Page 18 - Bullion World Volume 4 Issue 9 September 2024

Bullion World | Volume 4 | Issue 9 | September 2024

Special Session on

Gold Doré at IGC 2024

Dr Emmanuel Makumba Mali, Director, ICGLR, Mr Keith Weiner, Founder & CEO, Monetary Metals
Dr Prabhakar Sangurmath, Former Director, The Hutti Gold Mines Company Limited
Mr Chirag Sheth, Principal Consultant, Metals Focus,
Dr Chetan Mehta, President The Jewellers Association, Bengaluru (Felicitator)

Mr Chirag Sheth: In 2023, global gold production with major mines producing around 14 tonnes annually.
was about 3,640 tonnes, a 0.3% increase from the Sourcing options include artisanal miners, aggregators
previous year. However, not all of this gold is doré. in Africa and South America, and traders. Challenges
Informal production, around 750 tonnes annually, and include unpredictability, traceability, and thin margins.
by-products from base metal mining (520 tonnes) Prepaid forwards are capital-intensive but offer potential
reduce doré availability. Captive doré production totals double-digit returns. Due diligence is crucial, including
approximately 970 tonnes. After accounting for these checks on beneficial owners, compliance with AML and
factors, around 1,210 tonnes of doré are available yearly, KYC regulations, and understanding the geology and
representing about 34% of the total global gold mine metallurgy of investments in mines.
supply.
Dr. Prabhakar Sangurmath: India's gold mining sector
Mr Keith Weiner: Indian refiners can source doré has significant untapped potential, with the Geological
globally despite challenges. India’s gold market fluctuates Survey of India and various private exploration agencies
between discounts and premiums, with recent import identifying substantial resources. However, progress has
duty changes giving doré a 65 basis point advantage been hindered by bureaucratic hurdles and complex
over bullion, increasing competition among refiners. licensing processes. The approval process involves
Global gold production is around 3,000 tonnes annually, multiple departments, including the Pollution Control
with typical refiners processing about 300 tonnes per Board and Forest Department, leading to delays. A
year. Sourcing doré is competitive and trust-dependent, streamlined, single-window clearance system could

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