Electricity-supply constraints experienced at Anglo Platinum mines in January and February, as well as the associated ramp-up period when supply resumed, affected production, the company said on Tuesday.
In its quarterly review and production report for the period January 1 2008 to March 31 2008, the company said that the ”ongoing impact of the constrained electricity supply is expected to continue to have some impact on production and expansion projects throughout 2008”.
The full extent of the impact could not be estimated ”with reasonable accuracy at present”.
Anglo Platinum — the world’s leading primary producer of platinum group metals — said equivalent refined platinum production (equivalent ounces are mined ounces expressed as refined ounces) from the mines managed by Anglo Platinum and its joint venture partners for the first quarter of 2008 was 517 500 ounces.
This was a decrease of 19% when compared with the first quarter in 2007.
Besides the electricity problems, the company said other factors affecting production were: the disruption of operations at the Amandelbult mine as a result of underground working areas being inundated by flood water; higher-than-planned mining from the lower grade North pit of the Mogalakwena mine; the suspension of operations to rehabilitate shaft steelwork at the Turffontein Shaft of Rustenburg section; and contract labour-related work stoppages at Rustenburg section, Kroondal and Marikana over a five-day period during the quarter. — Sapa