• Data Access
  • Your Email  
  • Your Email  
Keep me signed in.
Forgot your password?
Close
  • Forgot Your Password?
  • Enter the email you signed up with and we'll email it to you.
  • Your Email  
Close
Back
MDO
Mining Data Solutions
  • Home
  • Database
  • Subscribe
  • Sign In
  • Sign In
South Africa
Nkomati Mine

This page is not tailored to
devices with screen width under 750 px.
 Location:
238 km E from Pretoria, South Africa

  Regional Office:
ARM House 29 Impala Road Chislehurston
Sandton
South Africa
2196
Phone  ...  Subscription required
EmailEmail
WebsiteWeb
Additional Resources for Suppliers & Investors
Drill results over 30 g/t Au
Stay on top of recent discoveries.
Search drill results by commodity and grade.
Largest mines in the Americas
Mining and mill throughput capaciites.
Full profiles of select mines and projects.
Deepest underground mines
Shaft depth and mill throughput data.
Full profiles of select mines and projects.
Heavy mobile equipment
HME type, model, size and quantity.
Full profiles of select mines and projects.
Permitting and construction projects
Projects at the permitting or construction stage. Full profiles of select projects.
Mines with remote camps
Camp size, mine location and contacts.
Full profiles of select mines and projects.
Mines & projects in South Africa
A list of country's mines and projects.
Full profiles of select mines and projects.
  • Overview
  • Owners
  • Geology
  • Mining
  • Processing
  • Production
  • Reserves
  • Costs & Financials
  • Personnel
  • Filings & News

Thank you for browsing through mine profiles compiled by the Mining Data Online team.

Would you like to subcribe or schedule a Demo?
  • Name:
     
  • Company:
     
  • Position:
     
  • Phone:
  • Email:
  • Message:

Overview

StatusCare and Maintenance
Mine TypeOpen Pit & Underground
Commodities
  • Nickel
  • Copper
  • Cobalt
  • PGM
  • 4E (Pt, Pd, Rh, Au)
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
  • Mechanized Cut & Fill
Processing
  • Wash plant
  • Flotation
Nkomati Mine was placed on care and maintenance in March 2021 in line with the strategy as planned and previously communicated. Nkomati Mine ceased mining in February 2021. The last ore was processed through the concentrator plant in March 2021.


Owners

Source: p. 36
CompanyInterestOwnership
African Rainbow Minerals Ltd. 50 % Indirect
Norilsk Nickel Africa (Pty) Ltd. 50 % Indirect
Ownership Tree
ARM’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.


Mining Methods

  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
  • Mechanized Cut & Fill


Summary:

Mining operations comprise open-pit mining operation which feeds two concentrators (Main Mineralised Zone and Chromititic Peridotite Mineralised Zone) producing concentrate containing PGMs, nickel, copper and cobalt. Previously, MMZ was also mined by underground mechanised mining methods but this operation is now on care and maintenance.


Crushing and Grinding
Flow Sheet: Source
Crusher / Mill TypeModelSizePowerQuantity
Gyratory crusher ....................... Subscription required 1
Cone crusher 520 kW 2
AG mill 10.51m x 5.14m 1
Ball mill 7.01m x 9.46m 1
Ball mill 2

Summary:

The Main Mineralized Zone (MMZ) flow circuit design employed a fully autogenous (FAG) primary mill in closed circuit with a vibrating screen and pebble crushers. A secondary ball mill in closed circuit with cyclones supplies feed to the flotation circuit at SG 1.3-1.34, 70% -75 µm at 620 t/h.

Peridotitic Chromititic Mineralized zone (PCMZ) plant utilises conventional crushing and 2 stages of ball milling.


Processing

  • Wash plant
  • Flotation

Flow Sheet: Subscription required

Summary:

Two concentrators (Main Mineralized Zone plant and PCMZ) producing concentrate containing PGMs, nickel, copper and cobalt.

Main Mineralized Zone flotation circuit is a relatively standard rougher-cleaner-recleaner configuration. A combined nickel-copper-cobalt and PGM concentrate is collected from the recleaner. Currently the pyrrhotite scavengers function as extended rougher capacity.

