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.

Project Owner/s
Northam Platinum.

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

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

The South mine includes four mining modules:

• two upper group two (UG2) – BS1 and BS2;
• one Merensky, or Booysendal Central Merensky, module in the central complex; and
• an additional UG2 module in the south – BS4.

Underground workings are reached through seven on-reef declines.

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 the 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.

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

R1.5-billion was spent on the project in the year to June 30, 2019.

R3.4-billion has been spent on the project to date, representing an estimated 60% of the total value of the project.

Planned Start/End Date
Project development started in June 2016. Steady-state production is expected in 2022. 

Latest Developments
Major milestones achieved in the year to June 30, 2019, include the commissioning of the South aerial rope conveyor and the PGM circuit of the concentrator.

Surface infrastructure construction and underground development at the mine are on track.

Planned expenditure for Booysendal South mine is estimated at R1-billion for the 2020 financial year.

Work will focus on South mine. This will include continued surface infrastructure construction at the Central UG2 boxcut, and mining and underground equipping of the BS1 and BS2 mining modules, in line with production ramp-up.

Construction of the North aerial rope conveyor will start and is planned to be commissioned in the 2021 financial year. This conveyor will run from the North Merensky mine, through the Central Merensky mine to the South aerial rope conveyor feed silo at the Central complex. This will allow for the transport of ore from the North and Central Merensky mines to the South concentrator, which has sufficient capacity to treat this, as well as ore from the Central UG2 mines.

The boxcut for the Central Merensky mine will be completed in the coming year. This will allow for the establishment of the portals and underground development of the decline system. Site preparation will start for an ore silo and feed belt to tie into the North aerial rope conveyor.

Work will continue on underground equipping and access development into the BS4 mining block, with planned build to steady state of about 30 000 t month by 2023.

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 engineering, procurement and construction management contractor.

On Budget and on Time?
The development of Booysendal South is progressing on budget and on schedule.

Contact Details for Project Information
R&A Strategic Communications on behalf of Northam Platinum, tel +27 11 880 3924 or email northam@rasc.co.za.