Modern Mining April 2019

MINING News

Solid progress on Platreef project during 2018

Reporting on its Platreef project near Mokopane in Limpopo Province in its recently released 2018 full-year results and review of exploration and development activities, TSX-listed Ivanhoe Mines says that Shaft 1 reached the top of the high- grade Flatreef deposit (T1 mineralised zone) at a depth of 780,2 m below surface in Q3-2018 and has since been extended to the 850-m level with the 850-metre- level station development underway. The thickness of the mineralised reef (T1 & T2 mineralised zones) at Shaft 1 is 29 m, with grades of platinum group metals ranging up to 11 g/t 3PE (plati- num, palladium and rhodium) plus gold, as well as significant quantities of nickel and copper. The 29-m intersection yielded approximately 3 000 tonnes of ore, esti- mated to contain more than 400 ounces

of platinum group metals. The ore is stock- piled on surface for metallurgical sampling. The 750-metre-level station, including the steelwork and concrete construction, was successfully completed in Q4-2018. The 750-metre-level and 850-metre-level stations will provide initial underground access to the high-grade orebody, enabling mine development to proceed during the construction of Shaft 2. As sinking of Shaft 1 advances, one more station will be developed at a mine working depth of 950 m. Shaft 1 is expected to reach its projected final depth of 982 m below surface in early 2020. Shaft 1 ultimately will become the primary ventilation shaft during the project’s initial 4 Mt/a production case. The Platreef ’s second major shaft, Shaft 2, is to be located approximately

100 m north-east of Shaft 1. It will have an internal diameter of 10 m and will be lined with concrete and sunk to a planned, final depth of more than 1 104 m below sur- face. It will be equipped with two 40-tonne rock-hoisting skips capable of hoisting a total of 6 Mt/a – the single largest hoisting capacity at any mine in Africa. The headgear for the permanent hoist- ing facility was designed by Murray & Roberts Cementation. Nine blasts were successfully completed in 2018 enabling the excavation of Shaft 2’s boxcut to a depth of approximately 29 m below sur- face and the construction of the concrete hitch (shaft collar foundation) for the 103-m tall concrete headgear that will house the shaft’s permanent hoisting facil- ities and support the shaft collar. Excavation of the boxcut and construc-

Construction in progress on the foundation that will support Shaft 2’s 103-m tall concrete headframe (photo: Ivanhoe).

4  MODERN MINING  April 2019