This release should be
read with the Company's Financial Statements and Management
Discussion & Analysis ("MD&A"), available at
www.tasekomines.com and filed on www.sedarplus.com.
Except where otherwise noted, all currency amounts are stated in
Canadian dollars. In March 2024 Taseko acquired the remaining 12.5%
interest and now owns 100% of the Gibraltar Mine, located north of
the City of Williams Lake in south-central British Columbia.
Production and sales volumes stated in this release are on a 100%
basis unless otherwise indicated.
|
VANCOUVER, BC, July 31,
2024 /CNW/ - Taseko Mines Limited (TSX: TKO) (NYSE
American: TGB) (LSE: TKO) ("Taseko" or the "Company") reports
second quarter 2024 Adjusted EBITDA* of $71
million and Earnings from mining operations before depletion
and amortization* of $77 million.
Second quarter earnings benefited from a $26
million insurance recovery related to mill repairs that were
completed in January. Revenues for the second quarter were
$138 million. A net loss of
$11 million ($0.04 loss per share) was recorded for the
quarter and adjusted net income was $31
million ($0.10 per
share).
Gibraltar produced 20 million
pounds of copper and 185 thousand pounds of molybdenum in the
second quarter, as previously disclosed. Production was impacted by
planned downtime for the in-pit crusher relocation and other
maintenance, and an 18-day mine shutdown for a labour strike. Mill
throughput in the quarter was 5.7 million tons, processing an
average grade of 0.23% copper. Copper recoveries in the quarter
averaged 78%, lower than previous quarters due to interruptions to
operating time in both concentrators. Total operating costs (C1)*
for the quarter were US$2.99 per
pound of copper produced, higher than recent quarters mainly due to
lower production levels. The in-pit crusher relocation, a project
in development for nearly two years, was completed in the second
quarter. Conveyor and electrical tie ins were done by mid-July and
the new system is now running at full capacity.
Stuart McDonald, President and
CEO of Taseko, commented, "This was our first full quarter with
100% ownership of Gibraltar and
despite the operational disruptions, the mine's financial
performance was quite strong as we generated $35 million of operating cashflow. With all of
the major project and mill maintenance work now completed at
Gibraltar, we're looking forward
to stronger copper production and cashflow generation in the
second half."
Construction activities at the Florence Copper project continued
to ramp up in the second quarter and there are over 200 contractors
now onsite. Concrete foundations have been poured for
the SX/EW plant, tank farms and other key components of the
plant site. On the wellfield, 18 production wells were
completed to the end of June, in line with the schedule, and
development of the pipeline corridor is well advanced. The first
evaporation pond, which has been brought ahead in the schedule to
provide greater water management flexibility will be fully lined
and completed in the next few weeks.
Mr. McDonald added, "We're pleased with the initial construction
progress at Florence as all key
activities are advancing on schedule. We've also had good
success in recruiting key management and technical roles for the
commercial operation and now have nearly half of the 170 permanent
positions filled. Many of these positions have been filled by local
Arizonans and there is excitement about participating in the
development of America's next copper mine. The project
remains on schedule for first copper production in the fourth
quarter 2025."
*Non-GAAP performance measure. See end of news release
Second Quarter Review
- Earnings from mining operations before depletion, amortization
and non-recurring items* was $76.9
million, Adjusted EBITDA* was $70.8
million, and Adjusted net income* was $30.5 million ($0.10 per share);
- Second quarter cash flow from operations was $34.7 million and net loss was $11.0 million ($0.04 loss per share) for the quarter;
- Gibraltar produced 20.2
million pounds of copper for the quarter. Average head grades were
0.23% and copper recoveries were 78% for the quarter;
- Gibraltar sold 22.6 million
pounds of copper in the quarter at an average realized copper price
of US$4.49 per pound;
- Total operating costs (C1)* for the quarter were US$2.99 per pound produced;
- On June 1, 2024, operations at
the Gibraltar mine were suspended
for 18 days due to strike action by its unionized workforce. The
mine was put into temporary care and maintenance with only
essential staff operating and maintaining critical systems during
the strike. Operations at Gibraltar resumed on June 19 after the ratification of a new agreement
by union members;
- During the quarter, a total of 5.7 million tons were milled.
Throughput was impacted by both the labour strike and planned
downtime in Concentrator #1 for the relocation of the primary
crusher and maintenance;
- During the quarter, the Company finalized an insurance claim
for property damage to Concentrator #2 and business interruption
for the associated production impact in 2023 and January 2024. An additional insurance recovery of
$26.3 million was recorded in the
second quarter, and proceeds are expected to be received in the
third quarter;
- Construction of the commercial production facility at
Florence is advancing with recent
activities focused on wellfield drilling, process pond construction
and civil works including pouring of concrete foundations;
- On April 23, 2024, the Company
completed an offering of US$500
million aggregate principal amount of 8.25% Senior Secured
Notes due May 1, 2030. The majority
of the proceeds were used to redeem the outstanding US$400 million 7% Senior Secured Notes due on
February 15, 2026. The remaining
proceeds, net of transaction costs, call premium and accrued
interest, were approximately $110
million and are available to fund capital projects,
including construction at Florence Copper; and
- The Company had a cash balance of $199
million at June 30, 2024 and
has approximately $308 million of
available liquidity including its undrawn US$80 million revolving credit facility.
