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Goldcorp’s focused business approach offers shareholders an exciting investment opportunity. Our low-cash costs, organic growth opportunities and continued focus on low political risk jurisdictions along with our commitment to remain unhedged on gold allow us to participate fully in the current strong market for gold and provide our investors
the opportunity for outperformance versus gold bullion or the Exchange Traded Funds.
Goldcorp’s production is forecast to increase 50% over the next five years, growing from
2.3 to 3.5 million ounces of gold. This growth program is based upon completion of projects already in development and improvements at existing mines.
Our strategy for further growth is through focused exploration, development of existing projects in our portfolio and accretive acquisitions. We will invest $95 million in exploration programs in 2009, driving future growth through organic success.
In 2008, initial resources were calculated for two new projects, the Noche Buena deposit in Mexico – the first regional success at Peñasquito – and the Escobal deposit, a significant grassroots silver-gold discovery in Guatemala.
In 2008, Goldcorp produced a record 2.3 million ounces of gold at a total cash cost of $305/oz, the lowest cost among the senior gold producers. We are in an enviable position within the industry and continue to focus on cost-containment principles. Each operation is encouraged to evaluate the most efficient and optimal ways to maximize production output.
Our already low cash costs are expected to decrease over the course of our five-year plan as new, low-cost mines are brought into production.
With a string of acquisitions since 2005, our focus has been on maintaining geographic simplicity in politically stable countries throughout the Americas. Over 70% of our reserves are in low-risk NAFTA countries, securing our position as an industry leader in the Americas and the number-one gold producer in Canada.
Our gold production is and will remain 100% unhedged, allowing shareholders to take full advantage of rising gold prices.
Through successful management and conservative business planning, we ended the year with the strongest balance sheet in the gold mining industry, with
no Goldcorp debt, a $260 million cash balance and an undrawn $1.5 billion credit facility. Operating cash flows before working capital changes increased 8% to $933.2 million, or $1.31 per share, from $864.7 million, or $1.23 per share, in 2007.
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