JOHANNESBURG, October 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- 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* 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
---------------------------------
[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.
SOURCE Gold Fields Limited
