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South Africa

Volspruit Project

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Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StagePermitting
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Platinum
  • PGM
  • Copper
  • Palladium
  • Nickel
  • Rhodium
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotVolspruit is a shallow PGE-Ni-Cu deposit.

Updated Scoping Study (August 2024) undertaken to assess the economic viability of the Volspruit Project based on the updated mineral resource statement that was published during February 2024.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Iolite Trading 16 (Pty) Ltd. 26 % Indirect
Sylvania Platinum Ltd. 74 % Indirect
Sylvania Platinum Ltd. holds an indirect 74% interest via its subsidiary companies in the Volspruit Mining Company, with the remaining 26% held by Iolite Trading 16 (Pty) Ltd, the Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) participants.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Magmatic

Summary:

The Volspruit Project is located within the southern portion of the Northern Limb just south of Mokopane. The region, which is dominated by horst and graben structures, has undergone at least four deformational events.

Locally, the stratigraphy of the Lower Zone has been sub-divided into three main groups, the Volspruit Pyroxenite, the Drummondlea Harzburgite Chromitite, and the Moordrift Harzburgite Pyroxenite, from the base upwards, with PGE-Cu-Ni mineralisation being hosted by the Volspruit Pyroxenite. This mineralised pyroxenite is observed in two separate bodies within the project area, the North and South bodies, which are separated by the Magoga Fault.

The Lower Zone stratigraphy comprises approximately 37 cyclic units, numbered from the base upwards. The Volspruit Reef sits within the upper portion of Cyclic unit 11, consisting predominantly of orthopyroxenite and varying proportions of olivine, chrome and minor plagioclase.

Mineralisation observed within the units is typically disseminated to net-textured with no marker lithological units being present to assist in defining reef contacts. Sulphide minerals present, in order of abundance, are pyrrhotite, pentlandite, chalcopyrite and cubanite.

The region, which is dominated by horst and graben structures, has undergone at least four deformational events, summarised below:
• An initial episode of north-south trending reverse faulting (age unknown). This event resulted in a Lower Zone block being displaced by approximately 800 m upwards through a set of imbricate faults into the Critical Zone. This fault system was later intruded by a granitic dyke swarm which may represent the formation of the Lebowa Granite Suite;
• The exposure of the Lower Zone Blocks within the Zoetveld, Volspruit and Vaalkop farms through WNW-ESE reverse faulting. This event resulted in a step-like displacement of the RLS towards the west. The age of this event is unknown;
• NE-SW striking faults resulting in slices of the Pretoria Group quartzites being thrust into the RLS. The age of these faults is believed to be post-Waterberg; and
• The final faulting event is estimated to have occurred post-Karoo resulting in Karoo basalts being brought into contact with the Lower Zone lithologies along the TML.

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

Operational metrics

Metrics
Annual ore mining rate  ....  Subscribe
Annual milling rate  ....  Subscribe
Stripping / waste ratio  ....  Subscribe
Waste tonnes, LOM  ....  Subscribe
Ore tonnes mined, LOM  ....  Subscribe
Total tonnes mined, LOM  ....  Subscribe
Tonnes milled, LOM  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2024 study.

Production Costs

CommodityAverage
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) 4E (Pt, Pd, Rh, Au)  ....  Subscribe
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Platinum Equivalent  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price 4E (Pt, Pd, Rh, Au)  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Rhodium  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Palladium  ....  Subscribe
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Assumed price Nickel  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Copper  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Gold  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2024 study / presentation.

Operating Costs

CurrencyAverage
OP mining costs ($/t mined) ZAR  ....  Subscribe
Processing costs ($/t milled) ZAR  ....  Subscribe
G&A ($/t milled) ZAR  ....  Subscribe
Total operating costs ($/t milled) ZAR  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2024 study.

Project Costs

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
Sustaining CapEx $M ZAR  ......  Subscribe
Total CapEx $M ZAR  ......  Subscribe
Processing OpEx $M ZAR 6,983
Transportation (haulage) costs $M ZAR 15
G&A costs $M ZAR 1,388
Total OpEx $M ZAR  ......  Subscribe
Mining Taxes $M ZAR  ......  Subscribe
Royalty payments $M ZAR  ......  Subscribe
Net revenue (LOM) $M ZAR  ......  Subscribe
Operating margin, %  ......  Subscribe
After-tax Cash Flow (LOM) $M ZAR  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 12% $M ZAR  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax payback period, years  ......  Subscribe

Required Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Nov 22, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Nov 22, 2024

EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2024

Aerial view:

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