DRDGOLD, a South African gold producer, has reached a significant milestone in its Vision 2028 expansion strategy by completing the new elution circuit and smelt house at its Far West Gold Recoveries (FWGR) Driefontein 2 (DP2) facility, resulting in the successful production of its first gold bar.
The company's Ergo and Far West Gold Recoveries activities have focused on prolonging mine life, increasing production efficiency, and lowering environmental impact by recovering old mining waste.
The first gold pour was a watershed event for FWGR staff, who saw gold being created on-site for the first time rather than shipping processed material off-site for ultimate refining.
Plant manager Louis Pretorius regarded the event as a big accomplishment for the employees.
“The initial capital estimate was met, and we came in on time and within budget,” DRDGOLD CEO Niël Pretorius reported during a webinar in which DRDGOLD CFO Henriette Hooijer, as seen in Mining Weekly.
