method production economic interest production 

SOUTH AFRICA 

Merensky Reef: 1924 u 1969 PGM, Ni, Co, Proprietary data Proprietary data 345.664 (contained Average thickness of reef 

Eastern Bush- Cu. PGM); RlE; 5.4 is 0.3 m; independent 

veld (Bushveld g/t PGM, 0.24 platinoid minerals 

Complex). percent Ni, 0.1 are rare. 

percent Cu, 3.6 

g/t Co; 1984. 

2,573.940 (contained 

PGM); RlS; 5.4 

g/t PGM, 0.24 

percent Ni, 0.1 

percent Cu, 3.6 

g/t Co; 1984. 

6,284.998 (contained 

PGM); R2S; 5.4 

g/t PGM, 0.24 

~ percent Ni, 0.1 

0 percent Cu, 3.6 

g/t Co; 1984. 

Merensky Reef: 1924 u 1920's PGM, Ni, Co, ------ do------ - - - - - - do - - - - - - 5,543.062 (contained Mining methods are 

Western Bush- Cu. PGM); RlE; 5.1 under revision to 

veld (Bushveld g/t PGM, 0.2 per- achieve greater proComplex). cent Ni, 0.1 per- ductivity at greater 

cent Cu, 3 g/t Co; depths and increased 

1984. ventilation require5,494.527 (contained ments. 

PGM); R2S; 5.1 

g/t PGM, 0.2 percent Ni, 0.1 percent Cu, 3 g/t Co; 

1984. 

Platreef (Bushveld 1924 N None Ni, Cu, PGM, None None 1,644.971 (contained Only deposit in Bushveld 

Complex). Co. . PGM); RlE; 5 g/t Complex where Ni 

PGM, 0.3 percent and Cu are economiNi, 0.2 percent cally more important 

Cu, 4 g/t Co; than platinum-group 

1984. metals. 
9,775.241 (contained 

PGM); RlS; 5 g/t 

PGM, 0.3 percent 

Ni, 0.2 percent 

Cu, 4 g/t Co; 

1984. 

5,177.391 (contained 

PGM); R2S; 5 g/t 

PGM, 0.3 percent 

Ni, 0.2 percent 

Cu, 4 g/t Co; 

1984. 

UG2 chromitite 1924 N None PGM, Ni, Co, ------ do------ - - - - - - do - - - - - - 3,826.079 (contained Well investigated area layer: Eastern Cu. PGM); RlS; 7.4 with large resources Bushveld (Bush- glt PGM, 0.09 but no production in 

veld Complex). percent Ni, 0.04 the near future. 

percent Cu, 1.4 

g/t Co; 1984. 

13,667.897 (contained ~ 

J--oA PGM); R2S; 7.4 

g/t PGM, 0.09 

percent Ni, 0.04 

percent Cu, 1.4 

g/t Co; 1984. 

UG2 chromitite 1924 u 1970's PGM, Ni, Co, Proprietary data Proprietary data 9,068.948 (contained UG2 chromitite layer is 

layer: Western Cu. PGM); RlE; 5.6 0.15 m thick. 

Bushveld (Bush- glt PGM, 0.09 

veld Complex). percent Ni, 0.03 

percent Cu, 0.8 

g/t Co; 1984. 

8,591.106 (contained 

PGM); R2S; 5.6 

glt PGM, 0.09 

percent Ni, 0.03 

percent Cu, 0.8 

g/t Co; 1984. 

Volspruit deposit 1924 N None PGM, Ni None None --- No production planned in 

(Bushveld Com- the near future. 

plex). 

Witwatersrand 1892 u 1922 Au, U, PGM Proprietary data Proprietary data Proprietary data 
TABLE 9.-Selected production and mineral-resource information from ISM/ records for platinum-group metal deposits and districts-Continued 

Year of Mining Year of Elements of Cumulative Site name first Annual production Resources Comments discovery method production economic interest production 

SOVIET UNION 

Noril'sk-Talnakh 1920 u --- Ni, Cu, Co, Pt, 17 ,800,000; 3.8 169, 700,000; 3.8 128,100,000; R1E; 3.8 Production and resources 

district. Pd, Rh, Ru, g/t PGM; g/t PGM; g/t PGM, 2.2 per- include Noril'sk, OkOs, Ir. 1977. through cent Ni; 1980. tyabr'skiy, Talnakh, 

1980. 6220 (contained and Tamyr deposits. 

PGM); R1E; 

1979. 

