The Central Rand Gold prospecting areas comprise the areas held by Ferreira Estate and Investment Co. Ltd. (also known as the 3C's: Consolidated Main Reef, Crown Mines and City Deep), AngloGold Ashanti Ltd., Gravelotte Mines Ltd. (Langlaagte), Village Main, Western Areas and Simmer and Jack. Section 11 Applications have been lodged with the DME in respect of all of these areas.

The Group's exploration drilling programme commenced with one reverse circulation (RC) percussion drill rig, and subsequently expanded to two RC and two diamond drill rigs. The drill lines are located relative to the outcrop of the major reefs of the Central Rand Group. The primary objective of the drilling programme is to determine the near surface potential of areas that may be mined in the near term.

The initial phase of exploration drilling comprised RC drill lines (referred to as "line drilling"), on dip, around 600 metres apart. The actual length of the line and the distance apart was dependant on the infrastructure. RC drill holes were spaced 40 metres apart along the lines, drilled at an inclination of 60° to the north, against the dip (refer to Figure 1 below). Each hole was 60 meters long and samples were collected at half-meter intervals, to provide a better resolution. As at December 2007, 28,785 meters of RC drilling had been completed. A further 2,509 meters of soil drilling and 10,389 meters of diamond drill holes had been completed.

Figure 1: Drilling pattern

Exploration Drilling Configuration
Diamond drill holes have been used to clarify the detailed geology and to correlate the results of the RC holes. This drilling is significantly slower than the RC application, around 30 metres per day versus 70 metres in the case of RC drilling, but provides far greater lithological definition.

The following table provides a summary of the drilling and exploration programme as at 13 December 2007.

Summary of Holes and Metres Drilled

As at 2007/12/13	RC Drilling		Soil Sampling Drilling		DDH Drilling		Total RC+SS+DD
Area	No. of Holes	Metres Drilled	No. of Holes	Metres Drilled	No. of Holes	Metres Drilled	No. of Holes	Metres Drilled
Line(RC)/PY(DD)	38	2,300			2	720	40	3,020
Slot 1	177	10,268	512	671	72	5,036	761	15,974
Slot 2	55	2,932	259	465	6	432	320	3,828
Slot 3	11	660					11	660
Slot 4	107	6,099	363	577	3	620	473	7,296
Slot 5	3	200			6	494	9	694
Slot 6	27	1,608	294	465	2	439	232	2,512
Slot 7					2	358	2	358
Slot 8	83	4,720	119	333	29	2,289	231	7,341
Total	501	28,785	1,547	2,509	122	10,389	2,170	41,683

NB: The above excludes boreholes in progress, shaft drilling and water boreholes

RC = Reverse circulation percussion drilling
DDH = Diamond drill hole

Reconnaissance Sampling and Mapping
In conjunction with the drilling programme, a reconnaissance sampling and mapping programme is being conducted on the Bird Reef outcrops on Crown Mines, the Main Reef sequences on Langlaagte and the Kimberley Reef sequences on Consolidated Main Reef. The mapping to date indicates a far more complex geological structure of the known reef sequences due to regional and localised faulting and dyking displacements.

Central Rand Project Mineral Resource Statement, July 2007
Between 1886 and the early 1970s the Central Rand Goldfield is estimated to have produced some 247 million ounces of gold at a reported average head grade (run-of-mine grade) of 8.2 g/t. Most of the old mines closed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as they were considered uneconomic at the prevailing gold price. The Group has identified the potential for further exploitation of the Central Rand Goldfield in the current gold price environment using modern exploration, mining and processing technologies.