Name of the Project
Styldrift I expansion project.

Location
The Styldrift project area is located about 5.5 km from the existing Bafokeng Rasimone Platinum Mine (BRPM), in South Africa’s North West province.

Project Owner/s
Royal Bafokeng Platinum (RBPlat).

Project Description
The project will exploit one of the last major shallow Merensky mining blocks on the Western Bushveld.

Styldrift I will deliver an underground trackless operation, which is accessed through a twin vertical shaft system, consisting of sinking the main shaft to 753 m and the services shaft to 723 m.

The configuration of the main shaft has been equipped and commissioned, and allows for a single-deck personnel-and-material cage compartment that can transport 180 people; a cage counterweight compartment; two Merensky reef skip compartments, each designed to accommodate a 22 t skip; and two future skip compartments, each capable of accommodating a 13 t skip.

The services shaft has been equipped and commissioned, and allows for a personnel-and-equipment cage and counterweight compartment that can transport 22 people.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
The project is estimated at about R12.4-billion.

Capital expenditure on the project for the six months to June 30, 2019, amounted to R536-million, bringing total capital expenditure for the project to date to R12.34 billion.

Planned Start /End Date
Styldrift achieved commercial production at the end of the fourth quarter of 2018. Steady-state production is expected in the third quarter of 2020.

Latest Developments
Styldrift’s ramp-up has progressed steadily, albeit at lower than planned production levels, owing to delays associated with the commissioning of in-stope ore handling infrastructure, operational challenges encountered during the implementation of full calendar operations and difficulties in the recruiting and onboarding of skilled, trackless personnel.

RBPlat’s operational and technical team continues to focus on the implementation of systems, installation of infrastructure and recruitment of personnel required to achieve the mine’s steady-state production milestone of 230 000 t/m.

Key construction activities being undertaken include the:

• completion of the main pumpstation and associated settler infrastructure;
• installation of 3 North and South bulkheads and strike belts;
• completion of Silo No 3 and associated transfer conveyor infrastructure on 642 level;
• completion of the last eight trackless workshop bays on 600 level;
• commissioning of ventilation shaft No 2;
• extension of on-reef dip conveyors on 600 level to the north and south to enhance development and ledging ore-handling flexibility;
• completion of the 600 level underground stores; and
• construction of underground offices.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
WorleyParsons (main project engineering); Anglo Technical Division (mine shaft design); Mining & Engineering Technical Services, or Mets (services shaft headgears); Shaft Sinkers (main and services shafts and associated works until January 2015, when RBPlat terminated its contract); Louwill Engineering (main and services shafts headgears and winder-house structural manufacturing and erection); FLSmidth Minerals (main shaft personnel and material winder mechanical portion); Actom – formerly Alstom Industry (main shaft personnel-and-material winder – electrical portion); Coilmech (service winder – mechanical and electrical portions); Stefanutti Stocks Civils Wramatshe joint venture (civils Phase 2 contract – main bulk surface civils); Sarens (cranes), Sandvik Mining (underground primary trackless fleet); Fermel (secondary trackless fleet); Master Drilling, Murray & Roberts and Redpath (vertical raiseboring) and Howden (surface fan supply and installation).

All procurement and construction management are currently owner-managed.

On Budget and on Time?
Styldrift remains on schedule to achieve the 230 000 t/m ramp-up by the third quarter of 2020.

Contact Details for Project Information
RBPlat executive: corporate affairs Mpueleng Pooe, tel +27 10 590 4515 or email mpueleng@bafokengplatinum.co.za, or investor relations executive Lindiwe Montshiwagae, tel +27 10 590 4517 or email lindiwe@bafokengplatinum.co.za.