Pechenga district 1937 u --- Cu, Ni, Se, Te, 2,025,000; 2.5 26,000,000; 2.5 10,000,000; R1E; 2.5 Kola Peninsula accounts 

Au,Ag, g/t PGM, g/t PGM, g/t PGM, 1 per- for 8 to 10 percent of 

PGM. 1 percent 1 percent Ni cent Ni; 1981. Soviet platinumNi; 1977. through group-metal produc1981. tion; production calculated using PGM 

grade of 3 g/t. 

UNITED STATES 

~ J-M Reef deposit 1973 u 1987 PGM, Cu, Ni 297 ,000; 20 g/t; None 130,000,000; R1M; 20 Resource estimate based 

~ (Stillwater Com- pro- 1987 (pro- g/t Pt + Pd (Pd/ on 42 km length, 1.83 

plex). jected. jected), with Pt=3.5); 1984. m width, 600 m 

about 86 depth, and rock denpercent re- sity of 2.87 g/cm3. 

covery. 

--

ZIMBABWE 

Great Dyke 1918 N None PGM, Ni, Cu None None 4,320 (contained As of 1985 there are no 

PGM); R1M; 3.1 major platinumto 5 g/t PGM, group-metal mining 

0.25 percent Ni, operations in the 

0.25 percent Cu; Great Dyke. 

1982. 
REFERENCES CITED 

Alapieti, T., and Lahtinen, J., 1985, Stratigraphy, petrology 

and PGE mineralization in the early Proterozoic Penikat 

Layered Intrusion, northern Finland [abs.]: Canadian 

Mineralogist, v. 23, p. 293. 

Anstett, T. F., Bleiwas, D. 1., and Sheng-Fogg, C., 1982, Platinum availability-Market economy countries: U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular 8897, 16 p. 

Blair, W. N., Page, N. J, and Johnson, M.G., 1977, Map and 

list of reported occurrences of platinum-group metals in 

the continental United States: U.S. Geological Survey 

Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-861, scale 

1:5,000,000 (2 sheets). 

Buchanan, D. L., 1979, Platinum metal production from the 

Bushveld Complex and its relationship to world markets: 

Bureau for Mineral Studies, University of Witwatersrand, 

Johannesburg, report no. 4, 31 p. 

Cabri, L. J., ed., 1981, Platinum-group elements-Mineralogy, geology, recovery: The Canadian Institute of Mining 

and Metallurgy, CIM special volume 23, 267 p. 

Coetzee, C. B., ed., 1976, Mineral resources of the Republic of 

South Africa (5th ed.): South Mrica Geological Survey 

Handbook 7, 462 p. 

Dietz, R. S., 1964, Sudbury structure as an astrobleme: Journal of Geology, v. 72, no. 4, p. 412-434. 

Feather, C. E., 1976, Mineralogy of platinum-group minerals 

in the Witwatersrand, South Mrica: Economic Geology, 

v. 71,no. 7,p. 1399-1428. 

Gain, S. B., and Mostert, A. B., 1982, Geological setting of the 

platinoid and base metal sulfide mineralization in the 

Platreef of the Bushveld Complex in Drenthe, north of 

Potgietersrus: Economic Geology, v. 77, no. 6, p. 1395-

1404. 

Genkin, A. D., Distler, V. V., Glad Yshev, G. D., Filimonova, 

A. A., Evstigneeva, T. L., Kovalenker, V. A., Laputina, 

I. P., Smirnov, A. V., and Grokhovskaya, T. L., 1981, 

Copper-nickel sulfide ores of the Noril'sk deposits: Nauka, 

Moskva, 134 p. 

Hulbert, L. T., and von Gruenewaldt, Gerhard, 1982, Nickel, 

copper, and platinum mineralization in the lower zone of 

the Bush veld Complex, south of Potgietersrus: Economic 

Geology, v. 77, no. 6, p. 1296-1306. 

Loebenstein, R. J., 1984, Platinum-group metals, in U.S. Bureau of Mines, Minerals yearbook 1983, v. I, Metals and 

minerals: Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing 

Office, p. 685-695. 

Longe, R. V., and others, 1978, Computer-based files on mineral deposits-Guidelines and recommended standards 

for data content [prepared by the Mineral Deposits Working Committee, National Advisory Committee on Research in the Geological Sciences]: Canada Geological 

Survey Paper 78-26, 72 p. 

