AuRico Gold Reports First Quarter Financial Results; Company-Wide Production of 54,027 Gold Ounces at Cash Costs of $696 per Ounce and Reconfirms Annual Guidance; Declares Dividend
Toronto (ots/PRNewswire)
AuRico Gold Inc. , ("AuRico" or the "Company") today announced first quarter financial results. For the first quarter of 2015, the Company has delivered another solid quarter of operational and financial results. The continued success of the ramp-up of the Young-Davidson underground mine will underpin the period-over-period production growth expected throughout the year, with the underground operation favourably exceeding plan and reporting an impressive 4,900 tonnes per day in April. The Company will host a conference call on Thursday, May 7, 2015 beginning at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time (details below).
All amounts are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated. This release contains forward looking information and reference is made to the cautionary statement below.
To view "Young-Davidson Quarterly Gold Production", please click: http://files.newswire.ca/975/YDQuarterlyAuProduction.pdf [http://files.newswire.ca/975/YDQuarterlyAuProduction.pdf]
First Quarter 2015 Operational Results
Q1/13 Q2/13 Q3/13 Q4/13 Q1/14 Q2/14 Q3/14 Q4/14 Q1/15
===== ===== ===== ===== ===== ===== ===== ===== =====
Young-Davidson
==============
Gold ounces produced(1) 28,281 29,252 30,099 33,106 35,104 40,166 40,538 40,945 38,098
---------------------- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Underground cash costs per gold
oz - - - $663 $808 $803 $656 $656 $677
-------------------------------- --- --- --- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
Open pit cash costs per gold oz. $694 $716 $666 $983 $1,350 $974 $923 $994 $1,149
-------------------------------- ---- ---- ---- ---- ------ ---- ---- ---- ------
Total cash costs per gold oz(2) $694 $716 $666 $850 $1,009 $871 $723 $719 $745
------------------------------ ---- ---- ---- ---- ------ ---- ---- ---- ----
All-in sustaining costs per gold oz(2) $1,059 $1,254 $1,357 $1,270 $1,315 $1,144 $959 $912 $987
------------------------------------- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ---- ---- ----
Underground mine
----------------
Tonnes mined per day 1,130 1,611 1,417 2,590 2,611 3,595 3,753 4,140 4,130
-------------------- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
Grades (g/t) 2.7 2.5 2.8 3.1 2.8 3.3 3.1 3.0 3.0
------------ --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Development metres 1,941 2,445 2,620 2,986 3,772 3,545 3,269 3,438 3,409
------------------ ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
Mill processing facility
------------------------
Tonnes processed per day 6,466 7,017 6,747 6,969 7,163 8,230 7,670 7,757 7,186
------------------------ ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
Grades (g/t) (incl. open pit
stockpile) 1.8 1.7 1.7 2.0 1.8 2.2 1.9 2.0 2.0
----------------------------- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Recoveries (%) 86% 85% 89% 88% 87% 88% 90% 88% 86%
============= === === === === === === === === ===
El Chanate
==========
Gold ounces produced 17,889 18,751 18,804 16,420 19,110 16,032 16,499 15,638 15,929
-------------------- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Total cash costs per gold oz.(2) $563 $602 $588 $615 $586 $618 $663 $816 $585
------------------------------- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
All-in sustaining costs per gold oz(2) $772 $806 $681 $726 $1,038 $975 $1,110 $1,363 $1,043
------------------------------------- ---- ---- ---- ---- ------ ---- ------ ------ ------
Open pit tonnes mined per day 106,319 98,928 87,336 98,487 95,402 93,808 94,643 89,602 88,725
============================= ======= ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ======
Consolidated Results
====================
Gold ounces produced(1) 46,170 48,003 48,903 49,526 54,214 56,198 57,037 56,583 54,027
---------------------- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Total cash costs per gold oz.(2) $635 $655 $628 $771 $870 $801 $706 $746 $696
------------------------------- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
All-in sustaining costs per gold oz(2) $1,090 $1,189 $1,210 $1,232 $1,390 $1,191 $1,101 $1,129 $1,093
------------------------------------- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
1. Includes pre-production gold ounces from the
Young-Davidson underground mine prior to the
declaration of commercial production in the
underground mine on October 31, 2013.
2. Represents a non-GAAP measure. See page 16 of the
Company's Q1 2015 Management's Discussion &
Analysis for further information. Cash costs and
all-in sustaining costs are prior to inventory
net realizable value adjustments & reversals. For
Young-Davidson, gold ounces for cash costs
purposes include ounces produced for 2013, and
ounces sold in 2014 and 2015. For El Chanate and
on a consolidated basis, gold ounces for cash
cost purposes include ounces sold. Pre-
production ounces produced at Young-Davidson are
excluded from ounces produced as these ounces
were credited against capitalized project costs
when sold.
