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ANGLO AMERICAN PLAT LIMITED - Production report for the first quarter ended 31 March 2016

Release Date: 21/04/2016 08:00
Code(s): AMS     PDF:  
Wrap Text
Production report for the first quarter ended 31 March 2016

ANGLO AMERICAN PLATINUM LIMITED
(Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa)
(Registration number: 1946/022452/06)
Share Code: AMS
ISIN: ZAE000013181
(“The Company" or "Anglo American Platinum")

PRODUCTION REPORT FOR THE FIRST QUARTER ENDED 31 MARCH 2016

OVERVIEW

-   Commitment to zero harm – no fatalities in the period and our longest fatal free period of 324
    days as at 31 March 2016

-   Group platinum production (expressed as metal in concentrate) increased 4% to 567,000 ounces
    due to an increase in production at Amandelbult, Mogalakwena and Unki, partially offset by lower
    production at Rustenburg

-   Refined platinum production decreased by 52% to 261,000 ounces due to a planned stock take at
    the PMR and a Section 54 Stoppage which closed the Precious Metals Refinery (“PMR”) for 12
    days, and materially impacted production for a subsequent 37 days

-   The PMR has been brought back to steady state operation as of 6 April 2016

REVIEW OF THE QUARTER

OPERATIONS

Anglo American Platinum remains committed to zero harm and saw an improvement in safety
performance during the period. The Company had no fatalities in Q1 2016 and has extended its
current fatal free period to 324 days to 31 March 2016. The Lost time Injury Frequency Rate (“LTIFR”)
per 200,000 hours at managed operations for the quarter was 0.73, a 33% improvement compared to
the LTIFR of 1.09 in Q1 2015.

Total platinum production increased by 4% to 567,000 ounces. Platinum production from own mines
and tailings retreatment increased by 7% to 381,000 ounces from 357,000 ounces due to higher
production from Amandelbult, Mogalakwena and Unki, partially offset by lower production at
Rustenburg.

Amandelbult increased by 33% to 111,000 ounces due to improved mining efficiencies and increased
concentrator recoveries. Production at Mogalakwena increased 7% to 109,000 ounces due to higher
grade and improved concentrator throughput. Production from Unki increased 14% to 19,000 ounces
due to improved running time of the concentrators and increased head grade. In total, production from
retained own mine operations increased 18% compared to the prior period.

Union mine had a solid performance during the quarter, maintaining production at 34,000 ounces.
Rustenburg (including Western Limb Tailings Retreatment) production decreased by 15,000 ounces
to 106,000 ounces due to mining through difficult ground areas and lower grade.

Production from Joint Venture Operations and Associates (mined and purchased), excluding third
party purchase of concentrate, increased by 6% to 185,000 ounces due to improved production at
Kroondal, BRPM and Mototolo.

Third party purchases were down 10,000 ounces due to termination of contracts in 2015.

Refined platinum production for the quarter was materially impacted by a planned stock take at the
PMR and a Section 54 stoppage which closed the PMR for 12 days. Due to the crash stop’ nature of
the Section 54 stoppage, there was a period of process instability at the PMR, which impacted
production for a subsequent 37 days until 6 April 2016. As a result refined platinum production
decreased by 52% to 261,000 ounces with similar decreases for palladium and rhodium during the
period.

The PMR has since been brought back to steady state operation and it is anticipated that these
shortfalls in refined production in Q1 2016 will be caught up in Q2 and Q3 2016. This will have a short
term impact on the financial position of the Company at the end of H1 2016.

Full year guidance of 2.3 - 2.4 million ounces of produced production remains unchanged. Unit cost
guidance remains between R19,250 – R19,750 per produced platinum ounce (metal in concentrate).

Anglo American Platinum
First Quarter Production Report                                 2016        2015     2016 Q1 vs       2015     2016 Q1 vs
Period 01 January 2016 - 31 March 2016                            Q1          Q1        2015 Q1         Q4        2015 Q4                              
                                                                       
Attributable Pt production

  Total production                                000 oz         567         544             4%        598           (5)%
  Own mines                                       000 oz         240         203            18%        242           (1)%
  Joint ventures - mined volume                   000 oz          61          57             7%         63           (3)%
  Joint ventures and associates - purchased       000 oz         124         118             5%        136           (9)%
  Third parties - purchased                       000 oz           2          12          (86)%          1            64%
  Rustenburg (incl. WLTR) and Union               000 oz         141         155           (9)%        156          (10)%

