AngloGold Ashanti

Last updated

AngloGold Ashanti Limited
Company typePublic company
JSE: ANG
NYSE:  AU
IndustryMining
Founded2004;20 years ago (2004)
(by merger with Henderson Group)
Headquarters,
South Africa
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Maria Ramos
(chairman of the board)
Christine Ramon
(Interim CEO)
ProductsGold
Silver
Uranium oxide
RevenueIncrease2.svg US$4.400 billion (2020)
Increase2.svg US$1.918 billion (2020)
Increase2.svg US$1.000 billion (2020)
Total assets Increase2.svg US$9.532 billion (2020)
Total equity Increase2.svg US$4.989 billion (2020)
Number of employees
70,000 – June 2020
Website www.anglogoldashanti.com

AngloGold Ashanti Limited is an independent and global gold mining company with a diverse high-quality portfolio of cooperation, projects and exploration activities formed in 2004 by the merger of AngloGold and the Ashanti Goldfields Corporation. [1] As of 2022, it was a global gold producer with 21 operations on four continents, listed on the New York, Johannesburg, Accra, London and Australian stock exchanges, as well as the Paris and Brussels bourses, [2] [3] but left the Johannesburg exchange in 2023. As of May 2023, it was the world’s fourth-largest gold miner with assets in Ghana, Australia, the US and Argentina.

Contents

In 2019, the company was claimed to be the 'most sophisticated and technologically advanced' mining operations with strict adherence to safety regulations. [4] [5] [6]

AngloGold Ashanti has a history of gross human rights violations and causing grave environmental problems for which it won one of the Public Eye Awards.

History

AngloGold Ashanti was formed on 26 April 2004, after the High Court of Ghana approved the merger of AngloGold and the Ashanti Goldfields Corporation three days earlier. [7] AngloGold had been a gold mining company based in South Africa, majority-owned by the Anglo American group. This came almost a year after the merger was announced on 16 May 2003. In the transaction, Ashanti shareholders received 0.29 ordinary shares of AngloGold for every Ashanti share. [8]

The new company sold its Union Reef Gold Mine in the Northern Territory of Australia in August 2004, followed by the sale of the Freda-Rebecca Gold Mine in Zimbabwe a month later. [8]

In late 2007, Mark Cutifani replaced Bobby Godsell as CEO of AngloGold Ashanti, being appointed a director of the company on 17 September 2007 and as CEO on 1 October that year. [9]

Alberto Calderon, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of AngloGold Ashanti. Appointed on ( September 1 2021-) [10] [11]

In 2008, AngloGold produced 4.98 million ounces of gold from its operations, estimated to be seven percent of the global production. In 2009, the company's gold output dropped to 4.6 million ounces. [12]

As of early 2008, the company had hedged 11.3 million ounces of gold, under previous CEO Bobby Godsell. [13]

In January 2009, AngloGold Ashanti sold its 33% stake in the Boddington Gold Mine in Australia to Newmont Mining for US$1.0 billion. [14]

In February 2009, the company's Tau Lekoa Gold Mine in South Africa was sold to Buffelsfontein Gold Mines Limited with ownership being transferred on 1 August 2010. [15]

In May 2010, Russell Edey, chairman of AngloGold since 2002 and, after the merger also of AngloGold Ashanti, was replaced by Tito Mboweni. [16]

In October 2010, the company announced the elimination of the last of its hedge book. Under its new CEO, it gradually reduced the hedge to 3.22 million. In October 2010, this remaining amount was paid off with US$2.63 billion, or US$1,300 per ounce of gold. [13]

In 2011, AngloGold Ashanti moved into Eritrea to explore the Arabian-Nubian Shield for gold through a 50/50 joint venture set up in 2009 with Thani Dubai Mining. [17]

As of the third quarter of 2014, Anglogold was the world's third-largest producer of gold, behind Barrick Gold and Newmont Mining. [18]

As of 2019, the company was claimed to be the 'most sophisticated and technologically advanced' mining operations with strict adherence to safety regulations. [4]

In 2020, it sold its last South African mining assets to Harmony Gold for about R4.4 billion. It no longer has any operations left in South Africa but remains listed on the JSE. [19]

