PNRB working ‘tirelessly’ to reopen BCL
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Monday August 21, 2023 06:00
Shamil Agosi, the vice president of Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG), told a briefing held for the Tsholofelo Carnival this week that although specific timelines have yet to be established, the ongoing endeavours 'will not take forever'.
Agosi noted that BCL Mine, being a pre-existing operation, benefits from readily available subterranean infrastructure, a factor that is poised to expedite the process of reactivation.
'At the moment, we have moved underground to continue re-characterising the resources and to fast-track studies. 'So far three drills have started operating and during this period, we have learnt that indeed the ore in both Selebi and Selebi North are part of the same horizon,' she said.
PNRB, previously under the leadership of former BCL Mine executive Montwedi Mphathi, acquired the Selebi and Selebi North shafts, along with Selkirk Mine, from the government in a transaction valued at P837 million last year. This transaction also encompasses associated infrastructure such as rail, power, and water facilities, accompanied by a commitment to invest P5 billion in revitalising the facilities that have remained dormant since 2016.
Since the acquisition, PNRB has focussed on updating the resource estimate at the underground assets, as well as assessing the infrastructure available, in order to plan a revival of the operations.
Agosi said that the firm has completed a fundraising of 34 million Canadian Dollars (P343 million), which will be used to fast track the drilling in order to understand the character of the remaining resources.
The ESG vice president said PNRB is committed to promoting environmentally sustainable practices in the reactivation of BCL Mine.
These plans include establishing a solar plant to support the operations.
“We are at the study phase and trying to remodel and implement our independent solar which will be beneficial for the productions to kick-start. “The development will also create new job skills into the market,” she said.
PNRB currently has 165 employees.