Northam Platinum’s Zondereinde mine is an established, conventional, long-life operation that mines UG2 and Merensky ore. It opened its No. 3 Shaft on Friday, marking the completion of a major component of the mine's Western extension project.
Northam Platinum Holdings opened its R6.3 billion Zondereinde No. 3 Shaft on Friday, marking the completion of a major component of the mine's Western extension project and a significant investment in the long-term future of one of South Africa's established platinum group metal (PGM) operations.
The 1,382 m vertical personnel and materials shaft is the world's deepest raise-bored PGM shaft. It is designed to transport people, materials, and services to the Western extension, improving access to ore reserves and easing the logistical constraints associated with servicing the extension from Zondereinde's existing shaft complex 4 km away.
Zondereinde is a conventional underground mine on the northern end of the western limb of the Bushveld Complex. The Western extension adds 3.6 km of mineable strike to the west of the existing underground operations and is said to contain more than 20 million ounces of PGMs in the Merensky and UG2 reefs.
Northam Platinum CEO Paul Dunne said the project represents a defining investment in the mine's long-term future.
