JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Dual-listed Platinum Group Metals (PTM) has started the engineering work component of its planned definitive feasibility study (DFS) on the Waterberg project.
The scope of work included infill drilling, resource modelling, mine plan optimisation and infrastructure engineering, with the engineering and design work aimed at reducing and improving underground development and optimising the project’s scale and return.
“Detailed drilling targeting the higher-grade, thicker portions of the deposit is in progress. The objective of the drilling is to move portions of the deposit into the measured resource category and to investigate the best grade portions for inclusion in early mine planning,” the company said in an update to shareholders on Thursday.
Licence and permitting application work is also under way.
In May, infill drilling restarted at Waterberg to increase the confidence level of defined areas of T and F Reef from inferred to indicated or measured.
“A total of eight machines have been deployed and about 11 230 m have been drilled in this programme to date. Assays for the current drilling programme are in process. Several holes drilled in late 2016 have recently returned assays,” PTM said.
Detailed infrastructure planning has also started, including power line environmental and servitude work by State-owned power utility Eskom and detailed hydrogeological work to source ground water.
The work at Waterberg is wholly funded by 28.35% joint venture partner Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation through an exploration earn-in commitment.