McLaren, C. H., and DeVilliers, J.P. R., 1982, The platinumgroup chemistry and mineralogy of the UG2 chromitite 

layer of the Bushveld Complex: Economic Geology, v. 77, 

no. 6,p. 1348-1366. 

Mertie, J. B., Jr., 1969, Economic geology of the platinum 

metals: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 630, 

120 p. 

Mohide, T. P., 1979, Platinum-group metals-Ontario and the 

world: Ontario Mineral Policy Background Paper no. 7, 

33 

Ministry of Natural Resources, Ontario, 162 p. 

National Materials Advisory Board, Commission on Sociotechnical Systems, 1980, Supply and use patterns for the 

platinum-group metals: National Materials Advisory 

Board Publication NMAB-359, 197 p. 

Newman, S. C., 1973, Platinum: Transactions of the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, v. 82, sec. A, p. A52-A68. 

Peredery, W. V., and geological staff, International Nickel 

Company of Canada, Limited, 1982, Geology and nickel 

sulphide deposits of the Thompson belt, Manitoba, in 

Hutchinson, R. W., Spence, C. D., and Franklin, J. M., 

eds., Precambrian sulphide deposits: H. S. Robinson 

Memorial Volume, Geological Association of Canada, Special Paper 25, p. 165-209. 

Pye, E. G., Naldrett, A. J., and Giblin, P. E., eds., 1984, The 

geology and ore deposits of the Sudbury structure: 

Toronto, Ontario Geological Survey, Special Volume l, 

603 p. 

Quiring, H., 1962, Die Metallischen Rohstoffe, ihre 

Lagerungsrverhaltnisse und ihre wirtschaftliche Bedeutung, Platinumetalle; Platin, Palladium, Iridium, Osmium, Rhodium, Ruthenium: Stuttgart, Ferdinand Enke, 

v. 16, 288 p. 

Robson, G. G., 1985, Platinum 1985: London, Johnson 

Matthey Public Limited Company, 72 p. 

Ross, J. R., and Travis, G. A., 1981, The nickel sulfide deposits 

of Western Australia in global perspective: Economic Geology, v. 76, no. 6, p. 1291-1329. 

Rousell, D. H., 1984, Nature and origin of mineral occurrences 

inside the Sudbury Basin: Canadian Institute of Mining 

and Metallurgy Bulletin, v. 77, no. 872, p. 63-75. 

Schanz, J. J., Jr., 1980, The United Nations' endeavor to standardize mineral resource classification: Natural Resources 

Forum,v.4,no. 3,p. 307-313. 

Scherer, F. M., 1970, Industrial market structure and economic performance: Chicago, Rand McNally College Publishing Co., 576 p. 

Schwellnus, J. S.l., Hiemstra, S. A., and Gasparini, E., 1976, 

The Merensky Reef at the Atok platinum mine and its 

environs: Economic Geology, v. 71, no. 1, p. 249-260. 

Smirnov, V. I., ed., 1977, Ore deposits of the USSR, v. II: 

London, Pitman Publishing Co., 424 p. 

Till, A. B., and Page, N. J, 1979, Reported occurrences of platinum in the U.S.S.R: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-1071, scale 1:1,700,000. 

Todd, S. G., Keith, D. W., LeRoy, L. W., Schissel, D. J., Mann, 

E. L., and Irvine, T. N., 1982, The J-M platinumpalladium reef of the Stillwater Complex, Montana-1. 

Stratigraphy and petrology: Economic Geology, v. 77, 

no. 6,p. 1454-1480. 

United Nations Economic and Social Council, 1979, The international classification of mineral resources-Report of 

the Group of Experts on Definitions and Terminology for 

Mineral Resources: United Nations document E/C.7/104, 

28 p. including annexes. 

U.S. Bureau of Mines, 1927-34, Mineral resources of the 

United States, 1924[-1931]: Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office, 16 v. (Continued as U.S. Bureau 

of Mines Minerals Yearbook.) 

--1933-84, Minerals yearbook (1932-82): Washington, 

D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office, 116 v. 
U.S. Geological Survey, 1921, World atlas of commercial geology-Part I, Distribution of mineral production: Washington, D.C. [144 p.] 

Vermaak, C. F., and von Gruenewaldt, Gerhard, compilers, 

1981, Guide to the Bushveld excursion (June 28-July 4, 

1981): Geological Survey of South Africa, 62 p. (Third 

International Platinum Symposium, Pretoria, July 6-10, 

1981.) 

von Gruenewaldt, Gerhard, 1977, The mineral resources of the 

Bushveld Complex: Minerals Science and Engineering, 

v. 9, no. 2, p. 83-95. (Published by National Institute for 

Metallurgy, South Africa.) 

