Flooding in Montana Affects Stillwater Mine’s PGM Operations
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A significant flood event, which began on Monday June 13, 2022, has affected a widespread region surrounding Sibanye-Stillwater’s U.S. PGM operations in Montana.
The flooding of numerous rivers in the region, follows a warm spell leading to a rapid melt of accumulated snow in the mountains and associated runoff, which was exacerbated by heavy rainfall over the weekend. No injuries have been reported. All employees at the Stillwater mine, the operation that has been most affected, are safe. A number of employees are at the Stillwater Mine site to maintain the integrity of the mine, and to provide refuge and support for campers that are arriving from the nearby Woodbine campground. The company will continue to support efforts to ensure the safety of all those at Woodbine and the surrounding area.
The road between Nye and the Stillwater mine has been eroded and several bridges in the region damaged. This is likely to restrict access to the Stillwater mine for some period that will be better known in the next few days. The East Boulder mine is less affected and access currently remains intact.
A full assessment of the regional impact of the floods and the impact on the operations will be undertaken once the floodwaters have subsided.
JUNE 24 UPDATE
Following initial assessment of the impact of the flooding on its U.S. PGM operations, Sibanye-Stillwater said that despite widespread damage to infrastructure and personal property across the region, its mining and metallurgical operations were largely unaffected.
Several bridges in the vicinity of its Stillwater mine were however damaged during the flooding and sections of the primary access road from Nye to the Stillwater mine have been severely eroded, restricting access to the mine and requiring rerouting of water, tailings, and other piping. Remediation work on the east/west access bridge within the Stillwater mine complex has begun and should be completed in approximately four weeks. It is estimated that operations at the Stillwater mine will remain suspended for approximately 4-6 weeks before safe access to the mine is restored and production can resume.
Management continues to engage with all relevant authorities and affected stakeholders to prioritize the repair of the damaged bridges and roads and to remediate the impact of flooding of the Stillwater river within the Stillwater mine complex. The Stillwater mine accounts for approximately 60 percent of mined production from the US PGM operations.
Access to the East Boulder mine and Columbus metallurgical facilities remains intact and both facilities continued operating during the flooding events.
“We have been encouraged by the positive response to the flooding by the entire community and are proud of the key role our employees have played in supporting those worst affected during this difficult period. We will continue to work with the local authorities and other stakeholders to fast-track the recovery of the region and look forward to resuming operations at the Stillwater section in due course,” said CEO, Neal Froneman.
About Sibanye-Stillwater
Sibanye-Stillwater is a multinational mining and metals Group with a diverse portfolio of mining and processing operations and projects and investments across five continents. The Group is also one of the foremost global PGM autocatalytic recyclers and has interests in leading mine tailings retreatment operations.
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