JOHANNESBURG, September 17, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Moody's Investor Services ("Moody's") today assigned Gold Fields Limited ("Gold Fields") (JSE, NYSE, NASDAQ Dubai: GFI) a first-time 'Baa3' senior unsecured issuer rating. This investment grade rating comes with a stable outlook.

Moody's said that the rating reflected Gold Fields' position as the world's fourth-largest gold producer as well as the group's very sizeable reserve base and industry-leading reserve life in excess of 20 years. The stable outlook was based on the expectation that Gold Fields would maintain healthy operating margins and a conservative financial profile, Moody's added.

Since March 2009, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services ("S&P") has maintained an investment grade rating on Gold Fields of 'BBB-' with a stable outlook.

Paul Schmidt, Chief Financial Officer of Gold Fields said:

"We are pleased with Moody's rating of Gold Fields as an investment grade company. The rating supports our solid operating margins, low financial gearing and conservative financial policy and will allow us to diversify our sources of funding."

Notes to editors

About Gold Fields

Gold Fields is one of the world's largest unhedged producers of gold with attributable production of 3.5 million gold equivalent ounces per annum from nine operating mines in South Africa, Ghana, Australia and Peru. Gold Fields also has an extensive growth pipeline with both greenfields and nearmine exploration projects at various stages of development. Gold Fields has total attributable gold equivalent Mineral Reserves of 78 million ounces and Mineral Resources of 281 million ounces. Gold Fields is listed on JSE Limited (primary listing), the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the NASDAQ Dubai Limited, the Euronext in Brussels (NYX) and the Swiss Exchange (SIX).

SOURCE Gold Fields Limited

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