On 1 September 2020, Chief Financial Officer Christine Ramon became interim CEO following the resignation of Kelvin Dushnisky. [20] There has been speculation that Dushnisky stepped down after shareholders questioned a bonus payment he received from his prior employer Barrick Gold while also taking a signing bonus from AngloGold Ashanti when he was appointed CEO in 2018. [21]

As of May 2023, AngloGold Ashanti was the world’s fourth-largest gold miner with assets in Ghana, Australia, the US and Argentina. [22]

AngloGold Ashanti is a signatory participant of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights.[ citation needed ]

Criticism

In August 2008 British charity War on Want published a report accusing Anglo American (who at the time owned 17% of AngloGold Ashanti) of profiting from the abuse of people in the developing countries in which the company operates. [23] The company disclosed itself in 2006 or in 2008 for unacceptable safety performance in its platinum mines. Safety measures were taken. [24] Additionally, in 2005 the staff of the AGA exploration team in Ituri made a US$8,000 payment to the FNI, which had been accused of committing various humans rights abuses. [25]

In January 2011, AngloGold Ashanti was awarded the Public Eye Global Award at the Public Eye Awards hosted with Greenpeace in Davos, Switzerland by the Erklärung von Bern, known in English as the Berne Convention. [26] The award has been interpreted as being for the "most irresponsible company". [27] The nominating organisation, WACAM (Wassa Association of Communities Affected by Mining), said the company had a history of "gross human rights violations and environmental problems."

Colombia's Truth Commission found AngloGold Ashanti responsible for financing paramilitary groups that murdered peasants and community leaders. The same company has been accused of destroying water sources and forcibly displacing thousands of people in the Cauca region. [28]

Key figures

Financial

Financial figures for the company: [12] [8]

20042005200620072008 [12] 2009 [12] 2010 [29] 2011 [30] 2012 [31]
Revenue (US$ million)3,1133,7433,961
Gold income (US$ million)2,3932,6463,0023,6193,7685,3346,5706,353
Gross loss/profit (US$ million)109277−248594−5781,0822,6232,256
Dividends per share (US$ cents)563662191117204936
Total cash cost (US$/ounce)264281308357444514638728862
Total production cost (US$/ounce)3323744144765676468169501,078
Employees 65,40063,99361,45361,52262,89563,36462,04661,24265,822


Gold production, 2004-2012

Gold production figures for the company's mines since 2004 in ounces per annum were

MineCountry2004 [8] 2005 [8] 2006 [32] 2007 [12] 2008 [12] 2009 [12] 2010 [29] 2011 [30] 2012 [31]
Bibiani 1Ghana105,000115,00037,000------------
Brasil Mineração Brazil240,000250,000242,000317,000320,000329,000
Cerro Vanguardia (92.5%)Argentina211,000211,000215,000204,000154,000192,000
Freda-Rebecca 3Zimbabwe9,000------------------
Geita Tanzania570,000613,000308,000327,000264,000272,000
Great Noligwa South Africa795,000693,000615,000483,000330,000158,000
Iduapriem Ghana125,000174,000167,000167,000200,000190,000
Kopanang South Africa486,000482,000446,000418,000362,000336,000
Moab Khotsong 2South Africa------44,00067,000192,000247,000
Morila (40%)Mali204,000262,000207,000180,000170,000137,000
Mponeng South Africa438,000512,000596,000587,000600,000520,000
Navachab Namibia67,00081,00086,00080,00068,00065,000
Obuasi Ghana255,000391,000387,000360,000357,000381,000
Sadiola (41%)Mali174,000168,000190,000140,000172,000135,000
Savuka South Africa158,000126,00089,00073,00066,00030,000
Serra Grande (50%)Brazil94,00096,00097,00091,00087,00077,000
Siguiri (85%)Guinea83,000246,000256,000280,000333,000316,000
Sunrise Dam Australia410,000455,000465,000600,000433,000401,000
Tau Lekoa 4South Africa293,000265,000176,000165,000143,000124,000
TauTona South Africa568,000502,000474,000409,000314,000218,000
Surface Operations South Africa119,00095,000113,000125,00092,000164,000
Yatela (40%)Mali97,00098,000141,000120,00066,00089,000
Overall [33] World5,816,0006,166,0005,635,0005,480,0004,982,0004,599,000

