Gran Colombia Gold Reports Second Quarter and First Half 2020 Results; Announces Quarterly Dividend Program
August 13 2020 - 6:45PM
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.”
Second Quarter and First Half 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 |
|
- Refer to “Non-IFRS Measures” in the Company’s MD&A.
- 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.
- 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.
Second Quarter and First Half 2020
Results Webcast
As a reminder, Gran Colombia will host a
conference call and webcast on Friday, August 14, 2020 at 10:00
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/oc7986ix |
International: |
1 (514) 841-2157 |
North America Toll Free: |
1 (866) 215-5508 |
Colombia Toll Free: |
01 800 9 156 924 |
Conference ID: |
49825338 |
A replay of the webcast will be available at
www.grancolombiagold.com from Friday, August 14, 2020 until Friday,
September 18, 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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