TIDMCEY
RNS Number : 0882M
Centamin PLC
19 January 2021
19 January 2021
Centamin plc
("Centamin" or "the Company")
LSE: CEY / TSX: CEE
QUARTERLY Report
for the three months ended 31 December 2020
MARTIN HORGAN, CEO , commented : "Today's Q4 and subsequent full
year 2020 results were delivered in-line with the revised guidance
we issued in October. This follows the capital markets event we
hosted in December, where we presented the conclusions of the Phase
1 Life of Asset review and three-year outlook, detailing clear
cost-saving, exploration and productivity initiatives, forming part
of our plans to unlock Sukari's potential."
HIGHLIGHTS [1]
Q4 and FY results delivered in line with guidance
-- Gold production from the Sukari Gold Mine ("Sukari") for the
fourth quarter ("Q4"), was 67,996 ounces ("oz"), which is in-line
with the quarterly guidance range of 60,000 to 70,000 oz; Gold
production for 2020 ("FY") was 452,320 oz and in-line with annual
production guidance of 445,000 to 455,000 oz
-- Q4 revenue of US$150 million, generated from gold sales of
79,535 oz at an average realised gold price of US$1,887/oz sold; FY
revenue of US$829 million, generated from gold sales of 468,681 oz
at an average realised gold price of US$1,766/oz
-- Q4 cash costs of US$1,080/oz produced, outside of the
quarterly guidance of US$950-1,050/oz produced, and all-in
sustaining costs ("AISC") of US$1,613/oz sold, in-line with
quarterly guidance range of US$1,450-1,650/oz sold; FY cash costs
of US$719/oz produced, delivered below the annual guidance of
US$740-790/oz produced, and AISC of US$1,036/oz, which was in-line
with annual guidance range of US$950-1,050/oz sold
-- Q4 adjusted Group free cash flow of US$3 million, after US$48
million of capital expenditure and US$21 million distributed to the
Egyptian government in profit share payments and royalties [2] ; FY
adjusted Group free cash flow of US$142 million, after US$138
million of capital expenditure and US$199 million was distributed
to the Egyptian government in profit share payments and
royalties
-- In December 2020, the Company contracted Capital Ltd
("Capital") to complete a 120Mt waste-stripping programme over four
years. Capital are well progressed with the mobilisation of their
fleet and team on site and are on track to commence material
movement in H1 2021
-- Strong balance sheet with no debt, no hedging and cash and
liquid assets [3] of US$310 million, as at 31 December 2020.
QoQ comparative YoY comparative YoY comparative
======== ================== ================== --------------------------
Q4 2020 Q3 2020 % Q4 2019 % FY 2020 FY 2019 %
=============================== ======== ========== ====== ========== ====== ======== ======== ======
Open pit
Total material mined (kt) 21,324 17,682 21% 17,385 23% 79,774 78,391 2%
Ore mined (kt) 3,553 3,805 (7%) 4,006 (11%) 15,656 14,372 9%
Ore grade mined (g/t Au) 0.74 1.01 (27%) 0.98 (24%) 0.97 0.8 21%
Underground
Ore mined (kt) 165 139 19% 232 (29%) 625 1,087 (43%)
Ore grade mined (g/t Au) 3.66 5.38 (32%) 6.45 (43%) 4.99 5.32 (6%)
=============================== ======== ========== ====== ========== ====== ======== ======== ======
Processing
Ore processed (kt) 2,911 2,931 (1%) 3,044 (4%) 11,913 12,859 (7%)
Feed grade (g/t Au) 0.86 1.48 (42%) 1.6 (46%) 1.35 1.28 5%
Gold recovery (%) 88.6 87.4 1% 89.5 (2%) 87.8 88.1 0%
Gold production (oz) 67,996 128,240 (47%) 148,387 (54%) 452,320 480,528 (6%)
=============================== ======== ========== ====== ========== ====== ======== ======== ======
Gold sold (oz) 79,535 118,617 (33%) 137,065 (42%) 468,681 470,020 0%
Cash costs (US$/oz produced) 1,080 682 58% 605 79% 719 699 3%
AISC (US$/oz sold) 1,613 961 68% 792 104% 1,036 943 10%
Avg gold price (US$/oz) 1,887 1,933 (2%) 1,487 27% 1,766 1,399 26%
=============================== ======== ========== ====== ========== ====== ======== ======== ======
OUTLOOK ([4])
Investing for operating reliability and consistency
Guidance unchanged:
-- 2021 gold production of 400,000 to 430,000 oz, at cash costs
of US$800-900/oz produced and AISC of US$1,150-1,250/oz sold
-- 2021 capital expenditure ("capex") is estimated at US$225
million, including investment to improve mining flexibility
(increased open pit stripping programme and increased underground
development) and identified growth projects
-- Sukari Life of Asset review ("LOA") Phase 2 is underway and
will result in an updated life of mine plan in Q4 2021
-- The West African portfolio review will be completed in H1
2021, including updated mineral resource estimates.
CONFERENCE CALL
The Company will host a conference call today, Tuesday, 19
January at 08.30 GMT (UK time) to discuss the results with
investors and analysts, followed by an opportunity to ask
questions. Please find below the required participation details for
the call. A replay will be made available on the Company
website.
