KazakhGold Trading Stmt-Amend

KazakhGold Group Ltd 14 February 2007 The following replaces the announcement issued at 1.29pm (RNS 2591R). The sentence at the end of the first paragraph has been amended. The full amended release appears below. February 14, 2007 TRADING UPDATE FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2006 KAZAKHGOLD PRODUCES 220,000 OUNCES OF GOLD IN FIRST YEAR AS FULLY-LISTED LONDON COMPANY KazakhGold Group Limited (LSE: KZG), one of the leading gold producers in Kazakhstan, reports production of 45,986 ounces in the final quarter of 2006. This brings to 219,853 ounces the total output for the 12 months ended December 31, 2006, the company's first year as a fully-listed London company. 2006 production at Kazakhaltyn, KazakhGold's principal operating subsidiary, has increased 175% on the 80,069 ounces produced in the 12 months ended 31 December 2005. Production at Aksu, Bestobe and Zholymbet, the Group's three principal mines in Northern Kazakhstan, was below expectations in the final quarter of 2006 as a result of an unexpected period of extremely cold weather in November and December which had an adverse impact on the Group's heap leaching operations at Aksu and Bestobe. Stockpiling of ore continued, however. During the year, the company treated 4.68m tonnes of ore at an average grade of 1.92g/t gold of which 1.76m tonnes grading 2.13g/t gold were treated in the CIP plants, 2.86m tonnes grading 1.66g/t gold were heap-leached and 0.061m tonnes grading 7.76g/t gold were processed in the Bestobe flotation plant. The average gold recovery rate was 76%. The Group is continuing technical upgrading work at all the mines, including the overhaul of crushing and milling equipment and upgrading and re-equipping the shafts. This work is being undertaken to enable the Group to optimise production costs. KazakhGold has engaged Altynor and MAED as project managers to advise the Group's internal technical team on the construction of the new CIP plants, which form a major part of the Group's Accelerated Investment Plan. During this process the team will be able to draw on experience gained when constructing the CIP plants commissioned in 2005. In addition, the Group will be evaluating tenders for construction of the proposed plants. The main focus of the programme is to increase the proportion of ore treated by carbon-in-pulp to around 70%. This should result in higher gold recovery, more stable cash flows and substantial reductions in production costs. It will also reduce the seasonal variation in production. At the Kaskabulakskoe gold project in Eastern Kazakhstan, the pilot production plant has been completed and additional crushing and heap leaching capacity is now being added. The project will treat a mixture of open pit ore and stockpiled tailings, with full-scale mining and stacking on the leach pads expected to begin in May 2007. No gold was produced during the fourth quarter of 2006. The Group has now paid the balance of the US$3.5m purchase price for its joint acquisition with Oxus Gold of the assets of a Romanian gold project. The agreement between the two Groups for the formation of a 50:50 joint venture, Romaltyn, is expected to be signed shortly. Wardell Armstrong International (WAI) has continued its programme of re-classifying certain ore reserves and resources at KazakhGold's three main operating gold mines to JORC standard. The first results of this work are expected by the end of the first quarter 2007. China Gold has now established a local Kazakh company whose services have been sub-contracted by Kazakhaltyn to carry out underground development at the Bestobe mine. Conference Call Mr Aidar Assaubayev, Deputy Chief Executive of KazakhGold, will discuss the company's Trading Update and answer questions via a conference call facility arranged for 9.30am London time on February 15, 2007 Those wishing to participate should telephone: 00 +44 (0)20 7162 9961 Password: KazakhGold A remote replay facility will be available from February 15 to midnight February 17 Please call: 00+44 (0)20 7031 4064 Access Code: 738980 Further Information: Ron Marshman/John Greenhalgh City of London PR Limited Tel: 00 +44 (0)20 7628 5518 Production Summary for 12 months ended December 31, 2006. Mining Ore Mined Grade Gold Content Aksu 2.247m tonnes 1.66g/t 119,773 ounces Bestobe 1.302m tonnes 2.09g/t 87,604 ounces Zholymbet 685,964 tonnes 2.35g/t 51,795 ounces Totals 4.23m tonnes 1.90g/t 259,172 ounces Processing Ore Treated Grade Gold Produced CIP Plants 1.76m tonnes 2.13g/t 95,335 ounces Flotation 60,616 tonnes 7.76g/t 15,443 ounces Heap Leach 2.86m tonnes 1.66g/t 109,075 ounces Totals 4.68m tonnes 1.92g/t 219,853* ounces *Total production includes a small amount of gold recovered from quartz ore and other sources This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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