In the bottom of the 2 km long, 650m deep Palabora pit (left) with geological staff Dr Katja Freitag, Willie Vermeulen and Desmond Mossop (left). The Palabora carbonatite with it's copper-magnetite polymetallic orebody forms a core to the 7x3 km pyroxenite complex that is the same age as the main Bushveld complex to the west. Shafts (center) for the major block caving operation under development are on the margin of the pit. Images by Mike Porter