Mining Weekly

DRDGOLD Limited has reported “better than average”, gold production in the quarter ended 31 March 2013, says CEO Niël Pretorius. “As the new Crown/Ergo pipeline continues to settle, increasingly we are starting to understand Ergo’s current Brakpan carbon-in-leach (CIL) circuit in our quest to achieve steady-state performance,” Pretorius says. Headline earnings per share (HEPS) in Q3 FY2013 were 17% higher at 14 South African cents compared with Q3 FY2012, on the back of a 16% increase in gold revenue to R531.0 million that flowed both from a 3% increase in gold production to 35 976oz and a higher average Rand gold price received of R474 482/kg.
 After accounting for net operating costs of R360.3 million, operating profit was 5% higher at R170.7 million.

Free cash flow was up 16% to R85.7 million.

Gold production for the first nine months of FY2013 was 7% higher at 110 822oz compared with the first nine months of FY2012. Together with a higher Rand gold price received of R466 506/kg, this delivered a 20% rise in gold revenue to R1 638.4 million. Cash operating costs were well contained to US$1 091/oz – a 1% increase – and operating profit was 15% higher at R583.1 million, yielding a 51% increase in HEPS to 59 South African cents. Pretorius says that, as the company moves into the commissioning phase of the new flotation/fine-grind circuit at Ergo’s Brakpan plant, “we are cautiously optimistic about the project’s ability to deliver into targeted operating and financial performance”. Meantime, as capital commitments come to an end, there is a need to remain focused on maximising the operating and financial capabilities of the Brakpan plant’s CIL circuit, a key element of which is improved productivity, both at operational and individual employee level, Pretorius says.