Endeavour Silver Corp.
(“Endeavour” or the
“Company”) (NYSE: EXK; TSX: EDR)
announces its consolidated production and cost guidance, and its
capital and exploration budgets for 2024. The Company will provide
2024 guidance on activities at the Terronera project in a separate
news release. All dollar amounts are in US dollars (US$).
2024 Production and Cost Guidance
Highlights
In 2024, silver production is expected to range
from 5.3 to 5.8 million ounces (oz) and gold production is expected
to be between 34,000 oz and 38,000 oz. Silver equivalent production
is forecast to total between 8.1 million and 8.8 million oz1.
Consolidated cash costs2 and all-in sustaining
costs2 (“AISC”) in 2024 are estimated to be $14.00-$15.00 per oz
silver and $22.00-23.00 per oz silver, respectively, net of gold
by-product credits. Consolidated cash costs on a per ounce basis
are expected to be slightly higher than 2023, primarily due to a
reduction in gold production and a lower estimated gold price, and
AISC slightly lower as reduced sustaining capital and comparable
exploration and general and administrative costs will be allocated
over similar silver production.
“While we expect 2024 production levels aligning
with those of 2023, ongoing challenges include escalating costs,”
commented Dan Dickson, Endeavour’s CEO. “The influence of a
stronger local currency, coupled with inflationary pressures on
essential inputs like labor, explosives, energy, and steel prices,
continue to impact the bottom line. While we pursue opportunities
to mitigate cost pressures in all areas, maintaining and enhancing
safety at our operations will always be our focus.”
Mr. Dickson added, “2024 will be a very
important year as we complete the build of our Terronera Project
and begin transitioning to a premier senior sliver producer. Our
commitment to creating shareholder value will continue by way of
delivering a substantial decrease in costs and a path to margin
expansion. We are laser-focused on completing construction at
Terronera this year which should result in a significant increase
in production, a notable reduction in costs and provide substantial
free cash flow in future years.”
2024 Guidance Summary (3)
|
|
Guanaceví |
Bolañitos |
Consolidated |
Tonnes per day |
Tpd |
1,150 - 1,250 |
1,150 - 1,250 |
2,300 - 2,500 |
Silver production |
M oz |
4.9 – 5.2 |
0.5 - 0.6 |
5.3 – 5.8 |
Gold production |
k oz |
13.0 - 15.0 |
21.0 - 23.0 |
34.0 - 38.0 |
Silver Eq production1 |
M oz |
5.9 – 6.4 |
2.2 - 2.4 |
8.1 – 8.8 |
Cash costs, net of gold by-product credits2 |
$/oz |
|
|
$14.00 - $15.00 |
AISC, net of gold by-product credits2 |
$/oz |
|
|
$22.00 - $23.00 |
Sustaining capital2 budget |
$M |
|
|
$30.0 |
Exploration budget |
$M |
|
|
$8.7 |
Operating Mines
At Guanaceví, 2024 plant throughput is estimated
to range from 1,150 tonnes per day (tpd) to 1,250 tpd and average
1,200 tpd mining mainly from the Porvenir Cuatro extension on the
El Curso concessions. The El Curso concessions were leased from a
third party with no upfront costs, but with significant royalty
payments on production. Compared to 2023, mine grades are expected
to be slightly lower and recoveries are anticipated to be similar
in 2024. Cash costs per ounce, AISC per ounce and direct costs2 on
a per tonne basis are expected to be similar to
2023.
In 2024, plant throughput at Bolañitos is
expected to range from 1,150 tpd to 1,250 tpd and average 1,200 tpd
sourcing from the Plateros-La Luz, Lucero-Karina and Bolañitos-San
Miguel vein systems. Mine grades are expected to be higher for
silver and lower for gold and recoveries are expected to be similar
to 2023. Cash costs per ounce are expected to increase due to lower
gold production and lower estimated gold prices. AISC per ounce are
expected to decrease due to lower sustaining capital and direct
costs on a per tonne basis are expected to be similar to 2023.
Consolidated Operating
Costs
2024 cash costs, net of gold by-product credits,
are expected to be $14.00-$15.00 per oz of silver produced.
All-in sustaining costs, net of gold by-product
credits, in accordance with the World Gold Council standard, are
estimated to be $22.00-$23.00 per oz of silver produced. Excluding
non-cash items, AISC are forecast to be in the $20.00-$21.00
range.
Direct operating costs2 per tonne are estimated
to be $140-$145 with inflationary pressures and a strengthened
Mexican Peso expected to continue in 2024. Direct costs2, which
include royalties and special mining duties, are estimated to be in
the range of $165-$170 per tonne.
