Anglo American Platinum Limited |
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Thembelani Mine
(managed – 100% owned)
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THEMBELANI MINE (managed - 100% owned) |
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MINE OVERVIEW
Thembelani Mine is situated in the province of North West in South Africa, near the town of Rustenburg. It forms part of the Western Limb of the Bushveld Complex and operates under a mining right covering a total area of 31 square kilometres.
The mine's current infrastructure consists primarily of one vertical shaft system (Thembelani No 1 shaft), which transports rock, men and material. Mining occurs on both the Merensky Reef and the UG2 Reef horizons. The predominant mining layout is conventional scattered breast mining with strike pillars. The operating depth for the current workings is between 400 m and 900 m below surface. Thembelani Mine's life-of-mine (LoM) extends to beyond 2039 for currently approved projects. The current LoM plan consists of a Mineral Resource (exclusive of Ore Reserves) of 10.7 4E million ounces and an Ore Reserve of 5.7 4E million ounces.
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
- Four years without a fall-of-ground fatality.
- Increased production of equivalent refined platinum ounces.
OPERATIONAL REVIEW
Regrettably, two employees lost their lives at Thembelani Mine in 2011. Mr JD Drotsky, a surveyor technician, was inundated by loose ore on Sunday, 23 January and Mr Ntobeko Jengese, a haulage-construction aide, sustained fatal injuries in an explosion on Friday, 1 April. The mine did, however, achieve in excess of four million shifts without a fall-of-ground fatality. The lost-time injury-frequency rate deteriorated to 2.04, a 33% regression on the rate achieved in 2010.
Equivalent refined platinum ounces rose by 6% to 101,200 ounces, up from 95,600 ounces in 2010. This can be ascribed to an increase of 2% in tonnes milled, to 1.5 million tonnes, and to a 3% increase in the 4E built-up head grade, to 4.36 g/t. At 12.7 months, the immediately available Ore Reserves decreased by 17% in 2011, as the result of increasing m² mined while developing at the same rate as in the previous year. At 6.3 m2 per employee, productivity remained the same as that achieved in 2010.
Cash on-mine costs increased by 20%, to R1.38 billion. The increase in costs was the result of the marginal increase in volumes exacerbated by inflationary pressures related to wages and electricity. The cash on-mine cost per tonne milled rose by 17% to R933 per tonne. Cash operating expenses (the costs after allowing for off-mine smelting and refining activities) per equivalent refined ounce increased by 13% to R14,776.
CAPITAL EXPENDITURE
Total capital expenditure decreased to R533 million in 2011 (R628 million in 2010). Stay-in-business capital expenditure amounted to R86 million (R72 million in 2010), while project capital expenditure was R447 million (R556 million in 2010).
The Thembelani Merensky replacement project consists of the No 2 main shaft for miners and materials, a ventilation shaft and a series of declines from 28 level to 38 level, including the infrastructure needed to access the Merensky Reef only. Production from the early levels (27/29) started in 2008 and about 47,000 ounces have been produced. The capital development and equipping of 29 level are almost complete. The ventilation shaft has been sunk to its bottom 31 station and is complete. Initial Ore Reserve development from the ventilation shaft commenced in 2011 for early access to the 30 and 31 levels. This was enabled by the commissioning of temporary hoisting facilities in the ventilation shaft. Bulk infrastructure - such as the refrigeration plant, consumer substation, 1-kV substation and 3-kV yard - was also commissioned in 2011. The main shaft is now sunk to 33 level (1,117 m below surface) and station cutting is under way, with 28 and 32 levels having been completed.
Given the current global uncertainty, development of the shaft is to be stopped at 33 level. Further option studies will be conducted, during 2012, to define the optimal configuration for extraction below the current shaft bottom.
OUTLOOK
Thembelani is expected to increase its production further during 2012, while focusing on improving its safety performance.