Financial Highlights
(in thousands, except per share amounts) Quarter Ended Quarter Ended
March 31, 2015 March 31, 2014
=== ============== ==============
Revenue from mining operations $65,359 $70,953
------------------------------ ------- -------
Adjusted net loss (1) ($7,641) ($7,608)
-------------------- ------- -------
Adjusted net loss per share, basic(1) ($0.03) ($0.03)
------------------------------------ ------ ------
Net loss ($35,258) ($28,891)
-------- -------- --------
Net loss, basic ($0.14) ($0.12)
--------------- ------ ------
Adjusted operating cash flow(1) $16,948 $13,469
------------------------------ ------- -------
Adjusted operating cash flow, per share(1) $0.07 $0.05
----------------------------------------- ----- -----
(1) See the tables at the end of
this press release for a
reconciliation of adjusted
net earnings
and adjusted operating cash
flow and refer to the
discussion of Non-GAAP
measures below.
Operational Highlights
Quarter Ended March 31, 2015 Quarter Ended March 31, 2014
============================ ============================
Young- El Chanate Total Young- El Chanate Total
Davidson Davidson
======== ========
Gold ounces produced 38,098 15,929 54,027 35,104 19,110 54,214
-------------------- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Underground cash costs per
ounce(1)(2) $677 - $677 $808 - $808
-------------------------- ---- --- ---- ---- --- ----
Open pit cash costs per ounce(1)(2) $1,149 $585 $724 $1,350 $586 $914
----------------------------------- ------ ---- ---- ------ ---- ----
Total cash costs per ounce(1)(2) $745 $585 $696 $1,009 $586 $870
------------------------------- ---- ---- ---- ------ ---- ----
(1) Cash costs are prior to inventory net
realizable value adjustments, where
applicable. See the Non-GAAP Measures
section on page 16 of the Management's
Discussion and Analysis for the three
months ended March 31, 2015.
(2) For the three months ended March 31, 2015
and 2014, cash costs per gold ounce are
calculated using gold ounces sold at the
El Chanate and Young-Davidson mines.
"We have reported a solid start to the year by delivering another quarter of strong performance from the cornerstone Young-Davidson mine and have demonstrated an impressive start to the second quarter with Young-Davidson reporting underground productivity of 4,900 tonnes per day in April, near the mid-point of our year-end target." stated Scott Perry, CEO of AuRico Gold. He continued, "During the quarter the Company also announced a merger of equals with Alamos Gold, which represents a transformational and logical business combination that will create a new leading intermediate gold producer with three low-cost producing mines, a significant organic growth profile, all of which is underpinned by a solid balance sheet. Shareholders will also benefit from the creation of AuRico Metals as they retain ongoing exposure to significant, unlocked value in the highly prospective Kemess project, and stable, diversified sources of royalty revenue."
Corporate Update
-- On April 13, 2015 the Company announced that it had entered into a
definitive agreement with Alamos Gold Inc. to combine the respective
companies by way of a plan of arrangement, creating a new leading
intermediate gold producer with a diversified asset base that includes
three low-cost producing mines, a significant organic growth profile, a
pipeline of high-quality development projects, all of which is
underpinned by a solid balance sheet and led by an experienced and
proven management team. The combined company will operate under the name
Alamos Gold. The merger is subject to shareholder and other applicable
regulatory approvals and satisfaction of other customary conditions. The
merger is expected to close mid-year, 2015.In addition, a new company to
be named AuRico Metals Inc., will be created to hold AuRico's Kemess
project, a 1.5% net smelter return royalty ("NSR") on the Young-Davidson
mine, AuRico's Fosterville and Stawell NSR royalties, and will be
capitalized with $20 million of cash. Upon completion of the merger,
MergeCo will own a 4.9% equity interest in AuRico Metals. The remaining
shares of AuRico Metals will be distributed evenly to former Alamos and
AuRico shareholders.
-- On April 20, 2015 the Company announced the closing of a non-brokered
private placement pursuant to which Alamos Gold subscribed for
approximately 27.9 million common shares of AuRico, representing
approximately 9.9% of AuRico's outstanding common shares after giving
effect to the private placement. The common shares were acquired at a
price of $2.99 per share, equal to AuRico's closing price on the New
York Stock Exchange on April 10, 2015, for total gross proceeds to
AuRico of approximately $83.3 million.