*Non-GAAP performance measure. See end of news release
Highlights
Operating Data
(Gibraltar - 100% basis)
|
Three months ended
June 30,
|
Six months ended
June 30,
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
Change
|
2024
|
2023
|
Change
|
Tons mined
(millions)
|
18.4
|
23.4
|
(5.0)
|
41.2
|
47.5
|
(6.3)
|
Tons milled
(millions)
|
5.7
|
7.2
|
(1.5)
|
13.4
|
14.3
|
(0.9)
|
Production (million
pounds Cu)
|
20.2
|
28.2
|
(8.0)
|
49.9
|
53.1
|
(3.2)
|
Sales (million pounds
Cu)
|
22.6
|
26.1
|
(3.5)
|
54.3
|
52.7
|
1.6
|
Financial
Data
|
Three months ended
June 30,
|
Six months ended
June 30,
|
(Cdn$ in thousands,
except for per share amounts)
|
2024
|
2023
|
Change
|
2024
|
2023
|
Change
|
Revenues
|
137,730
|
111,924
|
25,806
|
284,677
|
227,443
|
57,234
|
Cash flows provided by
operations
|
34,711
|
33,269
|
1,442
|
94,285
|
61,268
|
33,017
|
Net (loss) income
(GAAP)
|
(10,953)
|
9,991
|
(20,944)
|
7,943
|
43,779
|
(35,836)
|
Per share – basic
("EPS")
|
(0.04)
|
0.03
|
(0.07)
|
0.03
|
0.15
|
(0.12)
|
Earnings from mining
operations before
depletion, amortization and non-recurring
items*
|
76,928
|
27,664
|
49,264
|
129,725
|
68,803
|
60,922
|
Adjusted
EBITDA*
|
70,777
|
22,218
|
48,559
|
120,700
|
58,277
|
62,423
|
Adjusted net income
(loss)*
|
30,503
|
(4,376)
|
34,879
|
38,231
|
712
|
37,519
|
Per share – basic
("adjusted EPS")*
|
0.10
|
(0.02)
|
0.12
|
0.13
|
-
|
0.13
|
Effective as of March 25, 2024 the
Company increased its ownership in Gibraltar from 87.5% to 100%. As a
result, the financial results reported in this MD&A include
100% of Gibraltar income and
expenses for the period March 25,
2024 to June 30, 2024 (87.5%
for the period March 16, 2023 to
March 24, 2024, and 75% prior to
March 15, 2023). For more
information on the Company's acquisition of Cariboo, please refer
to the Financial Statements – Note 3.
The Company finalized the accounting for the acquisition of its
initial 50% interest in Cariboo from Sojitz and the related 12.5%
interest in Gibraltar in the
fourth quarter of 2023. In accordance with the
accounting standards for business combinations, the comparable
financial statements as of June 30,
2023 and for the three and six months then ended have been
revised to reflect the changes in finalizing the consideration paid
and the allocation of the purchase price to the assets and
liabilities acquired.
*Non-GAAP performance measure. See end of news release
Review of Operations
Gibraltar mine
Operating data (100%
basis)
|
Q2
2024
|
Q1
2024
|
Q4
2023
|
Q3
2023
|
Q2
2023
|
Tons mined
(millions)
|
18.4
|
22.8
|
24.1
|
16.5
|
23.4
|
Tons milled
(millions)
|
5.7
|
7.7
|
7.6
|
8.0
|
7.2
|
Strip ratio
|
1.6
|
1.7
|
1.5
|
0.4
|
1.5
|
Site operating cost per
ton milled (Cdn$)*
|
$13.93
|
$11.73
|
$9.72
|
$12.39
|
$13.17
|
Copper
concentrate
|
|
|
|
|
|
Head grade
(%)
|
0.23
|
0.24
|
0.27
|
0.26
|
0.24
|
Copper recovery
(%)
|
77.7
|
79.0
|
82.2
|
85.0
|
81.9
|
Production
(million pounds Cu)
|
20.2
|
29.7
|
34.2
|
35.4
|
28.2
|
Sales (million
pounds Cu)
|
22.6
|
31.7
|
35.9
|
32.1
|
26.1
|
Inventory
(million pounds Cu)
|
2.3
|
4.9
|
6.9
|
8.8
|
5.6
|
Molybdenum
concentrate
|
|
|
|
|
|
Production
(thousand pounds Mo)
|
185
|
247
|
369
|
369
|
230
|
Sales (thousand
pounds Mo)
|
221
|
258
|
364
|
370
|
231
|
Per unit data (US$
per pound produced)*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Site operating
costs*
|
$2.88
|
$2.21
|
$1.59
|
$2.10
|
$2.43
|
By-product
credits*
|
(0.26)
|
(0.17)
|
(0.13)
|
(0.23)
|
(0.13)
|
Site operating costs,
net of by-product credits*
|
$2.62
|
$2.04
|
$1.46
|
$1.87
|
$2.30
|
Off-property
costs
|
0.37
|
0.42
|
0.45
|
0.33
|
0.36
|
Total operating costs
(C1)*
|
$2.99
|
$2.46
|
$1.91
|
$2.20
|
$2.66
|
Review of Operations
Second Quarter Review
Gibraltar produced 20.2 million
pounds of copper for the quarter. Copper production and mill
throughput in the quarter were impacted by a strike in June 2024 and planned downtime in Concentrator #1
for the relocation of the in-pit crusher and other concurrent
maintenance.
On June 1, 2024, operations at the
mine were suspended for 18 days due to strike action by
Gibraltar's unionized workforce
strike. During this period all mining and milling operations were
shut down and only essential staff remained on site to operate and
maintain critical systems. Operations resumed on June 19, after the ratification of a new
agreement by union members.
