BAFOKENG RASIMONE PLATINUM MINE

The Bafokeng Rasimone Platinum Mine (BRPM) is located on the Western Limb of the Bushveld Complex, approximately 30km northwest of Rustenburg, a town in the North West Province of South Africa. BRPM comprises the Boschkoppie and Styldrift mining right areas, along with a portion of the Frischgewaagd prospecting right area (owned by Anglo American Platinum).

The Styldrift Project is an expansion to exploit the Merensky orebody underlying a portion of the Styldrift and Frischgewaagd farms situated to the north and north-west of BRPM, known as the Styldrift Merensky Phase 1 Project.

Boschkoppie Mine is also being extended through the Phase II Project, where plans are at feasibility stage for further expansion in Phase III.

Access and infrastructure

BRPM mining complex is accessible via a well developed and tarred road infrastructure. The towns of Boshoek and Phokeng lie approximately 5km and 17km respectively to the south of the mine, along the R565 tar road, which links Rustenburg with Sun City. A railway line passes through the property, with a railway siding at Boshoek.

Bulk water is supplied by Magalies water and the mine has sufficient installed power supply to conduct all mining and processing operations.

Location

The Boschkoppie Mine and Styldrift mining complex is located between Anglo Platinum's Rustenburg Section operations to the south-east and its Union Section to the north. The operations are up-dip (immediate north-west) of Impala Platinum, with the Western Bushveld Joint Venture (WBJV) on the north-eastern boundary, and Wesizwe's Platinum Limited's Frisch Ledig Project to the east and north-east of the Styldrift Project.

Current mining operations ─ at North Shaft and South Shaft ─ are situated within the farm boundary of Boschkoppie 104 JQ, with development taking place at Styldrift. The villages of Rasimone, Mafenya, Robega and Chaneng are in close proximity.

Enlarge map: The Bushveld Complex (PDF - 93KB)

History

The BRPM Joint Venture (JV) between RBH and Anglo Platinum was established in January 2002 to exploit PGMs mineralisation on the Boschkoppie, Frischgewaagd and Styldrift farms as a single entity. In January 2010, a significant landmark was achieved when operational management was ceded to RBH in fulfilment of this JV agreement.

An off-take agreement was concluded with Rustenburg Refineries for the sale of its concentrate. Anglo Platinum has been retained for expertise in certain disciplines. Capital funding for the JV is apportioned according to each party's interest in the BRPM JV.

Important dates

November 1997

Site established at Boschkoppie

1 January 1998

First underground blast

16 December 1998

First opencast blast

11 December 1999

Plant commissioned

February 2000

First stoping

December 1998 to October 2002

Merensky opencast operations

January 2000 to April 2004

UG2 opencast operations

April 2003

Joint venture established between RBH and Anglo Platinum

January 2010

RBH takes over operational control of BRPM through RBPlat