Name: Booysendal North mine.

Location: The mine is located about 35 km from the town of Mashishing, straddling the border of the Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces, in South Africa.

Controlling Company: Northam Platinum.

Brief Description: The Booysendal concession hosts upper group two (UG2) and Merensky orebodies.
Brief History: The Booysendal North mine started operating in 2013.
Products: Platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold (4E) platinum- group elements (PGEs).
Geology/Mineralisation: The Booysendal concession hosts UG2 and Merensky orebodies, which outcrop over a strike length of 14.5 km and dip at about 10º to the west within the area.

The Bushveld sequence at Booysendal is consistent with that found across the eastern limb. The critical zone stratigraphy is fully developed, with middling between the UG2 and Merensky reefs about 175 m in the northern portion of the mine area. The sequence is subject to thinning in the southern portion, which is linked to the Bushveld rocks abutting basement highs. The impact of this is further manifested in disruption to surface morphology and internal structure of the two reefs.

This has led to the characterisation of three geozones within the Booysendal concession – normal, slump and abutment. Despite this progressive disruption to the south, the continuity of the reef surfaces is robust across the property. The internal structure of the UG2 reef is similar to that found on the Bushveld western limb, while the Merensky reef is typical of the northern portion of the Bushveld eastern limb.

The area has some structural disturbance in the form of dykes and jointing. These features are generally not groundwater-bearing and not subject to associated extensive structural damage zones. The Merensky and UG2 reefs are separated by a stratigraphic interval of about 175 m and, as a result, mining of either reef does not directly impact on the other.

The Merensky reef is the upper mineralised portion of the Merensky pyroxenite, generally extending over 110 cm. It is overlain by a sequence of competent massive to partially layered norites.

The UG2 reef comprises an upper leader chromitite seam and a lower main chromitite seam, with a combined thickness of about 140 cm. These seams are generally juxtaposed or merged, but can display variable internal silicate partings. The UG2 reef is immediately overlain by a competent massive pyroxenite of between 3.5 m to 5 m in thickness, which may contain up to seven chromitite stringers/seams.

Reserves: Proven and probable reserves at the Booysendal North mine as at June 30, 2016, were estimated at 5.36-million ounces.

Resources: Mineral resources at the Booysendal North mine as at June 30, 2016, were estimated at 38.16-million ounces.

Mining Method: The UG2 sections of Booysendal North and South are underground, mechanised bord-and-pillar mines, accessed from surface using ramp decline systems.

Major Infrastructure and Equipment: Underground workings are accessed through a cluster of four declines – three on reef and one in the footwall accessed using a reverse decline system. Surface metallurgical infrastructure includes a UG2 concentrator and a dense-media separation plant. Material is smelted at Zondereinde.

Prospects: Northam’s board has approved total capital expenditure of R5.5-billion on four growth projects.

The biggest of these is the R4.2-billion, six-year, 240 000 oz/y Booysendal South project on which work has begun and which will reach steady state in 2022.

The three other projects include:
• the R300-million, two-year, 25 000 oz/y Booysendal Merensky Phase 1 project at the Booysendal North mine, on which R75-million has been spent.
• the Booysendal UG2 North deepening project, on which R60-million has been spent and which involves the addition of two extra mining levels. The project is seen as a logical, capital-efficient extension of the original Booysendal footprint. The conveyor-decline cluster for this R270-million, three-year, 30 000 oz/y project is wholly on reef and will, thus, offer an immediate payback element.
• the Zondereinde smelter expansion project, on which R292-million has already been spent. Commissioning is on schedule for the second half of next year.

Contact Person: Marion Brower

Contact Details:
Russell & Associates on behalf of Northam Platinum
tel +27 11 880 3924, and
website http://www.northam.co.za.