Goldfields Limited, a multi-national mining group, has now been registered with the International Cyanide Management Institute (ICMI) to obtain cyanide code accreditation for its signatory operations.
A statement issued by the company on Thursday said the company was the first mining group to have received accreditation from the International
Cyanide Management Code following full accreditation awarded two of the company's mines in South Africa.
The statement quoted Mr Nick Holland, Chief Executive Officer of Gold Fields as saying "the Kloof and Driefontein achievements follow equally
impressive accomplishments at the Beatrix mine, which is also in South Africa which achieved its full accreditation in February 2009."
The statement said Tarkwa and Damang mines in Ghana had also achieved full accreditation in June and May 2008, respectively adding that the new
South African mine, South Deep received full accreditation in December 2008.
"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," the statement said.
"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 statement said Mr Paul Bateman applauded the efforts of Gold Fields for being the first mining group to have obtained accreditation for its signatory operations.
It said 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.
The group 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).
The statement said 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.
It said 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.