Central Rand Gold Regulatory News (CRND)

28 Jul 2009 07:00



Central Rand Gold Limited

("Central Rand Gold", "CRG" or the "Company")

(Incorporated as a company with limited liability under the laws of Guernsey,

Company Number 45108)

(Incorporated as an external company with limited liability under the laws of

South Africa, registration number 2007/019223/10)

ISIN: GG00B24HM601

Share code on LSE: CRND

Share code on JSE: CRD

First Gold Smelt from the Carbon-In-Leach ("CIL") Concentrate Treatment Plant

First bullion bar poured from CIL concentrate treatment plant

Recoveries to date in CIL plant in excess of 95%

Full metallurgical circuit now integrated 

CRG announces that on July 27, 2009, the Company successfully smelted and poured its first bullion bar of approximately 1.5kg from its CIL concentrate treatment plant on its Slot 8 site on the Consolidated Main Reef tenement.

The CIL plant, capable of treating 10,000 tonnes of concentrate per month, commenced civil work on site in February 2009, with the start of commissioning in June 2009. The smelt house was the final element requiring commissioning which has now been completed. Recoveries to date in the CIL plant have been in excess of 95%.

The CIL plant was fed concentrate from the Gekko 20tph trial crushing and concentrating plant and will now also be fed from the Bateman 30tph crushing and concentrating plant. The crushing and concentrating plants are treating surface material from the Main Reef and Main Reef Leader outcrops. It is expected that the crushing and concentrating plants will continue treating surface material until such time that underground ore is extracted, expected in early 2010. 

Commenting on the smelt, Johan du Toit, Chief Executive Officer, stated, "We are extremely happy to have had our first smelt. This is a significant milestone in the Company's trial mining process and demonstrates that our metallurgical circuit is now fully integrated and operational."

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