JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – JSE- and TSX-listed Witwatersrand Consolidated Gold Resources (Wits Gold) has commissioned Royal Haskoning DHV and MDM Technical Africa to complete a definitive feasibility study at its Southern Free State goldfield properties by the third quarter of this year.
This followed the positive results of a prefeasibility study.
During the year ended December 31, 2012, the company continued to focus its exploration efforts predominantly on its Southern Free State goldfield; however, additional studies were initiated in the Potchefstroom and Klerksdorp goldfields to better plan the future exploration activities in these areas.
A desktop study of the Klerksdorp goldfield had been completed during the year.
Wits Gold stated that it intended to undertake focused exploration to attempt to reduce the prospecting right area in the goldfield so that nonmineralised areas could be relinquished.
Meanwhile, the transfer of ownership of the Merriespruit South property to Wits Gold was granted by Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu in November and the R51-million balance of the purchase price has been paid to Harmony Gold.
No further diamond drilling was undertaken at the company’s Potchefstroom goldfield during the period under review, while a structural analysis of the Boskop project had been completed to optimally position planned boreholes.