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February 2015
MODERN MINING
7
MINING News
Pan African Resources, whose opera-
tion include Barberton Mines, Evander
and Phoenix Platinum, reports that Ron
Holding (62) will retire as CEO of the Group
with effect from 1 March 2015. He will be
succeeded as CEO by Cobus Loots (37),
who is currently the FD of Pan African.
To ensure that Holding’s experience and
knowledge is retained by the Group, Pan
African says an exclusive consulting agree-
ment will be concluded with Holding,
PTM strengthens team for
its newWBJV Project 1 mine
PlatinumGroupMetals (PTM) has announced
the hiring of full time local mining special-
ists in South Africa as part of an operational
readiness plan as it moves toward first pro-
duction in Q4 of calendar 2015 at its new
WBJV Project 1 mine near Sun City. The
operating teamwill be overseen by the com-
pany’s Chief Operating Officer, Peter Busse, a
mine builder andmine manager with over 40
years of experience.
“This is an exciting and pivotal time for us.
With funding for mine completion secure and
the WBJV Project 1 75 % complete, the addi-
tion of these new local teammembers to our
1 700 plus person strong construction con-
tracting teamprovides us with the expertise to
take us successfully into production at a prom-
ising time for platinum and palladium,”says R.
Michael Jones, President and CEO of PTM.
Among the new appointments is David
Ngubane, General Manager. He has extensive
management experience and has worked
on projects in Zambia, Botswana and South
Africa. His career beganwithDe Beers andpro-
gressed to a variety of operational positions.
He has also served as Operations Manager at
Anglo American Platinum (Rustenburg), and
as Mine Manager (Expansion Projects) for
Xstrata Alloys. His last position was COO with
Lanxess ChromeMining. He obtained a BTech,
Mining Engineering from the University of
Johannesburg and a post-graduate diploma
in Business Management from the University
of KwaZulu-Natal.
Two further key appointment on the
technical side are Curt von Graevenitz as
Engineering Manager and Rowan Ray as
Mine Manager.
According to PTM, Von Graevenitz brings
over 26 years of invaluable experience in the
mining industry, of which 11 years were in
the trackless mining and equipment envi-
ronment. He has an extensive history in the
application and maintenance of the Mine
Health and Safety Act, as well as having
experience in asset, contract, maintenance
and project management.
Ray joins Platinum Group from Murray
& Roberts (Zambia) where he was Project
Manager. He brings extensive knowledge
and experience of the BRPMNorth and South
shafts, both with similar orebodies to the
WBJV Project 1. He has extensive experience
in conventional, hybrid and bord and pil-
lar extraction, capital projects, mechanised
development and hydro powered drill sys-
tems. He holds a Mine Managers Certificate
of Competency and a BA degree.
AIM-listed DiamondCorp says that during
the threemonths ended 31 December 2014
its 74 %-owned subsidiary, Lace Diamond
Mines (Pty) Limited (LDM), continued with
the implementation of a revised under-
ground development schedule and budget
aimed at bringing forward the ramp-up of
commercial production from underground
kimberlite mining by six months into late
H1 2015. LDM operates the Lace diamond
mine in the Free State.
As a consequence of the six-week indus-
trial action by members of the Association
of Mineworkers and Construction Union
(AMCU) in October and November, pro-
duction will now commence in H2, which
will still be four months ahead of the origi-
nal plan.
During the strike, a number of under-
ground workplace inefficiencies were
identified which were addressed when
the workforce returned to work. As a
consequence of these changes, a 15 %
improvement in development produc-
tivity has so far been achieved, says
DiamondCorp.
Tunnel development costs to date are
averaging R40 764/m against a revised
budget of R37 000/m. The overspend
continues to be the result of increased
operating costs on the company’s under-
ground mining fleet and delays resulting
from the AMCU strike. The benefits of
maintenance and repair cost saving ini-
tiatives reported previously are currently
being offset by cost increases on spare
parts resulting from the weaker South
African rand.
The mine has taken delivery of its new
DiamondCorp provides update
on Lace underground project
Sandvik 421 drill rig. This rig has the capac-
ity to drill longholes up to 54 m in length
and 127 mm in diameter and will be used
to complete all the longhole drilling on the
production levels in the UK4 and 47L block
cave.
Underground core drilling of the UK4
block continues to delineate significant
volumes of K4 (high grade) kimberlite
above the 365 m level. The drilling, bulk
testing and release of an updated resource
statement will now be completed in early
Q2, rather than Q1 as previously planned.
Regarding the tailings retreatment oper-
ation at Lace, DiamondCorp says that in the
year ended 31 December 2014, it processed
308 047 tonnes of tailings and recovered
18 534 carats of diamonds at an average
recovered grade of 5,96 cpht, compared
with a budget recovered grade of 5 cpht.
Tailings re-treatment processing
stopped in September as the surface
earthmoving fleet relocated to construct
another 150 000 m
3
surface process water
storage dam in preparation for earlier than
scheduled kimberlite mining. This activ-
ity was successfully completed in the dry
winter months ahead of the summer rains.
The construction of the new dam, plus
additional surface drains, has allowed the
mine to capture all of the water required
for 2015 kimberlite processing.
An additional large surface dam is
planned for construction in 2015 which
will store sufficient water for full produc-
tion requirements during low rainfall years.
The timing of the re-commencement of
tailings retreatment this year will be deter-
mined by the dam building schedule.
Cobus Loots to take over at Pan African
effective 1 March 2015. This arrangement
will be for a minimum period of one year.
Loots has been a director of Pan African
since 2009, and was also previously the
Group’s joint interim CEO from March
2013 to September 2013. Prior to joining
Pan African on a permanent basis, he was
the MD of Shanduka Resources, where he
was directly responsible for the oversight
of Shanduka’s mining and minerals invest-
ment portfolio.