Young-Davidson Update
-- At the end of the quarter, the Young-Davidson mine had achieved more
than 2 years (3 million man hours) of lost time incident free
operations.
-- Production for the quarter was 38,098 gold ounces, which included 9-days
of scheduled downtime for a full mill reline and other ancillary work.
Following the completion of these scheduled maintenance works, gold
recovered in March increased to 13,850 ounces and further increased to
approximately 14,000 ounces in April. Production is expected to continue
increasing quarter over quarter as the underground mine ramps-up to
6,000 tonnes per day at the end of 2015. Gold production in the second
quarter is expected to increase to approximately 42,000 gold ounces.
-- In Q1, the operation successfully completed a full, mill liner
change-out whereby the previous steel based liners have been replaced
with a combination steel and rubber lining system. Performance to date
supports the expectation that the new liners will have a considerably
longer life, which will increase overall plant availability through the
potential elimination of one scheduled mill reline per calendar year.
-- Underground cash costs, which includes additional costs related to the
planned mill reline completed in the quarter, were $677 per gold ounce
($592 per ounce in March), in-line with guidance. Cash costs are
expected to further decline throughout the year, corresponding with
planned quarter-over-quarter increases in underground productivity.
-- During the quarter, the operation reported all-in sustaining costs of
$987 per ounce, which are expected to decline quarter-over-quarter as
production ramps up to planned levels.
-- During the quarter, underground mine productivity favourably exceeded
guidance, averaging approximately 4,130 tonnes per day (4,900 tonnes per
day in April) at grades that continue to report higher than overall
reserve grade estimates. With underground productivity currently
exceeding guidance levels, the operation is well positioned to achieve
the 2015 year-end target of 6,000 tonnes per day and an ultimate
productivity level of 8,000 tonnes per day at the end of 2016.
-- Underground unit mining costs declined to approximately $39 per tonne in
the first quarter ($34 per tonne in March), on track to favourably
exceed year-end target levels.
-- The operation completed 3,409 metres of underground development advance
during the quarter, with a record level of development achieved by the
internal work force. The Company will continue to advance underground
development along with a corresponding focus on increasing the
proportion of development completed by the internal work force to best
position the mine for sustainable, cost effective productivity
improvements in 2015 and beyond.
-- During the quarter, the mill facility averaged 7,186 tonnes per day,
including 9-days of downtime for a full mill facility reline and other
ancillary work. Following the completion of these planned maintenance
work programs, mill throughput averaged 8,330 tonnes per day for the
month of March (8,073 tonnes per day in April). Mill productivity is
expected average approximately 8,000 tonnes per day going forward.
-- Approximately 2.2 million tonnes of open pit ore, at an average grade of
approximately 0.75 grams per tonne, is stockpiled ahead of the mill
facility for future processing. As the related mining costs associated
with the open pit stockpile were expended in prior periods, the
processing of this ore will favourably augment the mine's free cash flow
profile going forward.
-- Sinking of the historical MCM shaft remains ahead of schedule and was
within 60 metres of the ultimate depth as of the end of the first
quarter, which is expected to advance the timing to complete the final
leg of the Northgate production shaft to its ultimate depth and
potentially provide earlier access to the lower mine.
El Chanate Update
-- During the quarter, the open pit mining rate averaged 88,725 tonnes per
day. Capitalized stripping requirements decreased in the latter part of
the quarter and are expected to further decrease in the second half of
the year. Open pit grades returned to reserve grade levels in March.
-- During the quarter, the operation produced 15,929 gold ounces, with
production returning to normalized levels in March (6,373 ounces) and
April (approximately 7,900 ounces). Gold production in the second
quarter is expected to increase to more than 20,000 gold ounces.
-- During the quarter, cash costs were $585 per gold ounce, favourably
exceeding expectations.
-- All-in sustaining costs for the quarter were $1,043 per gold ounce.
