Mining Intelligence and News
South Africa

Nkomati Mine

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Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusCare and Maintenance
Commodities
  • Nickel
  • Copper
  • Cobalt
  • PGM
  • 4E (Pt, Pd, Rh, Au)
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
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SnapshotThe Nkomati is an open-pit mechanised mine.

Nkomati Mine was placed on care and maintenance in March 2021. African Rainbow Minerals and its joint-venture partner are evaluating various options regarding the way forward for Nkomati Mine.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
African Rainbow Minerals Ltd. 50 % Indirect
Norilsk Nickel Africa (Pty) Ltd. 50 % Indirect
Ownership Tree
African Rainbow’s attributable beneficial interest in the Nkomati operation is 50%. The other 50% is held by Norilsk Nickel Africa (Pty) Ltd.

Deposit type

  • Magmatic

Summary:

Sulphide and chromite mineralisation occurs within the Uitkomst Complex, a Bushveld-age, layered, mafic-ultramafic intrusion, which concordantly intrudes dolomite/chert of the Malmani Subgroup and shales/quartzites of the Timeball Hill Formation. The Uitkomst Complex, which lies unconformably on an Archaean basement, is a north-west/south-east tubular shaped body which outcrops in the Slaaihoek Valley for approximately 9 kilometres before dipping at 4º below an escarpment where it has been drilled down-dip for another 4 kilometres and is still open-ended to the north west.

From the base to top, the stratigraphy of the Uitkomst Complex comprises the Basal Gabbro Unit (up to 15 metres thick), the Lower Pyroxenite Unit (average 35 metres), the Chromititic Peridotite Unit (30 to 60 metres), the Massive Chromitite Unit (up to 10 metres), the Peridotite Unit (330 metres), the Upper Pyroxenite Unit (65 metres), the Gabbronorite Unit (250 metres), and the Upper Gabbro Unit (50 metres). The complex and surrounding sediments are intruded by numerous diabase sills up to 30 metres in thickness.

Apart from the now mined-out Massive Sulphide Body (MSB), situated at and below the base of the Uitkomst Complex, there are three main economic sulphide mineralised zones:
-The Basal Mineralised Zone (BMZ) within the Basal Gabbro;
-The Main Mineralised Zone (MMZ) occurring within the Lower Pyroxenite Unit;
-The Chromititic Peridotite Mineralised Zone (PCMZ) which occurs with the Chromititic Peridotite (PCR).

In addition, the Peridotite Unit contains the Peridotite Mineralised Zone (PRDMZ) which is a low-grade disseminated sulphide mineralisation zone not yet included in the mine’s resource base. The dominant sulphide minerals are pyrrhotite, pentlandite and chalcopyrite. Cobalt is mostly in solid solution in the pentlandite, and the platinum group metals (PGMs) occur as separate minerals, with merenskyite being dominant. The current mined chromite is contained within the Massive Chromitite Unit (MCHR) in the open-pit area.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Production

CommodityUnits2021202020192018201720162015
Nickel t  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe14,20913,30215,87521,59221,298
Copper t  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe7,1637,3717,6379,8939,666
Cobalt t  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe8207168131,0651,116
PGM oz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe109,496110,290123,745157,598144,368
All production numbers are expressed as metal in concentrate.

Operational metrics

Metrics2021202020192018201720162015
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe7.09 Mt5.9 Mt5.2 Mt7.61 Mt7.35 Mt
Tonnes milled  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe8.15 Mt8.04 Mt7.49 Mt8.24 Mt8.03 Mt

Production Costs

CommodityUnits20212020201920182017
C1 cash costs Nickel USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 6.47 / lb **   5.86 / lb **   4.81 / lb **  
** Net of By-Product.

Operating Costs

Currency202120202019201820172016
Total operating costs ($/t milled) ZAR 384  380  394  339  367  338  

Financials

Units202220212020201920182017
Capital expenditures M ZAR 336   428   718  
Revenue M ZAR  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 3,046   3,278   3,991  
Operating Income M ZAR  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe -97   494   660  
After-tax Income M ZAR  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe -2,770   20   -1,240  
EBITDA M ZAR  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe -482   360   618  
Operating Cash Flow M ZAR  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe -172   542   566  

Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Nov 9, 2023

EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required 2023
...... Subscription required 2022
...... Subscription required 2021
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...... Subscription required 2019
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...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2016
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2015
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2014
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2013

Aerial view:

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