Northam Platinum’s Zondereinde mine is an established, conventional, long-life operation that mines UG2 and Merensky ore. It opened its No. 3 Shaft on Friday, marking the completion of a major component of the mine's Western extension project.
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Northam Platinum Holdings opened its R6.3 billion Zondereinde No. 3 Shaft on Friday, marking the completion of a major component of the mine's Western extension project and a significant investment in the long-term future of one of South Africa's established platinum group metal (PGM) operations.
The 1,382 m vertical personnel and materials shaft is the world's deepest raise-bored PGM shaft. It is designed to transport people, materials, and services to the Western extension, improving access to ore reserves and easing the logistical constraints associated with servicing the extension from Zondereinde's existing shaft complex 4 km away.
Zondereinde is a conventional underground mine on the northern end of the western limb of the Bushveld Complex. The Western extension adds 3.6 km of mineable strike to the west of the existing underground operations and is said to contain more than 20 million ounces of PGMs in the Merensky and UG2 reefs.
Northam Platinum CEO Paul Dunne said the project represents a defining investment in the mine's long-term future.
“We're going to extend the life of the Zondereinde mine by 40 years. There are 12,000 employees here at Zondereinde, and this project secures their future and their children's future for many, many years to come. It's a very significant project for the group.”
Dunne said the successful completion of the vertical raise-bored shaft also demonstrated the company's engineering capability and commitment to safety.
“The hole in the ground was made by a machine with no people at risk. At this depth, this is the first time it has been done in South Africa.”
Northam spent R6.3 billion to the point of commissioning, and the next phase involving the sinking of a rock shaft is already well under way.
At 1,500 m, No. 4 Shaft will set another world record. The refrigeration plant, designed to cool the 70°C virgin rock temperatures and drive the hydraulic equipment, is also the single largest in the world.
Dunne said the investment underlined Northam's long-term confidence in South Africa's mining industry.
"This investment, together with the No. 4 Shaft investment over the next five years, is a very significant indication that we believe in our industry, we believe in our country, and we believe in the metals we mine."
The expanded mining footprint is expected to support the creation of approximately 600 additional direct, sustainable jobs while securing the longer-term contribution of Zondereinde to employment, procurement, and economic activity in Limpopo. Development of the project commenced in 2020 following the acquisition of the Western extension resource block. Some interesting statistics from the project include that approximately 566 tons of structural steel were used, 380 tons in the headgear structure, 186 tons in the winder house structure, while there was approximately 6,055 m² of cladding coverage.
Northam operates three wholly owned mines—Zondereinde, Booysendal, and Eland—located in the Bushveld Complex of South Africa. Northam also operates a metallurgical complex at Zondereinde, comprising a smelter and base metal removal facilities.
Northam achieved record refined metal production from its own operations of 938,754 oz of platinum, palladium, rhodium, and gold (4E) in the year to June 30, as well as a record 158,138 oz of 4E-equivalent refined metal from third parties. Total chrome concentrate produced and sold also reached a record 1.69 million tons. This represented an increase of 17.4% from the previous year, owing to improved upper group 2 (UG2) tonnage throughput, feed grades, and concentrator yields, particularly at Eland, where yields have more than doubled during the past year.
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