~ SWAZILAND MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES LAND UTILISATION AND ENERGY ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY AND MINES DEPARTMENT FOR THE YEAR

Transcription

1 ~~ ~ SWAZILAND i", ; MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES LAND UTILISATION AND ENERGY ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY AND MINES DEPARTMENT FOR THE YEAR 1985 CONT ACT ADDRESS THE OIRf:'CTOR GEOLOGICAL SURVEY AND MINES DEPARIMENl PO BOX 9. MBABANE. SWAZn.AND TELEPHONE SWAZILAND 42411,2 3, 4 TELEX 2301 WO

2 GENERAL CONTENTS Page Introduction Salient Points Staff and Training Technical Cooperation HEADQUARTERS Administration Staff General GEOLOGICAL SURVEY DIVISION Introduction Coal Groundwater Precious and Base Metals Industrial Minerals Pegmatites in Swaziland Drilling Section Laboratory Drawing Office Library Advisory Services MINES DIVISION Mineral Ownership & Mining Legislation Mineral Statistics Labour Mines Quarries Inspections Explosives

3 14 GROUNDWATER I. GENERAL I. The Groundwater Section of the Department is responsible for surveying and exploring the quantity and assessing the quality of underground water available throughout the Kingdom. 2. Geophysical survey methods in use include electro-magnetic, gravimetric and induced polarisation techniques which allow the sub-surface rock structures and potential aquifers to be determined prior to the actual drilling of a borehole. 3. The service that the Groundwater Section has been able to provide has been limited until the present by the use of an obsolete drilling machine. This problem will be overcome early in 1986 when the rotary drill rig donated by the UN Development Programme starts operating. 4. Throughout the year the Section has continued to prepare for the implementation of the systematic dr1lling project throughout Swaziland which is now due to commence early in This project, backed by the Canadian Government through CIDA will, over a period of approximately five years, enable the underground water potential to be determined throughout Swaziland.

4 15 5. A record of detailed investigations carried out in the course of the year is given in the following section. 2. SUMMARY OF INVESTIGATIONS I. CANA HIGH SCHOOL The surrounding area was surveyed and a well drilled as an emergency measure, the cost of which totalled E KHUBUTA FARM Boreholes were sited for Tibiyo Taka Ngwane at Khubuta Farm, Tjelane. 3. OTHER SITES Among other areas visited on request were: a) Mliba - Police Station Expansion b) Sidvokodvo - Medium Wave Station cl Ka Phunga - New Police Station 4. RURAL WATER SUPPLY Visitations and proper geophysical and geological surveys were carried out on behalf of Rural Water Supply in preparation for the drilling project using the drill rig donated by the UN.

5 29 I. INTRODUCTION The Drilling Section operates a number of drills and provides a service to the Hydrogeological and Geological Sections in the Department as well as to other Government Departments on request. 2. DEEP COAL PROJECT MPAKA AND LUBHUKU The Phase III drilling programme finished on time at the end of February. When the crews returned in May from leave the larger of the two machines, the YBM6, began to redrill a hole in badly faulted ground. In July, )ICA (the Japanese Aid Agency), brought a mechanic to Swaziland to make alterations to the two drill rigs as requested by the Drilling Superintendent. This comprised fitting hydraulic foot clamps to both rigs and modifying the mud pump drive to diesel on the YBM6 machine. At the end of August the YBM4 machine was drilling Phase IV for the project, with both machines on double shifts. This continued until the crews stopped for Christmas leave. The biggest drawback for the whole year was again lack of transport, with vehicles waiting for repairs for many months and no replacements for vehicles sold. At year end we had 75% of our vehicles off the road. 3. PROSPECTING The small prospecting drill, the TOHO 58, moved from Entfonjeni to Magubheleni, and

6 30 when a driller came available in May, started drilling on the copper deposits in that area. This work will continue in 1986 depending on core analyses. 4. WATER WELL DRILLING The Mangold Drill moved to Phonjwane and started drilling there. At 17 m depth it was stopped and moved to Mankayane to drill a water well urgently required for a school there. The well was successful and after completion the drill returned to Phonjwane and re-set on the hole there and at year end was at 27m depth. The machine was plagued all year by mechanical breakdowns and,as the machine is obsolete with no spares available, repairs were of a make-shift nature. Agreement was reached in October for the supply of a rotary rig to drill boreholes for Rural Water Supply. This machine has been granted under UNDP auspices with delivery planned for the first quarter of It is envisaged that the introduction of this new machine will make a substantial contribution to the number of water wells drilled.

7 RECORD OF METRES DRILLED DRILLS USED COAL DEPOSIT TWO YBM DIAMOND DRILLS GOLD + OTHER ONE TOHO DIAMOND DRILL WATER WELLS ONE MANGOLD w CABLE TOOL TOTAL METRES