- Australian gold companies produced 73 tonnes of the precious metal in the first quarter of 2023, a decline of 8% from the fourth quarter of last year, according to the latest report from Melbourne-based gold mining consultants Surbiton Associates.
Despite a soft start to the year, Close noted that the Australian gold sector remains on solid footing as prices hit a record high of A$2,868 per ounce mid-March. "As prices rise, mine operators may blend lower grade stockpiled material into the ore feed," Close said."This enables better use of the resource overall, while still maintaining profit margins, although the lower average grade results in fewer ounces of gold produced and at a higher cost per ounce, within that time frame."
Close said that operations with lower output outnumbered those reporting higher output by a ratio of three to two.