Management made the following assumptions in
calculating its 2024 cost forecasts: $23 per oz silver price,
$1,840 per oz gold price, 17:1 Mexican peso per US dollar exchange
rate, and a 5% Mexican annual inflation rate.
2024 Capital Budget (3)
|
SustainingMine Development |
Sustaining Other Capital |
Total Sustaining Capital |
Growth Capital |
Total Capital |
Guanaceví |
$14.1 million |
$7.1 million |
$21.2 million |
- |
$21.2 million |
Bolañitos |
$7.3 million |
$1.5 million |
$8.8 million |
- |
$8.8 million |
Corporate and Exploration |
|
|
|
$2.6 million |
$2.6 million |
Total |
$21.4 million |
$8.6 million |
$30.0 million |
$2.6 million |
$32.6 million |
Sustaining Capital
Investments
In 2024, Endeavour plans to invest $30.0 million
in sustaining capital at its two operating mines. At assumption
metal prices, the sustaining capital investments are expected to be
paid out of operating cash flow.
At Guanaceví, $21.2 million will be invested in
capital projects, the largest of which is 4.4 kilometres of mine
development at El Curso and Milache for an estimated $14.1 million.
An additional $5.4 million will be invested in mine infrastructure
and mine equipment. A further $1.5 million will be invested in the
plant and tailings storage facility, including engineering for a
tailings facility expansion. A remaining $0.2 million will be spent
on various surface infrastructure or equipment.
At Bolañitos, $8.8 million will be invested in
capital projects, including $7.3 million for 5.1 kilometres of mine
development to access resources in the Plateros-La Luz,
Lucero-Karina, and Bolañitos-San Miguel areas. The additional $1.5
million will go to upgrade the mining fleet, plant improvements and
to support site infrastructure.
The Company also plans to spend $2.6 million to
maintain exploration concessions, acquire mobile exploration
equipment and cover corporate infrastructure.
2024 Exploration Budget (3)
Project |
2024 Activity |
Drill Metres |
Expenditures |
Discretionary |
Guanaceví |
Drilling |
6,000 |
$1.2 million |
|
Bolañitos |
Drilling |
6,000 |
$1.0 million |
|
Pitarrilla |
Drilling/Development |
6,000 |
$5.1 million |
|
Parral |
Economic Studies |
- |
$0.5 million |
$0.2 million |
Chile |
Targeting |
- |
$0.4 million |
$1.6 million |
Bruner |
Targeting |
- |
$0.4 million |
$0.4 million |
Other |
Evaluation |
- |
$0.1 million |
|
Total |
|
18,000 |
$8.7 million |
$2.2 million |
In 2024, the Company plans to spend $8.7 million
drilling 18,000 metres across its properties, with the majority of
the budget allocated towards advancing Pitarrilla. The
discretionary component is subject to Board approval later in the
year, as the Company completes the build of Terronera during a
capital-intensive year.
At the Guanaceví and Bolañitos mines, 12,000
metres of drilling are planned at a cost of $2.2 million to replace
reserves and expand resources.
At the Pitarrilla project, management plans to
invest $5.1 million on several initiatives. The largest portion of
the expenditure at Pitarrilla in 2024 relates to ramp fortification
costs to continue advancement of an underground drive that will be
used as a drill platform. During 2023, the drive was re-directed
due to ground conditions, which increased the development estimate.
The Company plans to drill 6,000 metres to test the high-grade zone
and its feeder structures at various angles from the newly extended
and improved ramp. Additional plans include continued maintenance
of the office and camp, scoping studies and additional underground
infrastructure.
At the Parral project in Chihuahua state, the
Company has paused exploratory drilling and has allocated $0.5
million towards economic studies in the second half of the
year.
In Chile, management has taken the approach to
pause exploration and intends to invest $0.4 million on targeting
programs. Subject to Board approval, the Company has allocated a
discretionary investment of $1.6 million towards drilling the Aida
target and programs related to mapping, sampling, geophysics and
surface exploration on several other exploration projects.
At the Bruner project in Nevada management plans
to invest $0.4 million to map and sample new targets with a
discretionary component of $0.5 million related to engineering
work.
Technical Disclosure
The scientific and technical information
contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by
Don Gray, SME-RM, Chief Operating Officer, a Qualified Persons as
defined under NI 43-101.
About Endeavour Silver –
Endeavour is a mid-tier precious metals mining company that
operates two high-grade underground silver-gold mines in Mexico.
Endeavour is advancing construction of the Terronera Project and
exploring its portfolio of exploration projects in Mexico, Chile
and the United States to facilitate its goal to become a premier
senior silver producer. Our philosophy of corporate social
integrity creates value for all stakeholders.
Contact Information:Galina Meleger, VP,
Investor RelationsEmail: gmeleger@edrsilver.comWebsite:
www.edrsilver.com
Follow Endeavour Silver on Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram and LinkedIn.
