West Wits starts underground ore production at Qala Shallows
ASX-listed West Wits Mining has started underground ore production at its Qala Shallows gold project, in South Africa's Witwatersrand basin, a critical step in the company's plans to establish a long-life gold operation.
“This marks a transformational step for West Wits — the beginning of true underground mining at Qala Shallows. With our first ore delivered to surface and on-reef development now under way, we’ve crossed the threshold into production, demonstrating the strength of our execution and the commitment of our team.
"The progress achieved by our team since mobilisation in July is exceptional. Supported by a strong funding position and robust infrastructure, we are firmly on track to establish a long-life gold operation within the renowned Witwatersrand basin,” comments CEO Rudi Deysel.
West Wits is planning to build a 30 000 t ore stockpile by the end of the first quarter of 2026 to establish a consistent ore supply to multinational miner Sibanye-Stillwater's Ezulwini processing plant, which has entered into a toll treatment agreement with West Wits.
Stockpiling is under way at a dedicated storage pad within the Ezulwini facility, with processing of the ore to start in the first quarter of 2026.
Qala Shallows is the first stage of West Wits' Witwatersrand Basin project and will start production at an initial rate of 15 000 t to 20 000 t of ore a month from early 2026. Production is expected to increase to 65 000 t a month within three years.
Gold production is expected to ramp up to about 70 000 oz/y over 12 years.
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