Chrome products from Oxidised Massive Chromitite and the PCMZ, produced from the chrome washing plant and the PCMZ plant, are sold to local and export markets.

Recoveries & Grades:

CommodityParameter2021202020192018201720162015
Nickel Head Grade, %  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required0.240.30.360.36

Production:

CommodityUnits2021202020192018201720162015
Nickel t  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required13,30215,87521,59221,298
Copper t  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Cobalt t  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
PGM oz  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
All production numbers are expressed as metal in concentrate.
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Operational Metrics:

Metrics202120202019201820172016
Ore tonnes mined  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required7.09 Mt5.9 Mt5.2 Mt7.61 Mt
Tonnes milled  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required8.15 Mt8.04 Mt7.49 Mt8.24 Mt
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Reserves at June 30, 2021:
Key assumptions for Mineral Resources:
Grade cut-off Underground: 0.30% Ni MMZ (Main Mineralised Zone) and 0.30% Ni PCMZ (Chromititic Peridotite Mineralised Zone). Grade cut-off Open-pit: 0.16% Ni MMZ and 0.16% Ni PCMZ.

MMZ (Main Mineralised Zone) and PCMZ (Chromititic Peridotite Mineralised Zone) stockpile Mineral Resources: grade cut-off 0.16% Ni.

CategoryOreTypeTonnage CommodityGrade
Measured 72.89 Mt Nickel 0.32 %
Measured Stockpiles 0.34 Mt Nickel 0.22 %
Measured 72.89 Mt Copper 0.12 %
Measured Stockpiles 0.34 Mt Copper 0.08 %
Measured 72.89 Mt Cobalt 0.02 %
Measured Stockpiles 0.34 Mt Cobalt 0.01 %
Measured 72.89 Mt 4E (Pt, Pd, Rh, Au) 0.89 g/t
Measured Stockpiles 0.34 Mt 4E (Pt, Pd, Rh, Au) 0.63 g/t
Indicated 94.62 Mt Nickel 0.37 %
Indicated 94.62 Mt Copper 0.15 %
Indicated 94.62 Mt Cobalt 0.02 %
Indicated 94.62 Mt 4E (Pt, Pd, Rh, Au) 0.98 g/t
Measured & Indicated 167.51 Mt Nickel 0.35 %
Measured & Indicated 167.51 Mt Copper 0.14 %
Measured & Indicated 167.51 Mt Cobalt 0.02 %
Measured & Indicated 167.51 Mt 4E (Pt, Pd, Rh, Au) 0.94 g/t
Inferred 46.35 Mt Nickel 0.4 %
Inferred 46.35 Mt Copper 0.13 %
Inferred 46.35 Mt Cobalt 0.02 %
Inferred 46.35 Mt 4E (Pt, Pd, Rh, Au) 0.97 g/t

Commodity Production Costs:

CommodityUnits2021202020192018201720162015
C1 cash costs Nickel USD  ......  Subscription required†  ......  Subscription required†  ......  Subscription required† 5.86 / lb† 4.81 / lb† 4.18 / lb† 4.85 / lb†
† Net of By-Product.
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Operating Costs:

Units20212020201920182017201620152014
Total operating costs ($/t milled) ZAR 384380394339367338347328

Financials:

Units2021202020192018201720162015
Capital expenditures M ZAR  ......  Subscription required428   718   488   666  
Revenue M ZAR  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required3,278   3,991   4,491   5,372  
Operating Income M ZAR  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required494   660   -112   815  
Subscription required - Subscription is required


Heavy Mobile Equipment:

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Dec 10, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Dec 10, 2021
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Staff:

EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
Subscription required 2021
Subscription required 2020
Subscription required 2019
Subscription required 2018
Subscription required 2017
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

Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
Other 2018
Annual Report 2017
Year-end Mineral Reserves 2017
Annual Report 2016
Year-end Mineral Reserves 2016
Project Description 2013
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Aerial view:

Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Terms of Use Privacy Policy © 2017-2022 MDO Data Online Inc.