Modern Mining July 2023

MINING News

Implats secures control of RBPlat

a proposed empowerment transaction at Implats’ subsidiary, Impala Platinum Limited (Impala) and Royal Bafokeng Resources (RBR), the RBPlat subsidiary which holds the RBPlat operating assets. Implats CEO, Nico Muller, said: “Implats is strongly committed to growing and securing the competitiveness and sustain ability of the Southern African PGM sector. Through our significant investments in life-of-mine extensions, growth and ben eficiation, and with our ongoing support and facilitation of socio-economic devel opment in our mine host communities, we are dedicated to creating a better future and delivering enduring benefits for all stakeholders. Our capital investment programme, together with our acquisition of a control ling stake in RBPlat, will position Southern Africa more competitively as a stable and responsible global mine-to-market PGM producer.” 

Implats gaining majority control of RBPlat with a current shareholding of 55.46% and secures Implats’ commitment to imple menting broad-based equity ownership in the South African PGM sector through

Platinum miner, Impala Platinum Holdings (Implats), has concluded an agreement with the Public Investment Corporation to acquire a shareholding of 9.26% in Royal Bafokeng Platinum (RBPlat). This results in

Implats gains majority control of RBPlat with a current shareholding of 55.46%.

Sandfire Resources produces first concentrate at Motheo

ASX-listed Sandfire Resources has successfully produced first cop per concentrate at its Motheo Copper Mine (Motheo) in Botswana. Construction of the Motheo Copper Mine is nearing completion, with equipment commissioning activities over 92% complete for the initial 3.2 mtpa processing capacity. T3 Open Pit mining is proceeding on schedule with more than 270 kt of ore at ~1.1% Cu (mill feed) and 130 kt at 0.7% Cu (lower grade commissioning ore) on the ROM Pad at the end of April 2023. With an inaugural shipment scheduled for the middle of this calendar year, the Motheo team will now focus on completing

commissioning activities and ramping-up the processing plant to its initial 3.2 mtpa processing capacity, which is expected to be achieved during the September Quarter of FY2024, the company said. 

Construction of Motheo Copper Mine is nearing completion.

4  MODERN MINING  July 2023