JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) − JSE-listed Village has increased the resource at its Lesego platinum project to 41.8-million ounces, starting at 700 m below the surface.

This is a 50% increase from the 27.8-million ounce inferred resource previously defined.

The upgraded resource comprises 16.8-million ounces of Merensky Reef and 25-million ounces of the slightly deeper UG2 chromitite. On the Merensky Reef, an improved grade of 6.75 g/t was recorded over an average reef thickness of 1.08 m, while the UG2 has produced a grade of 6.52 g/t over a wider reef thickness 1.26 m.

The resource categorisation also improved with 11% of the 41.8-million ounces classified in the measured resource category, 46% in the indicated resource category, and the balance in an inferred category.

This upgrade brings Village Main Reef’s attributable share of the project to 32.2-million ounces.

“We have defined this significant resource at a starting depth of 700 m, almost half the initial depth of 1 200 m. This confirms the Lesego project as a large, shallow to medium depth, high-grade ore body, which we believe will be economically viable,” commented CEO Bernard Swanepoel.

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