JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Despite minor delays, JSE-listed Jubilee Platinum’s Dilokong Chrome Mine (DCM) is now fully commissioned and operational, with 85% of design throughput reached at the processing plant.
The miner started commissioning in late February, in line with the requirements of a processing agreement that Jubilee subsidiary Pollux Investments Holdings entered into with ASA Metals, a joint venture between Eastern Asia Metals and Investment and the Limpopo Economic Development Enterprise, which was currently in business rescue.
In January, ASA Metals and DCM reported that they were set to retrench 750 workers as part of their restructuring plans. “While we cannot comment in detail regarding the business rescue process, we have been assured at a high level that our operations will remain unaffected,” said Jubilee in a statement.
It added that the project continued to have access to surface stock material and that business would continue as normal. “The availability of such a large unencumbered stock of platinum and chrome containing surface material is an example of the robustness of the project,” said the company.
The overall processing plant feed rate reached 21 000 t/m, compared with a design throughput of 25 000 t/m.
“We remain focused on reaching full operational output during March, while simultaneously advancing the construction of the significantly larger platinum and chrome surface processing project at the Hernic operations, targeting a combined processing capacity of 80 000 t/m of feed material,” highlighted Jubilee.