Platreef Underground Mine, Limpopo

The proposed underground mine is located approximately 10km north west from the town of Mokopane in Limpopo Province. A mining right has been applied for on the Farms Turfspruit 241 KR and Macalacaskop 243 KR. The Platreef project is likely to be the largest mining project in South Africa over the next few years.The first phase involves the development of a large, mechanised, underground mine with an initial 4 million-tonne-a-year concentrator and associated infrastructure. The second phase will double production and the third phase involves the expansion to a steady state of 12 million tonnes. Access to the mine will be through four vertical shafts. Shaft No. 2 will have the main personnel, material and ore-handling systems, while Shafts 1,3 and 4 are designated ventilation shafts. GPS coordinates lat: -240845898; long: 28.9684085. Pre-production capital is estimated at $1.17 billion, including $114 million in contingencies.