PERTH (miningweekly.com) – A scoping study into the Witwatersrand Basin project (WBP), in South Africa, has confirmed that it could provide owner West Wits Mining with sufficient output to become a long-term gold producer.

ASX-listed West Wits on Monday said that the scoping study estimated that the WBP could produce some 1.56-million ounces of gold over a 22-year mine life, producing an average of 80 000 oz/y over 18 years of this mine life.

The scoping study estimated that the project would reach a peak production rate of over 95 000 oz/y and could produce some 90 000 oz/y between years 6 and 11 of operations.

“We have always known that West Wits had control of a special mineral resource in South Africa. This mine yielded robust results historically and, we can confidently say, will again do so well into the future,” said MD Jac van Heerden.

“The team is excited about commencing mine development and the early mining initiative. The results from the scoping study reaffirm West Wits’ key objective of establishing WBP as a full-scale mining operation which targets sustained production at an average of 80 000 oz/y for over 18 years and a total life-of-mine (LoM) in excess of 20 years. The company has identified an experienced mining contractor as well as a skilled technical services team who will assist with the start-up of the mining operation as West Wits accelerates towards underground production.”

The scoping study identified five distinct reef packages to develop mining operations. The Qala Shallows and Qala Deeps areas, underpinned by the Kimberley Reef package, still have extensive life left and form the backbone of the WBP. The other areas of operation will supplement additional tonnes through the Qala operations LoM.

The Qala Shallows project was selected as the project to progress forward into a definitive feasibility study, which was commissioned in the third quarter of last year and is scheduled for completion by the end of August.