Ivanhoe Mines announced the positive findings of an independent pre-feasibility study of the planned initial four million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) mine and concentrator in the first phase of development of the company's Platreef platinum, palladium, rhodium, gold, nickel and copper mine. The Platreef Project is a Tier One discovery by Ivanhoe Mines' geologists - which contains the Flatreef deposit - on the Northern Limb of South Africa's Bushveld Igneous Complex, the world's premier platinum producing region. Ivanhoe Mines plans to develop the Platreef Mine in three phases: an initial annual rate of four Mtpa to establish an operating platform to support future expansions; followed by a doubling of production to eight
Mtpa; and then a third expansion phase to a steady-state 12 Mtpa.