PRECIOUS METALS

Aussie gold production reaches record

Quarterly and full-year gold output at all-time high

Staff reporter
 Newcrest's Cadia mine near Orange in NSW

Newcrest's Cadia mine near Orange in NSW

Australia produced 85 tonnes of gold in the December quarter, eclipsing the previous record of 82t, set in the June 2019 quarter.

Full-year production reached a record high of 325t, 8t higher than 2018.

"In addition to 2019 having the highest ever gold production in Australia, the December 2019 quarter was really outstanding," Surbiton director Dr Sandra Close said.

"The record output was due to new projects coming on stream and ramping up production, other operations recovering from poor performances in the September quarter and some increases in throughput and grade."

Gold Fields and Gold Road Resources' Gruyere mine contributed to the record, as did Adaman Resources' Kirkalocka operation, and Kirkland Lake Gold's restarted, but non-core Union Reefs plant.

Newcrest Mining's Cadia operation in New South Wales was Australia's largest producer in 2019 with output of 871,246oz, followed by Newmont's Boddington mine in WA with production of 703,000oz.

Kirkland Lake Gold's Fosterville mine in Victoria jumped into the top five in third with output of 619,367oz.

"Kirkland Lake Gold's Fosterville mine in Victoria, continues to shine," Close said.

"It reported an average grade of an extraordinary 49.3 grams per tonne gold for the quarter, resulting in an increase in production of 33,600 ounces, making it now Australia's third largest operation on a quarterly and annual basis."

AngloGold Ashanti and Independence Group's Tropicana mine and Newmont's Tanami switched positions with output of 513,433oz and 500,000oz, respectively.

The Super Pit fell out of the top five (from third in 2018) due to lower production associated with a 2018 rock fall.

Using a gold price of A$2400 an ounce, which is lower than spot but higher than 2019's average, 2019's output was worth more than $25 billion.

The rise in gold price led to an increase in hedging, with Noah's Rule finding the total ounces hedged in Australian dollars rose over 4 million ounces in 2019.

The biggest additions to hedge books came from Northern Star Resources and Saracen Mineral Holdings, in conjunction with their acquisition of the Super Pit.

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining News Intelligence team.

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining News Intelligence team.

editions

Mining Company ESG Index: Benchmarking the Future of Sustainable Mining

The Mining Company ESG Index report provides an in-depth evaluation of ESG performance of 61 of the world's largest mining companies. Using a robust framework, it assesses each company across 9 meticulously weighted indicators within 6 essential pillars.

editions

Mining Journal Intelligence Global Leadership Report 2024: Net Zero

Gain insights into decarbonisation trends and strategies from interviews with 20+ top mining executives and experts plus an industrywide survey.

editions

Mining Journal Intelligence Project Pipeline Handbook 2024

View our 50 top mining projects, handpicked using a unique, objective selection process from a database of 450+ global assets.

editions

MiningNews.net Research Report 2024

Access a multi-pronged tool to identify critical risks and opportunities in Australia’s mining industry.