Dial-in telephone numbers:
United Kingdom (and all other locations) +44 (0) 203 936 2999
United States +1 646 664 1960
South Africa +27 (0)87 550 8441
Participation access code: 732502
FOR MORE INFORMATION please visit the website www.centamin.com or contact:
Centamin plc Buchanan
Alexandra Barter-Carse, Corporate Communications Bobby Morse / Kelsey Traynor
+44 (0) 7700 713 738 + 44 (0) 20 7466 5000
i nvestors @centamin.je centamin@buchanan.uk.com
HEALTH & SAFETY
Centamin's priority is to create a safe work environment which
supports a healthy and productive workforce. In Q4, there were two
lost time injuries ("LTI") (FY 2020: seven LTIs) resulting in a
lost time injury frequency rate ("LTIFR") of 0.89 (FY 2020:0.84)
per one million site-based hours worked. Total recordable injury
frequency rate ("TRIFR) was 7.56 for Q4 (FY 2020: 5.16) per one
million site-based hours worked. Despite the annualised safety
records demonstrating improvement compared to 2019, and beat the
Company's performance targets, there remains a continuous focus on
instilling a strong safety culture with the ultimate objective to
create a zero-harm workplace.
Sukari Gold Mine, Egypt (Q4 2020 vs Q4 2019)
Production & Sales
Gold production for the quarter was 67,996 oz, a 54% decrease
compared to the corresponding quarter in 2019 ("YoY"), due to
mining lower grade material.
Gold sales for the quarter were 79,535 oz, a 42% decrease YoY. A
stronger gold price resulted in a 27% increase YoY in the average
realised price of gold to US$1,887/oz. Revenue for the quarter was
US$150 million, a 26% decrease YoY, due to reduced volume sold but
improved gold price.
Costs
Absolute cash costs of production were US$73 million for the
quarter, an 18% reduction YoY due to the movement in inventory [5]
including increase in run of mine ("ROM") stockpiled material. Unit
cash costs of production were US$1,080/oz produced, outside of the
quarterly guidance and a 78% increase YoY due to lower scheduled
production volumes.
Absolute all-in sustaining costs ("AISC") were US$128 million
for the quarter, an 18% increase YoY, mainly due to increased
capital expenditure programme, which was back-end weighted due to
COVID-19 rescheduling. Unit AISC of US$1,613/oz sold, in-line with
quarterly guidance and a 104% increase YoY, reflecting lower
scheduled production volumes and higher capital expenditure due to
deferrals as a result of COVID-19 precautions.
Open Pit Mining
Open pit ore mining in Q4 focussed primarily on the low to
medium grade Stage 5 North area due to lack of available production
areas. Total open pit ore mined for the quarter was 3.6Mt, an 11%
decrease YoY, at an average mined grade of 0.74 grams of gold per
tonne ("g/t Au"), a 25% decrease YoY.
The strip ratio for the quarter was 5:1 (waste:ore).Total open
pit waste material mined for the quarter was 17.8Mt, a 33% increase
YoY. Waste mining focussed on:
-- Stage 5 West wall pushback and Stage 4 West remediation of
the detected area of excessive material movement to allow ore
mining to recommence in 2021
-- Eastern area preparation works ahead of commencement of the
contractor waste-stripping programme
-- Continued pioneering works on the Sukari hill in preparation
for the commencement of open pit mining of the Cleopatra zone.
An accelerated stripping programme commenced during the quarter
utilising the Company's owner-operator fleet. In December, the
Company contracted Capital Ltd ("Capital") to complete a 120Mt
waste-stripping programme in the Eastern section of the open pit
over the next four years. Capital are well progressed with the
mobilisation of their fleet and team on site and are on track to
commence material movement in H1 2021. The programme has been
designed to introduce greater flexibility into the open pit mining
operations which will support increased confidence in meeting our
stated production targets in the future.
Underground Mining
Underground mining in the quarter focussed on the Ptah zone.
Total ore mined was 165kt at an average total grade of 3.66g/t Au.
This represented a 29% decrease in tonnes YoY and a 43% decrease in
grade YoY, reflecting the focus on infrastructure development over
the period.
The underground ore split was:
-- 122kt of ore mined from stopes, at an average grade of 4.13g/t Au
-- 43kt of ore mined from development, at an average grade of 2.31g/t Au.
Total underground waste mined was 123kt, a 211% increase YoY,
reflecting the focus on accelerating development and improving
mining flexibility. In Q4, stage 1 of the ventilation upgrades were
completed and stage 2 has commenced, preparing for mining to
continue at depth across the underground operations.
Processing
The plant processed 2.9Mt of ore, a 4% decrease YoY, at an
average feed grade of 0.86g/t, a 46% decrease YoY. The
metallurgical gold recovery rate was 88.6% for the quarter, a 1%
decrease YoY. During the quarter the low-grade stockpiles increased
from 16.7Mt at 0.46g/t Au to 17.4Mt at an average grade of 0.47g/t
Au.