Copper head grades of 0.23% were in line with management
expectations and the mine plan. Copper recoveries in the second
quarter were 78%, lower than the recent quarters due to increased
milling of partially oxidized ore from the Connector pit and
variable mill operating conditions during the strike and
maintenance activities.
Operations Analysis - Continued
A total of 18.4 million tons were mined in the second quarter,
lower than previous quarters due to the labour disruption.
Stripping continued in the Connector pit and ore release will
transition from the Gibraltar pit
to the Connector pit in the coming months. A total of 1.5 million
tons of oxide ore from the upper benches of the Connector pit were
also added to the heap leach pads in the period.
Total site costs* at Gibraltar
of $90.5 million (which includes
capitalized stripping of $10.7
million) was lower compared to the previous quarter due to
the strike in June. A total of $2.5
million care and maintenance costs were incurred during the
strike which are not included in total site costs or cost of
sales.
During the six months ended June 30,
2024, the Company incurred total costs of $9.7 million in relation to the primary crusher
relocation project for Concentrator #1. Direct costs for the
physical move of the crusher of $7.9
million have been included in the statement of income
(loss).
Molybdenum production was 185 thousand pounds in the second
quarter and production was impacted by mill availability. At an
average molybdenum price of US$21.79
per pound, molybdenum generated a by-product credit per pound of
copper produced of US$0.26 in the
second quarter.
Off-property costs per pound produced* were US$0.37 for the second quarter and also reflected
higher copper sales volumes relative to production volumes compared
to the prior quarter.
Total operating costs per pound produced (C1)* was US$2.99 for the quarter, compared to US$2.66 in the prior year quarter as shown in the
bridge graph below with the difference substantially attributed to
the lower copper production in the quarter:
Gibraltar Outlook
With the major project and maintenance work in both
concentrators now completed, production in the second half of 2024
is expected to be stronger than the first half of 2024. An updated
mine plan and mill throughput opportunities are being evaluated to
recover some of the production that was lost during the strike.
Copper production for the year is expected to be in the range of
110 to 115 million pounds, compared to original guidance of
approximately 115 million pounds.
The Gibraltar pit continued to
be the main source of mill feed in the second quarter and mining of
ore is now transitioning into the Connector pit, which will be the
primary source of mill feed in the second half of the year.
Additional oxide ore from Connector pit is expected to be added to
the heap leach pads this year. Refurbishment of Gibraltar's SX/EW plant, which has been idle
since 2015, will begin later this year and management is planning
to restart the facility in 2025.
*Non-GAAP performance measure. See end of news release
Gibraltar Outlook - Continued
In the quarter, the Company has tendered Gibraltar concentrate to various customers for
the remainder of 2024 and for significant tonnages in 2025 and
2026. In 2023, Treatment and Refining Costs ("TCRCs") accounted for
approximately US$0.17 per pound of
off-property costs. With these recently awarded offtake contracts,
the Company expects off-property costs to reduce to US$0.05 per pound or less over the next two and a
half years due to these fixed, lower TCRCs on the sale of its
copper concentrate.
The Company has a prudent hedging program in place to protect a
minimum copper price during the Florence construction period. Currently,
the Company has copper collar contracts that secure a minimum
copper price of US$3.75 per pound for
42 million pounds of copper covering the second half of 2024, and
copper collar contracts that secure a minimum copper price of
US$4.00 per pound for 108 million
pounds of copper for 2025. The copper collar contracts also
have ceiling prices between US$5.00
and US$5.40 per pound (refer to the
section "Hedging Strategy" for details).
Florence Copper
The Company has all the key permits in place for the commercial
production facility at Florence Copper and construction has
commenced. All the major SX/EW plant components are on site
and previous work on detailed engineering and procurement of
long-lead items has de-risked the construction schedule.
First copper production is expected in the fourth quarter of
2025.
The Company has a technical report entitled "NI 43-101 Technical
Report Florence Copper Project, Pinal
County, Arizona" dated March 30,
2023 (the "2023 Technical Report") on SEDAR+. The 2023
Technical Report was prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 and
incorporated the results of testwork from the Production Test
Facility ("PTF") as well as updated capital and operating costs (Q3
2022 basis) for the commercial production facility.
Project highlights based on the 2023 Technical Report:
- Net present value of US$930
million (at $US 3.75 copper
price, 8% after-tax discount rate)
- Internal rate of return of 47% (after-tax)
- Payback period of 2.6 years
- Operating costs (C1) of US$1.11
per pound of copper
- Annual production capacity of 85 million pounds of LME grade A
cathode copper
- 22 year mine life
- Total life of mine production of 1.5 billion pounds of
copper
- Remaining initial capital cost of US$232
million (Q3 2022 basis)
Construction activities in the second quarter of 2024 have
focused on wellfield drilling, site preparations and earthworks for
the commercial wellfield and plant area including the excavation of
process ponds and concrete foundation work for the plant, and the
hiring of additional personnel for the construction and operations
teams.
Drilling of the commercial facility wellfield commenced in
February and two drills operated during the second quarter, with a
third drill mobilized in July. As of the end of June, a total
of 18 production wells had been drilled which is in line with the
planned construction schedule.
The Company has a fixed-price contract with the general
contractor for construction of the SX/EW plant and associated
surface infrastructure.