Endnotes
1 Silver equivalent is calculated using an 80:1 silver:gold
ratio.
2 Non-IFRS Financial Measures
The Company has included certain performance
measures that are not defined under International Financial
Reporting Standards (“IFRS”). The Company believes that these
measures, in addition to conventional measures prepared in
accordance with IFRS, provide investors an improved ability to
evaluate the underlying performance of the Company. The non-IFRS
measures are intended to provide additional information and should
not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of
performance prepared in accordance with IFRS as an indicator of
performance. These measures do not have any standardized meaning
prescribed under IFRS, and therefore may not be comparable to other
issuers with similar descriptions.
Cash costs and cash costs per
ounce
Cash costs per ounce is a non-IFRS measure. In
the silver mining industry, this metric is a common performance
measure that does not have a standardized meaning under IFRS. Cash
costs include direct costs (including smelting, refining,
transportation and selling costs), royalties and special mining
duty and changes in finished goods inventory net of gold credits.
Cash costs per ounce is based on ounces of silver produced and is
calculated by dividing cash costs by the number of ounces of silver
produced.
Direct operating costs and direct
costs
Direct operating costs per tonne include mining,
processing (including smelting, refining, transportation and
selling costs) and direct overhead at the operation sites. Direct
costs per tonne include all direct operating costs, royalties and
special mining duty.
All-in sustaining costs (“AISC”) and
AISC per ounce
This measure is intended to assist readers in
evaluating the total cost of producing silver from operations.
While there is no standardized meaning across the industry for AISC
measures, the Company’s definition conforms to the definition of
AISC as set out by the World Gold Council and used as a standard of
the Silver Institute. The Company defines AISC as the cash costs
(as defined above), plus reclamation cost accretion, mine site
expensed exploration, corporate general and administration costs
and sustaining capital expenditures. AISC per ounce is based on
ounces of silver produced and is calculated by dividing AISC by the
number of ounces of silver produced.
Sustaining capital
Sustaining capital is defined as the capital
required to maintain operations at existing levels. This
measurement is used by management to assess the effectiveness of an
investment program.
For further information on reconciliations of
Non-GAAP measures, refer to the Non-IFRS Measures section of the
Company’s Management’s Discussion & Analysis for the three and
nine months ending September 30, 2023, beginning on page 20.
(3) Totals may not add due to rounding
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking
Statements
This news release contains “forward-looking
statements” within the meaning of the United States private
securities litigation reform act of 1995 and “forward-looking
information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities
legislation. Such forward-looking statements and information herein
include but are not limited to statements regarding the anticipated
timing of development of the Terronera Project, Endeavour’s
anticipated performance in 2024 including changes in mining
operations and forecasts of production levels, anticipated
production costs and all-in sustaining costs, projected prices for
gold and silver in 2024 and the timing and results of various
activities, including exploration and development. The Company does
not intend to and does not assume any obligation to update such
forward-looking statements or information, other than as required
by applicable law.
Forward-looking statements or information
involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors
that may cause the actual results, level of activity, production
levels, performance or achievements of Endeavour and its operations
to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such
statements. Such factors include but are not limited changes in
production and costs guidance; the ongoing effects of inflation and
supply chain issues on mine economics; national and local
governments, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and
political or economic developments in Canada and Mexico; financial
risks due to operating or technical difficulties in mineral
exploration, development and mining activities; risks and hazards
of mineral exploration, development and mining; the speculative
nature of mineral exploration and development; risks in obtaining
necessary licenses and permits; satisfaction of conditions
precedent to drawdown under the Terronera Debt Facility; the
ongoing effects of inflation and supply chain issues on the
Terronera Project economics; fluctuations in the prices of silver
and gold, fluctuations in the currency markets (particularly the
Mexican peso, Chilean peso, Canadian dollar and U.S. dollar); and
challenges to the Company’s title to properties; as well as those
factors described in the section “risk factors” contained in the
Company’s most recent form 40F/Annual Information Form filed with
the S.E.C. and Canadian securities regulatory authorities.
Forward-looking statements are based on
assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not
limited to: assumptions regarding gold and silver prices and
currency exchange rates in 2024, the continued operation of the
Company’s mining operations, no material adverse change in the
market price of commodities, the reliability of forecasted mine
economics in 2024; mining projects will be completed in accordance
with management’s expectations and achieve their stated production
outcomes, drawdown availability under the Terronera Debt Facility
and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although
the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could
cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in
forward-looking statements or information, there may be other
factors that cause results to be materially different from those
anticipated, described, estimated, assessed or intended. There can
be no assurance that any forward-looking statements or information
will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could
differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or
information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance
on forward-looking statements or information.
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