Capricious Gold Fields Turns To Harmony

South African goldminer Gold Fields Ltd. will finally hold merger negotiations with its domestic smaller rival Harmony Gold Mining Co., GFI chairman Chris Thompson said.

?If Harmony came to us with its good assets and a proposal that makes Gold Fields look better, then we'd look at that,'' Thompson said in an interview in Johannesburg.

?There would also have to be a thorough due diligence. They're welcome to come and take a look at us.''

Harmony in October offered $8.1 billion in stock for Gold Fields, pursuing the aim of becoming the world?s biggest gold producer. Gold Fields rejected the bid in favor of a planned $2.9 billion takeover of Canada's Iamgold Corp. But Gold Fields' shareholders has turned down the Iamgold purchase at a meeting in Johannesburg Tuesday.