Media releases

DRDGOLD provides update on plans for Sibanye-Stillwater’s West Rand Tailings Retreatment Project

Details

Published: Thursday, 15 February 2018 12:01

Johannesburg, South Africa. 15 February 2018. DRDGOLD Limited (DRDGOLD; JSE, NYSE: DRD) CEO Niël Pretorius says the proposed transaction with Sibanye-Stillwater, based on the latter’s West Rand Tailings Retreatment Project (WRTRP) “is well within DRDGOLD’s capacity to execute, and is capable of delivering both short-term value and long-term optionality”.

In November last year, DRDGOLD and Sibanye-Stillwater announced the proposed transaction, in terms of which DRDGOLD would acquire portions of Sibanye-Stillwater’s WRTRP in exchange for approximately 38% of DRDGOLD’s ordinary share capital.

In addition, there is an option agreement in terms of which Sibanye-Stillwater can increase its shareholding in DRDGOLD to 50.1% for cash during the 24 months following implementation of the acquisition.

In an update to shareholders on the proposed transaction, included with DRDGOLD’s interim results released today, Pretorius says that, in assessing the deal, the company was mindful of execution risk and dilution.

“While the doubling of reserves in a resource with a higher average gold grade is clearly value-accretive, our objective remains to avoid or limit dilution of earnings by doing our best to ensure that the 38% dilution in equity is either offset or, ideally, altogether avoided by earnings from the project from a very early stage.”

DRDGOLD’s proposed phased approach, Pretorius says, is intended to “bring this goal within range”.

Phase 1

Phase 1, including both early-stage production as well as design and planning, will involve the upgrading of the Driefontein 2 and 3 plants to process tailings from the Driefontein 5 dump at a rate of between 400 000 and 600 000tpm and depositing the residue on the Driefontein 4 tailings dam.

Targeted for commissioning within 12 months of implementation of the acquisition, it is expected to be cash-generative with a “modest” upfront capital investment of R288 million. Assuming this initial capital outlay, its NPV is estimated at around R1.3 billion.

“We believe the information we gain from Phase 1 test work will enable us to refine the original WRTRP process and engineering design, as well as financial and capital models for Phase 2,” Pretorius says.

Phase 2

Phase 2 envisages the construction of a high-volume central processing plant capable of processing at least 1Mtpm and the development of a new regional tailings storage facility.

In this phase, reclamation will be from the Driefontein 3, Libanon and Kloof 1 dumps initially and then from the Ventersdorp North and South dumps.

Phase 2, Pretorius says “will provide a compelling advantage insofar as future regional consolidation is required” – meaning the scale of the infrastructure established would allow for reclamation from other sources in the region.

Alternative option

As an alternative to Phase 2, or in the event that Phase 2 is delayed, Phase 1 will be capable of extention by blending in material from the Driefontein 3 dump. It envisages the treatment of 77.7Mt from the Driefontein 3 and 5 dumps and a further upgrade of the Driefontein 4 tailings dam. The estimated NPV of the alternative option is R2.7 billion, assuming a capital outlay of R397 million in addition to the initial Phase 1 capital outlay.

DRDGOLD estimates the NPV of the entire WRTRP at R2.1 billion, as extracted from the draft Competent Person’s Report.

Investor and Media Relations
James Duncan
R&A Strategic Communications
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For more information, please visit www.drdgold.com

Forward looking Statements

Many factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, among others, adverse changes or uncertainties in general economic conditions in the markets we serve, a drop in the gold price, a sustained strengthening of the Rand against the Dollar, regulatory developments adverse to DRDGOLD or difficulties in maintaining necessary licenses or other governmental approvals, changes in DRDGOLD’s competitive position, changes in business strategy, any major disruption in production at key facilities or adverse changes in foreign exchange rates and various other factors. These risks include, without limitation, those described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” included in our annual report for the fiscal year ended 30 June 2017, which we filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on 31 October 2017 on Form 20-F. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date thereof. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this report or to the occurrence of unanticipated events. Any forward-looking statements included in this release have not been reviewed and reported on by DRDGOLD’s auditors.