Modern Mining April 2017

MINING News

Tharisa, a profitable low-cost producer of PGMs and chrome, owns a large scale open-pit operation – the Tharisa mine – with an open-pit life of 18 years and a further 40 years of underground mine extension. With the long life of the open pit, Tharisa has been evaluating the ben- efits of transitioning from contract mining to an owner mining model at the mine, which is located on the south-western limb of the Bushveld Complex, approximately Tharisa to transition to owner mining model Open-pit operations at the Tharisa mine (photo: Tharisa). 95 km north-west of Johannesburg and 35 km east of Rustenburg. Tharisa currently contracts its mining operations to MCC Contracts (MCC). MCC’s parent company, eXtract, has announced a strategic decision to align its capital allocations with the current mining envi- ronment and to review its business model. As a result, Tharisa has the opportunity to purchase MCC’s existing on-site plant and equipment, as well as employ skilled

employees currently in service at the Tharisa mine. Tharisa says it has accordingly engaged with MCC in an orderly manner to pur- chase a requisite portion of the existing mining fleet as a going concern. Tharisa, in the normal course of managing its min- ing operations, has developed engineering and geological skills that are integral to in-house mining, and the successful con- clusion of this process will ensure that the mine transitions to an owner mining model without interruption. The company believes that with the long life of the open pit, the transition to an owner mining model is a logical pro- gression in its development. The change in the operating model is expected to have both cost and operational benefits as well as providing financial flexibility, thereby cementing Tharisa’s low-cost, high-margin position. “Tharisa has spent the last two years building up its mining expertise and we are now happy that we have the necessary skills to make a smooth transition. We are excited to have the opportunity to directly control our own mining,”said Tharisa’s CEO, Phoevos Pouroulis. 

Sese coal/power project granted mining licence African Energy Resources, listed on the ASX, has advised the market that Botswana’s Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security has granted a mining licence to the Sese Joint Venture (a JV between African Energy and First QuantumMinerals). The Sese project is located south-west of Francistown.

for the currently contemplated 450 MW power project at Sese plus multiple expansions. In conjunction with the previously approved Land Rights and Environmental Approval, the ML gives the owner the right to erect all buildings and infrastructure required to implement the project. African Energy says the granting of the ML is an important step towards finalising the permits for the Sese integrated coal and power project, with the generation and export licence being the only major out- standing permit required before the project can commence. 

The mining licence (ML) covers an area of 51,47 km 2 and contains 650 Mt of raw coal in measured and indicated resources, which is entirely within the global resource of 2 517 Mt of coal at Sese. The approved ML contains more than enough coal in the higher quality SS seam

12  MODERN MINING  April 2017