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MODERN MINING
December 2015
MINING News
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
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
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.
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
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.
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.