Update on Eastplats Projects (19/12/11)

Eastern Platinum (Eastplats) said mine development projects at the Zandfontein Section of its Crocodile River Mine are on track with the new infrastructure for underground ore and waste handling installed.

Decline development work and conveyor installations at the Maroelabult Section of the mine is also on schedule, with the mine life of this section extended by two years until 2016.

However, despite intersecting the UG2 reef and a bulk sample being mined at the Crocette Section, further development work on this section will cease until there is a "significant increase" in prices.

Production at CRM is forecast at 125,000 platinum group metal ounces in 2012.

On the Eastern Limb of the Bushveld Complex, the firm said the Kennedy's Vale mill complex near Steelport, which will commission with ore from the Mareesburg mine, is tracking on schedule and budget. Full production will commence in Q1 2013.

At full production, the mine is forecast to produce approximately 100,000 pgm ounces a year.

"We anticipate a 100 per cent increase in annual production over 2011 production by the end of 2013," said Ian Rozier, president and chief executive officer.

Eastplats Increases Equity Interest in Lion's Head Platinum and Ownership in the Mareesburg Platinum Project (22/12/11)

Eastplats  has increased its interest in the Mareesburg platinum project to 37 per cent after purchasing a further 23 per cent interest in Lion's Head Platinum (Proprietary) Limited , which owns a 100 per cent interest in the mine.

"With the ongoing development of the low cost Mareesburg/Spitskop facilities, we are very pleased that we have been able to increase our equity position in Mareesburg," said president and chief executive officer Ian Rozier.

"Mareesburg is progressing well and is an important step in our growth strategy of reaching target production by the end of 2013 of 225,000 PGM ounces for the group."

Sunergy Announces Further Analytical Results for Its Pampana River Heavy Mineral Sands and Discovers Additional Platinum Group Metals (PGM's) and Silver in Potential Economic Amounts (04/01/12)

Sunenergy reports that its Pampana Heavy Mineral Sands project in Sierra Leone contains potentially economically viable quantities of platinum, palladium and silver, in addition to known amounts of gold and rare earth elements.

Overseeing the results was Advisory Board member Alexander Beckmann, who explained that platinum group elements "may exist in a fraction that we may have previously overlooked".

Results have ranged from four grams per ton to upwards of 100 g/t for palladium and over ten grams per ton for platinum.

"Once we have determined the highest and best methods for recovery and separation we will evaluate the feasibility of setting up a process facility near our Pampana operation," added Mr Beckmann.

Village Main’s platinum project progresses to DFS (10/01/12)

Village Main Reef has announced positive results from a prefeasibility study (PFS) of its Lesego platinum project in South Africa.

A definitive feasibility study is to follow with an updated resource from 700m to 350m below the surface and increased indicated and measured resources.

This will be completed by the end of the year, with development work to start in 2014 and ramp-up to full production taking place through to 2019.

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