Overview
| Stage | Production |
| Mine Type | Underground |
| Commodities |
- PGM
- Gold
- Platinum
- Palladium
- Rhodium
- Nickel
- Copper
- Iridium
- Ruthenium
|
| Mining Method |
|
| Production Start | ...  |
| Mine Life | 20 years (as of Jan 1, 2022) |
Unki – one of the world’s largest PGM deposits outside of South Africa, on the Great Dyke in Zimbabwe.
There are currently no major technical studies underway at Unki. However, workstreams including drilling programmes will commence in 2023 to explore the economic potential of open-cast mining areas. |
Source:
p. 97,270,271
Anglo American Platinum Ltd. wholly owns and operates the Unki mine.
Anglo American plc. held through an effective 79.2% interest in Anglo American Platinum Limited.
Contractors
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Summary:
Unki platinum mine is in the southern half of Zimbabwe’s Great Dyke geological formation–widely ecognised as the second-largest resource of PGMs in the world.
The Great Dyke in Zimbabwe occurs as a 2.5 billion-year-old mafic to predominantly ultramafic layered intrusion, over 500km long, trending in a north/north-easterly direction. Unki Mine is located in the Selukwe sub-chamber while the KV and SR claims are in the Wedza sub-chamber of the Great Dyke. The dyke comprises an upper mafic unit of alternating sequences of pyroxenite and dunite-harzburgites and a lower ultramafic dunites, that cut across the dominantly Archaean granite and greenstone belts of the Zimbabwe Craton.
It is synclinal in section with layers dipping and flattening towards the axis of the intrusion, with essentially the same lithological succession being exposed on both sides of the longitudinal axis. The general dip decreases from outcrops to the central area varying from 14° to 0°. The PGM and associated base metal Mineralisation are developed within the uppermost pyroxenite horizon, the Main Sulphide Zone (MSZ).
The MSZ occurs some 10m below the mafic- ultramafic contact and is hosted in the uppermost pyroxenite layer (P1) of the ultramafic sequence. The P1 unit consists of a thin upper unit of websterite and a lower thick unit of plagioclase pyroxenite where the MSZ occurs near the base of the websterite unit. Based on geochemistry, the MSZ has two distinguishable ........
Summary:
Unki Mine is a mechanised, trackless, bord-and-pillar underground operation. Minimal development is required to prepare for mining. Development is often on-reef and comprises roadways for ore transport and travelling ways for mine personnel. Excavation of roadways is combined with ore production. Mined-out stopes serve as transport routes. Mobile mechanised mining equipment is used at Unki Mine. A twin-decline shaft system provides access to underground workings for employees and material, as well as ore conveyance. Both shafts are now 2,822m from the portal on surface. Currently there are 16 established mining sections with two additional sections planned for 2022. The equipped sections
have strikes belts for transferring ore directly to the main incline shaft conveyor.
Source:
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Flow Sheet:
Summary:
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Reserves at December 31, 2022:
| Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
|
Proven
|
28.2 Mt
|
4E (Pt, Pd, Rh, Au)
|
3.24 g/t
|
2.9 M oz
|
|
Probable
|
23 Mt
|
4E (Pt, Pd, Rh, Au)
|
3.35 g/t
|
2.5 M oz
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
51.2 Mt
|
4E (Pt, Pd, Rh, Au)
|
3.29 g/t
|
5.4 M oz
|
|
Measured
|
6.1 Mt
|
4E (Pt, Pd, Rh, Au)
|
4.12 g/t
|
0.8 M oz
|
|
Indicated
|
114.6 Mt
|
4E (Pt, Pd, Rh, Au)
|
4.33 g/t
|
16 M oz
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
120.8 Mt
|
4E (Pt, Pd, Rh, Au)
|
4.32 g/t
|
16.8 M oz
|
|
Inferred
|
31.8 Mt
|
4E (Pt, Pd, Rh, Au)
|
4.04 g/t
|
4.1 M oz
|
|
Total Resource
|
152.5 Mt
|
4E (Pt, Pd, Rh, Au)
|
4.26 g/t
|
20.9 M oz
|
Corporate Filings & Presentations:
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