Gold Fields (JSE, NYSE: GFI) witnessed a dip in its shares on Friday following the announcement of a postponed initial gold yield and escalated costs at its Salares Norte endeavor in Chile.

Despite earlier affirmations in August regarding the project’s adherence to its launch timeline set for the outset of the fourth quarter this year, the firm has now deferred it to the quarter’s end.

Subsequently, there has been a surge in the total capital projection for the project by $20 million, soaring past $1 billion, necessitating a downward adjustment of the production objectives.

Consequently, the Johannesburg trading day saw the company’s shares plummeting by a significant 6%, stabilizing at a 3% drop, approximating to ZAC 22,964 (nearly $3 each) towards the close. Similarly, in the New York pre-market scenario, the shares decreased by nearly 4%, reaching $11.91.

The delay is ascribed to the pending commissioning of specific plant elements by the equipment fabricator, coupled with the hurdles encountered while finalizing the vendor’s delegates.

An anticipation set by Gold Fields highlights a potential production of 1,000 gold-equivalent ounces in 2023, assuming the inaugural gold production commences on December 1. This estimate is substantially less than the formerly predicted range of 15,000-20,000 ounces.

Furthermore, the delay will influence the 2024 production guidance apex to dwindle to a bracket of 400,000-430,000 ounces, a decrease from the initial 500,000 ounces. A potential further deferment to the end of December may see 2024’s output standing at 350,000 ounces, as per the company’s statements.

Nonetheless, the projections for 2025 and 2026 remain static at 600,000 gold-equivalent ounces, with the company foreseeing a consistent production phase ushering in by early 2025.

Salares Norte: A Critical Venture

The inauguration of Salares Norte, nearing a 97% completion, is pivotal to Gold Fields’ aspiration to augment production to roughly 2.8 million ounces by 2025, a significant leap from the existing 2.3 million ounces.

Since the onset of construction in 2021, the venture has navigated through distinctive challenges including the secure relocation of a small population of critically endangered chinchillas residing in the area.

Strategically important, the upcoming Chilean mine signifies a crucial facet of Gold Fields’ ambition to broaden its footprint in the Americas, supplementing its existing mine in Peru and the collaborative development of the Windfall gold mining project in Quebec, Canada with Osisko Mining.

Gold Fields remains committed to advancing a blueprint aimed at boosting its mining efficacy while moderating costs in the face of sustained inflationary trends.