Anglo American Platinum Limited |
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Mototolo Platinum Mine
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MOTOTOLO PLATINUM MINE (non-managed - 50% owned) |
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MINE OVERVIEW
Mototolo Platinum Mine is a 50:50 joint venture between the Xstrata Kagiso Platinum Partnership and Rustenburg Platinum Mines Limited. The mine is managed by Xstrata SA Proprietary Limited, and the concentrator by Anglo American Platinum Limited (Anglo American Platinum). The mine is situated in the province of Limpopo in South Africa, approximately 30 kilometres west of the town of Burgersfort. It forms part of the Eastern Limb of the Bushveld Complex and operates under a mining right covering a total area of 9 square kilometres.
Current mine infrastructure consists of two decline shafts, namely Lebowa Shaft and Borwa Shaft. It is a fully mechanised mine that mines the UG2 horizon exclusively at a depth of between surface and 450 m below surface. The mining method is bord and pillar.
Mototolo Platinum Mine's life-of-mine (LoM) extends to 2024. The current LoM plan consists of a Mineral Resource (exclusive of Ore Reserves) of 3.6 million 4E ounces and an Ore Reserve of 1.5 million 4E ounces.
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
- A state-of-the-art underground training centre was established at Lebowa Shaft, including a computer-based trackless mechanised training simulator.
- The mine increased throughput by 39,757 tonnes and succeeded in maintaining nameplate production capacity of around 200,000 tonnes per month throughout the year, processing a total of 2.3 million tonnes in 2011.
OPERATIONAL REVIEW
Following a period of five years without a fatal accident, it is with regret that a fatal accident occurred in October 2011. Mr Owen Maimela was fatally injured in an incident involving moving machinery.
The mine's lost-time injury-frequency rate improved from 0.79 in 2010 to 0.57 in 2011.
Equivalent refined platinum ounces attributable to Anglo American Platinum Limited, which included 54.7 koz purchased from the joint-venture partner, increased by 1% to 109.4 koz. The 4E built-up head grade was 3.27 g/t. The mine's immediately available Ore Reserves and immediately stopeable Ore Reserves are 19.1 months and 12.2 months respectively.
Anglo American Platinum Limited's share of total on-mine cash costs increased by 15% to R568 million in 2011. The cash on-mine cost (including concentrator) per tonne milled increased by 13% to R494, while cash operating cost per equivalent refined platinum ounce increased by 13% to R11,800.
CAPITAL EXPENDITURE
The Company's attributable share of capital expenditure was R121 million, a 73% increase over the figure for 2010, mainly as the result of the installation of a new fire-detection-and-suppression system. This expenditure on the conveyor belt system was brought forward as a safety imperative.
OUTLOOK
Equivalent refined platinum ounce production is expected to remain flat in 2012.
