Newmont Continues Strong Performance With Efficient Operations

DENVER - Newmont Mining Corporation completed the year with safer and more efficient operations, a stronger balance sheet and an improved portfolio, said Gary Goldberg, President and Chief Executive Officer. Our performance improved as a result of our disciplined and systematic focus on cost and efficiency. This delivered a 10% reduction in AISC and supported our ability to fund five profitable development projects and acquire Cripple Creek & Victor.

Attributable gold production was 1.25 million ounces in the fourth quarter, compared to 1.26 million ounces in the prior year quarter; and 5.04 million ounces for the year, compared to 4.85 million ounces in 2014. During the quarter, higher production at Batu Hijau and the addition of Cripple Creek & Victor offset production declines at Yanacocha and Ahafo. Newmont has generated approximately $1.7 billion in fair value asset sales since 2013 while maintaining steady attributable gold production.

Attributable copper production was 39,000 tonnes in the fourth quarter, up from 29,000 tonnes in the prior year quarter, and 166,000 tonnes for the full year, up from 86,000 tonnes in 2014. Copper production increased 34% over the prior year quarter due to higher grade ore at Batu Hijau.

The Cripple Creek & Victor (CC&V) expansion in Teller County, Colorado includes a new leach pad, recovery plant and mill. Leach pad construction is slightly ahead of schedule with first production expected in Q2 2016. The recovery plant remains on schedule to be completed later this year. Finally, mill availability has improved following a scheduled shut down in December, and Newmont expects to deliver further improvements in the first half of 2016. Gold production for 2016 is expected to be between 350,000 and 400,000 ounces at AISC of between $650 and $700, with production weighted toward the latter part of the year. The expansion remains on budget with development costs of approximately $200 million, of which 50% remain to be spent in 2016.

Merian Gold project in Suriname is 66% complete. The project remains below budget and on track to reach commercial production in the second half of 2016. Merian will produce between 400,000 and 500,000 ounces of gold annually during its first five years at AISC of between $650 and $750 per ounce. Newmont’s 75% share of development capital is estimated at between $575 and $625 million, after a further $50 million reduction in consolidated capital. An expenditure of between $170 million and $210 million remains in 2016.

The Long Canyon in Elko County, Nevada phase 1 is just over 45% complete and remains on budget and schedule to reach commercial production in the first half of 2017. This first phase of development includes an open pit mine and heap leach operation with production of between 100,000 and 150,000 ounces per year at AISC of between $500 and $600 per ounce over an eight year mine life. About half of the total capital costs of between $250 and $300 million will be spent in 2016 with minimal spending in 2017.

Tanami Expansion Project, Australia includes constructing a second decline in the mine and building incremental capacity in the plant to increase profitable production and serve as a platform for future expansion. The project is on budget and on schedule to deliver additional production beginning in 2017. The expansion will improve annual gold production to between 425,000 and 475,000 ounces per year at AISC of between $700 and $750 per ounce for the first five years, and will increase mine life by three years. Capital costs for the project are estimated at between $100 and $120 million with about half of that amount spent in 2016.

At the Ahafo Mill Expansion and Subika Underground, Ghana represents opportunities not currently included in Newmont’s outlook. The two projects would increase profitable production at Ahafo while lowering costs and offsetting the impacts of lower grades and harder ore. Both projects will be reviewed in the second half of 2016.

Attributable gold production is expected to increase from between 4.8 and 5.3 million ounces in 2016 to between 5.2 and 5.7 million ounces in 2017, and remain stable at between 4.5 and 5.0 million ounces through 2020. New production at CC&V, Long Canyon Phase 1, Merian and the Tanami expansion are expected to offset the impacts of maturing operations at Yanacocha in Peru and mine sequencing at Batu Hijau in Indonesia. Projects that are not yet approved including Ahafo Mill Expansion, Subika Underground and Northwest Exodus represent upside of between 250,000 and 400,000 ounces of gold production beginning in 2018.

Attributable copper production is expected to be between 120,000 and 160,000 tonnes in 2016 and 2017 before decreasing to between 70,000 and 110,000 tonnes by 2018. The decline is due to the depletion of higher grade Phase 6 ore at Batu Hijau in 2018. Production at Phoenix Copper Leach, Nevada and Boddington in Australia is expected to remain stable for the period.