Wokittel, R., 1961, Geologia economica del Choco: Colombia 

Boletin Geologica, v. 7, p. 119-162. 

World Bank, 1985, World development report 1985: New 

York, Oxford University Press, 243 p. 

Worst, B. G., 1960, The Great Dyke of Southern Rhodesia 

[Zimbabwe]: Southern Rhodesia Geological Survey Bulletin 4 7, 234 p. 

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES ON PLATINUMGROUP-METAL RESOURCES 

Adams, R. B., 1983, Nickel and platinum in the Soviet Union, 

in Jensen, R. G., Shabad, Theodore, and Wright, A. W., 

eds., Soviet natural resources in the world economy: 

Chicago, University of Chicago Press, p. 536-555. 

Cabri, L. J., ed., 1986, A third issue devoted to platinum deposits: Economic Geology, v. 81, no. 5, p. 1045-1300. 

Desborough, G. A., and Leonard, B. F., eds., 1976, An issue 

devoted to platinum-group elements: Economic Geology, 

v. 71,no. 7,p. 1129-1492. 

Krauss, U. H., and Schmidt, H. W., 1979, Rohstoffwirtschaftliche Landerberichte, XXII. USSR-Nickel, 

Kobalt, Platin-metalle: Hannover (Germany, Federal Republic), Bundesanstalt fiir Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe, 184 p. 

Page, N. J, Clark, A. L., Desborough, G. A., and Parker, R. L., 

1973, Platinum-group metals, in Brobst, D. A., and Pratt, 

W. P., eds., United States mineral resources: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 820, p. 537-545. 

von Gruenewaldt, Gerhard, ed., 1982, A further issue devoted 

to the platinum-group elements: Economic Geology, v. 77, 

no. 6, p. 1283-1611. 

Wilson, G. C., 1985, An annotated bibliography of the 

platinum-group elements: Ontario Geological Survey 

Open-file report 5559, 308 p. 

34 -tr U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1986 - 181-407 - 226/40042 
INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIC MINERALS INVENTORY 

PARTICIPATING AGENCIES 

Australia 

Bureau of Mineral Resources, 

Geology and Geophysics 

Canada 

Energy, Mines and Resources Canada 

Mineral Policy Sector 

Geological Survey of Canada 

Federal Republic of Germany 

Bundesanstalt fur Geowissenschaften 

und Rohstoffe 

South Africa 

Minerals Bureau 

Geological Survey 

United Kingdom 

British Geological Survey 

United States 

Bureau of Mines 

Geological Survey 

SUMMARY REPORTS 

This circular is one of several reports on selected mineral commodities to be published in the U.S. Geological Survey 930 series. The 

circulars published to date are listed below; year of publication is 

shown in parentheses. Copies are available free on application to 

The Books and Open-File Reports Section, U.S. Geological Survey, 

Federal Center, Box 25425, Denver, CO 80225-0046 U.S.A. 

930-A. Manganese (1984) 

930-B. Chromium (1984) 

930-C. Phosphate (1984) 

930-D. Nickel (1985) 

930-E. Platinum-Group Metals (198&) 

Requests for copies of International Strategic Minerals Inventory summary reports and for further information may also be addressed to: 

Lee C. Ranford 

First Assistant Director 

Resource Assessment Division 

Bureau of Mineral Resources 

P.O. Box 378 

Canberra City, A.C.T. 2601 

AUSTRALIA 

J. Zwartendyk 

Director, Resource Evaluation Division 

Mineral Policy Sector 

Energy, Mines & Resources Canada 

580 Booth Street 

Ottawa, Ontario K1 A OE4 

CANADA 

Distribution Branch 

Bundesanstalt fur Geowissenschaften 

und Rohstoffe 

Postfach 51 01 53 

D-3000 Hannover 51 

FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY 

lan Goldberg 

Director, Minerals Bureau 

Private Bag X4 

Braamfontein 2017 

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA 

Richard N. Crockett 

Head, MISE Programme 

British Geological Survey 

154 Clerkenwell Road 

London EC1 A SOU 

UNITED KINGDOM 
---~----~-

Sutphin and Page-INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIC MINERALS INVENTORY SUMMARY REPORT-PLATINUM-GROUP METALS-U.S. Geological Survey Circular 930-E