Palabora Mining Company (South Africa)

Palabora Mining Company Limited, located in Phalaborwa, South Africa, was incorporated in 1956. It is the country's only producer of refined copper. The company's open-pit copper mine and processing plants were highly productive during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, producing over 2.7 million tons of copper. Currently, Palabora produces approximately 60,000 tonnes of refined copper annually, meeting most of South Africa's copper needs and exporting the remainder. The company's success is attributed to the unique Palabora Igneous Complex, where copper occurs in carbonitites, along with other minerals such as phosphates, vermiculite, phlogopite, magnetite, nickel, gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. Palabora operates a large block cave copper mine and smelter complex, employing around 2,722 people. The refinery produces continuous cast rod for the domestic market and cathodes for export. Additionally, the company extracts useful byproduct metals and minerals like zirconium chemicals, magnetite, nickel sulphate, gold, silver, and platinum in small quantities. Palabora has also developed an underground mine with a production capacity of 30,000 tonnes of ore per day, requiring an investment of US$410 million. Furthermore, Palabora owns a nearby vermiculite deposit that is mined and processed for global sale. Vermiculite is a versatile industrial mineral with numerous applications.