Filed
by
Barrick Gold Corporation
This
communication is filed pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act of
1933, as
amended.
Subject
company: Placer Dome Inc.
Commission
File Number: 333-129643
Date:
December 15, 2005
PRESS
RELEASE - December 15, 2005
Barrick
Receives Regulatory Approvals and Waives Condition of Access to Placer Dome
Data
Room
Barrick
Gold Corporation announced today that it has received various required
regulatory approvals in connection with its offer to acquire all the outstanding
shares of Placer Dome Inc. These include antitrust or similar regulatory
approvals in Canada, the United States, Germany, Switzerland, and Australia.
Barrick has also been advised that the South African Competition Commission
is
recommending approval of this transaction on an unconditional basis by the
South
African Competition Tribunal. Barrick expects that this approval will be
granted
shortly. This latter approval will complete all necessary antitrust or similar
regulatory clearances required by Barrick to allow Placer Dome shares to
be
taken up by Barrick on the expiry of Barrick's offer on January 16, 2006.
Barrick
also announced that it is waiving the condition of its offer that Barrick
be
provided with data room access by Placer Dome. Barrick believes that all
material information relevant to Placer Dome has been publicly disseminated
through the documents filed by Placer Dome with the securities regulators
in
Canada and the US and that data room access will not be of any material benefit
to Barrick in connection with the completion of its offer.
“We
are
pleased that we have received the required regulatory approvals in various
jurisdictions around the world,” said Greg Wilkins, Barrick President and Chief
Executive Officer. “With regulatory clearances in hand, and the removal of the
Placer Dome poison pill, Placer Dome shareholders will very soon be in a
position to have their shares purchased under our offer.”
Barrick
will be sending formal notice of the amended offer to all Placer Dome
shareholders as soon as possible. The Company’s formal notice extending the
Barrick offer to January 16, 2006, has now been given to Barrick's depositary
under the offer.
Barrick
and Placer Dome reached an agreement on December 9, 2005, to have Placer
Dome
waive the application of its shareholder rights plan to Barrick’s offer in order
to allow Barrick to take up shares of Placer Dome on or after January 16,
2006.
Barrick’s
vision is to be the world’s best gold company by finding, developing and
producing quality reserves in a profitable and socially responsible
manner.
1
BARRICK
GOLD CORPORATION PRESS RELEASE
About
the Offer
Barrick's
offer was announced on October 31, 2005. Barrick's take-over bid circular
and
related documents were filed with the securities regulatory authorities in
Canada and the United States on November 10, 2005. Placer Dome shareholders
are
advised to read the take-over bid circular as it contains important information
including the terms and conditions of the offer and the procedures for
depositing shares. Additional information about the offer or copies of the
take-over bid circular may be obtained from shareholders' investment advisers,
from RBC Dominion Securities Inc. or Merrill Lynch Canada Inc., who are acting
as Barrick’s Canadian dealer managers, RBC Capital Markets Corporation, or
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, who are acting as
Barrick's U.S. dealer managers, or Kingsdale Shareholder Services Inc. for
Canada (Toll Free 1-866-877-2571) or MacKenzie Partners, Inc. for the United
States and other locations (Toll Free 1-800-322-2885) who are acting as
Barrick’s Information Agents.
On
November 10, 2005, Barrick filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission
(the “SEC”) a Registration Statement on Form F-10 which includes Barrick’s offer
and take-over bid circular. Investors and security holders are urged to read
the
disclosure documents filed by Barrick from time to time with the SEC regarding
the proposed business combination transaction because they contain important
information. The offer and take-over bid circular have been sent to shareholders
of Placer Dome Inc. Investors may also obtain a free copy of the offer and
take-over bid circular and other disclosure documents filed by Barrick with
the
SEC at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
The
offer and take-over bid circular and the other disclosure documents may also
be
obtained free of charge by directing a request to Kingsdale Shareholder Services
Inc. or Mackenzie Partners Inc. at the toll free numbers set out
above.
For
further information:
| INVESTOR CONTACT: | MEDIA CONTACT: |
| James Mavor Vice President, Investor Relations Tel: (416) 307-7463 Email: jmavor@barrick.com |
Vincent
Borg
Vice
President,
Corporate
Communications
Tel:
(416) 307-7477
Email:
vborg@barrick.com
|
2
BARRICK
GOLD CORPORATION PRESS RELEASE