Exploration company Southern Palladium has commenced detailed metallurgical and geotechnical drill programmes as part of ongoing field work to support the delivery of the definitive feasibility study (DFS) for the Bengwenyama platinum group metals (PGM) project in South Africa scheduled for completion in the first half of next year.
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Four drill rigs have been secured and mobilised to site. First drilling is underway to obtain a 140kg sample from the Upper Group 2 (UG2) reef for detailed metallurgical study work.
The UG2 sample will be used to determine metallurgical variability across the first stage of the planned development. The results from this sample will also better allow the company to progress discussions with South African PGM smelters.
Once metallurgical drilling is complete, the rigs will move to assist with deeper underground geotechnical drilling, which will be incorporated into field studies to optimise decline and stoping parameters.
A further 2-3 rigs will be added for surface geotechnical drilling, commencing with drilling needed to optimise the first decline development planning, which is scheduled to start at the beginning of October.
The DFS drill programme will comprise around 10,000 m drill metres in total and will include infill drilling to further enhance definition of the Maiden JORC Ore Reserve of 6.29 Moz at 6.17g/t PGM (6E) at Bengwenyama.
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This work follows the recent completion of an optimised pre-feasibility study which delivered an estimated after-tax NPV US$857 m with a material reduction in peak-funding requirement through a staged development approach.
MD Johan Odendaal said: “Results from this drill programme will provide important data to further optimise metallurgical processing and mine design for the DFS, which is on schedule for delivery in the first half of 2026.
“We look forward to providing further project updates over the coming weeks. Environmental approvals have now been obtained, an important prerequisite for the granting of the mining right. Final acceptance of the social and labour plan should lead to the grant of the mining right within the foreseeable future.”