Gold Fields Announces Mineral Resources of 271 Million Ounces and Mineral Reserves of 81 Million Ounces for F2010
October 05 2009 - 4:07AM
PR Newswire (US)
JOHANNESBURG, October 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Gold Fields
Limited (Gold Fields) (JSE, NYSE, NASDAQ Dubai: GFI) today
published its detailed Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve
information for the 12-month period ended 30 June 2009.
Attributable gold Mineral Resources, including 2PGE, copper
converted to gold equivalent and Tailings Storage Facility (TSF)
gold, increased to 271.1 million ounces at 30 June 2009, compared
to 250.6 million ounces for the year ended 30 June 2008.
Attributable gold Mineral Reserves, including copper converted to
gold equivalent, amounted to 81.1 million ounces at 30 June 2009,
compared to 82.8 million ounces for the year ended 30 June 2008.
All numbers are net of 12 months' depletion. Nick Holland, Chief
Executive Officer of Gold Fields said: "We are pleased to again
report a robust Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve position which
provides Gold Fields' shareholders with unique long-term
optionality without any hedge liabilities, and places Gold Fields
amongst the leaders in the industry. These Mineral Resources and
Mineral Reserves are the foundation on which the Gold Fields value
proposition is based and were calculated using robust gold prices."
Managed Mineral Resources, including 2PGE, copper converted to
gold-equivalent and Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) gold ounces
totals 282.4 million ounces, which is an 8% per cent increase on
the 262.1 million ounces reported for the year ended 30 June 2008.
Managed Mineral Reserves, including copper converted to
gold-equivalent ounces, totals 85.7 million ounces, which equates
to the 87.6 million ounces reported for the year ended 30 June
2008. All numbers are net of 12 months' depletion. Guided by our
commitment to Corporate Governance, the principles of consistency
in reporting among our operating mines and compliance with public
and internal regulatory codes of practice, are paramount. The
Mineral Resource Management processes utilized by the Group
continue to improve through enhanced Competent Persons reporting.
Gold Fields' Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve Statement has
been audited by leading independent global mining consultancies and
is 2007 SAMREC and Industry Guide 7 (SEC) compliant, and aligned to
the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Mineral Resources were
calculated using a gold price of R285,000/kg in South Africa;
A$1,250/oz in Australia; and US$1,000/oz in West Africa and South
America. Mineral Reserves were calculated using a gold price of
R230,000/kg in South Africa; A$1,000/oz in Australia; and US$800/oz
in West Africa and South America, as per SEC guidelines. This year
Gold Fields employed an enhanced mechanism for the technical
reporting of its Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve information,
which uses the Technical Short Form Reporting format for
Exploration, Operations and Group consolidation. Nick Holland
added: "To ensure that the higher gold prices anticipated into the
future translates into margin expansion, we have maintained our
pay-limits/cut-off grades in South Africa at R195,000/kg and the
cut-off grades in Ghana and Peru at US$650/oz and in Australia at
A$850/oz." "Fundamental to the Gold Fields value proposition is the
optimal exploitation of our orebodies. To this end, development,
which will create greater flexibility and reduce volatility in the
operating performance of especially our South African mines, has
been elevated as a key strategy, second in importance only to
safety. We are aiming, over the next two years, to build up to 24
months of developed Ore Reserve at all of our long-life shafts in
South Africa. We have allocated an additional R500 million towards
development for F2010, and we are in the process of mechanizing all
flat-end development at our long-life shafts. At present
approximately 50% of all flat-end development is mechanized, with a
target of achieving 100% by the end of this calendar year. In
addition to the advantage of improved flexibility, mechanisation
has incremental safety and productivity benefits." "Six of our nine
mines now have a Mineral Reserve of 5 million ounces or greater and
six of our nine mines now have a life of mine in excess of 10
years." "We are particularly pleased with the progress at South
Deep where 14.5 million ounces of the total Mineral Reserve of 29.5
million ounces have now been designed and scheduled in detail.
South Deep is ahead of schedule to achieve its short-term
production target of 300koz for F2010, and on track to achieve its
medium term target of producing at a run rate of between 750koz and
800koz by the end of 2014. We now have much greater confidence in
the South Deep orebody and mine plan." "Despite the removal of 1.8
million ounces of Mineral Reserves (0.7 Moz in F2009 and 1.1 Moz in
F2008) contained in pillars and remnants at Driefontein and Kloof,
both of these mines still rank among the premier orebodies in the
world with Driefontein reporting a 52.8 million ounce Mineral
Resource and an 18.2 million ounce Mineral Reserve, and Kloof a
79.0 million ounce Mineral Resource and 10.5 million ounce Mineral
Reserve. Beatrix has a 17.6 million ounce Mineral Resource and a
6.4 million ounce Mineral Reserve." "Also in South Africa we have
now proven up the Uranium Mineral Resource at our Driefontein,
Kloof and South Deep properties and we are in the process of doing
a feasibility study which will be completed early in 2010." "During
the past year we have considerably increased our efforts at
improving the Mineral Reserve position of our international
portfolio, which is expected to grow further during F2010. Damang
now has a nine year Mineral Reserve life with significant upside,
some of which will be realised through and aggressive exploration
programme during F2010. St Ives now has a five year Mineral Reserve
life with the potential to double that from the new Athena camp
where ongoing exploration continues to add further to the reserve
position. Cerro Corona has a five million ounce Mineral Reserve,
with potential for growth through resource conversion. Tarkwa now
has a Mineral Reserve life of approximately 15 years at a
production rate of between 750koz and 800koz per annum." "The
Group's robust and resilient Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve
base places us in a strong position to leverage our existing global
footprint, crystallize value from our extensive uranium Mineral
Resource, and to realize an expansion in safe production through
our regionalized growth strategy." The complete Mineral Resource
and Mineral Reserve Statement for Gold Fields as well as a
presentation and webcast on the subject is available at
http://www.goldfields.co.za/ About Gold Fields Gold Fields is one
of the world's largest unhedged producers of gold with attributable
production of 3.6 million ounces* per annum from nine operating
mines in South Africa, Ghana, Australia and Peru. Gold Fields also
has an extensive growth pipeline with both greenfields and near
mine exploration projects at various stages of development. Gold
Fields has total attributable Mineral Reserves of 81 million ounces
and Mineral Resources of 271 million ounces. Gold Fields is listed
on JSE Limited (primary listing), the New York Stock Exchange
(NYSE), the Dubai International Financial Exchange (DIFX), the
Euronext in Brussels (NYX) and the Swiss Exchange (SWX). For more
information please visit the Gold Fields website at
http://www.goldfields.co.za/. *Based on the annualised run rate for
the fourth quarter of F2009 DATASOURCE: Gold Fields Limited
CONTACT: Media and Investor Enquiries: Willie Jacobsz, Tel:
+508-839-1188, Mobile: +857-241-7127, email: ; Nikki
Catrakilis-Wagner, Tel: +27-11-562-9706, Mobile +27-(0)83-309-6720,
email: . Media Enquiries: Julian Gwillim, Tel: +27-11-562-9774,
Mobile: +27-(0)82-452-4389, email:
Copyright