JSE-listed Impala Platinum (Implats) has successfully ramped down all South African mining operations and placed them on temporary care and maintenance from March 26.
Essential care-and-maintenance services are continuing to ensure the integrity of key infrastructure and facilitate a safe startup once operations are cleared to resume.
In line with South African government regulations, the group has applied for permission to conduct limited smelting operations at Impala Rustenburg together with limited operations at its Springs refinery.
This will allow some in-process inventory to be treated during the lockdown period under controlled conditions.
Implats will also apply for permission to conduct limited underground ore transport and milling at its South African mining operations under agreed precautionary measures.
This will assist in securing underground infrastructure during the lockdown period and significantly enhance the group’s ability to safely resume operations after the lockdown period.
Meanwhile, Impala Canada’s mining operations have been classified as an essential business by the Ontario government and are therefore permitted to continue operations during a 14-day provincial lockdown.
Further, following a directive issued by the government of Zimbabwe on March 27, a 21-day lockdown began on March 30.
In line with government regulation, executives at Zimplats and Mimosa have applied to continue with operations under agreed precautionary measures.
This will allow mining and processing operations to continue relatively uninterrupted at Zimplats during the lockdown.
Mimosa will continue to process stockpile material during the lockdown and conduct limited mining operations to supplement available ore resources during the period.
Implats indicated that additional measures are in place to protect the health of employees working during the lockdown and thereafter.
Force majeure letters have been issued to all consultants and contractors for the duration of the lockdown, to legally suspend Implats' obligations under these contracts.
Force majeure letters have also been issued on offtake agreements with both group companies and third parties, as well as customer supply contracts, to legally suspend obligations under these contracts.
Deliveries from all parties to the smelter were suspended on March 24 to enable the smelting operations to prepare for an orderly shutdown. With respect to customer supply contracts, deliveries can resume once the force majeure is lifted, provided delivery logistics permit.