4
June
South African gold output falls hard
4 June 2010 Mineweb
IN an all too familiar announcement in recent years, the South African Chamber of Mines reported the country's first quarter gold production fell 15% quarter-on-quarter, extending the downward slide in output.
South Africa has fallen quickly from the top of the perch as the world's largest gold producer. It is now behind China, the United States and Australia. Its mines are becoming deeper and more expensive to mine and grades, which is the measurement of the amount of gold in each tonne of ore hauled to the surface for treatment, is dropping.
http://www.miningmx.com/news/gold_and_silver/South-African-gold-output-falls-hard.htm
