Platinum producer Lonmin has announced that it has completed repairs to its primary furnace at its South African Marikana operation.

The world's third largest platinum producer was forced to shut down its biggest furnace after the discovery of a leak.

An original installation error seems to have been the cause of the leak. Incorrect welding was found on the base plate of the furnace shell.

Repairs have now reinforced the support structures around the matte top holes and deep matte waffles and refractories at the site of the leak have been replaced.

Lonmin says that the installation has now been restarted and will be put back into use this week. It also said that an assessment of the incident's impact on production is currently being completed, the results of which will be published later this month.

Putting the furnace back into use was vital to the company, as the furnace smelts 20,000 tonnes per month, giving it twice the capacity of the three other smaller furnaces at Marikana.

All of Lonmin's mine output from South Africa is processed through the Marikana unit.

Ÿ Adfero Ltd