Modern Mining December 2015

MINING News

A recent view of the WBJV Project 1 processing facility showing the flotation circuit, concentrator and filter press (photo: PTM).

Production nears at WBJV Project 1

South Africa with an expected cash cost of approximately US$625 per 4E ounce . First concentrate production at Project 1 is planned for late 2015 with first concentrate deliveries to Anglo Platinum scheduled for the end of January 2016. The company says that its key busi- ness objectives for calendar 2016 will be to safely ramp-up the Project 1 platinum mine in line with – or exceeding – guid- ance and to advance theWaterberg project through pre-feasibility.  This documentation also indicates that significant lengths of mineralisation may be present and a low-grade lead envelope with copper and silver credits may also be present. Work is ongoing to determine the overall configuration and extent of the lead miner- alisation and the company says it hopes to be able to display amodel of thismineralised zone early in the near future. It cautions that these historical records have been exam- ined but not verified by a qualified person. Further work is required to verify that these historical assays are accurate. The mine site continues to be main- tained on a standby basis and cost cutting measures continue to be implemented, says Kombat Copper. 

the same time progressing with a detailed pre-feasibility study funded by partner JOGMEC (the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation). PlatinumGroup says it has delivered the construction and development of Project 1 within its updated budget and schedule. At planned steady-state production in 2018, Project 1 is expected to be one of the lower cost conventional PGM mines in of potable water that can be used to ben- efit Namibia. In an agreement with the local water supplier, dewatering of the mine is occurring at no cost to the company. Kombat Copper says it continues to scan and compile historic documents in an effort to have all mine workings in an electronic format for subsequent digitis- ing and modelling. Over 23 000 documents pertaining to the mine have been scanned and catalogued. As over 45 years of historic Kombat mine documents are assessed, it has been inter- preted by Kombat Copper that the Kombat East area of the mine may contain appre- ciable amounts of lead mineralisation.

Reporting on its 2015 results, Platinum Group Metals (PTM), listed on the TSX and NYSE, says the year has been a pivotal one for the company as it completes con- struction at the WBJV Project 1 (Maseve) platinum mine near Sun City in South Africa and moves into production. During 2015 the company also advanced and consolidated its large Waterberg platinum discovery while at

Update issued on Namibia’s Kombat mine Kombat Copper Inc, listed on the TSX-V, says in a recent statement that it is still actively working on its primary asset, the Kombat mine in northern Namibia.

The company states that it is in discus- sions with a local mining group which has shown significant interest in fast tracking scaled production at the Kombat mine. A due diligence period is in effect and the company will report on any material advancement in negotiations as they occur. Water continues to be pumped from the #1 shaft at Kombat, ultimately allow- ing underground workings to be accessed. Drought conditions in Southern Africa have prioritised the mine as a significant source

6  MODERN MINING  December 2015