Gold Fields, Ghana Limited, the most successful mining company in Ghana for 2002, has effected major changes in its management under a strategic plan to bring more bite and pace into its operations.

Dr Toni Aubynn, Corporate Manager in Charge of Public Affairs and Social Development, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) Business Desk in an interview that Mr Johan Botha, Senior Manager in the Operations Office in South Africa now takes over from Mr Jost Barenberg as General Manager at the Tarkwa Mines of the company.

Gold Fields Ghana is part of a group with mines in South Africa and Australia. It also has gold and platinum metal exploration projects in Africa, Australia, Europe and North and South America.

Mr Barenberg, according to Dr Aubynn is returning to the Corporate Office as Senior Manager, "bringing a blend of deep level and surface mining experience to the company."

He said Mr Botha recently joined Gold Fields from Morila Mine in Mali where he was General Manager.

Mr Gerrit Kennedy, Senior Mining Consultant at the Corporate Office has been appointed Vice President and Head of Operations at the Gold Fields's Kloof Mine, South Africa. He replaces Mr Neal Froneman, who has resigned to pursue personal business interests.

"Mr John Bredenhann, a Senior Manager in charge of operations at Kloof would return to the Corporate Office as Senior Manager responsible for the newly created Projects Office established to help focus on the depth extension projects at both Kloof and Drieffontein Mines, South Africa for which the Board authorized full feasibility studies recently", Dr Aubynn said.

Other names moving to new offices are Mr Ken Collet, Senior Manager Operations now becomes the Senior Mining Consultant Technical; Mr Christian Rampa-Luhembwe, an operations manager now moves up to Senior Manager Operations at Driefontein while Mr Nelson Ndlala a Unit Manager takes over from Mr Rampa-Luhembwe as Manager of Operations.

A statement from Gold Fields, which operates an open cast mine, said the appointments take effect from April 1, 2003, adding: "They will be well positioned to meet the challenges of the strategic plan."

It enumerated the objectives of the changes as to increase production, efficiency and reduce cost.

Commenting on the company's operations for 2002, Dr Aubynn said Gold Fields' total earnings from Ghanaian operations for last year was 41.9 million dollars against 30.5 million dollars for 2001 fiscal year with Damang another mine in the Western Region contributing 8.33 million dollars.

Tarkwa produced gold valued at 33.6 million dollars.

He said the operating margin at Tarkwa declined marginally from 44 per cent in 2001 to 41 per cent in 2002.

On the outlook for this year, Dr Aubynn said the acquisition of the Damang Mine, five months ago, had changed the complexion of the company's operations in Ghana into a multi-operating division.

"Management is focusing on optimising common resources to fully exploit operational energies.... the transition process was challenging ... there are areas where an immediate merging of resources were implemented, most notably the Accra office and procurement."

Dr Aubynn said it was expected that a full realisation of the two properties would take place during the coming financial year, where real value would lie in exploiting the size of the combined operations in terms of ore bodies, purchasing and services.

He noted that operations in Ghana were planned to reflect similar performance levels that were achieved last year: "Harder ores are expected in the Tarkwa pits, a change that is reflected in the declining dissolution and one that has the potential to reduce throughput at the South plant and later in the North plant".

Dr Aubynn said capital expenditure was set to increase to 23 million dollars, saying major strategic initiatives in Ghana included the preparation of a feasibility studies on the addition of a milling and CIP/CIL plant among others at Tarkwa.

He said optimisation of the heap leaching facilities, both in terms of throughput and gold recovery, would remain a key focus this year.

Gold Fields of South Africa acquired the Tarkwa underground mine from the then State Gold Mining Company at a time when Gold Fields Ghana had a 71 per cent interest.