PLATINUM
Styldrift aims for water efficiency
With recent water shortage warnings in the Rustenburg area, fears have been
expressed about adequate water supply to some mines. Nhlapo said the in-
creased demand for water in the region – and for potable water from the
MagaliesWater supply in particular – was the topic of a 2011 study that iden-
tified the need to re-use surplus water available from the current operations.
“RBPlat is currently building a water treatment plant at a cost of R38 mil-
lion to treat and reuse 4 million litres of water which would normally be
lost to evaporation,” he said. “The consolidation of the concentrator capac-
ity into a single complex will further enhance the ability to manage water
more sustainably.”
Nhlapo said Styldrift was designed to re-circulate as much water as pos-
sible in an effort to minimise its intake of fresh potable water. These primary
methods are adopted in the design:
returning excess fissure water encountered during mining operations via
overland pipeline to the processing plant;
drawing any excess tailings return water fromprocessing operations along
the same pipeline, in the event that fissure water is not encountered;
reducing domestic water use through ‘low-flow’ ablution arrangements;
treating all on-mine sewage at a high-efficiency sewage plant, allowing
clean effluent to be returned to the mine and grey water to be piped to
process circuits; and
re-circulating hot water at the change-house ablution facilities, as well
as using localised water heaters in office areas instead of centralised gey-
sers – to reduce in-pipeline losses.
infrastructural development secures our
licence to operate and is an investment in both
the future of our communities and the com-
pany,” he stated. “In executing the SLP, we
have consulted and cooperated with the local
communities, local and provincial government,
the Department of Mineral Resources and the
local municipality.”
RBPlat’s investment in local economic devel-
opment has focused on education, health,
enterprise development, basic infrastructure
and community skills development.
“Our support has included education infra-
structure such as the construction of additional
classes in locals schools, refurbishing and
equipping of a maths and science laboratory,
sponsoring additional maths and science edu-
cators to improve learners’ performance, and
assistance with educator support material,”
said Nhlapo.
RBPlat has provided additional medical
equipment and nurses at the local clinic and
installed an IT system in all the local clinics
so that community members can consult at
various local clinics with their medical history
available electronically. There has also been
a refurbishment and extension of the forensic
pathology centre.
Enterprise development focuses on poverty
alleviation and job creation initiatives, includ-
ing a commercial garden set up by the local
association for the blind.
On community skills development, Nhlapo
pointed out that the focus was on providing
mainly the youth with mining skills that would
make them employable. “Community members
have also been equipped with portable skills
such as bricklaying, painting and basic plumb-
ing,” he said.
In terms of housing and living conditions of
employees, Styldrift, as a project in execution,
does not have hostels and so has no obligation
to comply with the 2014 mining charter mile-
stone to convert hostels to family units. When
it comes to providing housing for employees
when production ramp-up begins, Nhlapo said
various options were currently being explored.
Looking ahead, the Styldrift II concept pro-
vides an enticing view into the next stage of
this development. Planned on a resource area
of some 24 million square metres, this project
has consistent grades at depths between 900 m
and 1 500 m. The current vision is a standalone
mine with twin shafts and own concentrator,
which is being explored in an initial pre-fea-
sibility study now underway. This technical
and financial evaluation is considering four
different access options, as well as declines
from No 1 shaft for early production and raise-
bore technology to expedite shaft sinking. The
study could be upgraded to a full PFS during
2014, leading to a feasibility study that could
be wrapped up in 2015 or 2016.
Photos courtesy of RBPlat unless otherwise acknowledged
