Production is set to increase at Platinum Australia's treatment plant at its Smokey Hills platinum mine in South Africa.

The plant first produced concentrates at the end of January, and production is expected to have risen to 60,000 tonnes per month by the end of June.

This would ensure that the plant is running at planned-for capacity, with production increases fuelled in large part by the fact more than 100,000 tonnes of ore with an average grade of 7.5g/t 4E PGM was mined and on the run-of-mine pad by the end of December 2008.

http://www.mineweb.net/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page674?oid=79945&sn=Detailhttp://www.gtp.com.au/platinumaus/inews_files/Half%20Year%20Report%20Dec08%20Final%20doc.pdf

Platfields is eyeing up increased platinum production and is hoping to raise funds over the next two years to "advance its exploration programme".

While admitting the state of the market could have an influence on how much is secured, Platfields said it is hopeful that R200 million can be raised this summer and a further R250 million in 2010.

In three of Platfields' four South African precious metals projects, further exploration is already underway, the firm's director of operations, Joshua Hattingh, said.

Most notably, a 12-month exploration drilling programme at Platfields' Berg PGM project is more than 50 per cent complete.

http://www.platfields.co.za/im/press_display.php?Id=2009/12mar09http://www.mineweb.net/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page35?oid=80129&sn=Detail

Meanwhile, North Bay Resources is positioning for further platinum production following a move to secure new land near to its Monte Cristo property in British Columbia's Lillooet River Valley.

North Bay has staked new claims to the south of its existing holding, which is located 31 km north-west of Harrison Lake and 96 km north-east of Vancouver.

Samples of Monte Cristo sand from depths of at least one metre below surface level have been found to contain assays of 2.77 g/t of platinum and 2.71 g/t of palladium, as well as traces of gold and silver.

A government report also suggests that "precious metal values persist to a depth of 100 ft and, in fact, values increase with increasing depth".

http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/3103543

PGM mining rights have also been secured by Chromex Mining.

The company already mines chrome at the 32 million tonne Stellite Mineral Resource in the western part of the Bushveld complex in South Africa.

However, an amendment to the rights means Chromex Mining will now be able to extract platinum group metals (PGM) and gold from the Stellite plant tailings stream.

According to Chromex CEO Russell Lamming, early tests have produced encouraging results concerning PGM extraction and treatment.

"We look forward to developing our understanding of the economics of platinum group element extraction and treatment, which we expect will further underpin the already robust economics of the Stellite chrome project," he commented.

http://www.londonstockexchange.com/LSECWS/IFSPages/MarketNewsPopup.aspx?id=2112334&source=RNShttp://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSBNG48069220090316

Finally, the completion of two chrome and platinum recovery plants has been accelerated by Sylvania Resources.

Plans to build the Doornbosch and Tweefontein plants were announced in October 2008, and both are ahead of schedule.

While the Doornbosch project was due to be commissioned in January 2010, it will now be ready in June.

In the case of Tweefontein, commissioning has been brought forward to the end of the year.

Production of PGMs at Doornbosch is expected to be in the region of 26 000 oz/y, while 37,000 t/m of dechromed material is due to be treated at Tweefontein.

http://www.miningweekly.com/article/sylvania-accelerates-new-chrome-platinum-recovery-projects-2009-03-13http://www.sylvaniaresources.com/im/press/2009/SLV_interims_dec08.pdf