Adjusted Net Earnings Reconciliation
Quarter Ended Quarter Ended
(in thousands, except per share metrics) March 31, 2015 March 31, 2014
======================================= ============== ==============
Net loss ($35,258) ($28,891)
Adjustments:
Deferred income tax expense related to foreign exchange 26,363 4,278
Foreign exchange losses 3,878 2,430
Gain on termination of retained interest royalty (5,215) -
Impairment charge on exploration property 3,175 -
Gain on prepayment option embedded derivative (3,749) -
Loss on convertible notes tender offer - 15,645
Loss on corporate restructuring - 2,716
Unrealized and realized gain on investments - (5,810)
Other (including tax effect of adjustments) 3,165 2,024
------------------------------------------ ----- -----
Adjusted net loss ($7,641) ($7,608)
Adjusted net loss, per share ($0.03) ($0.03)
---------------------------- ------ ------
Adjusted Operating Cash Flow Reconciliation
Quarter Ended Quarter Ended
(in thousands, except per share metrics) March 31, 2015 March 31, 2014
======================================= ============== ==============
Operating cash flow $14,032 $24,491
Add back: Non-cash change in operating working capital 2,916 (11,022)
------------------------------------------------------ ----- -------
Adjusted operating cash flow $16,948 $13,469
Adjusted operating cash flow, per share $0.07 $0.05
--------------------------------------- ----- -----
Adjusted Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization ("Adjusted EBITDA")
Quarter Ended Quarter Ended
(in thousands) March 31, 2015 March 31, 2014
============= ============== ==============
EBITDA $21,186 ($1,899)
Add back:
Exploration 9 8
Non-cash items identified in
supplemental cash flow note,
excluding 2,677 17,578
amortization and depletion, and
deferred income tax expense /
recovery
-------------------------------
Adjusted
EBITDA $23,872 $15,687
-------- ------- -------
Non-GAAP Measures
The Company uses the measures adjusted net earnings, cash costs per ounce, adjusted operating cash flow, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA in this press release, which do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS" or "GAAP"). They are, therefore, considered to be non-GAAP measures and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. The non-GAAP measures cash costs per ounce and EBITDA are reconciled to the Company's financial statements beginning on page 16 of the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the three months ended March 31, 2015.
Adjusted net earnings is comprised of net earnings, adjusted for specific items. While the adjustments to net earnings in this measure include items that are recurring, adjusted net earnings is a useful measure as the unrealized gains / losses on foreign exchange, fair value adjustments on derivatives, unrealized and realized gains and losses on investments, corporate restructuring costs, gains on the retained interest royalty, losses on the convertible notes tender offer, impairment charges, and other non-recurring items do not reflect the underlying operating performance of the Company's core mining business in the periods presented and are not necessarily indicative of future operating results.
Adjusted operating cash flow excludes the change in non-cash operating working capital, which includes changes in receivables, inventories, prepaid assets, and payables. Management uses adjusted operating cash flow as a measure internally to evaluate the underlying operating cash flow performance of the Company as a whole for the reporting periods presented, and to assist with the planning and forecasting of future operating cash flow.
Adjusted EBITDA represents EBITDA, adjusted for exploration expense and other non-cash items included in earnings. While the adjustments to net earnings in this measure includes items that are recurring, adjusted EBITDA is a valuable indicator of the Company's ability to generate liquidity by producing operating cash flow to fund working capital needs, service debt obligations, and fund capital expenditures.
Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis
The financial statements and related Management's Discussion and Analysis can be found on the Company's website at www.auricogold.com [http://www.auricogold.com/] or under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com [http://www.sedar.com/] and with the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml [http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml] ("Edgar").
Q1 2015 Dividend Declared
The quarterly dividend is linked to operating cash flow ("OCF"), whereby the Company pays out 20% of the OCF generated in the preceding quarter, divided by the Company's outstanding common shares at the time the dividend is approved. On May 6, 2015, the Board of Directors declared the Company's quarterly dividend payment of $0.01 per share for the first quarter ended March 31, 2015, payable on June 2, 2015 to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 19, 2015.
Upcoming News Flow
-- Closing of the Merger Agreement with Alamos Gold Inc. (mid-year, 2015) -- Listing of AuRico Metals (mid-year, 2015)
Webcast and Conference Call
A webcast and conference call will be held on Thursday, May 7, 2015 starting at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Senior management will be on the call to discuss the results. Please ask to be placed into the AuRico Gold 2015 First Quarter Results Conference Call.
Conference Call Access
-- International & Toronto: 1-647-427-7450 -- Canada & U.S. Toll Free: 1-888-231-8191
Conference Call Live Webcast The conference call will be broadcast live on the internet via webcast. To access the webcast, please follow this link: http://www.newswire.ca/en/webcast/detail/1510135/1683431 [http://www.newswire.ca/en/webcast/detail/1510135/1683431].
Archive Call Access If you are unable to attend the conference call, a replay will be available until midnight, May 14, 2015 by dialing the appropriate number below:
-- International & Toronto: 1-416-849-0833 Passcode: #18634127 -- Canada & U.S. Toll Free: 1-855-859-2056 Passcode: #18634127
Archive Webcast The webcast will be archived for 90 days. To access the archived webcast, visit the Company's website at www.auricogold.com [http://www.auricogold.com/] or follow this link: http://www.newswire.ca/en/webcast/detail/1510135/1683431 [http://www.newswire.ca/en/webcast/detail/1510135/1683431].