Florence Copper - Continued
Florence Copper Quarterly Capital Spend
|
Three months
ended
|
Six months
ended
|
(US$ in
thousands)
|
June 30,
2024
|
June 30,
2024
|
Site and PTF
operations
|
4,314
|
8,559
|
Commercial facility
construction costs
|
36,850
|
54,848
|
Other capital
costs
|
7,053
|
22,762
|
Total Florence
project expenditures
|
48,217
|
86,169
|
The estimated remaining capital costs in the 2023 Technical
Report for construction of the commercial facility was US$232 million, of which US$36.9 million has been incurred in the second
quarter of 2024 and US$54.8 million
has been incurred for the six months ended June 30, 2024. Other capital costs of
US$22.8 million include final
payments for delivery of long-lead equipment that was ordered in
2022, and to bring forward the construction of an evaporation pond
to provide additional water management flexibility.
The Company has closed several Florence project level financings to fund
initial commercial facility construction costs. On April 26th, the Company received the
second deposit of US$10 million from
the US$50 million copper stream
transaction with Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.) Inc. ("Mitsui"). The
third deposit was received in July and the remaining amounts of
US$20 million should be received in
October 2024 and January 2025.
The Company considers that the construction of Florence Copper
is now fully funded, and remaining project costs are expected to be
funded with the Company's available liquidity, remaining
instalments from Mitsui, and cashflow from its 100% ownership
interest in Gibraltar. The Company also has in place an
undrawn revolving credit facility for US$80
million.
Long-term Growth Strategy
Taseko's strategy has been to grow the Company by acquiring and
developing a pipeline of projects focused on copper in North America. We continue to believe this
will generate long-term returns for shareholders. Our other
development projects are located in British Columbia, Canada.
Yellowhead Copper Project
Yellowhead Mining Inc. ("Yellowhead") has an 817 million tonnes
reserve and a 25-year mine life with a pre-tax net present value of
$1.3 billion at an 8% discount rate
using a US$3.10 per pound copper
price based on the Company's 2020 NI 43-101 technical report.
Capital costs of the project were estimated at $1.3 billion over a 2-year construction period.
During the first 5 years of operation, the copper equivalent grade
will average 0.35% producing an average of 200 million pounds of
copper per year at an average C1* cost, net of by-product credit,
of US$1.67 per pound of copper
produced. The Yellowhead copper project contains valuable precious
metal by-products with 440,000 ounces of gold and 19 million ounces
of silver production over the life of mine.
Long-term Growth Strategy - Continued
The Company is preparing to advance into the environmental
assessment process and has recently opened a project office to
support ongoing engagement with local communities including First
Nations. The Company is also conducting a site investigation field
program this year, and collecting baseline data and modeling which
will be used to support the environmental assessment and permitting
of the project.
New Prosperity Gold-Copper Project
In late 2019, the Tŝilhqot'in Nation, as represented by
Tŝilhqot'in National Government, and Taseko Mines Limited entered
into a confidential dialogue, with the involvement of the Province
of British Columbia, seeking a
long-term resolution of the conflict regarding Taseko's proposed
copper-gold mine previously known as New Prosperity, acknowledging
Taseko's commercial interests and the Tŝilhqot'in Nation's
opposition to the project.
This dialogue has been supported by the parties' agreement,
beginning December 2019, to a series
of standstill agreements on certain outstanding litigation and
regulatory matters relating to Taseko's tenures and the area in the
vicinity of Teẑtan Biny (Fish Lake).
The dialogue process has made meaningful progress in recent
months but is not complete. The Tŝilhqot'in Nation and Taseko
acknowledge the constructive nature of discussions, and the
opportunity to conclude a long-term and mutually acceptable
resolution of the conflict that also makes an important
contribution to the goals of reconciliation in Canada.
In March 2024, Tŝilhqot'in and
Taseko formally reinstated the standstill agreement for a final
term, with the goal of finalizing a resolution before the end of
this year.
Aley Niobium Project
Environmental monitoring and product marketing initiatives on
the Aley niobium project continue. The converter pilot test is
ongoing and is providing additional process data to support the
design of the commercial process facilities and will provide final
product samples for marketing purposes. The Company has also
initiated a scoping study to investigate the potential production
of niobium oxide at Aley to supply the growing market for
niobium-based batteries.
Annual Sustainability Report
In June 2024, the Company
published its annual Sustainability Report, titled H2O +
ESG (the "Report"). The Report focuses on the 2023 operational and
sustainability performance of Taseko's foundational asset, the
Gibraltar copper mine in
British Columbia, and highlights
social and economic contributions from the Florence Copper project
in Arizona, which will soon become
the Company's second operating asset.
Taseko's 2023 Sustainability Report features several significant
initiatives underway across the Company to conserve and reuse
water, and to achieve water management objectives. This includes a
pioneering in-situ biological water treatment initiative undertaken
at the Gibraltar mine last year –
part of a long-term water management program that has achieved a
77% reduction in free water stored in the mine's tailings storage
facility over the past decade.
While profitable operations and return on investment are
critical drivers for Taseko's success, the Company also delivers
value to its employees and operating communities, business
partners, Indigenous Nations and governments. The annual
Sustainability Report is an opportunity to showcase the important
benefits that the Company generates through its operations,
investments and people.
The full report can be viewed and downloaded at:
tasekomines.com/sustainability/overview/
The Company will host a
telephone conference call and live webcast on Thursday, August 1,
2024, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time (8:00 a.m. Pacific) to discuss
these results. After opening remarks by management, there will be a
question-and-answer session open to analysts and
investors.
To join the conference
call without operator assistance, you may pre-register at
https://emportal.ink/4fnpKl1 to receive an instant automated call
back just prior to the start of the conference call. Otherwise, the
conference call may be accessed by dialing 888-390-0546 toll-free,
416-764-8688 in Canada, or online at
tasekomines.com/investors/events/.
