Regardless of numerous limitations, for the second quarter of the year, Anglo American Platinum’s (Amplats) production increased. Amplats is the number one platinum producer world-wide. The company reported equivalent refined production increased by two per cent to 594,000 ounces, regardless of intermittent illegal industrial action. A miner disclosed that because of illegal industrial actions, the underground mining performance was obstructed – a national bus driver strikes which impacted employees’ capacity to travel to work and labour shortages. The lack of flexibility was said to only worsen the severity in the present labour atmosphere, to redistribute workers to operations where there is a skills shortage.

Excluding its Marikana combined venture, which was placed on care and maintenance last June, operating mines improved production by 14,000 oz, an eight% growth on their prior year of performance. Palladium production decreased ten% to 320,000 oz in the second quarter, while rhodium slipped seven% to 70,000 oz. Palladium and rhodium differences are a result of a dissimilar source mix from operations and different pipeline processing times for each metal. On a non-equivalent basis, refined platinum production was down seven% to 582,000 oz. Amplats shared that this was due to three separate production events in April 2013 at the converting plant which resulted in lower output into the refinery. The events were fixed and the converting plant operated at a steady state level by the end of the quarter.

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