Company has shut down a metallurgical processing facility in Russia’s border region which had been the area’s main source of sulphur dioxide emissions.

Northam said the dollar basket price of the main minerals it mines surged by nearly 50%.

After a decade in the doldrums, South Africa’s key platinum industry reported windfall profits last month as supply deficits pushed palladium and rhodium to record highs.

The blistering pace of gains that has pushed South African platinum stocks to the highest in more than 12 years looks likely to be sustained.

Operations at the Oktyabrsky and Taimyrsky mines are unlikely to restart fully for another 3-4 months.

Putin asked Russia's tax service to provide a detailed report to him each quarter about the profits of Russia's largest companies and whether they are being invested in projects inside the country.

The company recently released assays from five recent drill holes between the Valhalla and Garden zones.