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, May 1, 2024
/PRNewswire/ - Taseko Mines Limited (TSX: TKO) (NYSE American: TGB)
(LSE: TKO) ("Taseko" or the "Company") reports first quarter 2024
Adjusted EBITDA* of $50 million and
Earnings from mining operations before depletion and amortization*
of $53 million, 38% and 29% higher
than the same quarter in 2023. Revenues for the first quarter
were $147 million. Net income for the
quarter was $19 million ($0.07 per share) and Adjusted net earnings* were
$8 million ($0.03 per share).
In the first quarter, Gibraltar
produced 30 million pounds of copper and 247 thousand pounds of
molybdenum. Mill throughput in the quarter was 7.7 million tons, or
84,400 tons per day, processing an average grade of 0.24% copper.
Total operating cash costs (C1)* for the quarter were US$2.46 per pound of copper.
Stuart McDonald, President and
CEO of Taseko, commented, "Gibraltar operations performed generally in
line with plan in the first quarter, generating strong margins on a
realized copper sales price of US$3.89 per pound. The operating team
successfully completed a mill component replacement in January and
following this maintenance downtime, mill throughput averaged
90,000 tons per day, 6% above the design capacity. The
gradual transition to the Connector pit will continue over the next
few months, and the in-pit crusher relocation is planned for the
second quarter."
"In late March we acquired the remaining 12.5%
interest in Gibraltar and now own
100% of the mine. This transaction is a real positive for
Taseko, providing immediate cashflow and production growth.
The acquisition cost is spread out over ten years, with the next
scheduled payment in 2026, which allows us to focus our financial
resources on Florence development.
As part of the transaction, we also acquired additional
concentrate offtake rights and, with smelter treatment costs at
record lows, the timing could not have been better. This
additional offtake has now been sold at negative treatment costs,
resulting in cost savings of $10
million in the second half of 2024," continued Mr.
McDonald.
"At Florence Copper, initial construction and wellfield
development activities are progressing smoothly. There are
now three drill rigs operating on the commercial facility
wellfield, with a fourth drill to be mobilized in May. A
total of ten new production wells have been drilled to date.
Site preparation and earthworks for the SX/EW plant area are also
underway and construction of the plant is expected to begin later
this quarter. It is an exciting time for the Company as we
move closer to commercial operations at Florence.
In April, we further strengthened our financial position through
the successful refinancing of our senior secured notes. The
maturity of the notes has been pushed out to 2030, and the upsizing
provides additional cash proceeds and financial flexibility.
With the bond refinancing complete, 100% ownership of Gibraltar, and the copper price today at
US$4.49 per pound, our business is
much improved from just a few months ago." concluded Mr.
McDonald.
*Non-GAAP performance
measure. See end of news release
|
First Quarter Review
- First quarter cash flow from operations was $59.6 million and net income was $18.9 million ($0.07 per share) for the quarter;
- Earnings from mining operations before depletion and
amortization* was $52.8 million,
Adjusted EBITDA* was $49.9 million,
and Adjusted net income* was $7.7
million ($0.03 per
share);
- Gibraltar produced 29.7
million pounds of copper for the quarter. Average head grades were
0.24% and copper recoveries were 79% for the quarter;
- Gibraltar sold 31.7 million
pounds of copper in the quarter (100% basis) at an average realized
copper price of US$3.89 per
pound;
- Total operating costs (C1)* for the quarter were US$2.46 per pound produced;
- On March 25, 2024, the Company
completed its acquisition of the remaining 12.5% interest in
Gibraltar, and now owns 100%. The
Company paid $5 million on closing,
with the remaining amounts payable over a 10-year period with the
next scheduled payment in March
2026;
- Construction of the commercial production facility at
Florence is advancing with recent
site activities focused on site preparations and earthworks for the
commercial wellfield and plant area. Wellfield drilling commenced
in February and ten new production wells have been drilled to
date;
- During the quarter, the Company received the first US$10 million deposit from Mitsui & Co.
(U.S.A.) Inc. ("Mitsui") for its copper stream financing and closed
its US$50 million royalty financing
with Taurus Mining Royalty Fund L.P. ("Taurus"). The Company had a
cash balance of $158 million and has
approximately $239 million of
available liquidity at March 31,
2024; and
- 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. A portion 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, are approximately $110
million.
