(Source: Canada Newswire)
JOHANNESBURG, Oct. 21 /CNW/ - Gold Fields Limited (Gold Fields)
(JSE, NYSE, NASDAQ Dubai: GFI) is pleased to announce that is has
become the first mining group, registered as a signatory with the
International Cyanide Management Institute (ICMI(1)), to obtain
accreditation for all its eligible operations with the International
Cyanide Management Code (Cyanide Code).
This follows full accreditation being achieved at Kloof mine and
Driefontein mine, both located in South Africa.
Gold Fields' Chief Executive Officer, Nick Holland, commented:
"The Kloof and Driefontein achievements follow equally impressive
accomplishments at Beatrix mine, which is also in South Africa and
which achieved its full accreditation in February 2009, Tarkwa and
Damang mines in Ghana that achieved full accreditation in June and
May 2008, respectively, and the new South African mine, South Deep,
which achieved full accreditation in December 2008. Cerro Corona
mine in Peru does not require accreditation as it does not use large
amounts of cyanide in its processes. The Agnew mine in Australia
achieved substantial accreditation in June 2009 and is expected to
achieve full accreditation in December 2009. This means that all of
the eligible Gold Fields mines are now accredited and seven of the
eight have achieved full compliance. We have now achieved the
objective we set ourselves in November 2005, when we became a
signatory to the ICMI Cyanide Code, for all Gold Fields operations
to be ICMI accredited".
The president of the ICMI, Paul Bateman, congratulated Gold
Fields on being, "....the first mining group to obtain accreditation
for all its signatory operations...".
Gold Fields' support of the ICMI is consistent with the
principles and objectives of the Group's Sustainable Development
Framework, which addresses every aspect of sustainability in the
organization, including the use of cyanide in the production of
gold.
The Cyanide Code is recognized as best practice for cyanide
management in the gold mining industry by the World Gold Council
(WGC) and the Council for Responsible Jewellery Practice (RJC). The
ICMI accreditation process adheres to the principles of the
International Council on Mining and Metals' Sustainable Development
Framework to which Gold Fields is fully committed. It has also been
acknowledged by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the
G8 Group of Nations as the best practice guide for responsible
cyanide management.
About Gold Fields
Gold Fields is one of the world's largest unhedged producers of
gold with attributable production of 3.6 million ounces(x) 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.
(x)Based on the annualised run rate for the fourth quarter of
F2009
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(1) The ICMI is established under the auspices of the United
Nations' Environment Programme & International Council on Metals and
the Environment. The ICMI administers the International Cyanide
Management Code of Practice to which signatories adhere, to manage
cyanide responsibly.
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