Joint ventures will increase Anglo Platinum's production by as much as one million ounces a year, the firm has said.

Anglo Platinum's new executive head of joint ventures Vishnu Pillay told Mining Weekly that cooperation is yielding results.

He explained that the platinum miner's joint venture operations contribute just under a third (30 per cent) of overall production, which is forecast to be 2.6 million ounces this year.

In a video interview with the publication, Mr Pillay said collaboration, through sharing infrastructure and services to reduce production costs, is a "key driver going forward".

He explained: "We want to consolidate and start growing the eastern limb through existing and new partnerships. We want to pull together our holdings at De Brochen, Twickenham and Ga Pasha and to grow the industry.

"We're also working on collapsing the farm fences and realising value across them through cooperation."

Anglo Platinum recently opened its Unki Mine in Zimbabwe, which is expected to be the country's second-largest platinum producer.

Production from the mine is expected to hit 4,400oz a month in the near-term, Pan African News Agency reported.

This firm is hopeful that the Unki Mine will eventually produce 150,000oz of platinum annually.

In South Africa, Mining Weekly notes that the firm has opportunities to boost production in both the eastern and western limbs of the Bushveld Complex.

Apparently, the Bafokeng Rasimone mine, which Anglo Platinum operates in a joint venture with Royal Bafokeng Platinum, offers great potential in the western limb, such as by returning some mothballed shafts to production.

Mr Pillay said in the interview that the priority will be to expand in the eastern limb, "which has still to be developed as comprehensively as the western limb".

"The consolidation will not just be through rights and properties, but also collaboration on the provision of services including health and training, and procurement," he explained.

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JV platinum profile poised for growth, says Anglo Platinum’s Pillay (07/04/11)
 

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