JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Exploration work on the southern section of platinum processor and developer Sylvania Platinum’s Grasvally chrome project, in South Africa’s Bushveld Complex, has delivered a mineral resource of 64 900 t of high-grade chromite.
Of the 64 900 t, 40.70% was chromium oxide (Cr2O3), with a chrome-to-iron ration of 2.19:1, all of which was accessible by small and shallow openpits.
"[We are] pleased with the initial results observed from the exposure of trenching on strike on the southern portion of the resource. This exploration has been achieved with minimal exploration costs and it indicates that this is some of the highest-grade chrome ore being recovered [from] South African chrome mines,” Sylvania CEO Terry McConnachie said.
Further, the company pointed out that its total mineral resource now stood at 144 516 t of chromite mineralisation with a grade of 29.19% Cr2O3 and a chrome-to-iron ratio of 1.74:1.
“Exploration has, to date, concentrated on proving the feasibility for recovering the ore through opencast methods; however, there is also potential for a substantial amount of this high-grade ore to be mined underground,” McConnachie added.
Sylvania had, to date, spent R35.9-million on the Grasvally project, including R22-million to buy the chrome and platinum prospecting rights and R5-million to secure the chrome dumps.
A further R8.9-million was spent to December 2014 on trenching and rehabilitation, with a further R2.7-million planned for exploration of the northern section of the surface outcrop of the orebody over the next six months.