Name of the Project
Booysendal South platinum mine project.

Location
The project is located about 35 km west of Mashishing, straddling the border of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, in South Africa.

Client
Northam Platinum.

Project Description
Booysendal South incorporates the infrastructure of Aquarius Platinum’s former Everest mine, which Northam acquired in June 2015 at a cost of R450-million.

The acquisition of Everest included a 250 000 t/m concentrator, underground access and equipment, tailings storage, workshops and offices, infrastructure and access to power and water supply.

Underground workings are reached through seven on-reef declines, from a central portal complex, thereby reducing environmental impact and capital requirements. Similar to the North mine, a Merensky mine module will also be established

In an innovative application of engineering solutions, Northam has installed an aerial rope conveyor system to transport ore over challenging regional topography.  The South aerial rope conveyor system, or Ropecon, transports ore from the central portal complex to the Booysendal South concentrator, which is almost 5 km away.  The conveyor has a capacity of 1 150 t/h.
 
The first phase comprises 12 tower structures, which support the conveyor. The construction of the second phase comprises seven tower support structures.

Booysendal South mine will sustain production at 250 000 oz of refined platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold, or 4E platinum group metals (PGMs), for more than 25 years.

Potential Job Creation
Currently, while in construction phase, Booysendal South has an estimated 1 800 people employed on a part time basis.  In the production phase, at steady-state up to 2 000 permanent jobs will be available.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Value
The project has a capital allocation of R4.2-billion over a six-year period.

Duration
Steady state production is expected in 2022.  The mine has a life of 30 years.

Latest developments and recent milestones
Construction of Booysendal South’s central mining complex and ancillary infrastructure is well advanced and on track to reach steady state in the 2022 financial year.

Key project milestones during the six months ended December 31, 2018, include:

commissioning of the aerial rope conveyor and the first ore transported from the central complex to the South concentrator stockpile.

recommissioning the PGMs circuit of the South concentrator and ramping up the rate of tailings retreatment from the south tailings storage facility to produce chrome concentrate and PGMs.

ongoing development of the BS1 and BS2 mining modules, which are producing 20 000 t/m of UG2 ore.

Re-establishing underground access to the Booysendal South 4 module for future tailings deposition.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Doppelmayr Transport Technology (Ropecon) and WBHO (Phase 1 contract for the establishment of the Booysendal South central road and boxcut and DRA as the EPCM).

On Budget and on Time?
The project is ongoing.

Contact Details for Project Information
Northam Platinum media and investor relations, R&A Strategic Communications, tel +27 11 880 3924.