Two Rivers Platinum Mine is a joint venture between African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) (54%) and Impala Platinum (46%) and is managed by ARM. The operation is situated on the farm Dwarsrivier on the southern part of the eastern limb of the Bushveld Complex some 35 kilometres south-west of Burgersfort in Limpopo, South Africa. The operation comprises three on-reef decline shafts and a UG2 concentrator plant and has a life-of-mine offtake agreement with Impala Refining Services (IRS). Currently, the Merensky concentrator plant is under construction.
African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) (54%) and Impala Platinum (46%).
History
Platinum was first discovered in the area by renowned explorer Hans Merensky on the nearby farm Maandagshoek (now Modikwa Platinum) in the 1920s. Rivers Platinum, the JV between Avmin and Implats, secured the platinum rights in December 2001. Subsequent corporate activity involving Avmin, ARM and Harmony resulted in the transfer of Avmin’s share in Two Rivers to a new, empowered platinum entity, ARM Platinum, a division of ARM. The joint venture partners began development of the Two Rivers project in June 2005.
The concentrator plant was commissioned early in FY2007 and in FY2008 the mine successfully made the transition from project to operation.
In 2015 portions 4, 5 and 6 of the farm Kalkfontein, as well as a portion of the farm Tweefontein, were incorporated into the Two Rivers mining right. An agreement was also reached for the remaining Implats-owned mineral rights on portions of the farms Kalkfontein and Buffelshoek in exchange for a royalty payment.
Geology
Both the Merensky and underlying UG2 Reefs occur on the property. The UG2 outcrops in the Klein Dwarsrivier valley over a north-south strike length of 7.5 kilometres and dips to the west at about 7 to 10 degrees. The vertical separation between the Merensky and UG2 Reefs is around 140 to 160 metres. Due to the extreme topography, the Merensky reef outcrops further up the mountain slope and results in the UG2 occurring at a depth of 1 150 metres below the surface on the south-western boundary.
Committed to ensuring a bright future for our employees and our communities: THE MERENSKY PROJECT
The Merensky Reef is named after Hans Merensky, the renowned South African geologist. In 1924 Merensky discovered that the Bushveld Igneous Complex contains roughly 90% of the world’s known platinum reserves.
The Merensky Project involves the development and mining of the Merensky Reef and the construction of the associated infrastructure, including a concentrator plant at Two Rivers Platinum.
The Merensky project has been in progress since February 2021. Steady progress has been made during the last two-and-a-half-year period.
It is currently projected that the plant and two levels of mining sections will be ready for hot commissioning at the end of April 2024.
Currently, at the plant, the focus is on the SMPP (Structural, mechanical, plate work and piping) with steel erection going as per plan.
On the mining side, the waste decline development was completed in August of 2023 whereafter the mechanical installation of the belts commenced.
The ESKOM power grid was completed by the end of 2023 and extra water from the Lebalelo project will be onsite by the commissioning of the plant.
The Merensky Mine has a life of mine of at least 20 years and will produce an additional 2.4 million tonnes of Merensky ore per year. It will add 1000 permanent employees to the current TRP workforce.
Vision
Safe, Sustainable and Profitable Platinum
Values
Our management style is supported by TRP values, which guide how we conduct our business.
Our Leadership
Departmental Heads
Kennedy Sengani
BUSINESS LEADER
Cindi Henderson
MINERAL RESOURCE LEADER
Frik Vermaak
MINE MANAGER(MAIN AND MERENSKY SHAFTS)
Mischack Mokgwadi
MINING LEADER NORTH DECLINE (ACTING)
Fortune Mdluli
METALLURGICAL LEADER
Jakes Jacobs
SHEQ LEADER
Roy van Rooyen
ENGINEERING LEADER
Sibusiso Maphalla
FINANCE AND ADMIN LEADER
Joseph Moloisi
HR LEADER
Mamatsha Legodi
SOCIAL PERFORMANCE LEADERALWAYS SAFE! HEALTH & SAFETY
In line with our value of Always Safe, our number one priority is to ensure that each employee returns home unharmed to his/her family every day. We are committed to operating safely and believe that all injuries at work are preventable. Mitigating risks is key to our safety management system and to ensuring that we remain risk-free. Risk Owners at each shaft assist in monitoring the effectiveness of critical controls. Through various campaigns throughout the year including the Family Season (August-December) the Safety Health Environmental and Quality (SHEQ) Department create awareness of various crucial safety aspects in the mining industry which are also relevant to our operations, including Fall of Ground (FOG), working at heights and underground fires.
Safe practices, methods and approaches directly impact the quality of work and profitability of the mine and every employee is directly engaged in our drive to ensure we are “Always Safe.” TRP’s ISO14001 certification is an indication of management and employees’ commitment to Safety.
On 9 November 2023, TRP reached a historic milestone when it achieved 1 million Fatality Free Shifts.
Contractor Safety Management
We expect anyone on our site, including contractors to comply with the same safety requirements as our employees. Using the electronic contractor management system, Passport 360 is part of our continuous improvement process to maintain legal compliance and mutual relationships between Two Rivers Platinum Mine and its business partners.
Sustainability
TRP is committed to good corporate citizenship. Our philosophy is supported by our passion for the need to turn mineral wealth into sustainable economic growth and development. Through our business activities, we want to be a catalyst for local, national, and regional development while making a lasting and important social, economic and environmental contribution to the developing regions in which we operate. For us, it is equally important to maintain world-class performance standards in managing safety, occupational health, the environment, tuberculosis, HIV and AIDS while investing in appropriate and sustainable corporate social initiatives.
Caring for our environment
TRP has always respected the natural environment and from inception, the mine and its infrastructure were designed to minimise the impact on the natural ecosystem. Through the environmental management programme, we regularly conduct impact assessments to mitigate the mine’s impact on the area and the bushveld. The pristine indigenous riverine habitat spanning the Dwarsrivier which flows through the site, is evidence of the mine’s ongoing commitment to environmental responsibility.
