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Gold/Mining/Energy : SOUTHERNERA (t.SUF) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Valuepro who wrote (7049)	2/5/2003 3:32:42 PM
From: Letmebe Frank	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 7235

Is it your understanding that SUF would be processing 120,000 tons / month in 7 months? Without digging into it, it appears to be way ahead of the original schedule. miningweekly.co.za Project managers faced with challenge at Messina When Southern Era Resources inherited the Messina Platinum Mines (MPM), situated in the Limpopo province, several challenges were presented to consulting engineers and project managers Read Swatman & Voigt (RSV). The Voorspoed property, which comprises phase one of the mine, was passed on by Impala Platinum to current 70% owner of MPM Southern Era Resources in 2000. Since operations ceased at the site in 1991, the obstacles RSV faced in its role of rejuvenating the project involved more than just alleviating the flooding that had occurred at the main shaft, explains RSV project manager Neels Engelbrecht. After the dewatering and trial mining phase, MPM appointed RSV as project manager to continue with an advanced production initiative (API) from the upper two levels, while continuing with sinking operations down to 400 m. This phase resulted in a planned production of 20 000 t/m from the API and 80 000 t /m when the shaft infrastructure and shaft were completed.Considerations were then given to increase production to 120 000 t /m.However, this initiative was stopped after developments related to mineral rights presented an opportunity to evaluate other options. In December, the belt and pump station, the final elements of the project, were completed. This accomplishment did not come without challenges, explains Engelbrecht. “The infrastructural design that existed prior to our involvement at the site required revision to ensure that the latest technology and standards could be applied to the operation,” he says. RSV had to assist MPM in changing the structural configurations of the shaft. The latest codes and practices had to be applied to the headgear design. New technologies had to be incorporated to bring the winding plants and electrical distribution aspects of the project up to speed. RSV assisted MPM in systematically building up the mine’s management and production personnel at the site as the project matured. Now that the project has been finalised, MPM will ramp up production to 120 00 tons of reef a month, a figure which it plans to realise by the third quarter of this year.