Gran Colombia Gold Reports First Quarter 2020 Results; Files National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report for its Segovia Oper...
May 15 2020 - 7:20PM
Gran Colombia Gold Corp. (TSX: GCM; OTCQX: TPRFF) announced today
the release of its unaudited interim condensed consolidated
financial statements and accompanying management’s discussion and
analysis (MD&A) for the three months ended March 31, 2020. All
financial figures contained herein are expressed in U.S. dollars
(“USD”) unless otherwise noted.
Serafino Iacono, Executive Chairman of Gran
Colombia, commenting on the Company’s latest results, said, “Our
first quarter results continued to show strength, and that was when
gold was more than $100 an ounce lower than where we are now.
Quarterly revenue surpassed $100 million for the first time leading
to adjusted EBITDA of $50 million. Operating cash flow and Free
Cash Flow were up over 50% compared with the first quarter last
year. The balance sheet also got stronger as we built up our
consolidated cash position to about $100 million and by the end of
April, we had reduced our Gold Notes by 40% since the beginning of
the year. We are very pleased that Caldas Gold is up and running
now. Drilling results from the Deep Zone at Marmato continue to be
impressive and the PFS remains on track for mid-year. I am also
very proud of what our Company has been able to do during COVID-19
to help out the communities in which we live and work. These are
definitely unprecedented times and our people have done a
tremendous job keeping our operations going while ensuring we all
do the right thing to keep our workers safe.”
First Quarter 2020
Highlights
- Gran Colombia’s gold
production in the first quarter of 2020 was 56,247 ounces
produced compared with 60,601 ounces in the first quarter last
year. The Company’s mines have continued to operate during the
national quarantine implemented in Colombia in late March. However,
restrictions on movement of people between communities has limited
the availability of workers at the mines. Although April’s gold
production totalled 12,602 ounces, about 65% of the average monthly
volume over the last 12 months, the situation has improved and the
Segovia Operations have been operating at about 95% of normal since
mid-April.
- During the COVID-19 quarantine, the
Company has stepped up its efforts to support the local communities
in which it operates, providing medical equipment, supplies and
sanitation kits to the local hospitals and groceries to families
who have been economically affected by the COVID-19 crisis.
- Revenue amounted
to $101.0 million in the first quarter of 2020, up 30% over the
first quarter last year, getting a boost from the 21% increase in
spot gold prices which increased the Company’s realized gold price
to an average of $1,570 per ounce sold compared with $1,298 per
ounce sold in the first quarter last year. The volume of gold sales
in the first quarter of 2020 was also up 8% over the first quarter
last year, benefitting from a reduction in mineral inventories
following a build up during the refinery shutdown during the
holiday period at the end of 2019.
- Total cash costs
(1) per ounce averaged $667 per ounce in the first quarter
of 2020 compared with $621 per ounce in the first quarter last
year. Segovia’s total cash costs were $604 per ounce in the first
quarter of 2020 and Marmato’s total cash costs of $1,215 per ounce
reflected the impact of additional costs associated with the
commencement of mine optimization activities and the adverse impact
on production in January of a temporary explosives shortfall.
- All-in sustaining
costs (“AISC”) (1) and All-in
costs (1) of $890 per ounce and $978 per ounce,
respectively, in the first quarter of 2020 reflected increased
levels of capital and exploration spending and arbitration-related
costs in G&A, compared with $832 per ounce and $843 per ounce,
respectively, in the first quarter last year.
- The Company reported
adjusted EBITDA (1) of $50.4 million for the first
quarter of 2020, up 43% over the first quarter last year,
benefitting from the stronger revenue performance in the first
quarter of 2020.
- Net cash provided by
operating activities in the first quarter of 2020 of $31.8
million was up 60% over the first quarter last year fuelling a 57%
increase in the Company’s Free Cash Flow (1) in
the first quarter of 2020 to $17.8 million from $11.3 million in
the first quarter last year.
- The Company’s balance
sheet strengthened in the first quarter of 2020 as total
cash increased to $99.7 million at the end of March 2020 from $84.2
million at the end of 2019. Meanwhile, the Company used $21.1
million from the net proceeds of a CA$40 million ($30.1 million)
private placement completed in February to redeem 30% of its Gold
Notes ahead of schedule. At April 30, 2020, the aggregate principal
amount of Gold Notes outstanding was down to $41.3 million.
- The Company completed the
spin-out of its Marmato Mining Assets through a reverse
takeover transaction. The Company has a 74.4% interest in the
resulting issuer, named Caldas Gold Corp., which commenced trading
on the TSX Venture Exchange on February 28, 2020 under the symbol
“CGC”.
- As of May 15, 2020, the total
issued and outstanding common shares of the
Company is 61.3 million and after inclusion of stock options,
warrants and the Convertible Debentures, the Company’s fully
diluted common shares would total approximately 89.4 million.
- The Company reported net
income for the first quarter of 2020 of $24.3 million
($0.42 per share) compared with net income of $7.9 million ($0.16
per share) in the first quarter last year. Adjusted net
income (1) for the first quarter of 2020 was $21.2 million
($0.37 per share), up from $13.0 million ($0.27 per share) in the
first quarter last year. The year-over-year improvement in adjusted
net income for the first quarter of 2020 largely reflects the
positive impact of the Company’s revenue growth resulting from
higher gold prices in 2020 and the increased volume of gold sales
in the current period.
- The Company has successfully
completed Phase 2 of its 2019 infill drilling program in
the Zona Baja Deep Zone at Marmato which focused above the
600 meter level and was designed to provide enough tonnes and grade
in the Measured and Indicated mineral resource categories within
the Main Zone to support the prefeasibility study (“PFS”) which is
currently being carried out and is expected to be finalized by
mid-2020. The Company’s exploration program was also successful in
extending the recently discovered New Zone along strike to more
than 400 meters, opening up an opportunity for further mineral
resource expansion.
