JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – JSE-listed Royal Bafokeng Platinum’s (RBPlat’s) ongoing Styldrift I expansion project has fallen over two months behind schedule.

The project, which had a targeted production ramp-up start date of the third quarter of 2015 and had been set to reach steady-state production by July 2018, was currently 78 days behind schedule.

The project was now expected to reach steady-state production during the first quarter of 2019, after the main shaft was commissioned in the second quarter of 2015 and the production ramp-up started in the first quarter of 2016.

“The project is 48.2% complete, which is 3.6% behind the current plan of 51.8%,” the company said in its quarterly review and production report for the period July 1 to September 30.

At the end of the six months ended June 2014, the project had fallen 26 days behind schedule and was 46.6% complete, against a planned completion of 47%.

In addition to the 26-day loss during the half-year period, another 52 days were lost during the third quarter owing to poor ground conditions in the main shaft loading box area, the receipt of a Section 54 notice after an acetylene bottle fell down the services shaft, and hoisting constraints within the services shaft.

The services shaft provided all logistical support for underground development and construction work on the 600, 642 and 708 levels.

The company explained that this would limit the development of key infrastructure required for the commissioning of the main shaft and the start of production ramp-up.

With the impact of the delayed main shaft commissioning and start of ramp-up being absorbed by savings and contingency, the capital cost of the project remained at R11.01-billion.

Meanwhile, the company’s Bafokeng Rasimone Platinum Mine Phase III project, which comprised the extension of the North shaft Merensky decline system and associated infrastructure from 10 level down to the mining boundary at 15 level, had moved ahead of schedule.

The project was now 69% complete against a target of 63%.

At the end of June 30, the project was 66% complete against a planned completion of 59%.

“The project remains below budget, with expenditure for the quarter amounting to R55.3-million, and R722.6-million for the project to date,” RBPlat added.

PRODUCTION
Meanwhile, RBPlat reported an 11% rise in the total tonnes delivered to concentrators to 687 000 t for the third quarter.

The company’s output of 4E metals-in-concentrate (platinum, palladium, gold and rhodium) ounces increased 23% to over 80 000 oz for the quarter under review, owing to a 26% increase in tonnes milled and a 3% reduction in built-up head grade.

RBPlat’s cash operating cost per tonne milled decreased 9% to R945, while the cost per platinum ounce declined 7% to R12 364 year-on-year and was 4% lower than the first half of the year.