Zijin axes expected gold output after losing PNG mine

Porgera gold mine. (Image courtesy of Barrick Gold.)

Zijin Mining, China's no.1 gold producer and second largest copper miner, has revised down its gold production guidance for 2020 after Papua New Guinea (PNG) refused to extend the mining lease for the Porgera mine it operates with Barrick Gold (TSX: ABX) (NYSE: GOLD).

Zijin had forecast gold productionfor the year of 44 tonnes, rising to 42-47 tonnes in 2021 and 49-54 tonnes in2022.

Following PNG's decision, the miner now expects to maintain gold production levels in 2020 "about the same as" last year's, when it churned out 40.8 tonnes of gold.

Zijin plans to speed up the upgrade and construction of its Longnan project in China and look into acquisitions to keep gold production at 2019 levels

The gold producer said it plannedto speed up the upgrade and construction of its Longnan Zijin project in Chinaand boost production at other mines in its portfolio in order to offset theloss of Porgera.

Zijin's share of the mine's goldproduction in 2019 was 8.827 tonnes.

The company also said its joint venture with Barrick would "pursue all legal avenues" to fight PNG's move and "to protect its legitimate interests and recover any damages."

Since the mining lease for Porgeraexpired in August last year, Barrick led attempts to renew it, but faced backlash from landowners and residents over what theyclaimed were negative social, environmental and economic impacts from the mine.

Negotiations were complicatedfurther by a split among the landowners.

The manager of Porgera, Barrick Niugini Limited, applied for a permit extension in June 2017 that would have renewed its rights for 20 years and had been engaging with the government on the matter since then, Barrick said on Friday.

In response to a request from PNG's Prime Minister James Marape, the world's second-largest gold miner proposed in 2019 a benefit-sharing arrangement. The deal would have delivered more than half the economic benefits to PNG stakeholders, including the government, for 20 years, according to Barrick.

Mulling acquisitions

Zijin, which has a portfolio of producing and developing assets in its home country, Australia, Russia, Mongolia, Serbia and Kyrgyzstan among other countries, said it would pay attention to market opportunities and consider mine acquisitions to boost output.

Porgera contributes to about 10% of the PNG's exports and employs over 3,300 locals. Last year, the mine generated 284,000 ounces of gold, and is estimated to hold as much as 3.6 million ounces of the precious metal.

The open pit and underground mine sits at an altitude of 2,200-2,600 metres in the Enga province, and is about 600 km northwest of Port Moresby.

PNG officials said military and police were deployed early on Monday to secure the asset.