Unki Mine’s Platinum Production Rose By 4% In Q1
Anglo American Platinum’s local unit Unki Mine’s platinum group metals (PGM) production for the first quarter to March 31, 2021, rose by 4 per cent to 50 900 ounces compared to the same period in 2020 despite Covid-19 related disruptions.
In a statement released Thursday, Anglo said Platinum output increased by 4 per cent to 22 600 ounces while palladium rose by 2 per cent to 20 000 ounces as the mine partly benefited from grade improvement.
Unki, the Midlands province-based miner started operations in 2011 and is the youngest operating platinum mine in Zimbabwe, home to the world’s second-largest reserves of platinum after South Africa.
Anglo’s overall production increased by 3 per cent on the back of strong performances at the copper operations in Chile and iron-ore operations in South Africa.
This is happening when other actors in the mining industry, locally, especially small scale gold miners have been lamenting over the effects of the COVID-19-induced lockdowns which they say affected production.
Moreover, mining activities across the country were affected by wet weather conditions between November and February resulting in mining operations suspended after a number of mines collapsed killing miners.
Nevertheless, gold deliveries to Fidelity Printers and Refineries (FPR) improved by 54.57% in March 2021 to 1.8 tonnes from February’s 1.17t as weather conditions improved.
More: Pindula News; The Herald
