1st May 2012 07:00
1st May 2012 African Barrick Gold plc (the "Company" or "ABG") Granting of Waste Rock Permit at North Mara
ABG announces it has received final approval from the Tanzanian Vice President's Office Responsible for Environment for the potentially acid forming ("PAF") waste rock permit at its North Mara mine, with immediate effect. The granting of the PAF permit, together with the non-acid forming ("NAF") permit which was granted in late 2011, will allow ABG to progress the major waste stripping programme in the Gokona pit at North Mara in order to open up higher grades zones in the open pit in the second half of 2012.
Commenting on this news, CEO Greg Hawkins said: "This approval is an important milestone for North Mara in delivering its mine plan going forward. As we have previously communicated, our waste stripping activities had been constrained and we now look forward to being able to access the higher grade zones in the Gokona pit from the second half of this year onwards as expected."
ENQUIRIES
For further information contact:
African Barrick Gold plc +44 (0)207 129 7150
Andrew Wray, Head of Corporate Development & Investor Relations
Giles Blackham, Investor Relations Manager
RLM Finsbury +44 (0)20 7251 3801
Charles Chichester
About ABG
ABG is Tanzania's largest gold producer and one of the five largest gold producers in Africa. We have four producing mines, all located in northwest Tanzania, and several exploration projects at various stages of development. We have a high-quality asset base, solid growth opportunities and a clear strategy.
The key pillars to our strategy are:
* driving operating efficiencies to optimise production from our existing asset base; * growing through near mine expansion and development of advanced-stage projects; and * organic greenfield growth and acquisitions in Africa.
Maintaining our licence to operate through acting responsibly in relation to our people, the environment and the communities in which we operate is central to achieving our objectives.
ABG is a UK public company with its headquarters in London. We are listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange under the symbol ABG and have a secondary listing on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange. Historically and prior to our initial public offering (IPO), our operations comprised the Tanzanian gold mining business of Barrick Gold Corporation (Barrick), our majority shareholder. ABG reports in US dollars in accordance with IFRS as adopted by the European Union, unless otherwise stated.
Forward-looking statements
This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to underwrite, subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose of any securities of ABG in any jurisdiction.
This announcement includes "forward-looking statements" that express or imply expectations of future events or results. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. These statements include, without limitation, financial projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives and expectations with respect to future production, operations, costs, products and services, and statements regarding future performance. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates" and other similar expressions.
All forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of ABG, which could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to differences between the actual results, performance and achievements of ABG include, but are not limited to, political, economic and business conditions, industry trends, competition, fluctuations in the spot and forward price of gold or certain other commodity prices, changes in regulation, currency fluctuations (including the US dollar, South African rand and Tanzanian shilling exchange rates), ABG's ability to successfully integrate future acquisitions, ABG's ability to recover its reserves or develop new reserves, including its ability to convert its resources into reserves and its mineral potential into resources or reserves, and to timely and successfully process its mineral reserves, risk of trespass, theft and vandalism, changes in its business strategy as well as risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development, mining and production. Although ABG's management believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, ABG cannot give assurances that such statements will prove to be correct. Accordingly, investors should not place reliance on forward looking statements in this announcement. Any forward-looking statements in this announcement only reflect information available at the time of preparation. Subject to the requirements of the Disclosure and Transparency Rules and the Listing Rules or applicable law, ABG explicitly disclaims any obligation or undertaking publicly to release the result of any revisions to any forward-looking statements in this announcement that may occur due to any change in ABG's expectations or to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this announcement. Nothing in this announcement should be construed as a profit forecast or estimate.
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