Name of the Mine
Amandelbult mine.

Location
Limpopo, South Africa, on the north-western limb of the Bushveld Complex between Northam and Thabazimbi.

Mine Owner/s
Anglo American Platinum.

Brief Description
The Amandelbult complex comprises the Tumela and Dishaba mines, which mine the upper group two (UG2) reef, and to a lesser extent the Merensky reef.

Brief History
Amplat, then Rustenburg Platinum Mines, acquired the mineral rights to the farm Amandelbult in 1964 and in 1974, the farm Elandskuil from Amcor.

A mining lease for Amandelbult was applied for in 1974. Mining operations started on the farm Schilpadsnest but owing to reduced demand, operations were curtailed in January 1975. Production resumed on a small scale in March 1976 as a result of improvements in the market, increasing to current levels of production.

In 2009, Amandelbult was split into two mines, Dishaba and Tumela. 

A feasibility study for a chromite recovery plant was completed and approved in 2013 and shortly thereafter construction started. Construction and commissioning were completed in 2016.

In 2016, mineral resources in the south-western portion of Tumela were sold to Northam Platinum with Anglo American Platinum acquiring the block of ground from Northam Platinum through a Section 102 transfer in 2019.

Primary Metals/Minerals
Platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold (4E).

Secondary Metals/Minerals
Nickel and copper.

Geology/Mineralisation
Amandelbult is located in the north-western limb of the Bushveld Complex, where the Merensky and UG2 reefs strike north-east/south-west over an estimated 22 km and dip at 16° to 30° in a south-easterly direction. 

The Merensky reef has a variable thickness from 1 cm (contact reef facies) to more than 140 cm, over large areas. The reef comprises up to five different facies – normal Merensky reef, near Pseudo-reef, Pothole reef on Pseudo-reef (PHR), Pothole Contact and Haakdoorndrift Merensky reef (HDD) facies. Each facies type exhibits unique geological, geochemical and mineralisation characteristics and plays a fundamental role in geozone delineations for mineral resource estimation.

The UG2 reef occurs between 15 m and 60 m below the Merensky reef and dips at 18° to 27° in a south-easterly direction. The UG2 reef commonly comprises a 60 cm to 100 cm main chromitite layer overlain by up to three chromitite layers (UG2 leaders) of varying thickness from 5 cm to 30 cm, separated by feldspathic pyroxenite. The immediate footwall of the UG2 is usually a pegmatoidal feldspathic pyroxenite, which varies in thickness from a few centimetres up to 100 cm.

Reserves
Total proven and probable reserves as at December 31, 2023, were estimated at 84-million tonnes grading 4.55 g/t 4E.

Resources
Total measured resources as at December 31, 2023, were estimated at 397.8-million tonnes grading 6.01 g/t 4E.

Type of Mine
Underground

Mining Method
The operation mainly uses an underground conventional (scattered breast) mining method, with a portion of the mine using mechanised (narrow reef and low profile) mining and small amounts of opencast mining for shallow reefs near the outcrop.

Major Infrastructure/Equipment
The operation includes three concentrators and two chromite plants. Current operating infrastructure includes five vertical and seven decline shaft systems to transport rock, employees and material, with mining on the Merensky and UG2 reef horizons.

Prospects
Amandelbult’s strategic focus on modernisation supports long-term production. Exploration efforts continue within existing leases, with particular emphasis on structural complexities at Tumela 1 shaft and potential growth at Middellaagte graben.

Contact Details 
Anglo American Platinum
Tel  +27 11 373 6111
Email info@angloamerican.com
Website https://www.angloamericanplatinum.com/