The conference call
will be archived for later playback until August 15, 2024, and can
be accessed by dialing 888-390-0541 toll-free, 416-764-8677 in
Canada, or online at tasekomines.com/investors/events/ and
using the entry code 099395 #.
|
Stuart McDonald
President & CEO
No regulatory authority has approved or
disapproved of the information in this news release.
Non-GAAP Performance Measures
This document includes certain non-GAAP performance measures
that do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS. These
measures may differ from those used by, and may not be comparable
to such measures as reported by, other issuers. The Company
believes that these measures are commonly used by certain
investors, in conjunction with conventional IFRS measures, to
enhance their understanding of the Company's performance. These
measures have been derived from the Company's financial statements
and applied on a consistent basis. The following tables below
provide a reconciliation of these non-GAAP measures to the most
directly comparable IFRS measure.
Total operating costs and site operating costs, net of
by-product credits
Total costs of sales include all costs absorbed into inventory,
as well as transportation costs and insurance recoverable. Site
operating costs are calculated by removing net changes in
inventory, depletion and amortization, insurance recoverable, and
transportation costs from cost of sales. Site operating costs, net
of by-product credits is calculated by subtracting by-product
credits from the site operating costs. Site operating costs, net of
by-product credits per pound are calculated by dividing the
aggregate of the applicable costs by copper pounds produced. Total
operating costs per pound is the sum of site operating costs, net
of by-product credits and off-property costs divided by the copper
pounds produced. By-product credits are calculated based on actual
sales of molybdenum (net of treatment costs) and silver during the
period divided by the total pounds of copper produced during the
period. These measures are calculated on a consistent basis for the
periods presented.
(Cdn$ in thousands,
unless otherwise indicated)
|
2024
Q2
|
2024
Q11
|
2023
Q41
|
2023
Q31
|
2023
Q21
|
Cost of
sales
|
108,637
|
122,528
|
93,914
|
94,383
|
99,854
|
Less:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Depletion and
amortization
|
(13,721)
|
(15,024)
|
(13,326)
|
(15,993)
|
(15,594)
|
Net change in
inventories of finished goods
|
(10,462)
|
(20,392)
|
(1,678)
|
4,267
|
3,356
|
Net change in
inventories of ore stockpiles
|
1,758
|
2,719
|
(3,771)
|
12,172
|
2,724
|
Transportation
costs
|
(6,408)
|
(10,153)
|
(10,294)
|
(7,681)
|
(6,966)
|
Site operating
costs
|
79,804
|
79,678
|
64,845
|
87,148
|
83,374
|
Oxide ore stockpile
reclassification from capitalized stripping
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(3,183)
|
Less by-product
credits:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Molybdenum, net of
treatment costs
|
(7,071)
|
(6,112)
|
(5,441)
|
(9,900)
|
(4,018)
|
Silver, excluding
amortization of deferred revenue
|
(144)
|
(137)
|
124
|
290
|
(103)
|
Site operating costs,
net of by-product credits
|
72,589
|
73,429
|
59,528
|
77,538
|
76,070
|
Total copper produced
(thousand pounds)
|
20,225
|
26,694
|
29,883
|
30,978
|
24,640
|
Total costs per pound
produced
|
3.59
|
2.75
|
1.99
|
2.50
|
3.09
|
Average exchange rate
for the period (CAD/USD)
|
1.37
|
1.35
|
1.36
|
1.34
|
1.34
|
Site operating
costs, net of by-product credits (US$ per pound)
|
2.62
|
2.04
|
1.46
|
1.87
|
2.30
|
Site operating costs,
net of by-product credits
|
72,589
|
73,429
|
59,528
|
77,538
|
76,070
|
Add off-property
costs:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Treatment and refining
costs
|
3,941
|
4,816
|
7,885
|
6,123
|
4,986
|
Transportation
costs
|
6,408
|
10,153
|
10,294
|
7,681
|
6,966
|
Total operating
costs
|
82,938
|
88,398
|
77,707
|
91,342
|
88,022
|
Total operating
costs (C1) (US$ per pound)
|
2.99
|
2.46
|
1.91
|
2.20
|
2.66
|
1 Q2,
Q3 and Q4 2023 includes the impact from the March 15, 2023
acquisition of Cariboo from Sojitz, which increased the Company's
Gibraltar ownership from 75% to 87.5%. Q1 2024 includes the impact
from the March 25, 2024 acquisition of Cariboo from Dowa and
Furukawa, which increased the Company's Gibraltar ownership from
87.5% to 100%.
|
Non-GAAP Performance Measures - Continued
Total Site Costs
Total site costs are comprised of the site operating costs
charged to cost of sales as well as mining costs capitalized to
property, plant and equipment in the period. This measure is
intended to capture Taseko's share of the total site operating
costs incurred in the quarter at Gibraltar calculated on a consistent basis for
the periods presented.