Carbon footprint

AngloGold Ashanti reported Total CO2e emissions (Direct + Indirect) for 31 December 2019 at 2,570 Kt (-1/ y-o-y). [34]

AngloGold Ashanti's Total CO2e emissions (Direct + Indirect) (in kilotonnes)
Dec 2016Dec 2018Dec 2019
4,062 [35] 2,571 [36] 2,570 [34]

Fatalities

Fatalities in the South African gold mining industry, especially the underground mines, are common. As of 2009, 100 to 120 were reported every year. This did represent an improvement since 2007: AngloGold Ashanti has reduced the number of fatalities in its operations by 70%. One of the main reasons for this development was a program led by CEO Mark Cutifani aimed at reducing the company's number of fatalities to zero by 2015. [37] Of the 16 fatalities experienced by the company in 2009, 13 were in South Africa (2007: 27 of 34, 2008: 11 of 14). [12] Statistics company fatalities since 2004 founding:

YearNumberChange
2004 [8] 31new company
2005 [8] 256% Decrease Positive.svg
2006 [32] 3748% Increase Negative.svg
2007 [38] 348% Decrease Positive.svg
2008 [12] 1457% Decrease Positive.svg
2009 [12] 1614% Increase Negative.svg
2010 [29] 1516% Decrease Positive.svg
2011 [30] 15
2012 [31] 1814% Increase Negative.svg

See also

Related Research Articles

Newmont Corporation is an American gold mining company based in Greenwood Village, Colorado. It is the world's largest gold mining corporation. Incorporated in 1921, it owns gold mines in Nevada, Colorado, Ontario, Quebec, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Australia, Ghana, Argentina, Peru, and Suriname. In addition to gold, Newmont mines copper, silver, zinc and lead.

The Ashanti Goldfields Corporation is a gold mining company based in Ghana that was founded by Joseph Ellis and Joseph Biney both from Cape Coast. The Ashanti Mine, located at Obuasi, 56 km south of Kumasi, has been producing since 1897. During the turn of the century 1900, the Ashanti Goldfields Corporation was among the most important gold mining companies listed at the London Stock Exchange. The mine is sited on one of the world's major gold deposits and is one of the ten largest in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newcrest Mining</span> Australian-based mining company

Newcrest Mining Limited is an Australian-based corporation which engages in the exploration, development, mining and sale of gold and the froth flotation product, gold-copper concentrate. It is Australia's leading gold mining company and its operations have expanded beyond Australia, for example Indonesia, thus becoming a prominent international mining corporation. Newmont initially started the company as a subsidiary in 1966. The subsidiary became Newmont Holdings Pvt Ltd in 1980 and in 1990 acquired 100 per cent of Australmin Holdings Limited taking the current name.

Morro Velho, also called AngloGold Ashanti Brasil Mineração, after its current owner AngloGold Ashanti, is a complex of gold mines located near the city of Nova Lima in the Minas Gerais state of Brazil.

Samuel Esson Jonah is a Ghanaian businessman and the current chancellor of the University of Cape Coast. He is the executive chairman of Jonah Capital, an equity fund based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Jonah was previously president of AngloGold Ashanti and shared the strategic leadership of the company with its CEO, Bobby Godsell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mining industry of Ghana</span>

The Mining industry of Ghana accounts for 5% of the country's GDP and minerals make up 37% of total exports. Gold contributes over 90% of the total mineral exports. Thus, the main focus of Ghana's mining and minerals development industry remains focused on gold. Ghana is Africa's largest gold producer, producing 80.5 t in 2008. Ghana is also a major producer of bauxite, manganese and diamonds. Ghana has 20 large-scale mining companies producing gold, diamonds, bauxite and manganese; over 300 registered small scale mining groups; and 90 mine support service companies. Other mineral commodities produced in the country are natural gas, petroleum, salt, and silver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunrise Dam Gold Mine</span> Gold mine in Western Australia

The Sunrise Dam Gold Mine is located 55 km south of Laverton, Western Australia, on the eastern margin of Lake Carey. It is fully owned by AngloGold Ashanti and comprises a large-scale mechanized underground mine with a conventional gravity and leach process plant. In 2015 the mine accounted for 5% of the company's production.

