A total of 16,785 tons of ore containing 20,660 Au eqv oz1 were extracted which is, nevertheless, a 15% improvement over the third quarter of 2009. A total of 81,211 Au eqv oz was extracted over the 2009 year. Cash costs per ton mined for the quarter were adversely impacted by the lower than planned tonnage; however, good progress was still made on reducing the operating costs, and the cash cost per ore ton extracted from underground improved 12% from US$480 in 2008 to US$423 in 2009.