[miningmx.com] – ZIMBABWE platinum miner, Zimplats, on Friday suffered a major set-back after its biggest mine – Bimha – collapsed, a development that will see the loss of 45,000 ounces of platinum group metals (PGMs) and raises concerns regarding the stability of the geology.
Zimplats said, however, that there were no casualties or damage to its equipment and machinery.
Zimplats, majority owned by world number two platinum producer, Impala Platinum, is already developing a new 2.2 million oz per year mine to replace two existing ones whose life of mine runs out in the next three years.
The new mine, P2, will come into production around 2019 and will sustain feed into the company’s revamped refinery project in Selous which it has started refurbishing.
The news of Bimha’s collapse further heightened concerns over the stability of the ground Zimplats is mining on. The company uses the room-and-pillar method to access most of its ore, with almost all of the mines it operates using non-underground mining methods.
“The collapse has affected nearly 50% of the current mining footprint at the Bimha mine, the largest of Zimplats’ four mines,” said Alex Mhembere, Zimplats CEO.
In addition to the loss of platinum, Zimplats also produces significant amounts of nickel and gold as by-products of its platinum mining operations.
Sources at the company said miners had been evacuated from the mine when the collapse happened. They also said safety procedures have since been upgraded at all of the company’s mines.
“It has largely been anticipated that something like this could happen that’s why workers and had been evacuated and equipment driven out,” said a source at the mine.
A company statement said the collapse had been “triggered by the accelerated deterioration of ground conditions” associated with a major geographical shear. Interestingly, the shear and related problems it could occasion were first identified in 2011, Zimplats said.
It said about $6m has been invested in enhancing the safety of mining operations at the mine. Some sections of the mine had subsequently been closed down and it is likely to take up-to “15 months to reach full production.
“As a result of the timely evacuation of all personnel, no injuries or damage of mobile equipment were reported.”
Zimbabwe has the world’s second biggest platinum reserves after South Africa and also has vast deposits of other minerals such as gold, chrome and coal. Most of the major mining producers in the world such as Anglo American Platinum, Aquarius Platinum, Rio Tinto and Metallon Gold have operations in the country.
Mining executives in Zimbabwe say a new mine, to be operated by Chinese investors is set to come into operation in the next few months.
