Zimbabwe miner Unki platinum output drops 16 % in first half of 2020
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Zimbabwe miner Unki platinum output drops 16 % in first half of 2020

Shurugwi-based miner, Unki, produced 35 700 ounces of platinum in the first half of 2020, a 16 percent decline on last year’s corresponding period.

In the same vein, second quarter production was down 40 percent to 13 900oz from 23 100oz in the prior period last year.

The Anglo American (Amplats) owned platinum miner is one of the country’s three platinum producers in Zimbabwe, along with Zimplats and Mimosa Mine.

The southern African country is home to the world’s second biggest known deposits of platinum after South Africa.

Palladium production at the mine also fell 16 percent to 31 700oz in the first half from 37 900oz in the same period last year. In the second quarter, palladium production went down by 42 percent to 12 100oz from 20 900oz in the comparable period.

The drop in output is attributed to the Covid-19 lockdowns during the period.

“Covid-19 lockdowns across southern Africa affected De Beers, PGMs, Kumba and Thermal Coal, with lower refined PGMs production due to the repairs and ramp-up of the ACP,” said Amplats in its latest production report.

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