Platinum Australia produced the first flotation
concentrate at its new Smokey Hills
platinum group metals (PGM) mine in on
the eastern limb of the Bushveld Complex
in South Africa on January 23. Initial mining
at Smokey Hills is from an open-cut
that will continue to produce through June
2009. Development of a shallow underground
mine has begun, with underground
production scheduled to replace open-pit
production over the next 12 months. The
on-site concentrator has a design capacity
of 720,000 mt/y, producing about 95,000
oz/y of 4E PGM (platinum, palladium,
rhodium and gold). Concentrate is being
delivered to Impala Refining Services
under a life-of-mine offtake agreement.
At the current rand/dollar exchange rate
of 10:1, average on-site production costs
at Smokey Hills are estimated to be less
than $200/oz 4E PGM, with a total cost
including smelting and refining charges of
approximately $300/oz 4E PGM. Resources
at the project are estimated at 5.5
million mt, grading 5.6 g/mt 4E PGM.
As featured in Womp 2009 Vol 02 - www.womp-int.com