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tailings
recovered from the dump over a 17-year period.
Gold One has indicated that it is in formal discus-
sions with Sibanye Gold to develop “a large surface
retreatment strategy on the West Rand” which en-
visages tailings assets from both companies being
treated in a proposed new uranium treatment plant.
Early estimates put the investment in the new plant at
R3,5 billion. The joint tailings comprise an estimated
700 Mt of material, of which the Sibanye Gold por-
tion comprises about 430 Mt.
Modern Mining
understands that other substantial
tailings material reprocessing projects are also under
consideration but no further information is available.
Marais could not be drawn on this possibility.
Above: Fraser Alexander designed the tracked single deposition
point cyclone to overcome the challenges of using multiple cy-
clones and to deposit material in mega tailings dams.
Left: A tracked single deposition point cyclone designed by Fra-
ser Alexander.
Tailings material being deposited into a dam at South Deep gold mine.
Turning to the platinum sector, Marais says a similar
trend involving the treatment of tailings is apparent.
“A large labour force is not required for the re-mining
of tailings dams, thus removing this uncertainty from
the equation. What is required is high technology.”
He believes that the growth in tailings retreatment
will spread to the Free State goldfields “where huge
resources are waiting to be exploited.” He anticipates
the trend towards retreatment spreading further afield
to Zambia in due course. Fraser Alexander operates a
copper re-mining solution for Vedanta’s Konkola cop-
per mine near Chingola on the Zambian Copperbelt.
Aidan Gotz, Operations Director, tailings division
at Fraser Alexander, says the company is experienc-
