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South Africa

Marula Mine

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Australia

Marula Mine

Location: 90 km SE from Polokwane, South Africa

Regional Office:

2 Fricker Road
Private Bag X18 Northlands, 2116
Illovo
South Africa
2196

Contacts:

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Categories

Overview

Mine TypeUnderground
StatusActive
Commodities
  • PGM
  • Platinum
  • Palladium
  • Rhodium
  • Nickel
  • Copper
Mining Method
  • Conventional underground bulk mining
  • Breast stoping with strike pillars
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotThe Marula operation mining infrastructure includes two decline shafts, offices, stores, a concentrator plant, a chromite recovery plant, TSFs and overland ore conveyance.

Production at Marula was negatively impacted by lengthy safety stoppages and subsequent audits following a fatal accident in August 2023, as well as constrained mining flexibility due to geological features and a brief period of industrial action relating to employee share ownership trust (ESOT) payments.

The Marula Phase II project to expand and extend Marula's life-of-mine was initiated in FY2022, but in response to the lower metal prices, execution of Marula's Phase 2 project was slowed during 2024.

Completed bankable feasibility studies for the construction of a 30MW solar plant at Marula.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Black Economic Empowerment(B-BBEE Commission) 22.7 % Indirect
Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd. 73.3 % Indirect
Marula Platinum Pty Ltd. (operator) 100 % Direct
Marula Platinum (Pty) Ltd, an existing platinum producer and a subsidiary of Impala Platinum Holdings Limited, owns and operates the Marula Platinum Mine.

Marula Platinum is 73.3% owned by Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd. The remaining 26.7% is owned by Black Economic Empowerment (22.7%) and Marula Employee Share Ownership Trust (4%), which is controlled by the Group.

Contractors

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SourceSource

Deposit type

  • Magmatic

Summary:

Both the Merensky and UG2 Reefs are present at Marula, but only the UG2 Reef is currently exploited.

The Merensky Reef is located about 650 m below the surface with the UG2 Reef approximately 400 m deeper than the Merensky Reef. The Merensky Reefs occurs near the top of the Upper Critical Zone in a sequence of rocks knows as the Merensky Cycle.

The Merensky and UG2 Reefs are separated by a sequence of primarily anorthositic and noritic layered units of 400m in combined vertical thickness. The UG2 Reef is defined as the main chromitite layer, with most of the mineralisation confined to this unit, followed by a poorly mineralised pegmatoidal footwall. The Merensky Reef comprises the upper portion of a pyroxenite layer, with a chromitite stringer close to the hangingwall contact. Mineralisation peaks over the chromitite stringer and decreases into the hangingwall and footwall. The average 6E ratios show the differences between the Merensky and UG2 Reefs, particularly the high proportions of palladium and rhodium associated with the UG2 Reef at Marula.

Both mineralised horizons sub-outcrop on the Marula mining rights area and dip in a west-southwest direction at 10° to 14°. The reefs are relatively undisturbed by faults and dykes, with one prominent dolerite dyke traversing the mining area. Potholes represent most of the geological losses encountered underground, while a small dunite pipe also disrupts the reef horizons. These geological features are accounted for in the Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimates as geological losses.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Production

CommodityUnits2024202320222021202020192018201720162015
6E (Pt,Pd,Rh,Au,Ir,Ru) koz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe217 224 178 205 193 
Platinum koz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe8385687874
Palladium koz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe8588698076
Rhodium koz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1718141616
Nickel t  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe270252213277253
All production numbers are expressed as metal in concentrate. ^ Guidance / Forecast.

Operational metrics

Metrics2024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Tonnes milled  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,772 kt1,838 kt1,495 kt1,703 kt1,662 kt

Production Costs

Commodity20242023202220212020201920182017
Cash costs 6E (Pt,Pd,Rh,Au,Ir,Ru)  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 744 / oz  USD 737 / oz  USD 835 / oz  USD
Cash costs Platinum  ....  Subscribe 1,945 / oz  USD 1,936 / oz  USD 2,184 / oz  USD
Cash costs Platinum 127 / oz **  USD 571 / oz **  USD 1,272 / oz **  USD
All-in sustaining costs (sold) Platinum 526 / oz **  USD 713 / oz **  USD
^ Guidance / Forecast.
** Net of By-Product.

Operating Costs

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

Financials

Units20242023202220212020201920182017
Capital expenditures (planned) M ZAR
Sustaining costs M ZAR  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Capital expenditures M  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 11  USD 8  USD 8  USD
Revenue M  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 2,976  ZAR 2,357  ZAR 1,616  ZAR
Gross profit M  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 300  ZAR 47  ZAR -586  ZAR
Pre-tax Income M  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 276  ZAR
After-tax Income M  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 189  ZAR -30  ZAR -795  ZAR
EBITDA M  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 469  ZAR
Operating Cash Flow M  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe

Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Oct 5, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Oct 5, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Oct 5, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Oct 5, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Oct 5, 2024

EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2024
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2023
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2022
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2021
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2020
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2019
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2018
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... 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
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2012

Aerial view:

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