JOHANNESBURG, July 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
Gold Fields Limited (Gold Fields) (JSE, NYSE, NASDAQ Dubai: GFI)
has received a directive from the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) of Ghana to stop discharging
water from its Heap Leach facilities at the Tarkwa Gold Mine
(Tarkwa) in Ghana.
To comply with this directive, the operation of all Heap Leach
facilities at Tarkwa has been suspended since 16 July 2012. Despite this, there has been no
material impact on production to date.
The EPA directive further requires that all water discharges
from the mine's Heap Leach facilities should be treated through a
water treatment plant to reduce conductivity levels. Conductivity
is a measure of the amount of dissolved salts in discharged water
and is classified internationally as a non-toxic pollutant.
Gold Fields believes that Tarkwa was complying with the
prescribed conductivity levels in its water discharges, but is
nonetheless conducting further investigations to validate this.
However, in pursuit of environmental best practice and world
class environmental stewardship, and to comply with the directive,
Gold Fields has commissioned the construction of two water
treatment plants at Tarkwa's North and South Heap Leach facilities.
The plants are expected to be operational before the end of
2012.
In the interim, Tarkwa is engaging with the EPA with a view to
reopen and operate the Heap Leach facilities while the water
treatment plants are being built. Gold Fields is hopeful that a
mutually acceptable solution can be found in the near term.
The Carbon-in-Leach plant at
Tarkwa, which produces about 75% of the gold at this mine, has not
been affected by the closure of the heap leach facilities and
continues to operate normally and without interruptions.
Notes to editors
About Gold Fields
Gold Fields is one of the world's largest unhedged producers of
gold with attributable annualised production of 3.5 million gold
equivalent ounces from eight operating mines in Australia, Ghana, Peru
and South Africa. Gold Fields also
has an extensive and diverse global growth pipeline with four major
projects in resource development and feasibility, with construction
decisions expected in the next 18 to 24 months. Gold Fields
has total attributable gold equivalent Mineral Reserves of 80.6
million ounces and Mineral Resources of 217 million ounces. Gold
Fields is listed on the JSE Limited (primary listing), the New York
Stock Exchange (NYSE), NASDAQ Dubai Limited, Euronext in
Brussels (NYX) and the Swiss
Exchange (SWX).
Sponsor: J.P. Morgan Equities
Limited
Gold Fields Limited
Reg. 1968/004880/06
150 Helen Road,
Sandown, Sandton, 2196
Postnet Suite 252
Private Bag X30500
Houghton, 2041
South Africa
Tel +27-11-562-9700
Fax +27-11-562-9838
http://www.goldfields.co.za
Investor Enquiries
Willie Jacobsz
Tel +27-11-562-9775
Mobile +27-82-971-9238 (SA)
Mobile +1-857-241-7127 (USA)
email Willie.Jacobsz@goldfields.co.za
Media Enquiries
Sven Lunsche
Tel +27-11-562-9763
Mobile +27-83-260-9279
email Sven.Lunsche@goldfields.co.za
Media Enquiries - Ghana
Sharda Naidoo
Mobile +27-83-560-1769
email Sharda.Naidoo@goldfields.co.za
SOURCE Gold Fields Limited