With the price of platinum – at more than US$1 000 for most of 2006 – forecast to remain strong on rising demand from automotive industries around the world, platinum companies are eager to bring into production new projects. This climate could lead to the renegotiation and finalisation, in the next months, of a lapsed agreement on the development of a major new mine at Booysendal near Lydenburg in Mpumalanga. Negotiations on revised terms between a number of companies and the completion a prefeasibility report. A current annual report shows Booysendal could lead to a substantial mine, possibly fully mechanised, a possibility due to the width of the ore body.