(Cdn$ in thousands,
unless otherwise indicated) –
87.5% basis (except for
Q1 2024 and Q2 2024)
|
2024
Q2
|
2024
Q11
|
2023
Q41
|
2023
Q31
|
2023
Q21
|
Site operating
costs
|
79,804
|
79,678
|
64,845
|
87,148
|
83,374
|
Add:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capitalized stripping
costs
|
10,732
|
16,152
|
31,916
|
2,083
|
8,832
|
Total site costs –
Taseko share
|
90,536
|
95,830
|
96,761
|
89,231
|
92,206
|
Total site costs –
100% basis
|
90,536
|
109,520
|
110,584
|
101,978
|
105,378
|
1 Q2,
Q3 and Q4 2023 includes the impact from the March 15, 2023
acquisition of Cariboo from Sojitz, which increased the Company's
Gibraltar ownership from 75% to 87.5%. Q1 2024 includes the impact
from the March 25, 2024 acquisition of Cariboo from Dowa and
Furukawa, which increased the Company's Gibraltar ownership from
87.5% to 100%.
|
Adjusted net income (loss) and Adjusted EPS
Adjusted net income (loss) removes the effect of the following
transactions from net income as reported under IFRS:
- Unrealized foreign currency gains/losses;
- Unrealized gain/loss on derivatives;
- Other operating costs;
- Call premium on settlement of debt;
- Loss on settlement of long-term debt, net of capitalized
interest;
- Gain on Cariboo acquisition;
- Gain on acquisition of control of Gibraltar;
- Realized gain on sale of inventory;
- Realized gain on processing of ore stockpiles; and
- Finance and other non-recurring costs for Cariboo
acquisition.
Management believes these transactions do not reflect the
underlying operating performance of our core mining business and
are not necessarily indicative of future operating results.
Furthermore, unrealized gains/losses on derivative instruments,
changes in the fair value of financial instruments, and unrealized
foreign currency gains/losses are not necessarily reflective of the
underlying operating results for the reporting periods
presented.
Non-GAAP Performance Measures – Continued
(Cdn$ in thousands,
except per share amounts)
|
2024
Q2
|
2024
Q1
|
2023
Q4
|
2023
Q3
|
Net (loss)
income
|
(10,953)
|
18,896
|
38,076
|
871
|
Unrealized foreign
exchange loss (gain)
|
5,408
|
13,688
|
(14,541)
|
14,582
|
Unrealized loss on
derivatives
|
10,033
|
3,519
|
1,636
|
4,518
|
Other operating
costs
|
10,435
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Call premium on
settlement of debt
|
9,571
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Loss on settlement of
long-term debt, net of capitalized interest
|
2,904
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Gain on Cariboo
acquisition
|
-
|
(47,426)
|
-
|
-
|
Gain on acquisition of
control of Gibraltar**
|
-
|
(14,982)
|
-
|
-
|
Realized gain on sale
of inventory***
|
4,633
|
13,354
|
-
|
-
|
Realized gain on
processing of ore stockpiles****
|
3,191
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Accretion and fair
value adjustment on Florence royalty
obligation
|
2,132
|
3,416
|
-
|
-
|
Accretion and fair
value adjustment on consideration
payable to
Cariboo
|
8,399
|
1,555
|
(916)
|
1,244
|
Non-recurring other
expenses for Cariboo acquisition
|
394
|
138
|
-
|
-
|
Estimated tax effect of
adjustments
|
(15,644)
|
15,570
|
(195)
|
(1,556)
|
Adjusted net
income
|
30,503
|
7,728
|
24,060
|
19,659
|
Adjusted
EPS
|
0.10
|
0.03
|
0.08
|
0.07
|
(Cdn$ in thousands,
except per share amounts)
|
2023
Q2
|
2023
Q1
|
2022
Q4
|
2022
Q3
|
Net income
(loss)
|
9,991
|
33,788
|
(2,275)
|
(23,517)
|
Unrealized foreign
exchange (gain) loss
|
(10,966)
|
(950)
|
(5,279)
|
28,083
|
Unrealized (gain) loss
on derivatives
|
(6,470)
|
2,190
|
20,137
|
(72)
|
Gain on Cariboo
acquisition
|
-
|
(46,212)
|
-
|
-
|
Accretion and fair
value adjustment on consideration
payable to
Cariboo
|
1,451
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Non-recurring other
expenses for Cariboo acquisition
|
263
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Estimated tax effect of
adjustments
|
1,355
|
16,272
|
(5,437)
|
19
|
Adjusted net (loss)
income
|
(4,376)
|
5,088
|
7,146
|
4,513
|
Adjusted
EPS
|
(0.02)
|
0.02
|
0.02
|
0.02
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
**The $15.0 million
gain on acquisition of control of Gibraltar in Q1 2024 relates to
the write-up of finished copper concentrate inventory for Taseko's
87.5% share to its fair value at March 25, 2024.
|
*** Cost of sales for
the three months ended June 30, 2024 included $4.6 million in
write-ups to net realizable value for concentrate inventory held at
March 25, 2024 that were subsequently sold in April. The realized
portion of the gains recorded in the prior quarter for GAAP
purposes have been included in Adjusted net income (loss) in the
current quarter reflecting the period they were sold.
**** Cost of sales for
the three months ended June 30, 2024 included $3.2 million in
write-ups to net realizable value for ore stockpiles held at March
25, 2024 that were subsequently processed in the second quarter.
The realized portion of the write-ups recorded in the prior quarter
for GAAP purposes have been included in Adjusted net income (loss)
in the current quarter reflecting the period they were
processed.
|
Non-GAAP Performance Measures - Continued
Adjusted EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA is presented as a supplemental measure of the
Company's performance and ability to service debt. Adjusted EBITDA
is frequently used by securities analysts, investors and other
interested parties in the evaluation of companies in the industry,
many of which present Adjusted EBITDA when reporting their results.
Issuers of "high yield" securities also present Adjusted EBITDA
because investors, analysts and rating agencies consider it useful
in measuring the ability of those issuers to meet debt service
obligations.
