Eastern Platinum Limited Reports PGM Upgrades Completed and Continued Production
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 24, 2021) - Eastern Platinum Limited (TSX: ELR) (JSE: EPS) ("Eastplats" or the "Company") is pleased to report the completion of all the reconfiguring and optimization of the small-scale PGM circuit (previously the scavenger plant circuit) ("PGM Circuit D") including the additional work required as part of the restart for the main PGM plant circuit ("PGM Main Circuit") (See news release of February 2, 2021). The commissioning was completed last week and production has resumed with the first dispatch of PGM concentrate occurring on March 23, 2021.
The Company completed the upgrades to obtain higher quality concentrate in order to be able to consistently produce a minimum of 200 tons of PGM concentrate per month. This is expected to have a positive impact on the Company's revenue. The PGM Circuit D utilizes the initial work on the PGM Main Circuit. The next phase of the PGM Main Circuit work continues to be scheduled to start in May 2021, with commissioning expected in October 2021. The Company estimates this will add a further 800 tons of PGM concentrate per month to production, thereby increasing production four-fold and continuing to grow Eastplats' revenue.
Diana Hu, President and Chief Executive Officer of Eastplats stated, "The Company is ramping up its PGM production at a time of increasing demand and rising PGM pricing. Several countries recently legislated new curbs on pollution from gasoline and diesel engines boosting the use of PGMs in autocatalysts, the largest application of PGMs."
About Eastern Platinum Limited
Eastplats owns directly and indirectly a number of Platinum Group Metals ("PGM") and chrome assets in the Republic of South Africa. All of the Company's properties are situated on the western and eastern limbs of the Bushveld Complex, the geological environment that hosts approximately 80% of the world's PGM-bearing ore.
Operations at the Crocodile River Mine currently include re-mining and processing its tailings resource, with an offtake of the chrome concentrate from the Zandfontein UG2 tailings facility (the "Retreatment Project") and the processing and extraction of PGMs.
COVID-19
South Africa remains at alert level 1 regarding COVID-19. The Company continues to follow the health guidelines of the Government of South Africa. The Retreatment Project remains in full operation and continues to produce and transport chrome and PGM end products. The effects of COVID-19 are evolving and changing and the consequences of a further increase in the alert level in South Africa, temporary shutdown of any operations or other related issues cannot be reasonably estimated at this time, but could potentially have material adverse effects on the Company's business, operations, liquidity and cashflows.
For further information, please contact:
EASTERN PLATINUM LIMITED
Rowland Wallenius, Chief Financial Officer
rwallenius@eastplats.com (email)
(604) 800-8200 (phone)
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively referred to herein as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, forecasts, estimates, expectations and objectives for future operations that are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "will", "plan", "intends", "may", "could", "expects", "anticipates" and similar expressions. Further disclosure of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and other forward-looking statements are discussed in the Company's most recent Annual Information Form available under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com.
In particular, this press release contains, without limitation, forward-looking statements pertaining to: estimated operations and production of PGM Circuit D and PGM Main Circuit; estimated ramp up to the PGM Main Circuit; potential additional revenue from the PGM Circuit D and PGM Main Circuit; potential effects of COVID-19 such as a new lockdown imposed by the Government of South Africa; and any future measures taken by the Government of South Africa and their impact on the Company, and its business, operations, liquidity and cashflows. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Although management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements as a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, unanticipated problems that may arise in our production processes, commodity prices, lower than expected grades and quantities of resources, need for additional funding and availability of such additional funding on acceptable terms, economic conditions, currency fluctuations, competition and regulations, legal proceedings and risks related to operations in foreign countries.
All forward-looking statements in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, the "Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information" section contained in the Company's most recent Management's Discussion and Analysis available under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date they are given and, except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation, and does not undertake, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.