Kloof

Kloof was one of the three original assets acquired by Sibanye when Gold Fields International completed its unbundling transaction in February 2013. Mining operations have been carried out in the West Rand since the late 19th century and at Kloof in its current form since 2000 when several existing mining operations were amalgamated.

Gold and uranium mineralisation is contained in paleo-placer conglomerates known as reefs. The principal mining activity takes place on the Ventersdorp Contact Reef with additional reefs mined being the Middlevlei, Kloof and Libanon reefs. The orebody is accessed from surface via vertical shafts, with the deepest operating level some 3,347m below surface. Mining is focused on open ground and pillars using scattered conventional breast, mini-longwall stoping. Mining operations also take place on surface rock dumps.

The current mine infrastructure consists of seven shaft complexes, four with sub-shafts and five of which are in production. There are two gold processing plants – the No. 1 carbon-in-pulp plant processes primarily surface rock dump material and the No. 2 carbon-in-pulp plant processes primarily underground ore at a rate of 347 tonnes a day.

The Kloof Integration Project is currently underway aimed at optimising and rationalising surface and underground infrastructure, reducing fixed overhead costs and capital. A further project is underway to extend 4 shaft by means of a decline two levels below infrastructure. The first raisebore will be completed early in 2022.

Tailings are contained in two tailings storage facilities with a combined capacity of 63.6Mt (a surplus of 35Mt over life-of-mine deposition requirements).

Kloof has a converted mining right issued under the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act valid until 29 January 2027 covering a total mining area of 20,087 hectares.