Gross refined production

  Platinum                                        000 oz         261         542          (52)%        745          (65)%
  Palladium                                       000 oz         182         348          (48)%        468          (61)%
  Rhodium                                         000 oz          48          65          (27)%         86          (44)%
  Gold                                            000 oz          28          30           (8)%         30           (6)%
  Platinum group metals (6E) plus Gold            000 oz         622       1,092          (43)%      1,465          (58)%
  Nickel - Refined (See Note 1)                000 tonne         5.7         6.1           (7)%        7.3          (23)%
  Copper - Refined (See Note 1)                000 tonne         3.3         4.2          (22)%        4.7          (31)%

Total Operations

  Tonnes Milled                                000 tonne      10,466       9,607             9%     10,357             1%
  Grade (4E)                                         g/t        3.11        3.14           (1)%       3.24           (4)%
  M&C production                                  000 oz       567.0       544.1             4%      598.0           (5)%

Mogalakw ena mine

  Tonnes Milled                                000 tonne       3,099       2,892             7%      3,046             2%
  Grade (4E)                                         g/t        3.26        3.22             1%       3.05             7%
  M&C production                                  000 oz       109.0       102.0             7%       98.5            11%

Amandelbult mine

  Tonnes Milled                                000 tonne       1,752       1,364            28%      1,782           (2)%
  Grade (4E)                                         g/t        3.88        3.75             3%       4.20           (8)%
  M&C production                                  000 oz       110.9        83.6            33%      120.9           (8)%

Unki Platinum mine

  Tonnes Milled                                000 tonne         429         413             4%        442           (3)%
  Grade (4E)                                         g/t        3.42        3.09            11%       3.44           (1)%
  M&C production                                  000 oz        18.6        16.3            14%       18.6             0%

Joint Venture Operations - mined (excl POC)

  Tonnes Milled                                000 tonne       1,123       1,076             4%      1,162           (3)%
  Grade (4E)                                         g/t        3.71        3.61             3%       3.77           (2)%
  M&C production                                  000 oz        60.9        56.8             7%       63.0           (3)%

Rustenburg mine

  Tonnes Milled                                000 tonne       1,667       1,847          (10)%      1,788           (7)%
  Grade (4E)                                         g/t        3.46        3.62           (4)%       3.55           (3)%
  M&C production                                  000 oz        94.5       109.2          (13)%      105.8          (11)%

Western Limb tailings retreatment (WLTR)

  Tonnes Milled                                000 tonne       1,790       1,210            48%      1,442            24%
  Grade (4E)                                         g/t        1.05        1.18          (11)%       1.20          (13)%
  M&C production                                  000 oz        11.8        11.8             0%       12.0           (2)%

Union mine

  Tonnes Milled                                000 tonne         576         574             0%        607           (5)%
  Grade (4E)                                         g/t        3.88        3.82             2%       4.02           (3)%
  M&C production                                  000 oz        34.3        34.1             0%       38.0          (10)%

(Note 1)   Nickel and Copper – refined in Q1 2015 includes Nickel Matte and Copper Matte of 400 tonnes and 300 tonnes
           respectively, which was refined through third parties


Johannesburg, South Africa
21 April 2016


Sponsor:
RAND MERCHANT BANK (A division of FirstRand Bank Limited)


For further information, please contact:


Investors:                                       Media:
Emma Chapman                                     Mpumi Sithole
(SA) +27 (0) 11 373 6239                         (SA) +27 (0) 11 373 6246
emma.chapman@angloamerican.com                   mpumi.sithole@angloamerican.com


Notes to editors:

Anglo American Platinum Limited is a member of the Anglo American plc Group and is the world’s
leading primary producer of platinum group metals. The company is listed on the Johannesburg
Securities Exchange (JSE). Its mining, smelting and refining operations are based in South Africa.
Elsewhere in the world, the Group owns Unki Platinum Mine in Zimbabwe. Anglo American Platinum
has a number of joint ventures with several historically disadvantaged South African consortia as part
of its commitment to the transformation of the mining industry. Anglo American Platinum is committed
to the highest standards of safety and continues to make meaningful and sustainable difference in the
development of the communities around its operations.

www.angloamericanplatinum.com

Anglo American is a globally diversified mining business. Our portfolio of world-class competitive
mining operations and undeveloped resources provides the raw materials to meet the growing
consumer-driven demands of the world’s developed and maturing economies. Our people are at the
heart of our business. It is our people who use the latest technologies to find new resources, plan and
build our mines and who mine, process and move and market our products – from diamonds (through
De Beers) to platinum and other precious metals and copper – to our customers around the world.

As a responsible miner, we are the custodians of those precious resources. We work together with
our key partners and stakeholders to unlock the long-term value that those resources represent for
our shareholders, but also for the communities and countries in which we operate – creating
sustainable value and making a real difference.

www.angloamerican.com

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