Oceana yesterday announced guidance for the calendar year, forecasting production in a range of 500,000-550,000oz of gold and up to 15,000 tonnes of copper, at an all-in sustaining cost of $US850 to $US900 an ounce.
Last year, Oceana's four mines produced 533,300oz of gold, 15,000 tonnes of copper at an all-in sustaining cost of $US767 an ounce.
Chief executive Mick Wilkes predicted another ''strong year of production and development'' to invest in the company's growth.
''Both Didipio and Macraes are again expecting strong production in 2019, and Waihi will have lower production as currently permitted mine reserves are depleted,'' he said in a market update yesterday.
Mr Wilkes said Haile was expected to have higher production during 2019 supported by more ore being processed.
Across all its four mines, Oceana would inject $US235 million to $US280 million in operating expenses, pre-stripping of top soils, mining, exploration and growth.
At Macraes this year, Mr Wilkes expects production to decrease from last year due to processing a higher proportion of lower grade ore from the Coronation and Frasers pits.
That would be partially offset by higher grades from Coronation North and Frasers underground operations at Macraes, he said.
''The company is currently reviewing its long-term mine plans while conducting project studies and investing in exploration, with the objective of extending the mine life at Macraes,'' he said.
Investments in sustaining capital including the costs pre-stripping and underground capitalised mining were similar to previous years at Macraes, Mr Wilkes said.
Exploration costs during 2019 at Macraes are forecast at between $US7 million to $US10 million in exploration associated with potential mine life extensions, along the 32km Hyde-Macraes shear zone, including Golden Point.
Golden Point forms the basis for a potential stand-alone underground mining operation, Mr Wilkes said.
At Waihi, the company would invest $US10 million to $US12 million on continued drilling of the Martha underground targets, with an expectation of ''significantly increasing'' the estimated gold resource base at Waihi.
Oceana had also allocated $US8 million to $US10 million for drilling at the prospect WKP and other regional targets, north of Waihi, Mr Wilkes said.
At Haile in South Carolina this year, Mr Wilkes said the company would invest between $US55 million and $US60 million on the mine expansion project, ultimately to achieve throughput rates of 3.5 million to 4 million tonnes of ore per year.
At Didipio, in the northern Philippines, production is expected to be slightly higher from last year with continued ramp-up of underground operations, which should deliver slightly better gold grades in the second half of the year, Mr Wilkes said.
