Organic Growth

Pan African rolling out vibrant internal growth projects

- Martin Creamer

Midtier gold mining company Pan African is rolling out vibrant internal growth projects involving the revival of Evander Mines’ 7 Shaft and the alleviation of congestion at Barberton Mines’ Fairview operation, which will provide the flexibility needed to better exploit what is arguably the highest-grade underground orebody in the world.

At Evander, 7 Shaft revival will involve the dewatering to open the way for subsequent additional vamping and pillar mining on available panels. Part of the same Evander 7 Shaft revival is the 2010 Pay Channel project, on which a feasibility study will be completed in early 2018.

The Pay Channel, which adjoins 7 Shaft, will not require a new vertical shaft or plant infrastructure, with access gained from the No 3 decline, which is already developed from 15 to 21 level.

Dewatering and refurbishing of the No 3 decline will be required from 18 level downwards.

“The focus will be to rejuvenate 7 Shaft and, within the next four years, significantly increase underground production at Evander,” Pan African Resources CEO Cobus Loots explained to Mining Weekly.

At Barberton Mines, the key focus is the putting down of the sub-vertical shaft between 42 Level and 64 Level at the company’s Fairview operation, with the potential to eventually extend that shaft down to 68 Level.

“That’s going to give us massive flexibility in what is one of the highest-grade orebodies, if not the highest grade orebody of any scale underground in the world,” Loots commented. Fairview’s 11 Block Main Reef complex orebody section is graded at 35 g/t.