Anglo American Platinum (Angloplat) said yesterday that platinum group metals (PGM) production fell by 10% to 990 400 ounces in the fourth quarter to December 31, 2022.
PGM production at own-managed mines fell 12% to 557 600 ounces due to lower grades from Mogalakwena and Unki, and infrastructure closures at Amandelbult, partially offset by a strong performance at Mototolo.
Refined PGM production (owned production, excluding tolling) decreased by 37% to 877 200 ounces due to the delayed Polokwane smelter rebuild, in turn due to the delivery of substandard materials for furnace construction.
The rebuild was completed at the end of the quarter, and by the end of January the ramp-up was largely completed.
Build-up of work-in-progress inventory at year-end was a net increase of 100 000 PGM ounces, due to the delay to the Polokwane smelter rebuild and Eskom load shedding, partially offset by strong performance from the Waterval and Mortimer smelters.
PGM sales volumes, from production, excluding sales from trading, fell 31% to 883 400 ounces in line with lower refined production.
CEO Natascha Viljoen said: “We had no work-related fatalities at our own-managed operations in the period.”
The total recordable case frequency rate per million hours at managed operations of 2.25 per million hours was the lowest recorded injury rate.
BUSINESS REPORT