S.Africa gold output falls 8.7 pct yr/yr in Nov
Thu, 15 Jan 2009 12:17JOHANNESBURG, (Reuters)
South African gold output fell 8.7 percent in volume terms and total mineral production dropped 6.1 percent in November last year compared with the same month in the previous year, official data showed on Thursday.
Production of non-gold minerals fell 5.7 percent, Statistics South Africa said on its website www.statssa.gov.za.
South African gold output has fallen since state-owned power utility Eskom 1/8ESCJ.UL 3/8 suffered a near collapse in the electricity grid last January.
Eskom has since limited supply to around 90 to 95 percent power to mines in the country, the world's biggest source of platinum and the second-ranked gold producer.
