Since its inception in
1990, improved metallurgical processing technologies, coupled with mine planning
enhancements and improved geological knowledge, have sequentially enabled better
efficiencies and economies of scale at the Macraes Gold Project. Over a period
of 11 years, processing enhancements have been achieved by:

increasing mill throughput, from one million tonnes per
year, to current throughput of 3.9 million tonnes per year;

improving recovery rates, from 70 % to approx 84 %;
and

performance enhancement through innovation, eg the use of
kerosene to combat ClL pregrobbing.
Future processing
improvements have been identified in optimising the ore feed and processing
flowsheet. The introduction of the autoclave has transformed the process flow
form a traditional 'mill headgrade and tonnes milled' operation, to a
'sulphur/gold ratio and sulphur tonnes oxidised' operation.