Mining Intelligence and News
South Africa

Mototolo Complex

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Summary

Mine TypeUnderground
StatusActive
Commodities
  • PGM
  • Platinum
  • Palladium
  • Rhodium
  • Iridium
  • Ruthenium
  • Gold
  • Nickel
  • Copper
  • Chrome
Mining Method
  • Bord-and-pillar
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotThe Mototolo Complex includes the Mototolo Mine and the Der Brochen project, which are reported as a consolidated operation.

Current infrastructure comprises two decline shafts, Lebowa and Borwa, a concentrator with a chrome recovery plant, an associated tailings facility, and the Der Brochen project. The UG2 Reef is the primary reef being mined.

Following the approval of the Der Brochen feasibility study and the subsequent LoAP update in 2021, the operation was consolidated, and the asset life was extended.

The Der Brochen life-extension project, focused on replacing Lebowa infrastructure, is in progress. First ore was mined in Q3 2024, with production expected to ramp up by late 2025. The project is anticipated to be completed by H1 2027.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Anglo American plc. 65.36 % Indirect
Rustenburg Platinum Mines Ltd. (operator) 100 % Direct
Ownership Tree
Anglo American plc. through its subsidiary Rustenburg Platinum Mines owns 66.7% of the Mototolo complex.

As part of its portfolio simplification, Anglo American plc. will demerge Anglo American Platinum, allowing it to operate as an independent and resilient business. The demerger is expected to be completed in June 2025.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Magmatic

Summary:

The Mototolo – Der Brochen Complex, is an important part of Anglo American’s PGMs portfolio, located in the eastern limb of the Bushveld Complex, South Africa. It lies within mountainous topography southwest of Burgersfort and west of Lydenburg with elevations varying between 975m and 2,000m above mean sea level.

Mototolo is located in the Eastern Limb of the Bushveld Complex, where the Merensky and UG2 Reefs outcrops strike north to south over approximately 13km and dip at an average of 10° to the west. The UG2 Reef is characterised by a single thick chromitite layer known as the main band, followed by an overlying poikilitic feldspathic pyroxenite and a series of chromitite layers. These narrow chromitite layers that occur in the hangingwall of the UG2 main band are collectively termed the triplets. The three chromitite stringers vary in thickness from 2cm to 5cm (triplet 1), 10cm to 25cm (triplet 2), and approximately 5mm (triplet 3). The immediate footwall of the UG2 is usually a pegmatoidal feldspathic pyroxenite, which varies in thickness from a few centimetres to over 1m. Localised internal pyroxenite or anorthosite-rich layers can occur within the UG2 main chromitite band, creating areas of ‘split-reef’ facies. The vertical separation between the Merensky Reef and UG2 Reef horizons is approximately 170m.

The Merensky and UG2 Reefs are vertically separated by approximately 175m and strike almost north-south over an outcrop length of 11 to 12km, dipping between 10° and 12° in a westerly direction. Continuity to a depth in excess of 2,000m has been established on the western limit of the lease area.

The UG2 Reef is characterised by a single chromitite layer known as the Main Band (averaging 1.18m in thickness) overlain by a poikilitic feldspathic pyroxenite (approximately 1.07m) and a series of narrow chromitite layers. These chromitite layers occurring in the hangingwall of the UG2 have been collectively classified as the ‘Triplets’ with an average thickness of 0.80m. The first triplet, UT1, is normally 2 to 5cm thick followed by UT2, a diffuse chromitite layer that is approximately 10 to 25cm thick with a characteristic pegmatoidal, pyroxenite hangingwall (UTPEG). The UTPEG is overlain by a thin chromitite layer (UT3) approximately 5mm in thickness.

The Merensky Reef is a 2 to 5m thick feldspathic pyroxenite with the base of this unit marked by a well-defined 1 to 2cm chromitite layer (MRB). A second less consistent chromitite layer (MRT) occurs near the top of the Merensky pyroxenite. Platinum Group Element (PGE) mineralisation is concentrated in the vicinity of these chromitite layers. The Merensky Reef pyroxenite is overlain by a gradational succession of melanorite, norite, leuconorite and anorthosite.

The north/south trending St George fault traverses through the mine and represents a natural boundary that divides the mine into a ‘shallow’ eastern, and an upthrown ‘deep’ (offset of 30-60m from north to south) western portion. On average, an 80-300m wide corridor in the proximity of the fault including a highly fractured damage zone (interpreted from 3D seismic surveys), has been assigned a 100% geological loss.

The Helena pothole is located immediately south of Borwa shaft and represents an area of severe slumping and destructive potholing. Dykes are predominantly dolerite/diabase in composition and of Karoo age with little variation in strike directions and steep dips, with the Caracle dyke swarm traversing the Der Brochen south area. Whilst the main structural trend is north north-east/south south-west, most small-scale faulting in the mining operations is trending north-west/south-east. A regional depression is currently interpreted west of the St George fault on Richmond farm.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Commodity Production

CommodityProductUnits202420232022202120202019201820172016
PGM Metal in concentrate koz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe242326185252
Platinum Metal in concentrate koz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe11215085117
Palladium Metal in concentrate koz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe69945371
Rhodium Metal in concentrate koz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe19261420
Iridium Metal in concentrate koz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe7.59.85.67.8
Ruthenium Metal in concentrate koz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe33442535
Gold Metal in concentrate koz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1.92.61.42
Nickel Metal in concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe0.40.60.40.4
Copper Metal in concentrate M lbs  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe0.40.40.40.4
Chrome Concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe

Operational metrics

Metrics2024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe2.4 Mt2.4 Mt2,674 kt2,558 kt
Tonnes milled  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe2,320 kt3,108 kt1,908 kt2,568 kt2,572 kt

Production Costs

CommodityUnits20242023202220212020201920182017
Cash costs PGM USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 672 / oz   678 / oz   691 / oz  
Cash costs Platinum USD 1,454 / oz   1,473 / oz   1,496 / oz  
All-in sustaining costs (sold) 3E (Pt, Pd, Au) USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 902 / oz **  
All-in sustaining costs (sold) PGM USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 879 / oz **   837 / oz **   775 / oz **  
All-in sustaining costs (sold) Platinum USD  ....  Subscribe 73 / oz **   684 / oz **   1,033 / oz **  
** Net of By-Product.

Operating Costs

Currency202420232022202120202019201820172016
Total operating costs ($/t milled) ZAR  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe

Mine Financials

Units20242023202220212020201920182017
Sustaining costs M ZAR  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 488   458   234  
Capital expenditures M ZAR  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 433   407   217  
Revenue M ZAR  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 4,506   4,060   2,436  
EBIT M ZAR  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 1,572   798   334  
EBITDA M ZAR  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 1,956   1,182   534  
Operating Cash Flow M ZAR  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe -82  

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 25, 2025
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Workforce

EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2024
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...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2017
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...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2014

Aerial view:

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