Resources Watch

This week: DRDGold lifts output from its consolidated surface operations. The cost of Wesizwe’s new platinum mine will rise to R12-billion. And, ultrafiltration technology will be used at a new water treatment plant in Sierra Leone.

DRDGold looks forward to being ‘gold factory’

The owner of the world’s biggest “gold factory”, the JSE-listed DRDGold – which has made its final move from risky deep-level mining to the thriving business of recycling dumps on surface – is introducing new technology that will wring...

DRDGold considering Blyvoor offers, to name buyer in Dec

It is “highly probable” that DRDGold would sell the Blyvooruitzicht (Blyvoor) mine, which is under a business rescue process, to a local company, CFO Craig Barnes told Mining Weekly Online on Thursday. DRDGold, which wants to dispose of its...

DRDGold seeking ‘right’ investors for Blyvoor mine

South Africa’s fourth-largest gold miner DRDGold would only sell its 74%-owned Blyvooruitzicht (Blyvoor) mine if it could attract the “right” investors, CEO Niël Pretorius said on Monday. He said that large corporations have started to...

DRDGold raises first R108m for pipeline project

SE- and Nasdaq-listed gold-mining midtier DRDGold said on Tuesday that it had raised funding for its pipeline project currently under construction. DRDGold CFO Craig Barnes told Mining Weekly Online that the company had managed to raise...

Blyvoor set to come out of judicial management – DRDGold

JSE-listed DRDGold's Blyvooruitzicht gold mine was on track to emerge from judicial management by March, DRDGold CEO Niël Pretorius said on Thursday. Pretorius told Mining Weekly Online in a video interview that the judicial management was...

Mintails dashes DRDGold’s surface-mining expansion aspirations

The ASX-listed Mintails, which has been active with surface gold-recovery activities in South Africa, on Wednesday rejected DRDGold’s offer to acquire all of its South African assets, bar its interest in underground explorer West Wits Mining....

Low-cost surface operations closing high-cost ERPM gap – DRDGold

Low-cost gold production from surface material was starting to fill the gap left by the closure of the high-cost East Rand Proprietary Mines (ERPM) underground operations, DRDGold CEO Niël Pretorius said on Friday. The company had R545-million...

Production at DRDGold's Blyvoor mine affected by strike

Underground production at midtier gold producer DRDGold's Blyvooruitzicht mine, near Carletonville, was brought to a standstill on Thursday night, after a 3 300 downed tools. On Friday, however, the firm was granted an interim court order,...

Two DRDGold workers die in anti-foreigner clashes on East Rand

Mid-tier gold producer DRDGold said on Thursday that another employee at its East Rand ERPM mine had been confirmed dead after violent outbursts swept through informal settlements around Gauteng. Production at the mine was continuing but at lower...

Daily podcast – May 22, 2008

In today's podcast: Transnet awards a R2,5-billion construction contract for the new multiproduct fuel pipeline, China and South Africa discuss trade cooperation, and DRDGold suffers production setbacks at its ERPM operation owing to the...

ERPM output hit by attacks on foreigners, one miner confirmed dead

Gold producer DRDGold has suffered production setbacks at its ERPM operation near Primrose, in Johannesburg, because of the recent violent attacks on foreigners, and one employee’s death has been confirmed, CFO Craig Barnes told Mining...