27
Gold Fields 2018 RESULTS
HEDGING/DERIVATIVES (REVIEWED)
The Group’s policy is to remain unhedged to the gold price. However, hedges are sometimes undertaken as follows:
· to protect cash flows at times of significant expenditure;
· for specific debt servicing requirements; and
· to safeguard the viability of higher cost operations.
Gold Fields may from time to time establish currency financial instruments to protect underlying cash flows.
Derivative instruments*
Ghana – Oil hedge
In May 2017 and June 2017 fixed price ICE Gasoil cash settled swap transactions were entered into for a total of 125.8 million litres of diesel for the period
June 2017 to December 2019. The average swap price is US$457 per metric tonne (equivalent to US$61.4 per barrel). At the time of the transactions, the
average Brent swap equivalent over the tenor was US$49.80 per barrel.
At the reporting date, the mark to market value on the hedge was positive US$3.0 million with a realised gain of US$7.5 million.
Ghana – Gold hedge
In January 2018 and April 2018, a total of 488,900 ounces of the expected production for the Ghanaian region was hedged for the period January 2018 to
December 2018 using zero-cost collars. The average strike prices are US$1,300 per ounce on the floor and US$1,418 per ounce on the cap.
At the reporting date, the mark to market value on the hedge was positive US$2.4 million with a realised gain of US$19.6 million.
Australia – Oil hedge
In May 2017 and June 2017 fixed price Singapore 10ppm Gasoil cash settled swap transactions were entered into, for a total of 77.5 million litres of diesel
for the period June 2017 to December 2019. The average swap price is US$61.15 per barrel. At the time of the transactions, the average Brent swap
equivalent over the tenor was US$49.92 per barrel.
At the reporting date, the mark to market value on the hedge was positive A$2.5 million (US$1.7 million) with a realised gain of A$6.2 million (US$4.6 million).
Australia – Gold hedge
In February 2018, Asian swaps
#
were entered into for the period June 2018 to December 2018 for a total of 221,000 ounces of gold. The average strike price
on the swaps was A$1,714 per ounce.
In March 2018, zero cost collars were entered into for the period April 2018 to December 2018 for a total of 452,800 ounces of gold. The average strike
prices are A$1,703 per ounce on the floor and US$1,767 per ounce on the cap.
The realised gain on the above Asian swaps and zero cost collars was A$11.3 million (US$8.4 million).
In December 2018, additional Asian swaps were entered into for the period January 2019 to December 2019 for a notional 283,000 ounces of gold at an
average strike price of A$1,751 per ounce.
At the reporting date, the mark to market value on the above hedges was negative A$11.9 million (US$8.4 million).
In December 2018, additional zero cost collars were executed for the period January 2019 to December 2019 for a notional 173,000 ounces of gold with a
strike price on the floor at A$1,720 per ounce and the strike price on the cap at A$1,789 per ounce.
At the reporting date, the mark to market value on the hedge was negative A$5.5 million (US$3.9 million).
Subsequent to year end, additional zero cost collars were executed for the period January 2019 to December 2019 for a notional 456,000 ounces of gold
with a strike price on the floor at A$1,800 per ounce and the strike price on the cap at A$1,869 per ounce.
In summary, the zero cost collars taken out for Australia for 2019 are for 629,000 ounces of gold in total with a strike price on the floor at A$1,778
per ounce and a strike price on the cap at A$1,847 per ounce and Asian swaps of 283,000 ounces of gold with an average strike price of A$1,751
per ounce.
Australia – Foreign exchange hedge
In May 2018, AUD/USD average rate forwards were entered into for a total notional US$96 million for the period January 2019 to December 2019 at an
average strike price of 0.7517.
In June 2018, further hedges were taken out for a total notional US$60 million for the same period as above (January 2019 to December 2019) at an average
strike of 0.7330.
In September 2018, further hedges were taken out for a total notional US$100 million for the same period as above (January 2019 to December 2019) at an
average strike of 0.7182.
In October 2018, further hedges were taken out for the period January 2019 to December 2019 for a notional US$60 million at an average strike of 0.7075.
In December 2018, further hedges were taken out for the period January 2019 to December 2019 for a notional US$50 million at an average strike of 0.715.
At the reporting date, the mark to market value on the hedge was negative A$12.3 million (US$8.7 million).
South Africa – Gold hedge
In November 2017, a zero cost collar was entered into for the period January 2018 to December 2018 for 63,996 ounces of gold. The strike prices were
R600,000 per kilogram on the floor and R665,621 per kilogram on the cap.
At the reporting date, the mark to market value on the hedge was positive R5.3 million (US$0.4 million) with a realised gain of R117.2 million (US$8.9 million).
In October 2018 and November 2018, average rate forwards were entered into for the period September 2019 to December 2019 for a total of 69,543
ounces at an average strike price of R615,103 per kilogram.
At the reporting date, the mark to market value was negative R28.6 million (US$2.0 million).
Subsequent to year end, additional rate forwards were taken out for a further 30,072 ounces at an average strike price of R620,000 per kilogram.
In summary, the rate forwards taken out for South Deep for 2019 are for 99,615 ounces of gold in total at an average strike price of R616,581 per
kilogram.
Peru – Copper hedge
In November 2017, zero-cost collars were entered into for the period January 2018 to December 2018. A total volume of 29,400 tonnes was hedged, at an
average floor price of US$6,600 per tonne and an average cap price of US$7,431 per tonne.
At the reporting date the mark to market value on the hedges was positive US$1.2 million, with a realised gain of US$4.8 million.
* Do not qualify for hedge accounting and are accounted for as derivative financial instruments in the income statement.
#
Asian swap is an option where the payoff is determined by the average monthly gold price over the option period.
All these derivative financial instruments are measured at fair value using available market contract values for each trading date’s settlement volume (Level 2).