Good morning, and welcome to Newmont's Third Quarter 2021 Earnings Call. All participants will be in listen-only mode. [Operator Instructions] After today's presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask questions. Please note this event is being recorded. I would now like to turn the conference over to Tom Palmer, President and Chief Executive Officer. Please go ahead.

Tom Palmer

Good morning, and thank you for joining Newmont's Third Quarter 2021 Earnings Call. Today, I'm joined by Rob Atkinson and Nancy Buese, along with other members of our executive team, and we will be available to answer questions at the end of the call. Before I begin, please note our cautionary statement and refer to our SEC filings, which can be found on our website. Newmont delivered on a challenging third quarter, generating strong free cash flow, continuing to provide industry-leading shareholder returns, and investing in profitable projects, including our latest Ahafo North, which was approved by our board in July. This quarterly performance was achieved even as we continue to manage through the evolving complexities of the global pandemic, and we remain committed to protecting the health and well-being of our workforce and local communities.

Throughout the mining sector, we are continuing to see the non-health-related challenges caused by the pandemic, including labor shortages, rising input costs, and supply chain