Gold Fields Limited: South Deep Section 54 Lifted, Operations Resumed

JOHANNESBURG, June 2, 2014 /CNW/ - Gold Fields Limited (Gold Fields) (JSE, NYSE, NASDAQ Dubai: GFI) hereby advises that the South Deep Project in South Africa is today again operational after the Section 54 order, issued by the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) on 27 May 2014, has been lifted. The DMR issued the Section 54 order after an in loco inspection into the circumstances surrounding two separate fatal accidents on 17 and 27 May, 2014, placing a moratorium on all workshop-related activities across the mine and effectively bringing all production to a halt.

The Section 54 order was lifted after the completion of a report back to the DMR, in terms of Section 11(5) of the Mines Health and Safety Act, on Friday evening, 30 May 2014, subject to the implementation of a number of specific remedial actions and instructions. Operations resumed in the Twin Shaft area with the commencement of the evening shift on Sunday evening and in the South Shaft area with the start of day shift this morning.

Following the lifting of the Section 54 order and the resumption of operations, the focus at South Deep for the next three to four months will be on the satisfactory completion of the secondary support backlog announced last week, with a view to returning the mine to normal production as soon as possible.

Notes to editors  

About Gold Fields 

Gold Fields Limited is an unhedged, globally diversified producer of gold with eight operating mines in Australia, Ghana, Peru and South Africa. In February 2013, Gold Fields unbundled its mature, underground KDC and Beatrix mines in South Africa into an independent and separately listed company, Sibanye Gold. In October 2013, it expanded its presence in Western Australia by acquiring the Granny Smith, Lawlers and Darlot mines (known as the Yilgarn South Assets) from Barrick Gold. 

Gold Fields has attributable annual gold production of approximately 2.02 million ounces, as well as attributable Mineral Reserves of around 49 million ounces and Mineral Resources of about 113 million ounces. Attributable copper Mineral Reserves total 708 million pounds and Mineral Resources 7,120 million pounds. Gold Fields has a primary listing on the JSE Limited, with secondary listings on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), NASDAQ Dubai Limited, Euronext in Brussels (NYX) and the Swiss Exchange (SWX).  

Sponsor: J.P. Morgan Equities South Africa (Pty) Ltd

SOURCE: Gold Fields Limited

Investors: Willie Jacobsz, Mobile: [phone] (SA), Mobile: [phone] (USA), email: [email protected]; Media: Sven Lunsche, Tel: [phone], Mobile: [phone], email: [email protected]