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Nov 17 (Reuters) - Supply of platinum from South Africa will rise by 5 percent this year, with the sale of stocks countering lower output, a leading metal refiner said on Tuesday.
South Africa, which produces four fifths of the world's platinum, will see supply of the metal rise by 210,000 ounces to 4.73 million ounces in 2009 mainly due to sales of the metal produced last year, but were unsold until this year, Johnson Matthey (JM) said in its Platinum 2009 Interim Review.

Anglo Platinum's (Angloplat) output in platinum concentrate at its units rose 10 percent to 1.24 million ounces during the first half of 2009. Output from the group's refinery increased by only 6 percent to 1.06 million ounces.
In-process inventories grew by 187,000 ounces of platinum following maintenance of the Polokwane and Waterval smelters.
The group expects refined platinum output to reach 2.4 million ounces and forecasts supplies to the market to exceed this figure. Anglo Platinum, the world's top producer of the metal, said its sales were augmented by some 164,000 ounces of platinum which was not sold late in 2008.

Impala Platinum (Implats), the world's No. 2 producer of the metal, refined 435,000 ounces from its lease area in the six months to June 2009, down 7 percent when compared with the same period last year, mainly due to a fall in the amount of mined and milled Meresnky ore.
The company forecast second-half production to be weaker as a result of shaft closures following some fatalities, wage-related strikes by miners and alterations to mining practices, which will result in estimated total losses of around 100,000 ounces in the company's financial year to June 2010.
Implats forecasts that production during the same period could fall to as low as 850,000 ounces.

Production of platinum in concentrate came in at 292,000 ounces in the period January to June 2009 at Lonmin, a decline of 7 percent.
The company's main Marikana division's mill throughput declined by 3 percent, after Lonmin terminated open-cast mining at the end of 2008 and stopped some uneconomic underground production.
The company treated some stockpiles of low-grade ore at the open-cast mine in a bid to compensate for lower output from the mines, resulting in some impact on overall grades and recoveries.

Northam Platinum milled 940,000 tonnes of ore between January and June this year, a decrease of 6 percent, largely due to difficult mining conditions on the Merensky Reef.
Sales of platinum climbed 32 percent to 113,000 ounces, with most of the metal sourced from its Bushveld and from concentrate purchase agreements.
(Reporting by Shapi Shacinda) (For more Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: http://af.reuters.com) Keywords: PRECIOUS/JOHNSON MATTHEY/JO'BURG

(shapi.shacinda@thomsonreuters.com; +27 11 775 3158)

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By James Macharia

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Supply of platinum from South Africa, the world's top source of the precious metal, will rise by 5 percent this year, with the sale of stocks countering lower output, a leading metal refiner said on Tuesday.
The producer of four fifths of the world's platinum, will see supply rise by 210,000 ounces to 4.73 million ounces in 2009 mainly due to sales of the metal produced last year, but were unsold until this year, Johnson Matthey (JM) said in its Platinum 2009 Interim Review.
Although three new mines have started up in South Africa, and a number of others have increased production, output of platinum concentrate will fall, but changes in refined stocks will ensure supplies will increase, JM said.
Global supply of platinum, used in auto catalytic converters to remove pollutants from exhausts, and in jewellery, is seen rising 1.9 percent to 6.06 million ounces, revising some of the decline seen last year, JM said.
Platinum production fell in South African due to shaft closures, accidents and strike action, mainly at Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd. (Implats), the world No. 2 producer of the metal which supplies 25 percent of the metal globally, from its South African and Zimbabwe mines.
"The South African mining industry has again been hit by a range of problems," JM said in its report.
"Underlying production of the metal will fall in South Africa due to shaft closures, accidents and strike action."
JM said output at Impala will drop due to mine accidents and a two week strike, while bigger rival Anglo Platinum (Angloplat) , a unit of global miner Anglo American Plc, would see production fall after it shut some shafts.
Angloplat, which accounts for about 40 percent of the global supply of the metal, shut the unprofitable shafts, denting production, but overall output for this year was seen be better than last year.
In 2008, Angloplat's output suffered when it closed Amandelbult, its second biggest mine, owing to flooding, a problem it has so far avoided.
Lonmin Plc, the world's No. 3 platinum producer -- which aims to boost its refined platinum production to 850,000 ounces by 2013 from 700,000 ounces currently -- is expected to be hit by a decision to cut some production at its Marikana operations, and closing its mine in Limpopo.
Smaller rival Aquarius Platinum Ltd, the world's fourth biggest platinum producer, will also produce less due to the temporary closure of its Everest mine.
Supplies of palladium from South Africa were forecast to rise by 4.1 percent or 100,000 ounces to 2.53 million ounces, primarily from Angloplat's Magalakwena operation.