The Telfer Mine is a gold, copper and silver mine located at Telfer on the land of the Martu people, in the Great Sandy Desert of Western Australia. It is owned by Newmont, having acquired the previous owner, Newcrest Mining, formerly the largest gold producer listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, in November 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boddington gold mine</span> Gold and copper mine in Western Australia

The Boddington gold mine is a gold and copper mine located 13 km (8.1 mi) northwest of Boddington, Western Australia.

There are different methods by which gold mining companies are ranked. One is by their annual production. Another is by their cash cost per ounce, that is, how much money it costs them to mine the gold. Since gold prices are the same everywhere, companies with lower costs per ounce make more profit. The most common method lists by market capitalization which considers the total value of capital holdings by that company. Also considered when comparing companies is their market capitalization per ounce of gold equivalent which takes the market value and total reserves and resources for each company as well as the price of gold into consideration. The figures for each company can be used to determine the value the stock market gives to each company's reserves on an ounce to ounce basis.

The Obuasi Gold Mine is an underground gold mine situated near Obuasi, in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. It was at one time one of the world's ten largest gold mines. The mine is in Obuasi Municipal District, 60 kilometres (37 mi) southwest of the regional capital Kumasi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geita Gold Mine</span> Open pit gold mine in Tanzania

The Geita Gold Mine is an open pit gold mine located in the Geita District of the Geita Region of Tanzania. It is operated by AngloGold Ashanti.

The Tropicana Gold Mine is located 330 km northeast of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. Since 2002, it has been jointly owned by AngloGold Ashanti and Regis Resources (30%).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Normandy Mining</span> Former Australian gold mining company

Normandy Mining was an Australian mining company which predominantly mined gold. Normandy was, during much of the late 20th century, Australia's largest gold miner.

The Serra Grande Gold Mine is a gold mine located 5 km from Crixás, in the Goiás state of Brazil. It is jointly owned by AngloGold Ashanti and Kinross Gold Corporation, who are equal partners. The mine is operated by AngloGold Ashanti but revenue is spread evenly between the two companies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mine</span>

The Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mine, formerly and historically the Cresson Mine, is an active gold mine located near the town of Victor, in the Cripple Creek mining district in the US state of Colorado. The richest gold mine in Colorado history, it is the only remaining significant producer of gold in the state, and produced 322,000 troy ounces of gold in 2019, and reported 3.45 million troy ounces of Proven and Probable Reserves as at December 31, 2019. It was owned and operated by AngloGold Ashanti through its subsidiary, the Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Company (CC&V), until 2015, when it sold the mine to Newmont Mining Corporation.

The Cerro Vanguardia Mine is a gold and silver mine located 150 km north west of Puerto San Julián, in the Santa Cruz province of Argentina. It is majority-owned and operated by AngloGold Ashanti, which holds a 92.5% interest in the mine. The remaining 7.5% are owned by Formicruz, a company owned by the province of Santa Cruz.

The Iduapriem Gold Mine is an open-pit gold mine situated 10 km south of Tarkwa, in the Western Region of Ghana. The mine is owned by AngloGold Ashanti and consists of the Iduapriem and the Teberebie operation, which were merged in 2000. AngloGold Ashanti originally only owned 85% of the mine but acquired the remaining 15% in September 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Godsell</span> South African businessman

Robert Michael "Bobby" Godsell is a retired South African businessman and the former CEO of South African gold mining company AngloGold Ashanti, a position he held from 1998 to 2007. He was the Non-Executive Chairman of Eskom from 2008 to 2009 and was appointed to the National Planning Commission of South Africa by former South African President Jacob Zuma on 30 April 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kubi gold mine</span> Inactive gold mine in Ghana

The Kubi gold mine is an abandoned open pit mine located 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) northeast of Dunkwa-on-Offin and 22 kilometres (14 mi) south of Obuasi, in Central Region, southern Ghana. It is 180 kilometres (110 mi) northwest of the national capital, Accra.

