Australia's biggest gold producer, Newcrest Mining, has reported a 20 per cent drop in quarterly gold production compared with the previous December quarter.
The company blamed a ground slip at its flagship Cadia Valley mine in central western NSW in November, and bad weather at Lihir in Papua New Guinea.
Gold production in the three months to December 31 of 579,073 ounces was a 3 per cent improvement from 587,296 ounces in the September quarter.
Copper production in the latest December quarter, of 18,171 tonnes, was down from 19,228 in the September quarter.
Cash costs in the latest quarter were up 2 per cent to A$606 per ounce.
