Ivanhoe Mines Ltd (IVPAF)

[JB3729]

New cost-slashing platinum technology ready to roll – Pallinghurst

http://www.miningweekly.com/article/new-cost-slashing-platinum-technology-ready-to-roll-pallinghurst-2017-03-31

Not only is the operating cost far cheaper, but so is the capital cost.
The plant at Sedibelo, which will have a capacity to process 300 000 oz of platinum group metals (PGMs) a year, is budgeted to come in at less than $100-million.

Kell processes upper group two (UG2) reef Merensky reef, platreef, Zimbabwe’s Great Dyke reef, North America’s polymetallic ore and even refractory gold.


The Platreef PGE Project -

https://www.miningreview.com/magazine_articles/developing-phenomenal-ore-body-ivanplats-platreef-project/

Unlike most typical, conventional mines on the Eastern and Western Bushveld Limbs, which are dominated by relatively narrow Merensky and UG2 reefs and negligible amounts of base metals, the Platreef ore body represents a dominant thick Merensky Reef and also contains a significant amount of base metals – specifically over 0.3% nickel and 0.15% copper. “Selling these two metals in the volumes we expect to produce could ultimately pay for the entire operation, meaning all our mined PGEs could potentially be profit.”

In order to manage capital outlay to establish what could be the world’s largest PGE mine, the plan is to build the megamine in phases. At an initial 4 Mtpa or 433 000 4E ozpa, Platreef would already be ranked as the third largest PGE mine in the world.


Ivanhoe may be able to build a plant to process their targeted 433,000 ozpa for less than $150 million. Perhaps, IVN will go to 6 Mtpa or 8 Mtpa to start with.