In the quarter, routine plant maintenance was successfully
executed, including the replacement of mill liners and changing the
primary crusher mantles. Plant upgrades progressed well throughout
the quarter, with a strong focus on improving productivities and
efficiencies, notably around reagent and consumable use.
Capital Projects
Total capital expenditure ("capex") in Q4 was US$48 million, an
83% increase YoY, reflecting the 2020 second-half weighted capital
spend profile:
-- Construction of the second downstream tailings storage
facility ("TSF2") was completed ahead of schedule and under budget.
Preparation work for TSF1 closure and rehabilitation is scheduled
to commence in 2021
-- Progress on the Sukari Solar project focussed on front-end
engineering and design ("FEED") work, ahead of construction
commencing in late 2021, and the high-voltage switchgear upgrade is
38% complete
The new camp infrastructure and workforce facility upgrades
continued throughout the quarter and are now c.60% complete.
FINANCIAL POSITION ([6])
Free Cash Flow
Under the terms of the Sukari Concession Agreement, the Egyptian
government earned US$4.5 million in royalty payments and received
US$16.5 million in profit share payments [7] during the quarter.
After Sukari profit share distribution and Group investing
activities, Group adjusted free cash flow for the quarter was
US$3.5 million, ahead of expectations and a 90% reduction YoY,
reflecting the scheduled reduced production volumes.
Balance Sheet
The Company is in a strong financial position, building net cash
and liquid assets to US$310 million, as at 31 December 2020. The
Company remains unhedged and debt-free.
CORPORATE
Egyptian Bid Round Awards
The Company's government partners, EMRA, launched an exploration
bid round process for a series of blocks [8] covering the Eastern
Desert in Egypt. Centamin submitted bids for several prospective
blocks in September. On 19 November 2020, the Minister of Petroleum
& Mineral Resources, Tarek El-Molla gave a press conference,
naming Centamin, along with a number of other international and
Egyptian mining groups, as being successful in the bid round.
Centamin awaits the written details of the conditional awards and
looks forward to working with government to agree mutually
acceptable terms [9] for exploration and exploitation, and
thereafter, commence exploration work.
The Arabian Nubian Shield is one of the few remaining
underexplored geological terranes which we believe has excellent
potential for further discoveries to be made. As the only
commercial producer of gold in Egypt, Centamin is uniquely placed
to leverage its existing knowledge base, infrastructure, operating
experience and robust financial position to assess and develop the
geological potential of Egypt and bring any discoveries to account
quickly and in a cost-effective manner.
Forward-looking Statements
This announcement (including information incorporated by
reference) contains "forward-looking statements" and
"forward-looking information" under applicable securities laws
(collectively, "forward-looking statements"), including statements
with respect to future financial or operating performance.
Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by
the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes",
"expects", "expected", "budgeted", "forecasts" and "anticipates".
Although Centamin believes that the expectations reflected in such
forward-looking statements are reasonable, Centamin can give no
assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct.
Forward-looking statements are prospective in nature and are not
based on historical facts, but rather on current expectations and
projections of the management of Centamin about future events and
are therefore subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties
which could cause actual results to differ materially from the
future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking
statements. In addition, there are a number of factors that could
cause actual results, performance, achievements or developments to
differ materially from those expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements; general business, economic,
competitive, political and social uncertainties; the results of
exploration activities and feasibility studies; assumptions in
economic evaluations which prove to be inaccurate; currency
fluctuations; changes in project parameters; future prices of gold
and other metals; possible variations of ore grade or recovery
rates; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining
industry; climatic conditions; political instability; decisions and
regulatory changes enacted by governmental authorities; delays in
obtaining approvals or financing or completing development or
construction activities; and discovery of archaeological ruins.
There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will
prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could
differ materially from those anticipated in such information or
statements. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as
of the date of this announcement and the Company disclaims any
obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a
result of new information, future events or results or otherwise.
Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on
forward-looking statements.
[1] Cash costs of production, AISC, cash and liquid assets and
adjusted free cash flow are Non-GAAP Financial Measures as defined
in the Annual Report
[2] R oyalties are paid every six months in arrears
[3] Cash and cash equivalents, bullion on hand, gold sales
receivables and financial assets at fair value through profit or
loss.
[4] The Company actively monitors the developments of the
COVID-19 pandemic and guidance may be impacted if the workforce or
operation are disrupted
[5] Movement in inventory on ounces produced is the movement in
mining stockpiles and ore in circuit while the movement in
inventory on ounces sold is the net movement in mining stockpiles,
ore in circuit and gold in safe inventory
[6] Financial data points included within this report are unaudited
[7] Under the terms of the Concession Agreement with Centamin's
Egyptian partners, EMRA, on 1 July 2020, the profit share mechanism
changed to 50:50, from 55:45 in favour of Centamin, and will remain
at this level for the remainder of the tenure
[8] All ground in the 2020 bid round will come under the new
Egyptian mining code following a tax, rent, royalty framework
[9] Any agreed terms on new ground would be independent, and
therefore not impact, the Sukari Gold Mine Concession Agreement
(Egyptian Law 222 of 1994).
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END
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