References

  1. "AngloGold Ashanti". AngloGold Ashanti. 25 September 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  2. Amoh, Emmanuel Kwame (23 January 2022). "Maxam's suspension will affect mining in Ghana - AGA Snr Manager". 3NEWS. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  3. "AngloGold Ashanti Ltd". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Two of three trapped miners in AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi mine found - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  5. "Vision, mission, values". AngloGold Ashanti. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  6. "Our business model". 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  7. Completion of merger of Anglogold Limited/Ashanti Goldfields Archived 16 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine AngloGold Ashanti ASX announcement, published: 27 April 2004, accessed: 10 July 2010
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Annual Report 2005 Archived 19 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine AngloGold Ashanti website, accessed: 11 July 2010
  9. Our executive team Archived 29 August 2010 at the Wayback Machine AngloGold Ashanti website, accessed: 9 July 2010
  10. "Leadership". AngloGold Ashanti. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  11. "AngloGold Ashanti Board Appoints Alberto Calderon as CEO". miningdigital.com. 24 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Annual Report 2009 Archived 12 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine AngloGold Ashanti website, accessed: 9 May 2010
  13. 1 2 AngloGold Ashanti eliminates hedge book, gains full exposure to gold Archived 4 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine AGA website, published: 7 October 2010, accessed: 8 October 2010
  14. Newmont's $1.4bn stake in soon-to-start Boddington mine The Australian , published: 29 January 2009, accessed: 14 July 2010
  15. Tau Lekoa – finalisation of sale Archived 28 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine AngloGold Ashanti website, published: 21 July 2010, accessed: 27 July 2010
  16. Chairman’s letter Archived 5 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine AngloGold Ashanti website, accessed: 10 July 2010
  17. "AngloGold moves into Eritrea". 12 May 2011. Archived from the original on 1 December 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  18. Simon Walker, "Gold: new fundamentals, Engineering & Mining Journal, Feb. 2015, v.216 n.2 p.34
  19. Seccombe, Allan (12 February 2020). "End of an era as AngloGold exits SA". BL Premium. Business Day. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  20. "AngloGold Ashanti CEO Dushnisky steps down after two years in the role". Reuters. 30 July 2020.
  21. Njini, Felix; Prinsloo, Loni; Biesheuvel, Thomas (31 July 2020). "World's No. 3 Gold Miner CEO to Leave After Fund Pressure". Bloomberg.
  22. "EDITORIAL: AngloGold Ashanti exit hits hard". BusinessLIVE. 18 May 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  23. "Anglo American: The Alternative Report". Archived from the original on 4 August 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  24. "#7 Cynthia Carroll - Forbes.com". www.forbes.com. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  25. Kapelus, Paul; Hamann, Ralph; O'Keefe, Edward (May 2005). "Doing business with integrity: the experience of AngloGold Ashanti in the Democratic Republic of Congo *". International Social Science Journal. 57 (published 3 June 2009): 119–130. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2451.2009.00711.x.
  26. Eye, Public. "Neste Oil and AngloGold in the Public Eye Pillory in Davos – Public Eye". www.publiceye.ch. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  27. The Enquirer (30 January 2011). "AngloGold Is World's Most Evil Company". ghanaweb.com. Ghana Web. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  28. https://cambiocolombia.com/poder/la-minera-que-amenaza-con-tragarse-jerico
  29. 1 2 3 "Annual Financial Statements 2010" (PDF). AngloGold Ashanti. Retrieved 31 August 2013.[ permanent dead link ]
  30. 1 2 3 Annual Report 2011 Archived 4 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine AngloGold Ashanti website, accessed: 30 dec '12
  31. 1 2 3 "Annual Financial Statements 2012" (PDF). AngloGold Ashanti. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 March 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  32. 1 2 Annual Report 2006 Archived 7 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine AngloGold Ashanti website, accessed: 11 July 2010
  33. Five-year summaries Archived 12 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine AngloGold website, accessed: 10 July 2010
  34. 1 2 "AngloGold Ashanti's Sustainability Report for 2020Q4". Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Alt URL
  35. "AngloGold Ashanti's Sustainability Report for 2020Q4". Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Alt URL
  36. "AngloGold Ashanti's Sustainability Report for 2020Q4". Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Alt URL
  37. AngloGold wants zero mine deaths by 2015 The Sydney Morning Herald , published: 29 March 2010, accessed: 9 July 2010
  38. Annual Report 2007 Archived 7 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine AngloGold Ashanti website, accessed: 13 July 2010

Sources