Zimbabwe, which has the second largest reserves of platinum after South Africa, was forecast to lift output this year despite its political and economic crisis.
Supplies of platinum from Zimbabwe were forecast to rise to 225,000 ounces this year, mainly due to a jump in output at Zimplats Holdings, in which Implats has a majority stake.
JM said supply of platinum from Zimbabwe and other producers rose to a total of 330,000 ounces from 295,000 ounces in 2008. (For more Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: http://af.reuters.com) Keywords: PRECIOUS/JOHNSON MATTHEY JO'BURG

(james.macharia@thomsonreuters.com; +27117753158; Reuters Messaging:james.macharia.reuters.com@reuters.net)

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RNS Number : 5276C Anglo American PLC 16 November 2009

News Release 16 November 2009 Anglo American appoints Jack Thompson to its Board

Anglo American plc ("Anglo American" or "the Group") announces the appointment to its Board of Jack Thompson as a non-executive director, with immediate effect.

Jack Thompson, 59, graduated as a mining engineer from the University of Arizona and has spent his entire career in the mining industry. He has served in key executive roles in a number of mining companies, including Newmont Mining (copper and uranium) and Homestake Mining (gold), where he became Chairman and CEO. He subsequently served as Vice Chairman of Barrick Gold and as a non-executive director on a range of mining companies engaged in copper, platinum, gold and aluminium.

Sir John Parker, Chairman of Anglo American, said: "I am delighted to welcome Jack Thompson to the Anglo American Board. He brings a wealth of experience gained at all levels of the mining industry and has received wide recognition as a mining engineer. His extensive boardroom experience in executive and non-executive roles will strengthen and enrich our Board."

Notes to Editors:

Jack Thompson was Vice Chairman of Barrick Gold from 2001 to 2005 and currently sits on the boards of Centerra Gold, Century Aluminum, Molycorp and Tidewater as a non-executive director. In recent years, Jack has also served on the boards of Phelps Dodge, Rinker Inc. and Stillwater Mining.

Sir John Parker, Chairman of Anglo American, said: "I am delighted to welcome Jack Thompson to the Anglo American Board. He brings a wealth of experience gained at all levels of the mining industry and has received wide recognition as a mining engineer. His extensive boardroom experience in executive and non-executive roles will strengthen and ened group.

Anglo American plc is oneof the world's largest mining groups. With its subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates, it is a global leader in platinum group metals and diamonds, with significant interests in coal, base and ferrous metals, as well as an industrial minerals business. The Group is geographically diverse, with operations in Africa, Europe, South and North America, Australia and Asia.

(www.angloamerican.co.uk)

For further information, please contact:

United Kingdom

James Wyatt-Tilby, Media Relations

Tel: +44 (0)20 7968 8759

Caroline Metcalfe, Investor Relations

Tel: +44 (0)20 7968 2192

Leisha Wemyss, Investor Relations

Tel : +44 (0)20 7968 8607

South Africa

Anna Poulter, Investor Relations

Tel: +27 (0)11 638 2079

Pranill Ramchander, Media Relations

Tel: +27 (0)11 638 2592

This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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JOHANNESBURG, Nov 13 (Reuters) - South Africa's Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd., the world No. 2 producer of the metal, said on Friday its total refined output rose 6 percent in the first quarter, despite lower production at its main mine.
Impala Platinum (Implats) said in a statement higher production from its Zimbabwean operations, increased deliveries to its refinery and clearing of stocks during a two-week strike, led to the increase in refined platinum production to 413,000 ounces from 390,000 ounces a year ago.
Implats said platinum output from Rustenburg, its main mining area, fell to 180,000 ounces in the three months to the end of September from 243,000 ounces a year ago.
Implats forecast output from Rustenburg would fall by 100,000 ounces this financial year to 850,000 ounces, due to closures over safety and a two-week strike.

Barend Ritter, a Cape Town-based platinum analyst at Sanlam Investment Management, said the Impala mine (Rustenburg) was struggling, affecting the company's overall performance.
"If they continue at this rate (180,000 ounces a quarter) they won't reach their target of 850,000 ounces," Ritter said.
"They need to make some improvement quarter-on-quarter for them to reach their guidance. I think without any further safety issues or strikes they may just get to their target of 850,000 ounces, but this would still be lower than the mine's normal production of around 1 million ounces."
The company said it would reach this annual output of 1 million ounces within the next five years.
The entire Implats group produced a total of 1.7 million ounces of platinum in its 2009 financial year, but did not give a forecast for the total production in the current year.
Shares in Implats fell 2.19 percent to 167.74 rand against bigger rival Anglo Platinum, a unit of Anglo American Plc, which fell 0.34 percent.
"Shares fell because some people may have expected better news," Ritter said.
South Africa produces four fifths of the world's platinum and Implats alone supplies 25 percent of the precious metal, mainly from its South African operations and mines in Zimbabwe.
The company said lower production volumes will adversely impact unit costs during the first half of the current year.
Implats said recent improvements in U.S. dollar-based platinum group metal prices had been offset by the rand, which has gained more than 20 percent to the dollar this year.
Platinum traded at $1,357 an ounce from $1,350.50.
South African miners sell their metal in dollars and pay for their costs in rand.
Workers at Implats ended the strike at the company's biggest mine, Rustenburg, on Sept. 7, after failing to win further increases from the company, but their action dented platinum output.
(Reporting by James Macharia; Editing by Keiron Henderson) (For more Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: http://af.reuters.com) Keywords: IMPALAPLATINUM/

(james.macharia@thomsonreuters.com; +27117753158; Reuters Messaging:james.macharia.reuters.com@reuters.net)

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