By Adria Calatayud

Gold Fields Ltd. said Thursday that its guidance for 2021 remains unchanged and that first-quarter production was largely flat on year.

The South African mining company said attributable equivalent gold production for the first three months of the year was 541,000 ounces. This compares with attributable equivalent gold production of 593,000 ounces in the previous quarter and 537,000 ounces a year earlier.

The company said group production remains on track to meet guidance given in February, when it said it expected attributable equivalent gold production for the year of between 2.3 million and 2.35 million ounces.

Gold Fields said two mines--South Deep in South Africa and Cerro Corona in Peru--were hit by Covid-19 during the first quarter, and production from those operations is expected to be lower as a result. However, the higher price of copper has offset this impact on a gold-equivalent ounce basis, and guidance remains unchanged, the company said.

Write to Adria Calatayud at adria.calatayud@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

05-06-21 0239ET