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Cementation Africa adapts Ivanplats’ Shaft 3 for production ramp up At Ivanplats’ Platreef mine – one of the world’s largest undeveloped precious metals projects – Cementation Africa is preparing Shaft #3 to help deliver the mine’s ambitious Phase 1 production targets.
Cementation Africa undertaking the equipping of Platreef’s Shaft #3 headgear as part of the shaft development programme.
S haft #3 will allow the mine to augment its hoisting capacity from Shaft #1, to reach five million tonnes per annum from the first quarter of 2026. During Ivanplats’ Phase 1 development, it will ramp up its annualised production to about 100 000 oz of platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold (3PE+Au), plus 2 000 t of nickel and 1 000 t of copper. Located in South Africa’s Limpopo province, Platreef is mining a globally significant precious metals orebody currently exceeding 50 Moz of gold-equivalent, according to Ivanhoe Mines’ Founder and Executive Co-Chairman, Robert Friedland – who highlights that Platreef is the world’s leading polymetallic mine in development. Exploration on the deposit has been ongoing for over
our production plans and it has been important to have an experienced partner like Cementation Africa to work with us on this endeavour,” Van der Berg says. “They also share our commitment to safety, while working closely with us to find innovative solutions to reach our production goals within the timeframes we have set.” The ventilation shaft was completed by Cementation Africa in 2024, using an advanced Rotary Vertical Drilling System (RVDS). According to Graham Chamberlain, New Business Director at Cementation Africa, this directional drilling technology – combined with the skills of its highly experienced operators – allowed minimal deflection in the shaft barrel. “Over the full 950 m depth, the deflection
did not exceed 0,05% – or 452 mm,” Chamberlain says. “By the time we reached our targeted depth, the
30 years, during which the 26-metre thick, flat-lying Flat reef orebody was discovered some 15 years ago. Ivanhoe’s approach has been to meticulously delineate the deposit and to engineer the mine to grow through rapidly phased expansions. This positions Platreef as one of the lowest cost and largest primary producers of platinum group metals in the world. Werner van der Berg, Platreef’s Project Manager, explains that the initial purpose of Shaft #3 – which measures 950 m deep and 5,1 m in diameter – was
deviation was only 0,02% or 226 mm off centre.” This has provided the low tolerances necessary for using the shaft to convey ore on a daily basis. Cementation Africa was then tasked with fitting the shaft with
Shaft #3 will allow the mine to augment its hoisting capacity from Shaft #1, to reach five million tonnes per annum from the first quarter of 2026.
hoisting infrastructure - initially for a person-riding conveyance and now for rock and ore hoisting to surface. Nonetheless, he points out that designing and installation of the steelwork to operate in upcast air is technically challenging. “Our mine engineering design team has followed best practice from other projects where this kind of retrofitting
to operate as an updraft ventilation shaft with facilities for emergency lifting of personnel. “The shaft will now make a strategic contribution to
36 MODERN MINING www.modernminingmagazine.co.za | DECEMBER 2025 - JANUARY 2026
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