[miningmx.com] — WESIZWE Platinum said on Thursday it has awarded the Bakubung mine’s shaft sinking contract to Aveng Grinaker-LTA Mining, following a tender process.
The contract is worth R1.64bn.
“In selecting the successful contractor, the adjudication team considered the commercial offer, the contractor’s technical expertise and experience, as well as a number of other important factors which included the company’s ownership structures; systems and resources; and its safety, health and environment track record,” said Wesizwe’s CEO Jianke Gao.
“This is undoubtedly the most significant milestone in the delivery of a world-class underground PGM mine and we are pleased that we are now able to move forward with the sinking of the shafts.”
The Bakubung Platinum Mine is located on the Western Limb of the Bushveld Complex and site establishment has been underway since 2010.
Preparatory work for the start of shaft sinking would be completed in August 2012, with the pre-sink on the ventilation shaft scheduled to start in June 2012. Both the main and ventilation shafts are scheduled for commissioning in October 2018.
