News: NCM UPDATE 1-Newcrest Mining underlying profit rises, boosted by higher realised gold prices

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Feb 13 (Reuters) - Australia's Newcrest Mining Ltd (NCM) posted an 18% rise in underlying half-year profit, getting a boost from higher realised gold prices and a weaker Australian dollar.

Realised gold prices for the six months ended Dec. 31 was$1,446 per ounce, higher than $1,228 a year ago, the company said in a statement.

The rise in underlying profit was despite a drop in gold production for the half-year by 11.7% to about 1.1 million ounces.

Last month, Newcrest said production at Cadia could be hit this year if a drought continues in New South Wales state, while the bushfires that have scorched Australia have damaged train lines and associated infrastructure, delaying shipments.

This comes after a $685 million first-stage expansion of the mine was given the go-ahead by the board in October. The company had said the expansion is expected to boost production from the 2023 financial year.

Meanwhile, earlier this week, the Melbourne-based company said that Papua New Guinea's national court dismissed a stay order on work relating to the Wafi-Golpu gold-copper project allowing negotiations to continue.

The co-owners of the project - Newcrest Mining and Harmony Gold HARJ.J - had been hoping to secure a mining lease over the major gold and copper deposit early last year, before a change in PNG's leadership and a shift in minerals policy led to delays.

The country's largest listed gold miner also recorded a marginal drop in statutory profit for the first half, hurt by a $44 million writedown following the sale of its entire stake in Gosowong.

Underlying profit for the half-year ended Dec. 31 was $280 million, up from $237 million reported last year.

The company also declared an interim dividend of 7.5 cents per share.