[miningmx.com] — SOUTH Africa’s gold production increased by 6.4% to 47,563.6 kilograms in the second quarter of 2011 from 44,682.7 kilograms in the first quarter, data released by the Chamber of Mines showed on Tuesday.
On a year-on-year basis when comparing the second quarter of 2011 to the same quarter in the previous year, production was down by 1.8% from 48,452.3 kilograms.
For Chamber member gold mines, gold production grew by 6.0% on a quarter-on-quarter basis to 38,591.5 kilograms in the second quarter on the back of a 6.6% increase in tons milled, which more than compensated for the 0.4% decline in the average grade of gold produced per ton of ore milled.
On a year-on-year basis, chamber member gold production was down 6.4% in the second quarter of 2011 when compared to the same quarter in 2010 mostly as a result of a 10% decline in average grade of material milled despite the 4.9% increase in the amount of tons milled, the chamber said.
Non-member production grew to 6,107.8 kilograms from 5.456.9 kilograms in the previous quarter and 4,396.6 kilograms in the same quarter of last year.
South African gold production therefore amounted to 92,246.3 kilograms in the first half of 2011 is down just 1% year on year from the 91,652.6 kilograms produced in the first half of last year.
