Name: Nkomati mine.
Location: Nkomati is located in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province.
Mine Owner/s: The mine is a joint venture (JV) between African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) and Norilsk Nickel Africa.
Brief Description: Nkomati is the South African producer of nickel concentrate.
Brief History: The mine has reached the end of its economic life.
Primary Metals/Minerals: Nickel.
Secondary Metals/Minerals: Copper, cobalt, chromium and platinum group metals.
Geology/Mineralisation: The Nkomati deposit with disseminated copper/nickel sulphide ores constitutes part of the Bushveld Complex. Nkomati comprises several orebodies, the key ones being a solid sulphide orebody with a high nickel content.
The deposit also contains a peridotite chromite mineralisation zone with a lower metal content versus the main mineral zone and a relatively high chromium content.
Reserves: Total proven and probable reserves in the main mineralised zone (MMZ) and chromatic periodite mineralised zone (PCMZ) as at June 30, 2019, were estimated at 6.79-million tonnes grading 0.30% nickel. MMZ stockpiles were estimated at 200 000 t grading 0.27% nickel. PCMZ stockpiles were estimated at 600 000 t at 0.19%.
Resources: Total mineral resources as at June 30, 2019, were estimated at 46.35-million tonnes grading 0.40% nickel, 0.13% copper 0.02% cobalt and 0.97 g/t platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold.
Mining Method: Openpit and underground.
Major Infrastructure and Equipment: The feedstock is processed at two concentrators.
Prospects: The JV partners have agreed to scale down production volumes and place the Nkomati openpit mine on care and maintenance. Production is now expected to cease in February 2021 and not September 2020 as previously planned.
The Nkomati underground mine was placed on care and maintenance in December 2015.
Contact Details:
ARM
Tel +27 11 779 1300
Email ir.admin@arm.co.za
Website https://arm.co.za/
Norilsk Nickel
Tel +7 495 787 7667
Email gmk@nornik.ru.
Website https://www.nornickel.com