JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Developing gold mining company West Wits Mining, which is reinvigorating the gold mining prospects west of Johannesburg with its Witwatersrand Basin project (WBP), on Thursday, November 28 announced the appointment of West Wits Mining COO Rudi Deysel as the CEO to lead the execution of what is a timely phase for West Wits to deliver Qala Shallows as the first-stage flagship project.

WBP, which involves the development of the Main, Kimberley and Bird reefs, has a declared resource of 4.28-million ounces of gold, presenting a good revenue opportunity over the 27-year life-of-mine (LoM).

WBP’s initial Qala development is on the Kimberley reef, which is situated close to Soweto. Qala is expected to create about 1 000 job opportunities over the life of the project, and as WBP expands, further job generation is expected.

The Sydney-listed West Wits Mining updated Qala’s definitive feasibility study (DFS) in July last year, which pointed to a gold production estimate of 924 000 oz during its currently estimated LoM, with a yearly steady-state production of about 70 000 oz.

“Over my career, I’ve been involved in numerous mining projects, but this one stands out for its robust technical and financial fundamentals,” Deysel enthused in a release to Mining Weekly.

Once project funding has been finalised, Qala will serve as the catalyst that enables West Wits to expand and establish itself as a midtier gold producer in the long term.

“I look forward to driving the company’s strategy, executing the development plan, and delivering long-term value for our shareholders,” added Deysel, who has spearheaded Qala’s DFS, early mining initiatives, and established the mining footprint to fast-track production.

His recent work includes advancing the approval process for the company’s first-tier bank debt facility.

Based in Johannesburg, Deysel brings over 22 years of experience in production and project development, spanning narrow tabular underground and opencast mining across commodities such as gold, platinum group metals, copper, and cobalt in Africa.

He has held various management roles in leading mining companies, including Galiano Gold, ERG Africa, Murray & Roberts Cementation, and Anglo Platinum.

WBP is located in South Africa’s central rand goldfield within the Witwatersrand basin’s largely underground geological formation that over the years has produced over 1.5-billion ounces of gold.

Qala will likely use mechanisation within the orebody’s constraints, including the electrohydraulic and hydropower equipment to establish a “green” gold mine. Future sustainable technologies, such as battery-powered vehicles or employing solar power on site, will also be explored.

An existing decline shaft will allow early ore extraction with all-inclusive sustaining costs expected at around $871/oz during steady-state production levels.