Improved performance at its Impala and Zimplats mines helped Impala Platinum boost platinum output by seven per cent in the three months to the end of September.

A statement released by the company revealed overall first-quarter production increased to 441,000 oz of platinum, with palladium output also up from 266,000 oz to 285,000 oz.

However, production of rhodium slipped to 57,000 oz, a decline of ten per cent on levels seen the previous year.

At the Impala Rustenburg mine, platinum production rose by 39 per cent to 251 000 oz for the three-month period.

It is thought that 940,000 oz will be produced over the course of the year.

Meanwhile, production at the Impala Platinum Zimplats operation in Zimbabwe was up by 22 per cent, yielding 44,000 oz of platinum.

It is hoped that a phase two expansion project will help to boost production of platinum at the mine to 270,000 oz by 2013.

However, expansion at the company's Marula mine was restricted to five per cent, and the improvement at Mimosa was described as "marginal".

Impala Platinum employs approximately 53,000 people and has an attributable mineral resource inventory (inclusive of mineral reserves) of 230 million ounces of platinum.

Source:



Implats first quarter production report (17/11/10)

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