Aquarius Platinum has confirmed that new safety measures at its Marikana mine will have no impact on reserve extraction percentages or bord width.

The company is putting several interim procedures in place at the South African facility's 4 Shaft after five workers were crushed to death following a rock fall earlier this month.

Although productivity will not be compromised as a result of the changes, the world's fourth-largest platinum producer did reveal that unit costs could rise by five per cent.

Following the fatalities on 6th July, the government issued an S54 suspension notice for the shaft while the Inspectorate of Mines carried out a safety audit.

The ban has now been lifted after Aquarius informed the Department of Mineral Resources of its new safety measures, which will include changing how it blasts underground.

In addition, the company will alter how it uses stope robot devices for earlier detection of rock movement and add lighting in stopes to illuminate hanging walls.

About 150,000 tonnes have been mined at the 4 Shaft during the month, with the temporary shutdown causing production to fall by 40 per cent to 4,400 oz pgm 4E (platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold).

Aquarius Platinum's activities mainly focus on the Bushveld Complex in South Africa and the Great Dyke region in Zimbabwe.

Sources:

DJ Aquarius To Add Safety Measures At Marikana Mine In S Africa (26/07/10)

DJ Aquarius Platinum: Marikana Shaft S54 Suspension Lifted (26/07/10)

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