Modern Mining January 2020

as metal prices surge

to review Ivanhoe’s planned smaller-scale, early-stage, lower-capital-cost production plan. Ivanhoe’s plan would accelerate the mine’s first production by using Shaft 1 as the mine’s initial production shaft, followed by expansions to the production rate outlined in the 2017 definitive feasibility study. Ivanhoe’s smaller-scale mine design is also optimised to target the highest- grade areas of the mineral resource in close vicinity to Shaft 1. Platreef’s Shaft 1 is currently at a depth of 957 m below surface. It is scheduled to be completed to a final depth of approximately 1 000 m by the end of July 2020. Work on Shaft 1’s 950-metre-level station – the shaft’s third and final station – is expected to be completed in March this year. A major milestone for the project occurred in Q3-2018 when Shaft 1 reached the eralised orebody (T1 and T2 mineralised zones) at Shaft 1 is 29 m, with grades of platinum group metals ranging up to 11 g/t 3PE (platinum, pal- ladium and rhodium) plus gold, as well as significant quantities of nickel and cop- per. The 29-m intersection yielded approximately 3 000 tonnes of ore, esti- mated to contain more than 400 ounces of platinum group metals. Shaft 2, to be located approximately 100 m north- east of Shaft 1, will have an internal diameter of 10 m. It will be lined with concrete and sunk to a planned, final depth of more than 1 100 m below surface. It will be equipped with two Koepe winding plants, one equipped with 40-tonne rock-hoisting skips capable of hoisting a total of 6 Mt/a of ore – the single largest hoisting capacity at any mine in Africa. The headgear for the permanent hoisting facil- ity was designed by South Africa-based Murray & Roberts Cementation. The boxcut excavation to a depth of approximately 29 m below surface, includ- ing the concrete foundation, has been successfully completed and will form the foundation of the 103-metre-tall concrete headgear that will house the shaft’s permanent hoisting facilities and support the shaft collar. Work on Shaft 2 has been temporarily deferred while the company completes its review of the alternative production plan using Shaft 1 as the top of the Flatreef deposit (T1 mineralised zone) at a depth of 780,2 m below surface. The thickness of the min-

mine’s initial production shaft. Platreef’s current indicated

Above: Engineers surveying Shaft 1’s 950-metre-level station. The kibble (bucket), used for hoisting broken rock to surface, is positioned for filling. Left: A sample from the first ore excavated from the Flatreef deposit showing massive pentlandite (nickel sulphide) and chalcopyrite (copper sulphide) mineralisation.

mineral resources contain an estimated 26,8 Moz of pal- ladium, 25,6 Moz of platinum, 4,5 Moz of gold, and 1,8 Moz of rhodium (a combined 58,7 Moz of PGMs plus gold), plus 4,1 billion pounds of nickel and 2,1 billion pounds

of copper, at a cut-off grade of 1 g/t. Current inferred mineral resources contain an additional 43,0 Moz of palladium, 40,4 Moz of plati- num, 7,8 Moz of gold, and 3,1 Moz of rhodium (a combined 94,3 Moz PGMs plus gold), plus 7,7 billion pounds of nickel and 4,1 billion pounds of copper, also at a cut-off grade of 1 g/t. The Platreef project is owned by Ivanplats, which is 64%-owned by Ivanhoe Mines. A 26 % interest is held by Ivanplats’ historically-disadvantaged, broad- based, black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) partners, which include 20 local host communities with approximately 150 000 people, project employ- ees and local entrepreneurs. In Q2-2019, Ivanplats reached Level 2 contributor status in its verification assessment on the B-BBEE scorecard. A Japanese consortium of ITOCHU Corporation, Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation and Japan Gas Corporation owns a 10 % interest in Ivanplats, which it acquired in two tranches for a total investment of US$290 million. Photos courtesy of Ivanhoe Mines

January 2020  MODERN MINING  59