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October 2015
MODERN MINING
9
MINING News
International engineering and project
delivery group DRA Global was awarded
the feasibility study for Ivanplats’ Platreef
project in August 2015. Ivanplats is the
South African subsidiary of TSX-listed
Ivanhoe Mines.
The project includes the underground
Flatreef deposit of platinum group met-
als, together with gold, nickel and copper,
and is located in the Northern Limb of the
Bushveld Complex, approximately 280 km
north-east of Johannesburg.
Award of the feasibility study follows
the completion of the pre-feasibility study
in January 2015, which was also carried out
by DRA and successfully demonstrated a
sound business case for further investiga-
tion of the project.
DRA’s role will be the management
and coordination of the all-encompassing
feasibility study of the greenfield project,
in addition to providing a wide range of
engineering services in its own right. The
scope to be covered by DRA includes the
highly mechanised underground mine
design, processing facilities and associated
project infrastructure. Among the external
consultants to be managed by DRA will be
specialists covering geology, life of mine
planning, geotechnical, ground water,
environmental aspects and the tailings
storage facility.
Mining will be conducted by a large,
DRA Global awarded feasibility study
for Ivanplats’ Platreef project
state-of-the-art mechanised underground
operation, approximately 700 to 1 100 m
below surface via a vertical production
shaft which will be 10 m in diameter. The
process plant is initially planned to con-
sist of two parallel streams, each of 2 Mt/a
capacity, with comminution, flotation, con-
centrate dewatering and tailings disposal.
A full suite of infrastructure will be cov-
ered in the feasibility study, including bulk
power supply, bulk water supply, internal
and external roads, and on-site buildings
and systems.
DRA’s CEO, Paul Thomson, comments:
“We are extremely pleased to have been
awarded the feasibility study of the
Platreef project. This is a world-class PGM
project and we are very proud to have had
the opportunity of completing the earlier
pre-feasibility study. Its award is a testa-
ment to the good work already carried out
by the DRA team, and to the sound rela-
tionship developed between our company
and Ivanplats.
“The scope of the project being man-
aged by DRA is also a clear demonstration
of our ‘Pit-to-Port’ capability. Our in-house
engineers and project services personnel
will be responsible for all major aspects of
the project – for themining engineering, the
processing facilities and the associated infra-
structure, in addition to coordinating the
input of a number of external specialists.”
A recent view of the Platreef site, where the sinking of one of the shafts required for the project has
already started.