Full production has been resumed at closed sections of Impala Platinum's Impala Lease Area.

South Africa's government ordered the suspension of three mechanised sections of the Rustenburg mine following the death of nine workers at the site on July 21st.

The number 12 shaft, number 14 shaft and two development areas were affected by the government order, with production having been resumed earlier in the week.

"The order to shut down the mines was lifted mid last week and we resumed production on Monday," Alice Lourens, a spokeswoman for Impala Platinum, confirmed in a Reuters interview.

"We have yet to estimate how much production was lost, but our guidance at the time of the closure was we would lose about 700 oz a day. We are still assessing the loss."

However, the government has yet to reveal whether Impala Platinum complied with safety regulations, with mineral resources minister Susan Shabangu having vowed to launch a thorough investigation into the episode on a recent visit to the mine.

Impala Platinum production amounted to 1.91 million ounces of platinum and 3.64 million ounces of pgms in the last financial year.

Source:

Implats starts mining at shafts closed after deaths (12/08/09)

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