The scope of work for the Western Decline (renamed Kukama Shaft) included one footwall and four on-reef declines and lateral development; as well as the construction and equipping of bulkheads, ore passes, grizzlies, conveyor belts and permanent services. Key commodities mined at Eland include platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold. The shaft system, with decline shafts and drives developed at an apparent dip of nine degrees, was designed for steady-state production of 250 000 tonnes per month. This was a unique project in South Africa in that mechanised methods are used to mine an ore body that dips steeply at 17 degrees.
