This was an alluvial deposit but its importance was recognized by Hans Merensky whose prospecting work discovered the primary source in the Bushveld Igneous Complex and traced it for several hundred kilometres by 1930. Extensive mining of the Reef didn't take place until an upsurge in the demand for platinum group metals used in exhaust pollution control in the 1950s, made exploitation economically feasible. Extraction of metals from the UG2 chromitite could only take place in the 1970s with major advances in metallurgy.
This was a sedimentary deposit but its significance was acknowledged by Hans Merensky whose exploration work uncovered the primary source in the Bushveld Igneous Complex and mapped it over several hundred kilometers by 1930. Widespread mining of the Reef didn't occur until an increase in demand for platinum group metals used in vehicle emissions control in the 1950s, made exploitation financially viable. Extraction of metals from the UG2 chromitite could only take place in the 1970s with significant breakthroughs in metallurgy.