- Gran Colombia recently signed a
Letter of Intent with Renergetica Colombia S.A.S. to acquire,
through its Segovia Operations, a solar project
with a total installed capacity of 11.2 MW of power called
“Suarez”, to be located in the Tolima Region of Colombia.
Selected Financial
Information
|
|
First Quarter |
|
|
|
2020 |
|
2019 |
|
|
|
|
Operating
data |
|
|
|
Gold produced (ounces) |
|
|
56,247 |
|
60,601 |
Gold sold (ounces) |
|
|
63,701 |
|
59,045 |
Average realized gold price ($/oz sold) |
|
$ |
1,570 |
$ |
1,298 |
Total cash costs ($/oz sold) (1) |
|
|
667 |
|
621 |
AISC ($/oz sold) (1) |
|
|
890 |
|
832 |
All-in costs ($/oz sold) (1) |
|
|
978 |
|
843 |
|
|
|
Financial
data ($000’s, except per share amounts) |
|
|
Revenue |
|
$ |
100,976 |
$ |
77,455 |
Adjusted EBITDA (1) |
|
|
50,437 |
|
35,275 |
Net income |
|
|
24,255 |
|
7,903 |
Per share - basic |
|
|
0.42 |
|
0.16 |
Per share - diluted |
|
|
0.42 |
|
0.16 |
Adjusted net income (1) |
|
|
21,232 |
|
13,015 |
Per share - basic |
|
|
0.37 |
|
0.27 |
Per share - diluted |
|
|
0.31 |
|
0.24 |
Net cash provided by operating activities |
|
|
31,811 |
|
19,818 |
Free cash flow (1) |
|
|
17,831 |
|
11,277 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
March 31, |
December 31, |
|
|
|
2020 |
|
2019 |
|
|
|
|
Balance sheet
($000’s): |
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents |
|
$ |
99,705 |
$ |
84,239 |
Gold Notes, including current portion – principal amount
outstanding (2) |
|
|
44,713 |
|
68,750 |
Convertible Debentures – principal amount outstanding (3) |
|
CA20,000 |
CA20,000 |
(1) Refer to “Non-IFRS Measures” in the
Company’s MD&A.(2) The Gold Notes are recorded in the Interim
Financial Statements at fair value. At March 31, 2020 and December
31, 2019, the carrying amounts of the Gold Notes outstanding were
$44.4 and $69.0 million, respectively.(3) The Convertible
Debentures are recorded in the Interim Financial Statements at fair
value. At March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the carrying amount
of the Convertible Debentures outstanding was $15.1 million and
$21.1 million, respectively.
Filing of NI 43-101 Technical Report for
the Segovia Operations
Gran Colombia also announced today that it has
filed an updated PFS technical report on its Segovia Operations
(the “Technical Report”) pursuant to National Instrument 43‐101 -
Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43‐101"). The
Technical Report, which supports the disclosure made by the Company
in its March 30, 2020 news release and its 2019 Annual MD&A
dated March 30, 2020, was prepared by SRK Consulting (U.S.), Inc.
(“SRK”) and is based on the updated Mineral Reserve and Mineral
Resource estimates for the Segovia Operations with an effective
date of December 31, 2019.
First Quarter 2020 Results
Webcast
As a reminder, Gran Colombia will host a
conference call and webcast, together with Caldas Gold Corp., on
Tuesday, May 19, 2020 at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss the
results.
Webcast and call-in details are as follows:
|
Live Event link: |
https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/oduhd4fp |
|
International: |
1 (514) 841-2157 |
|
North America Toll Free: |
1 (866) 215-5508 |
|
Colombia Toll Free: |
01 800 9 156 924 |
|
Conference ID: |
49673039 |
A replay of the webcast will be available at
www.grancolombiagold.com from Tuesday, May 19, 2020 until Friday,
June 19, 2020.
About Gran Colombia Gold
Corp.
Gran Colombia is a Canadian-based mid-tier gold
producer with its primary focus in Colombia where it is currently
the largest underground gold and silver producer with several mines
in operation at its high-grade Segovia Operations. Gran Colombia
owns approximately 74% of Caldas Gold Corp., a Canadian mining
company currently advancing a prefeasibility study for a major
expansion and modernization of its underground mining operations at
its Marmato Project in Colombia. Gran Colombia’s project pipeline
includes its Zancudo Project in Colombia together with an
approximately 21% equity interest in Gold X Mining Corp. (TSXV:
GLDX) (Guyana – Toroparu) and an approximately 20% equity interest
in Western Atlas Resources Inc. (“Western Atlas”) (TSX-V: WA)
(Nunavut – Meadowbank).
Additional information on Gran Colombia can be
found on its website at www.grancolombiagold.com and by reviewing
its profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking
Information:
This news release contains "forward-looking
information", which may include, but is not limited to, statements
with respect to the continuation of operations during the COVID-19
situation, production guidance and anticipated business plans or
strategies. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can
be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is
expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts",
"intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or variations (including
negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that
certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might"
or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking
statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
factors which may cause the actual results, performance or
achievements of Gran Colombia to be materially different from any
future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by
the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those anticipated in these
forward-looking statements are described under the caption "Risk
Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form dated as of March
30, 2020 which is available for view on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date
of this press release and Gran Colombia disclaims, other than as
required by law, any obligation to update any forward-looking
statements whether as a result of new information, results, future
events, circumstances, or if management's estimates or opinions
should change, or otherwise. 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 statements. Accordingly, the reader is
cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking
statements.
For Further Information,
Contact:Mike DaviesChief Financial Officer(416)
360-4653investorrelations@grancolombiagold.com
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