The company, which operates gold mines at Macraes and Reefton, yesterday reported gold sales of 71,492 ounces for the three months ended September, 5% below the previous quarter but 14% ahead of the corresponding quarter last year.
Gold sales for the nine months ended September totalled 227,904 ounces, which was in line with the forecast.
Interim chief executive and chief financial officer Marcus Engelbrecht said gold production for the third quarter of 79,020 ounces exceeded production for the corresponding quarter last year by 10%, and year-to-date gold production jumped by 23% over the previous year.
The robust third-quarter results had prompted an upward revision of full year 2009 production guidance to 297,000 ounces to 303,000oz, from 280,000oz to 300,000oz previously, he said.
The company was "well on track" to deliver record full-year gold production and sales.
"Production for the year to date is ahead of expectation, and is evidence of steady operations at our flagship Macraes, Frasers and Reefton mines.
The gold price continues to strengthen, so the company's timing for achieving new production records couldn't be better."
OceanaGold was ramping up its brownfields exploration programme in New Zealand, which started during the third quarter, Mr Engelbrecht said.
The company expected a steady stream of news from that programme in coming months as it worked towards extending the mine life of the New Zealand operations.
Analysis of the third-quarter results showed that operating cash costs for the third quarter were $US473 an ounce, bringing the year-to-date average cash costs to $US388 an ounce.
A stronger New Zealand dollar against the United States dollar was a significant contributing factor to higher costs per ounce.
The New Zealand dollar averaged US67.3c for the quarter, up from US60.4c in the second quarter and US53.5c in the first quarter.
Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (ebitda) for the third quarter were $US24.4 million ($NZ32.5 million) compared with $US22.5 million in the second quarter and $US18.9 million in the third quarter last year.
Ebitda for the nine months ended September was $US77.9 million, well ahead of the $US41.8 million reported in the previous corresponding period.
Cash flow from operations for the quarter was $US21.6 million, which brought the total for the nine months to $US65 million.
