Anglo American Platinum Limited |
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Bathopele Mine
(managed – 100% owned)
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BATHOPELE MINE (managed - 100% owned) |
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MINE OVERVIEW
Bathopele Mine is situated in the North West province of South Africa, near the town of Rustenburg and within the Western Limb of the Bushveld Igneous Complex. The mine operates under a mining right covering a total area of 17 square kilometres.
The current infrastructure consists primarily of two decline shafts, namely East and Central shafts. Development of the West shaft, which is accessed underground from Central shaft, commenced during January 2011. It is a trackless mechanised operation that mines the UG2 horizon exclusively at a current depth varying between 40 m and 300 m below surface using low-profile (LP) and extra-low-profile (XLP) equipment suites. The mining layouts applied are board-and-pillar in the LP section and breast mining in the XLP section. The XLP mining section contributed 11% of the m2 produced.
Bathopele Mine’s life-of-mine (LoM) extends to 2026. The current LoM plan consists of a Mineral Resource (exclusive of Ore Reserves) of 0.3 4E million ounces and an Ore Reserve of 4.1 4E million ounces.
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
- Improvement in lost-time injury-frequency rate.
- Improvement in available Ore Reserves through accelerated development in barrel sections.
OPERATIONAL REVIEW
Regrettably, two employees lost their lives at Bathopele Mine during 2011. On 14 February 2011, Mr Thembalethu Sonny Ntampula, a roofbolt operator, was fatally injured in a fall-of-ground incident; while on 1 June 2011 Mr Mbanja Ntlantla, a drillrig operator, passed away after an incident involving moving machinery. The lost-time injury-frequency rate nevertheless improved by 23% in 2011 to 0.84 (it was 1.09 in 2010).
Equivalent refined platinum ounces decreased to 112,500 ounces, down by 19% on 2010. This was caused by safety-related stoppages and unprotected industrial action, partly offset by a higher 4E built-up head grade which increased by 2% to 3.08 g/t. The immediately available Ore Reserves were 13.7 months at 31 December 2011, an increase of 0.24 months over the figure for 2010. Productivity decreased by 20% year-on-year as a result of the lower volumes produced, while the number of employees remained essentially the same.
Cash on-mine costs were managed well and kept flat at R1.36 billion despite mining inflation of around 10%. The cash on-mine cost per tonne milled, however, rose by 28% owing to the lower volumes milled. The cash operating expenses (the costs after allowing for off-mine smelting and refining activities) per equivalent refined ounce increased by 23% year-on-year, to R13,168.
CAPITAL EXPENDITURE
Total capital expenditure increased by 18% to R346 million in 2011. Stay-in-business capital expenditure amounted to R193 million (R151 million in 2010), while project capital expenditure, mainly on Bathopele Phase 4, ended the year at R153 million (R142 million in 2010).
The Bathopele Phase 4 decline extension project is 76% complete. Although it encountered worse-than-anticipated ground conditions that resulted in slower decline development rates, it achieved a lost-time injury-free year. Development is planned for completion in the second quarter of 2015, with no negative impact on production. No cost overruns are anticipated.
The Phase 5 concept study was advanced through all stage gates, and the feasibility study was approved for execution in December 2011.
OUTLOOK
Bathopele Mine is expected to improve its safety performance in 2012 while also returning to previous production levels.
