Name of the Project
Crocodile River mine (CRM) restart project.

Location
South Africa’s North West province.

Project Owner/s
Eastern Platinum (Eastplats).

Project Description
Eastplats envisages restarting mining operations at its flagship platinum group metals (PGMs). The CRM operation currently has a mine lease area covering 2 700 ha and comprises an operating reclaiming section on the tailings dam, Zandfontein underground; two development sections – Crocette and Kareespruit; and several processing plants.

The company plans to restart mining using a hybrid method to a peak production rate of about 1.02-million tonnes a year. Previous mining methods failed because of inefficient stoping methods and infrastructure that was costly to operate.

The new hybrid method involves mechanised on-reef development and conventional breast stoping; hydropower will replace pneumatic power underground to improve the power of the drills, reduce noise and heat, and extend penetration on levels 6 to 12.

Smaller development ends – including raises, winzes, advance strike gullies and traveling ways – will be developed conventionally.

Drilling will be performed using hand-held drills while cleaning will be done using winches.

The Zandfontein underground mine has a life-of-mine (LoM) of more than 22 years and 1.7-million ounces of 4E PGM (platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold) mineral reserves, with a potential production of 50 000 oz/y.

The potential to advance new mining development in the CRM’s Crocette and Kareespruit sections could extend the LoM to about 50 years.

Crocette has a measured resource of 430 000 oz, with established mining layouts to 9 Level that can be used, should Eastplats decide to mine the area.

According to the new design, the mine, which currently ends at 6 Level, will develop to 12 Level, at a depth of 820 m.

Eastplats has also re-evaluated its underground support systems, replacing sticks with a timberless solution, while the previous 1.8 m roof bolts will be replaced with 2 m cable anchors. The mine will also use concrete packs and pillars.

These measures will reduce logistics, materials handling and costs, in addition to providing more time at the face.

In terms of mine development, the CRM will progress from conducting development on waste in the footwall, 30 m below reef, to conducting development on reef.

The new mining method will also take greater cognisance of the fault, leading to the creation of three distinct zones with their own infrastructure. These will also become ventilation and support control districts.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The CRM has a net present value of $188-million ($202-million including the tailings storage facility) and an internal rate of return of 118%.

Capital Expenditure
Upfront capital costs are estimated at $25-million.

Planned Start/End Date
Restarting underground mining at the CRM depends on whether Eastplats can secure sufficient funding, as well as obligatory board approval, while the miner is conducting its CRM restart business execution plan and raising the required capital.

Latest Developments
Eastplats has commissioned a PGMs processing facility.

Commissioning of the processing plant (Circuit B) is ongoing and the plant has started processing upper group 2 (UG2) run-of-mine (RoM) ore from the Zandfontein underground operations at CRM.

A total of 75 000 t of RoM ore was blasted up to October 1, 2024, with about 22 000 t of the RoM ore processed in September.

This produced a concentrate containing about 1 300 oz of platinum, palladium, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium and gold (6E) metals, which was delivered to Impala Platinum (Implats) under an existing offtake agreement between Eastplats subsidiary Barplats Mines, and Implats.

Eastplats expects to process 30 000 t of RoM ore this month, producing concentrates containing 2 000 oz to 2 500 oz of 6E metals, to be delivered to Implats.

Metallurgical chrome concentrates are produced as a by-product when the UG2 RoM ore is being processed for PGMs.

Zandfontein underground operations will produce 40 000 t of RoM ore a month by the end of the year as previously guided. The next ramp-up phase will increase production to 70 000 t of RoM ore a month by the end of 2025.

Eastplats’ Circuit B has an RoM ore processing capacity of one-million tonnes a year.

Up to 185 000 t of underground RoM ore from Zandfontein is expected to be blasted and processed this year.

The company will continue to process historical tailings to recover chrome from its chrome retreatment project, at the CRM, but expects this to wind down in the early part of 2025.

Following the conclusion of this project, Eastplats expects to complete the second phase of its TSF programme to recover chrome and PGMs from tailings generated from the newly operating Zandfontein underground.

By 2026, PGM revenue is expected to account for 65% or more of Eastplats’ total revenue

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
ABT (operator).

Contact Details for Project Information
Eastern Platinum, tel +1 604 800 8200 or email info@eastplats.com.