Turffontein’s good progress
Anglo Platinum’s Turffontein mine is an ore-replacement project designed to keep production output at a constant 120,000 t/month. The first phase of the project is to expand the mine to 34 level. Only high-grade Merensky reef will be mined in this phase. Turffontein is expected to extend the life of mine to 2012 at current output.
Work is progressing well on the cluster decline development, as this project is fast approaching its completion. The contract being undertaken by Murray & Roberts Cementation is on schedule and within budget. At the end of November, the project was tracking 145 days without any injury and had no reportable injuries for 2005.
The project scope includes a cluster of decline sinking and auxiliary development on the levels. The cluster comprises a material, conveyor, chairlift and RAW decline. The project scope was recently extended to include the raiseboring of silos as well as OPEX development. The OPEX development will comprise haulages, cross-cuts, development raises and box holes. Originally, the silos were to be drop raised but poor ground conditions would not allow this method, and the decision was made to raisebore, slipe and line. Four silos will be raisebored to depths of 37 m. Three will have a final lined diameter of 4 m and the last, which is a ventilation and escape route, will have a 0.6 m diameter and will be unlined.
Development drilling is by hand-held machines, with mucking by LHDs. A truck has recently been introduced because the tramming length was becoming too onerous for the LHDs with a resultant reduction in the mining cycle. In an innovative approach, a mobile rock breaker has been added to the fleet has been. This was introduced as a dual-purpose tool - firstly, to break rock on the tip, and secondly, to assist in the barring of the high hanging walls.
Considerable effort is being put into equipping the cluster declines in order to hand over completed levels for production. This includes chair lift installations, conveyor belts for the movement of ore, permanent services and track-bound materials declines.
Work on the Turffontein contract started in 2002 and should be completed early in 2007 after which Phase 3 is likely to commence. This will take the cluster declines from 35 Level down to 40 Level.