Annual General and Special Meeting
AuRico Gold's 2015 Annual General and Special Meeting for shareholders will be held on Thursday, May 7, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time, at the Toronto Region Board of Trade, 77 Adelaide St., W., Toronto, ON M5X 1C1.
About AuRico Gold AuRico Gold is a leading Canadian gold producer with mines and projects in North America that have significant production growth and exploration potential. The Company is focused on its core operations including the cornerstone Young-Davidson gold mine in northern Ontario, and the El Chanate mine in Sonora State, Mexico. AuRico's project pipeline also includes the advanced development Kemess Underground Project in northern British Columbia and the Lynn Lake Gold Camp in northern Manitoba. The Company also has other exploration opportunities in Canada and Mexico. AuRico's head office is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Cautionary Statement
This press release contains certain information that constitutes "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" as defined under Canadian and U.S. securities laws. All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. The words "expect", "believe", "anticipate", "contemplate", "may", "could", "will", "intend", "estimate", "forecast", "target", "budget", "schedule" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation, those under the headings , "Young-Davidson Highlights" and "El Chanate Highlights" which include, without limitation, statements with respect to our expectations on underground productivity levels, underground unit mining cost, underground development, mill facility processing rate, cash flow, free cash flow, cash costs, information as to our strategy, plans and future financial and operating performance, such as our expansion plans, project timelines, production plans, projected cash flows or capital expenditure levels, cost estimates, mining or milling methods, projected exploration results, resource and reserve estimates and other statements that express our expectations or estimates of future performance.
Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of factors and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management at the time of making such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Known and unknown factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Such factors and assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to: changes to current estimates of mineral reserves and resources; fluctuations in the price of gold; changes in foreign exchange rates (particularly the Canadian dollar, Mexican peso and U.S. dollar); the impact of inflation; changes in our credit rating; any decision to declare a quarterly dividend; employee relations; litigation; disruptions affecting operations; availability of and increased costs associated with mining inputs and labor; development delays at the Young-Davidson mine; operating or technical difficulties in connection with mining or development activities; inherent risks associated with mining and mineral processing; the risk that the Young-Davidson and El Chanate mines may not perform as planned; uncertainty with the Company's ability to secure capital to execute its business plans; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses and permits, including the necessary licenses, permits, authorizations and/or approvals from the appropriate regulatory authorities for the Kemess Underground project; contests over title to properties; changes in national and local government legislation in Canada, Mexico and other jurisdictions in which the Company does or may carry on business in the future; risk of loss due to sabotage and civil disturbances; the impact of global liquidity and credit availability and the values of assets and liabilities based on projected future cash flows; risks arising from holding derivative instruments; business opportunities that may be pursued by the Company, as well as those factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's most recent Annual Information Form.
Actual results and developments are likely to differ, and may differ materially, from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Such statements are based on a number of assumptions which may prove to be incorrect, including, but not limited to, the assumptions set forth in our most recent Form 40-F/Annual Information Form. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. Specific reference is made to the most recent Form 40-F/Annual Information Form on file with the SEC and Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities for a discussion of some of the factors underlying forward-looking statements.
In particular, forward-looking information included in this document includes, but is not limited to: (1) production estimates and production growth rates, which assume accuracy of projected ore grade, mining rates, recovery timing and recovery rate estimates and may be impacted by unscheduled maintenance, labour and contractor availability; (2) capital expenditures and other cash costs, which assume foreign exchange rates and accuracy of production estimates, and may be impacted by unexpected maintenance, the need to hire external resources and accelerated capital plans; (3) profits and free cash flow, which assume production and expenditure estimates and may be impacted by gold prices, production estimates, and the timing of payments, (4) reserves and resources which are forward looking statements by their nature involving implied assessment, and may be impacted by metal prices, future drilling results, operating costs, mining recoveries and dilution rates, and (5) the proposed merger with Alamos, which is subject to shareholder and other applicable regulatory approvals, and satisfaction of other customary conditions.
There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate, accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements or information contained herein. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.
For further information: please visit the AuRico Gold website at www.auricogold.com [http://www.auricogold.com/] or contact: Scott Perry, President and Chief Executive Officer, AuRico Gold Inc., 1-647-260-8880; Anne Day, Vice President, Investor Relations and Communications, AuRico Gold Inc., 1-647-260-8880
Web site: http://www.auricogold.com/