SA gold output falls 12.3% yr/yr in June

South Africa’s gold output for June fell 12.3% when compared to the same period last year, while overall mineral production fell 5.4%, due to a power crisis in January.

Posted: Thursday , 07 Aug 2008

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -

South African gold output fell 12.3 percent in volume terms, while overall mineral production fell 6.3 percent in June compared to the same month in the previous year, official data showed on Thursday.

Production of non-gold minerals declined by 5.4 percent, Statistics South Africa said on its website www.statssa.gov.za

South African mine output has fallen after state-owned power utility Eskom [ESCJ.UL] suffered a near collapse in the electricity grid in January, which led to a five-day country-wide mine shutdown.

Eskom has since supplied around 90 to 95 percent power to mines in the country, the world's biggest source of platinum and the second-ranked gold producer. (Reporting by James Macharia)