*Non-GAAP performance
measure. See end of news release
|
Highlights
Operating Data
(Gibraltar - 100% basis)
|
Three months
ended
March 31,
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
Change
|
Tons mined
(millions)
|
22.8
|
24.1
|
(1.3)
|
Tons milled
(millions)
|
7.7
|
7.1
|
0.6
|
Production (million
pounds Cu)
|
29.7
|
24.9
|
4.8
|
Sales (million pounds
Cu)
|
31.7
|
26.6
|
5.1
|
Financial
Data
|
Three months
ended
March 31,
|
(Cdn$ in thousands,
except for per share amounts)
|
2024
|
2023
|
Change
|
Revenues
|
146,947
|
115,519
|
31,428
|
Cash flows provided by
operations
|
59,574
|
27,999
|
31,575
|
Net income
(GAAP)
|
18,896
|
33,788
|
(14,892)
|
Per share - basic
("EPS")
|
0.07
|
0.12
|
(0.05)
|
Earnings from mining
operations before depletion and amortization*
|
52,797
|
41,139
|
11,658
|
Adjusted
EBITDA*
|
49,923
|
36,059
|
13,864
|
Adjusted net
income*
|
7,728
|
5,088
|
2,640
|
Per share - basic
("Adjusted EPS") *
|
0.03
|
0.02
|
0.01
|
On March 15, 2023, the
Company increased its effective interest in Gibraltar from 75% to 87.5% through the
acquisition of a 50% interest in Cariboo Copper Corporation
("Cariboo") from Sojitz Corporation. On March 25, 2024, the Company increased its
effective interest in Gibraltar
from 87.5% to 100% through the acquisition of the remaining 50%
interest in Cariboo from Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd.
("Dowa") and Furukawa Co., Ltd. ("Furukawa").
The financial results reported in this MD&A include the
Company's 87.5% proportionate share of Gibraltar mine income and expenses for the
period March 16, 2023 to March 24, 2024 (prior to March 15, 2023 – 75%) and 100% of
Gibraltar mine income and expenses
for the period March 25, 2024 to
March 31, 2024.
The Company finalized the accounting for
the acquisition of its 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
March 31, 2023 and for the three
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
|
Highlights
Gibraltar Mine
Operating data (100%
basis)
|
Q1
2024
|
Q4
2023
|
Q3
2023
|
Q2
2023
|
Q1
2023
|
Tons mined
(millions)
|
22.8
|
24.1
|
16.5
|
23.4
|
24.1
|
Tons milled
(millions)
|
7.7
|
7.6
|
8.0
|
7.2
|
7.1
|
Strip ratio
|
1.7
|
1.5
|
0.4
|
1.5
|
1.9
|
Site operating cost per
ton milled (Cdn$)*
|
$11.73
|
$9.72
|
$12.39
|
$13.17
|
$13.54
|
Copper
concentrate
|
|
|
|
|
|
Head grade
(%)
|
0.24
|
0.27
|
0.26
|
0.24
|
0.22
|
Copper recovery
(%)
|
79.0
|
82.2
|
85.0
|
81.9
|
80.7
|
Production
(million pounds Cu)
|
29.7
|
34.2
|
35.4
|
28.2
|
24.9
|
Sales (million
pounds Cu)
|
31.7
|
35.9
|
32.1
|
26.1
|
26.6
|
Inventory
(million pounds Cu)
|
4.9
|
6.9
|
8.8
|
5.6
|
3.7
|
Molybdenum
concentrate
|
|
|
|
|
|
Production
(thousand pounds Mo)
|
247
|
369
|
369
|
230
|
234
|
Sales (thousand
pounds Mo)
|
258
|
364
|
370
|
231
|
225
|
Per unit data (US$
per pound produced)*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Site operating
costs*
|
$2.21
|
$1.59
|
$2.10
|
$2.43
|
$2.94
|
By-product
credits*
|
(0.17)
|
(0.13)
|
(0.23)
|
(0.13)
|
(0.37)
|
Site operating costs,
net of by-product credits*
|
$2.04
|
$1.46
|
$1.87
|
$2.30
|
$2.57
|
Off-property
costs
|
0.42
|
0.45
|
0.33
|
0.36
|
0.37
|
Total operating costs
(C1)*
|
$2.46
|
$1.91
|
$2.20
|
$2.66
|
$2.94
|
Operations Analysis
First Quarter Review
Gibraltar produced 29.7 million
pounds of copper for the quarter. Copper production and mill
throughput in the quarter were impacted by Concentrator #2 downtime
in January for a planned major component replacement which reduced
operating time by ten days.
