Aquarius Platinum says that work on its new concentrator is running ahead of schedule.

The platinum firm says that the concentrator - capable of processing 250 000 tonnes per month - will help boost production at the Kroondal and Rustenburg sites.

Aquarius has entered into a pooling and sharing agreement (P&SA) with Anglo Platinum on the project, with the firm's South African managing director identifying the new concentrator as a key stage of development.

Aquarius' Gert Ackerman said ultimately the company expected output of pgms to double, potentially yielding as much as 505,000 annual pgm ounces by 2006.

The deal between Angloplat and Aquarius, brokered in November, means that the P&SA operation is run as a single entity in which profits and revenue are shared, but with both firms retaining ownership of the assets they contributed.

Mr Ackerman told Mining Weekly that the deal had helped prolong the life of the two mines, as well as boosting production.

Now Dowding Reynard & Associates (DRA) has been recruited to carry through the mine developments, including the design, construction and commissioning of mining equipment, processing plant and infrastructure.

In its latest quarterly figures released at the end of last month Aquarius Platinum revealed that production was rising, with output of pgms for the June quarter hitting 64,539 oz.