Oceana at times has more than 900 jobs spread across its operations, including more than 600 at Macraes in East Otago.
The company is still investigating whether to begin a second, separate underground mine at Macraes, following its first Frasers underground mine which has long boosted gold grades from the less productive grades coming from the open pit operations.
Gold production was 33,300oz higher than the minimum forecast.
Of its four mines, the 29-year-old Macraes mine was again responsible for the lion's share of the 533,300oz, delivering 203,000oz. At present, it has a formal mine life until 2021.
Oceana's chief executive, Mick Wilkes, said the company had ''another solid year of operational and financial performance'', and this year expected to again generate good cash flow and consistent, strong returns.
During the last quarter of the year, the company had continued to investigate the opportunity to mine a standalone underground operation at Golden Point at Macraes, plus other initiatives to increase the mine life, at the current gold price.
''We're well on the way to deliver mine-life extensions at our New Zealand operations while expanding production at Haile [South Carolina],'' Mr Wilkes said.
Yesterday's ASX update was unaudited. Oceana's full financial and operational results are scheduled for release next month.
Just before the end of last year, Mr Wilkes said Oceana had received a preliminary approval for starting mining activities at Martha underground, and stage four of the historic Martha open pit, which has been closed following a 2015 slip.
Consent to go underground, including beneath residential areas of the Waihi township, meant a 10-year mine-life extension. The mine has up to 350 staff
and contractors.
Mr Wilkes said at Haile, in South Carolina, there had been multiple major storm events and sustained rainfall which hampered mining activities and access to higher grade areas, resulting in processing of lower-grade ore.
At Oceana's Didipio mine, on the northern Philippine island of Luzon, underground operations were being increased and the development of area ''panel 2'' continued to ''advance well'', with expectations the underground mining rates this year would be double the 2018 rate.
