With the first blast having taken place at gold miner West Wits’ Soweto-based Qala Shallows, in Gauteng, on October 29, the company has inked a partnership with precious metals major Sibanye-Stillwater to toll treat gold ore from the mine to save on processing infrastructure establishment costs.

The Qala Shallows mine plans to tap into the still-rich Witwatersrand Basin reef, whereby up to 30 000 t of run-of-mine ore will be stockpiled 40 km from the mine, ready for processing, at Sibanye-Stillwater’s Ezulwini plant.

The first gold ingot bar from Qala Shallows ore should be produced by March 2026, West Wits CEO Rudi Deysel tells Mining Weekly.

Qala Shallows represents the first phase of the greater Witwatersrand Basin project’s development and will target the Kimberley reef horizon, which outcrops at surface and offers a low all-inclusive sustaining cost of operations.

“Sibanye-Stillwater has been selected as West Wits’ toll treatment partner and will provide the equipment, labour and expertise needed to process the ores for a fee, paying West Wits Mining spot price.”

With the current strong gold price, Deysel adds that Qala Shallows will enable West Wits to generate the capital needed to advance its expansion projects, including the miner’s ambition to reach a yearly production target of 200 000 oz on the Witwatersrand Basin project.

“It is our intention to ramp up over a three-year period to reach steady-state production of 65 000 t a month, enabling us to produce about 70 000 oz/y of gold,” he says.

Mining Methods

At Qala Shallows, the Kimberley reef will be mined using a hybrid mining method.

“This approach allows us to undertake development and ore haulage with mechanised equipment, including electro-hydraulic twin-boom drill rigs for decline and strike development, load-haul-dump machines for cleaning, and underground articulated dump trucks for transportation.”

Deysel adds that stoping will follow a conventional breast-mining method, long established in the region, but modernised using hydro-powered equipment.

West Wits’ trackless fleet is supplied by specialised mining equipment manufacturer Rham Equipment, and machine and drilling systems developer GST Mining Machines South Africa, while hydropower mining product manufacturer HPE Africa will provide the hydropower rock drills and associated stoping equipment.

“We are applying robust mining principles and practices to ensure long-term, sustainable production.”

The startup of Qala Shallows drives an aspirational growth target of the eventual 200 000 oz/y for West Wits, for which Deysel says the company must first consolidate all available resources and complete the necessary studies to confirm the way forward.

Many of the anticipated early-stage challenges, such as rock engineering requirements, support installation and establishing rapid development momentum, were proactively addressed during West Wits’ early works programme.

Through this initiative, the miner has successfully refurbished the existing boxcut and decline shaft, modernising the infrastructure to ensure a quicker transition into production, following the securing of funding.

On the Safe Side

The Qala Shallows project is funded through local and international senior banking facilities, which require adherence to rigorous environmental and sustainability standards, aligned with baseline and risk management framework the Equator Principles.

“At West Wits, we pride ourselves on responsible mining practices and are committed to implementing environmental, social and safety standards that not only meet but also exceed legislative requirements,” stresses Deysel.

He adds West Wits is a member of industry employers’ association Minerals Council South Africa and has made full use of the council’s Mine Occupational Safety and Health team to align its safety procedures and protocols even before starting work at Qala Shallows.

Effectuating gold production so quickly positions West Wits well within the current positive gold-price cycle, offering a timely and meaningful economic injection for South Africa, enthuses Deysel.

As the first new underground gold mine to come online in 15 years, Qala Shallows also represents an important success story for job creation and economic upliftment in the region, he concludes.