Adjusted EBITDA represents net income before interest, income
taxes, and depreciation and also eliminates the impact of a number
of items that are not considered indicative of ongoing operating
performance. Certain items of expense are added and certain items
of income are deducted from net income that are not likely to recur
or are not indicative of the Company's underlying operating results
for the reporting periods presented or for future operating
performance and consist of:
- Unrealized foreign exchange gains/losses;
- Unrealized gain/loss on derivatives;
- Amortization of share-based compensation expense;
- Other operating costs;
- Call premium on settlement of debt;
- Loss on settlement of long-term debt;
- Gain on Cariboo acquisition;
- Gain on acquisition of control of Gibraltar;
- Realized gain on sale of inventory;
- Realized gain on processing of ore stockpiles; and
- Non-recurring other expenses for Cariboo acquisition.
Non-GAAP Performance Measures - Continued
(Cdn$ in
thousands)
|
2024
Q2
|
2024
Q1
|
2023
Q4
|
2023
Q3
|
Net (loss)
income
|
(10,953)
|
18,896
|
38,076
|
871
|
Add:
|
|
|
|
|
Depletion and
amortization
|
13,721
|
15,024
|
13,326
|
15,993
|
Finance
expense
|
21,271
|
19,849
|
12,804
|
14,285
|
Finance
income
|
(911)
|
(1,086)
|
(972)
|
(322)
|
Income tax (recovery)
expense
|
(3,247)
|
23,282
|
17,205
|
12,041
|
Unrealized foreign
exchange loss (gain)
|
5,408
|
13,688
|
(14,541)
|
14,582
|
Unrealized loss on
derivatives
|
10,033
|
3,519
|
1,636
|
4,518
|
Amortization of
share-based compensation expense
|
2,585
|
5,667
|
1,573
|
727
|
Other operating
costs
|
10,435
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Call premium on
settlement of debt
|
9,571
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Loss on settlement of
long-term debt
|
4,646
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Gain on Cariboo
acquisition
|
-
|
(47,426)
|
-
|
-
|
Gain on acquisition of
control of Gibraltar**
|
-
|
(14,982)
|
-
|
-
|
Realized gain on sale
of inventory***
|
4,633
|
13,354
|
-
|
-
|
Realized gain on
processing of ore stockpiles****
|
3,191
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Non-recurring other
expenses for Cariboo acquisition
|
394
|
138
|
-
|
-
|
Adjusted
EBITDA
|
70,777
|
49,923
|
69,107
|
62,695
|
**The $15.0 million
gain on acquisition of control of Gibraltar in Q1 2024 relates to
the write-up of finished copper concentrate inventory for Taseko's
87.5% share to its fair value at March 25,
2024.
|
*** Cost of sales for
the three months ended June 30, 2024 included $4.6 million in
write-ups to net realizable value for concentrate inventory held at
March 25, 2024 that were subsequently sold in April. The realized
portion of the gains recorded in the prior quarter for GAAP
purposes have been included in Adjusted net income (loss) in the
current quarter reflecting the period they were sold.
**** Cost of sales for
the three months ended June 30, 2024 included $3.2 million in
write-ups to net realizable value for ore stockpiles held at March
25, 2024 that were subsequently processed in the second quarter.
The realized portion of the write-ups recorded in the prior quarter
for GAAP purposes have been included in Adjusted net income (loss)
in the current quarter reflecting the period they were
processed.
|
Non-GAAP Performance Measures - Continued
(Cdn$ in
thousands)
|
2023
Q2
|
2023
Q1
|
2022
Q4
|
2022
Q3
|
Net
income(loss)
|
9,991
|
33,788
|
(2,275)
|
(23,517)
|
Add:
|
|
|
|
|
Depletion and
amortization
|
15,594
|
12,027
|
10,147
|
13,060
|
Finance
expense
|
13,468
|
12,309
|
10,135
|
12,481
|
Finance
income
|
(757)
|
(921)
|
(700)
|
(650)
|
Income tax
expense
|
678
|
20,219
|
1,222
|
3,500
|
Unrealized foreign
exchange (gain) loss
|
(10,966)
|
(950)
|
(5,279)
|
28,083
|
Unrealized (gain) loss
on derivatives
|
(6,470)
|
2,190
|
20,137
|
(72)
|
Amortization of
share-based compensation expense
|
417
|
3,609
|
1,794
|
1,146
|
Gain on Cariboo
acquisition
|
-
|
(46,212)
|
-
|
-
|
Non-recurring other
expenses for Cariboo acquisition
|
263
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Adjusted
EBITDA
|
22,218
|
36,059
|
35,181
|
34,031
|
Earnings from mining operations before depletion and
amortization
Earnings from mining operations before depletion and
amortization is earnings from mining operations with depletion and
amortization, also any items that are not considered indicative of
ongoing operating performance are added back. The Company discloses
this measure, which has been derived from our financial statements
and applied on a consistent basis, to provide assistance in
understanding the results of the Company's operations and financial
position and it is meant to provide further information about the
financial results to investors.
|
Three months
ended
June 30,
|
Six months ended
June 30,
|
(Cdn$ in
thousands)
|
2024
|
2023
|
2024
|
2023
|
Earnings from mining
operations
|
44,948
|
12,070
|
69,367
|
41,182
|
Add:
|
|
|
|
|
Depletion and
amortization
|
13,721
|
15,594
|
28,745
|
27,621
|
Realized gain on
sale of inventory
|
4,633
|
-
|
17,987
|
-
|
Realized gain on
processing of ore stockpiles
|
3,191
|
-
|
3,191
|
-
|
Other operating
costs
|
10,435
|
-
|
10,435
|
-
|
Earnings from mining
operations before depletion, amortization and non-recurring
items
|
76,928
|
27,664
|
129,725
|
68,803
|
During the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 the realized gains on sale of
inventory and processing of ore stockpiles relates to inventory
held at March 25, 2024 that was
written-up from book value to net realizable value and subsequently
sold or processed between March 26 and June
30, 2024.
