In a major boost for South African platinum group metal (PGM) production, Northam Platinum opened the world's deepest raise-bored PGM shaft at the Zondereinde mine.
Northam Platinum opened the world's deepest raise-bored PGM shaft at the Zondereinde mine. Image supplied.
The 1,382m vertical personnel and materials shaft forms part of the platinum producer’s Western extension project.
It is designed to transport people, materials and services to the Western extension, improving access to ore reserves and easing the logistical constraints associated with servicing the extension from Zondereinde's existing shaft complex 4km away.
Defining investment
Zondereinde is an established, conventional underground mine on the northern end of the western limb of the Bushveld Complex.
The Western extension adds 3.6km of mineable strike to the west of the existing underground operations and contains more than 20 million ounces of PGMs in the Merensky and UG2 reefs.
Northam Platinum CEO Paul Dunne said the project represents a defining investment in the mine's long-term future.
“We're going to extend the life of the Zondereinde mine by 40 years.
“There are 12,000 employees here at Zondereinde, and this project secures their future and their children's future for many, many years to come.
“It's a very significant project for the group.”
Committed to safety
Dunne said the successful completion of the vertical raise-bored shaft also demonstrated the company's engineering capability and commitment to safety.
“The hole in the ground was made by a machine with no people at risk. At this depth, this is the first time it has been done in South Africa.”
Northam spent R6.3bn to the point of commissioning, and the next phase involving the sinking of a rock shaft was already well underway.
At 1,500 m, No. 4 Shaft will set another world record.
The refrigeration plant, designed to cool the 70°C virgin rock temperatures and drive the hydraulic equipment, is also the single largest in the world.
He said the investment underlined Northam's long-term confidence in South Africa's mining industry.
“This investment, together with the No. 4 Shaft investment over the next five years, is a very significant indication that we believe in our industry, we believe in our country, and we believe in the metals we mine.”
The expanded mining footprint is expected to support the creation of approximately 600 additional direct, sustainable jobs, while securing Zondereinde's longer-term contribution to employment, procurement, and economic activity in Limpopo.
