6
Operations with
brownfields exploration
Sold and/or
closed operations
Greenfields
exploration areas
Exploration alliance areas
and offices
Jerritt Canyon
Cripple Creek
& Victor
Big Springs
Alaska
Canada
U.S.A.
Colombia
Peru
Free State
operations
Serra
Grande
AngloGold
Ashanti
Mineração
Navachab
Cerro Vanguardia
Namibia
SA Operations
Great Noligwa
Mponeng
TauTona
Savuka
Kopanang
Tau Lekoa
Moab Khotsong
(in development)
Ergo
South Africa
Zimbabwe
DRC
Freda-Rebecca
Tanzania
Geita
Tanami
Union Reefs
Australia
Boddington
(care and
maintenance)
Sunrise Dam
Philippines
Laos
China
Mongolia
Russia
Guinea
Siguiri
Sadiola
Yatela
Morila
Mali
Bibiani
Iduapriem &
Teberebie South
Obuasi
Ghana
Argentina
Brazil
Business overview
Profile and corporate information
AngloGold Ashanti, headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, is a
global gold company with a portfolio of long-life, relatively low-cost
assets and differing orebody types in key gold producing regions. The
company’s 22 operations are located in 10 countries (Argentina,
Australia, Brazil, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania
and the United States of America), and are supported by extensive
exploration activities. The combined Proved and Probable Ore
Reserves of the group amounted to 79 million ounces as at
31 December 2004.
AngloGold Ashanti is listed on stock exchanges world wide – in
Johannesburg (ANG), New York (AU), Australia (AGG) and Ghana (AGA
and AADS), as well as the London Stock Exchange (AGD), Euronext
Paris (VA) and Euronext Brussels (ANG).
Summary of performance in 2004
The group’s gold production in 2004 rose by 8% to 6.052 million
ounces, following the combination of the AngloGold and Ashanti
operations, and in line with the company’s geographic and orebody
diversification strategy. Output from operations outside South Africa,
principally from low-cost surface and shallow mines, rose by 27% to
2.973 million ounces.
Capital expenditure for the year rose to $585 million. Of this,
$329 million (56%) was for maintenance capital expenditure and
$256 million (44%) for new projects. Adjusted headline earnings
decreased by 7% to $263 million.
The market in 2004
The return of investor interest in gold resulted in a sustained rise in the
gold price during the latter half of 2004. The gold price rose almost
uninterruptedly for three months to early December to $456.75 per
ounce, the highest price in almost 17 years. There was a measure of
correction after the price failed to rise above $460 per ounce, and the
price ended the year at $435 per ounce, up by 6% from the beginning
of 2004. The market has since corrected further to a low of $410 per
ounce, but buying interest has returned and the price rally of the past
three years appears intact.
The driving influence on investor sentiment was the weakening dollar,
particularly against the euro, but also against the Japanese yen. This
has been the case also for the past three and a half years and the
correlation between the rising dollar spot price of gold and the
weakening dollar against the euro reached a remarkable 97% over the
three months to December. While this does not mean that other factors
do not influence the gold market and the price of gold from time to time,
it does underline the primary influence of the health of the US currency
on the gold price in the current market cycle.
In this respect, the gold market differs from the parallel cycle of rising
base metal and commodity prices, which has also been influenced to
some extent by investor buying on the back of a weakening
US currency. However, prices of industrial metals are being driven
mainly by Chinese demand at present. The correlation between the
gold price and the weak dollar is an important one for the year ahead.
With market commentators and analysts uniformly forecasting a
weaker dollar at the end of 2005, these forecasts have translated to a
forecast for higher spot prices of gold as well. Any stabilisation or
recovery in the US currency would have the opposite effect on the gold
price in the current market.
15
ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI ABRIDGED ANNUAL REPORT 2004
Report of the independent auditors
to the members of AngloGold Ashanti Limited
The summarised group financial statements of AngloGold Ashanti Limited set out on pages 16 to 21 have been derived from the annual financial
statements of the group for the year ended 31 December 2004.
We have audited the annual financial statements in accordance with statements of South African Auditing Standards. In our report dated 10 March
2005, we expressed an unqualified opinion on the financial statements from which the summarised annual financial statements were derived.
Audit opinion
In our opinion, the accompanying summarised financial statements are consistent, in all material respects, with the annual financial statements from
which they were derived.
For a better understanding of the scope of our audit and the company’s financial position, the results of its operations and cash flows for the period,
the summarised financial statements should be read in conjunction with our audit report and the annual financial statements from which the
summarised financial statements were derived.
Ernst & Young
Registered Accountants and Auditors
Chartered Accountants (SA)
Johannesburg
10 March 2005