Non-GAAP Performance Measures - Continued
Site operating costs per ton milled
The Company discloses this measure, which has been derived from
our financial statements and applied on a consistent basis, to
provide assistance in understanding the Company's site operations
on a tons milled basis.
(Cdn$ in thousands,
except per ton milled amounts)
|
2024
Q2
|
2024
Q11
|
2023
Q41
|
2023
Q31
|
2023
Q21
|
Site operating costs
(included in cost of
sales) –
Taseko share
|
79,804
|
79,678
|
64,845
|
87,148
|
83,374
|
Site operating costs
– 100% basis
|
79,804
|
90,040
|
74,109
|
99,598
|
95,285
|
Tons milled
(thousands)
|
5,728
|
7,677
|
7,626
|
8,041
|
7,234
|
Site operating costs
per ton milled
|
$13.93
|
$11.73
|
$9.72
|
$12.39
|
$13.17
|
1 Q2,
Q3 and Q4 2023 includes the impact from the March 15, 2023
acquisition of Cariboo from Sojitz, which increased the Company's
Gibraltar ownership from 75% to 87.5%. Q1 2024 includes the impact
from the March 25, 2024 acquisition of Cariboo from Dowa and
Furukawa, which increased the Company's Gibraltar ownership from
87.5% to 100%.
|
Technical Information
The technical information contained in this MD&A related to
the Florence Copper Project is based upon the report entitled: "NI
43-101 Technical Report – Florence Copper Project, Pinal County, Arizona" issued March 30, 2023 with an effective date of
March 15, 2023 which is available on
SEDAR+. The Florence Copper Project Technical Report was prepared
under the supervision of Richard
Tremblay, P.Eng., MBA, Richard
Weymark, P.Eng., MBA, and Robert
Rotzinger, P.Eng. Mr. Tremblay is employed by the Company as
Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Weymark is Vice President Engineering,
and Robert Rotzinger is Vice
President Capital Projects. All three are Qualified Persons as
defined by NI 43–101.
Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This document contains "forward-looking statements" that were
based on Taseko's expectations, estimates and projections as of the
dates as of which those statements were made. Generally, these
forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of
forward-looking terminology such as "outlook", "anticipate",
"project", "target", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend",
"should" and similar expressions.
Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's
actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to
be materially different from those expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements. These included but are not limited
to:
- uncertainties about the effect of COVID-19 and the response of
local, provincial, federal and international governments to the
threat of COVID-19 on our operations (including our suppliers,
customers, supply chain, employees and contractors) and economic
conditions generally and in particular with respect to the demand
for copper and other metals we produce;
- uncertainties and costs related to the Company's exploration
and development activities, such as those associated with
continuity of mineralization or determining whether mineral
resources or reserves exist on a property;
- uncertainties related to the accuracy of our estimates of
mineral reserves, mineral resources, production rates and timing of
production, future production and future cash and total costs of
production and milling;
- uncertainties related to feasibility studies that provide
estimates of expected or anticipated costs, expenditures and
economic returns from a mining project;
- uncertainties related to the ability to obtain necessary
licenses permits for development projects and project delays due to
third party opposition;
- uncertainties related to unexpected judicial or regulatory
proceedings;
- changes in, and the effects of, the laws, regulations and
government policies affecting our exploration and development
activities and mining operations, particularly laws, regulations
and policies;
- changes in general economic conditions, the financial markets
and in the demand and market price for copper, gold and other
minerals and commodities, such as diesel fuel, steel, concrete,
electricity and other forms of energy, mining equipment, and
fluctuations in exchange rates, particularly with respect to the
value of the U.S. dollar and Canadian dollar, and the continued
availability of capital and financing;
- the effects of forward selling instruments to protect against
fluctuations in copper prices and exchange rate movements and the
risks of counterparty defaults, and mark to market risk;
- the risk of inadequate insurance or inability to obtain
insurance to cover mining risks;
- the risk of loss of key employees; the risk of changes in
accounting policies and methods we use to report our financial
condition, including uncertainties associated with critical
accounting assumptions and estimates;
- environmental issues and liabilities associated with mining
including processing and stock piling ore; and
- labour strikes, work stoppages, or other interruptions to, or
difficulties in, the employment of labour in markets in which we
operate mines, or environmental hazards, industrial accidents or
other events or occurrences, including third party interference
that interrupt the production of minerals in our mines.
For further information on Taseko, investors should review the
Company's annual Form 40-F filing with the United States Securities
and Exchange Commission www.sec.gov and home jurisdiction filings
that are available at www.sedar.com.
Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information
This discussion includes certain statements that may be deemed
"forward-looking statements". All statements in this
discussion, other than statements of historical facts, that address
future production, reserve potential, exploration drilling,
exploitation activities, and events or developments that the
Company expects are forward-looking statements. Although we
believe the expectations expressed in such forward-looking
statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are
not guarantees of future performance and actual results or
developments may differ materially from those in the
forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those in forward-looking
statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration
successes, continued availability of capital and financing and
general economic, market or business conditions. Investors
are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future
performance and actual results or developments may differ
materially from those projected in the forward-looking
statements. All of the forward-looking statements made in
this MD&A are qualified by these cautionary statements.
We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any
forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by
applicable law. Further information concerning risks and
uncertainties associated with these forward-looking statements and
our business may be found in our most recent Form 40-F/Annual
Information Form on file with the SEC and Canadian provincial
securities regulatory authorities.
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SOURCE Taseko Mines Limited