Kusasalethu gold project, South Africa
Name and Location
Kusasalethu gold project (formerly Elandsrand), Gauteng, South Africa.
Client
Harmony Gold Mining Company.
Harmony acquired Kusasalethu in February 2001 and continued with the shaft-deepening project that was under way at the time to exploit the western high-grade block by accessing four additional production levels, 102, 105, 109 and 113, while mining the Ventersdorp Contact Reef (VCR).
Project Description
The operation comprises twin vertical and twin subvertical shaft systems.
The subvertical shafts, which access the deeper parts of the VCR, have been extended to a depth of 3 600 m through the Kusasalethu shaft-deepening project. Mining is conducted using conventional mining methods in a sequential grid layout.
As at June 30, 2011, total proven and probable reserves were 33.8-million tons, with a grade of 6.61 g/t gold.
Value
A value for the project has not been confirmed.
Duration
Peak gold production is expected to take place between 2013 and 2021.
Latest Developments
The project is in the build-up phase.
In the year ended June 30, Kusasalethu produced 2 740 kg of gold, 2 893 kg less than in the previous financial year, owing to labour unrest.
The labour disruptions at Kusasalethu alone cost Harmony an estimated R1.2-billion. As a result, Harmony has indicated that the operation will require more attention in the next financial year.
During the June 2013 quarter, Kusasalethu produced 688 kg of gold at a recovered grade of 3.25 g/t. Cash operating costs improved to
R577 337/kg, owing to increased gold production.
Harmony also signed a watershed agreement with Kusasalethu labour in the quarter, following the mine’s closure, owing to safety and security reasons at the end of 2012.
The phased re-opening process of employees returning to Kusasalethu
after its temporary closure was concluded in April 2013. Every employee signed the code of conduct, received training on the guarantees and undertakings agreed to in the agreement and underwent health and safety inductions.
Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.
On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.
Contact Details for Project Information
Harmony Gold Mining Company investor relations officer Henrika Basterfield, tel +27 11 411 2314, fax +27 11 692 3879 or email henrika@harmony.co.za.
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