Unki’s PGM production records marginal increase

Platinum group metals (PGM) production at Unki Mine increased marginally by 1 percent to 182 000 ounces’ (oz) year-on-year to September 2023, compared to 179 500 ounces in 2022.

PGM production at Unki is projected to reach 250 000 PGM ounces in 2023, up from 232,100 ounces in 2022, largely driven by the completed debottlenecking project.

The mine’s debottleneck project, which was completed in 2021, was done at a cost of US$48 million, with the expansion targeted to increase throughput capacity.

Unki, 100 percent owned by Anglo Platinum America, has its operations on the Great Dyke in Zimbabwe, 60km south-east of the town of Gweru.

Anglo-Platinum America, in its quarterly update for the period to September 2023, said PGM production for the quarter under review reached 60300 oz, a 1 percent increase compared to the third quarter’s 59900 ounces in 2022.

Total quarterly platinum production at the mine increased by 2 percent to 27300 oz, compared to 26.8 percent in the comparable period in 2022.

Tonnes milled at Unki during the quarter under review were 3 percent lower at 615 000 tonnes compared to 650 000 tones during the same quarter in 2022.

However, overall Anglo American Platinum refined platinum group metal output declined 9 percent during the third quarter, due to disrupted water supplies to its processing facilities and lower concentrate production.

Amplats, the world’s biggest platinum miner by value, produced 909,700 ounces of refined PGMs in the three months to Sept. 30, compared to 994,800 ounces during the same period last year.

In the quarterly update, Amplats said an unplanned water stoppage at Amplats’ processing operations in Rustenburg disrupted operations for five working days, and this impacted the production of 54,000 ounces of refined PGMs and 26,000 ounces of metal concentrate.

Mine PGM output declined 2 percent compared to the same period last year, mainly due to lower grades at Mogalakwena and poor ground conditions at Amandelbult, Amplats’ two largest mines.

The miner said power cuts in South Africa, which hit production during the first half of the year, had minimal impact during the third quarter.-ebusinessweekly