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OceanaGold Corporation (ASX:OGC) to Restructure Gold Hedge Book Facility
Melbourne, Jan 15, 2008 (ABN Newswire) - OceanaGold Corporation ("OceanaGold" or "the Company")(ASX: OGC) is pleased to announce that, subject to final approval by its partner financial institutions, the Company intends to restructure its gold hedge facility. Currently the Company has 320,000 ounces forward sold at NZ$773 / ounce expiring in 2010. The current facility calls for 113,712 of these ounces to be delivered at NZ$773 / ounce in 2008.
With the proposed restructure, 2008 will become an entirely unhedged production year allowing the Company to take full advantage of the strong gold price environment. The ounces for delivery in 2008 will be rolled forward to 2011 in order to benefit from the forward curve and realize a higher price for those ounces in 2011. Following this adjustment, the additional cash flow generated in 2008 is expected to total US$33 million at a US$850 per ounce gold price. These additional funds will be used to accelerate payment of debt and for general working capital purposes.
Over the past two years, OceanaGold has progressively reduced the influence of its legacy hedge facility through restructuring and the addition of unhedged production from new mines. The Company has no intention of hedging any future gold production and is continuing its strategy to dilute the effect of the remaining hedge book. In addition, OceanaGold continues to examine financially sensible options to eliminate the remaining hedge facility.
About OCEANA GOLD LIMITED
OceanaGold currently operates in the South Island of New Zealand and in the Philippines. The Company's assets encompass New Zealand's largest gold mine at Macraes, a new mine in the Reefton Goldfield also in New Zealand. The Company also has two development projects ongoing, Frasers Underground in New Zealand which will commission in early 2008 and the Didipio Gold-Copper Project in northern Luzon, Philippines scheduled for completion in early 2009. The Company expects to achieve gold production of approximately 500,000 gold equivalent ounces (AuEq) in 2009. OceanaGold is listed on the Toronto, Australian and New Zealand stock exchanges under the symbol "OGC".
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