Name of the Project
Booysendal South platinum mine project.

Location
The project is located about 35 km west of Mashishing, straddling the border of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, in South Africa.

Project Owner/s
Independent integrated platinum group metals producer Northam Platinum.

Project Description
Booysendal South incorporates the infrastructure of Aquarius Platinum’s former Everest mine, which Northam acquired in June 2015 for R450-million.

The acquisition of Everest included a 250 000 t a month concentrator, underground access and equipment, tailings storage, workshops and offices, infrastructure and access to power and water supply.

The South mine includes four mining modules:

• two upper group two (UG2) modules – BS1 and BS2;
• an additional UG2 module in the south – BS4; and
• one Merensky, or Booysendal Central Merensky, module in the central complex.

Underground workings are reached through seven on-reef declines.

The current plan unlocks mineral reserves of 7.8-million ounces of platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold, or 4E platinum-group metals (PGMs), according to Northam’s latest interim results for 2021, mineable for about 30 years.

Further, from the 2023 financial year, the combined modules will produce 250 000 oz 4E in concentrate, doubling Booysendal’s current overall platinum group metals production.

In an innovative application of engineering solutions, Northam has installed an aerial rope conveyor system to transport ore over challenging regional topography. The South aerial rope conveyor system, or Ropecon, transports ore from the central portal complex to the Booysendal South concentrator, which is almost 5 km away. The conveyor has a capacity of 1 150 t/h.
 
The first phase comprises 12 tower structures, which support the conveyor. The construction of the second phase comprises seven tower support structures.

Booysendal South mine will sustain production at 250 000 oz of refined platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold, or 4E PGMs, for more than 25 years.

Northam has said that expansion of the project is possible.

Potential Job Creation
The project is expected to create about 3 500 long-term jobs and benefit local and national economies.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
R5.6-billion.

Planned Start/End Date
Project development started in June 2016. Steady-state production is expected in 2023. 

Mechanical construction of the North aerial rope started in January 2021: the rope conveyor will be ready to start transporting ore during the 2022 financial year.

Latest Developments
Following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, some Northam projects were scaled back, including the Central Merensky and BS4 modules at Booysendal mine.

All growth projects that were pared down have since been restarted and the majority of workflow impacts resulting from the stoppage have been clawed back.

The development of Booysendal South is progressing on schedule and on budget, with surface infrastructure at the Central UG2 complex, servicing the BS1 and BS2 UG2 modules, essentially complete. Key infrastructure, including surface conveyors, the crusher, the South aerial rope conveyor feed system, workshops and change houses are commissioned and operating within design parameters.

Development of declines at the Central Merensky module is in progress. Ore from this module, in conjunction with that of the North Merensky module, will eventually feed onto the North aerial rope conveyor. Earthworks and civil construction for the Central Merensky rope conveyor feed silo will continue during the coming year.

Mechanical construction of the North aerial rope conveyor started in January 2021. All earthworks and civil construction of the North feed silo, drive station and towers for the North aerial rope conveyor are complete. Ore from the North Merensky module will be transported to the South concentrator, allowing for the Phase 2 ramp-up of North Merensky to about 50 000 oz/y of 4E.

Access to the BS4 UG2 module has been established. Construction of shaft head infrastructure and primary development of strike drives were completed in the six months to December 31, 2020, despite temporary curtailment associated with capital trimming. This is the first phase of module development and will provide through access for services between the existing north and south decline systems. Decline development and stoping ramp-up will now progress to a steady state of about 25 000 oz/y 4E by the 2023 financial year.

The Central Merensky boxcut and portals have been completed and decline development has started. Underground development of strike drives and declines is in progress at the BS4 module, with stoping is well on track to start early in the 2022 financial year.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
Doppelmayr Transport Technology (Ropecon) and WBHO (Phase 1 contract for the establishment of the Booysendal South central road and boxcut) DRA (engineering, procurement and construction management contractor).

Contact Details for Project Information
R&A Strategic Communications on behalf of Northam Platinum, tel +27 11 880 3924 or email northam@rasc.co.za.