Zimbabwe-based platinum producer Unki Platimun posted a 36 percent increase in Platinum Group Metals (PGM) production to 49 800 ounces in the quarter to December 2018 from 36 600 ounces prior comparable period.

Unki is a division of South African mining conglomerate, Anglo American Platinum (AngloPlat).

According to the parent company, the improved PGM output at Unki was due to a 20 percent increase in tonnes milled and a 10 percent improvement in recovery.

The Zimbabwean subsidiary also achieved a 3 percent improvement in built up head grade.

Unki’s strong performance helped boost AngloPlat’s overall production for the quarter.

Platinum production grew by 34 percent to 22 000 ounces from 16 400 ounces in the comparable quarter.

At 19 600 ounces, palladium production was 38 percent above comparable quarter’s 14 200 ounces.

All in all AngloPlat’s total PGM production rose 3 percent to 1 256 900 ounces, from 1 220 000 ounces in the same quarter prior year on the back of improved operational performances across the majority of the portfolio, mainly at Unki.

The group expects PGM production for 2019 is expected to reach between 4,2 million ounces and 4,5 million ounces.

Platinum is guided to reach between 2 million and 2,1 million ounces while guidance for palladium of between 1,3 million and 1,4 million ounces is given.

“Production guidance is down on 2018 due to the transition of Sibanye-Stillwater material to a tolling arrangement in place of its concentrate purchased. Purchased production from Sibanye-Stillwater in 2018 equated to 903 900 PGM ounces, including 464 100 platinum ounces and 231 800 palladium ounces.

“Refined production and sales volumes should increase as the backlog of work-in-progress-inventory is processed in full during 2019,” said AngloPlat.