Copper head grades of 0.24% were in line with management
expectations. Copper recoveries in the first quarter were 79%,
lower than the recent quarters due to lower head grades and
increased milling of partially oxidized material.
A total of 22.8 million tons were mined in the first quarter.
The strip ratio of 1.7 was higher than the recent quarters as
stripping continues in the Connector pit, and 2.0 million tons of
oxide ore from the upper benches of the Connector pit were also
added to the heap leach pads in the period. There was 1.1 million
tons in mill feed from ore stockpiles.
*Non-GAAP performance
measure. See end of news release
|
Operations Analysis - Continued
Total site costs* at Gibraltar
of $109.5 million (which includes
capitalized stripping of $18.5
million) was comparable to the previous quarter.
Molybdenum production was 247 thousand pounds in the first
quarter. At an average molybdenum price of US$19.93 per pound, molybdenum generated a
by-product credit per pound of copper produced of US$0.17 in the first quarter.
Off-property costs per pound produced* were US$0.42 for the first quarter reflecting
higher copper sales volumes relative to production volumes and
additional trucking costs for concentrate movements compared to the
same quarter in the prior year.
Total operating costs per pound produced (C1)* was US$2.46 for the quarter, compared to US$2.94 in the prior year quarter as shown in the
bridge graph below:
Gibraltar Outlook
The Gibraltar pit will continue
to be the main source of mill feed for the first half of 2024
before mining of ore transitions into the Connector pit in the
second half of the year. Stripping activity will continue to be
focused in the Connector pit, and further oxide ore from this pit
is expected to be added to the heap leach pads this year.
Management is currently reviewing the potential to restart
Gibraltar's SX/EW facility next
year.
Concentrator #1 is scheduled for three weeks additional downtime
in the second quarter for the in-pit crusher relocation and other
mill maintenance. After taking into account the reduced mill
availability for scheduled down times, total copper production at
Gibraltar for 2024 is expected to
be approximately 115 million pounds.
The estimated remaining capital cost of the crusher relocation
project is $10 million, and no other
significant capital projects are planned for Gibraltar this year.
With the component replacement in Concentrator #2 completed in
January 2024, the Company is
finalizing its insurance claim for associated property damage and
business interruption as a result of the component failure. This
insurance claim is expected to be finalized in the coming
months.
The Company has recently 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 by
approximately US$0.10 to US$0.20 per pound from the second half of 2024
through 2026 due to these fixed, lower TCRCs.
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 put contracts to secure a minimum copper
price of US$3.25 per pound for 21
million pounds of copper covering the second quarter of 2024,
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).
*Non-GAAP performance
measure. See end of news release
|
Acquisition of Remaining 12.5% Interest in Gibraltar
On March 25, 2024, the Company
entered into an agreement to acquire the remaining 12.5% interest
in Gibraltar from Dowa and
Furukawa. Under the terms of the agreement, Taseko will acquire
Dowa and Furukawa's shares in Cariboo and will then own 100% of
Cariboo shares and have an effective 100% interest in Gibraltar.
The acquisition price consists of a minimum amount of
$117 million payable over a period of
ten years and potential contingent payments depending on copper
prices and Gibraltar's cashflow.
An initial $5 million was paid to
Dowa and Furukawa ($2.5 million each)
on closing and the remaining amounts will be settled with annual
payments commencing in March 2026.
The annual payments will be based on the average LME copper
price of the previous calendar year, subject to an annual cap based
on a percentage of cashflow from Gibraltar. At copper prices
below US$4.00 per pound, the annual
payment will be $5 million,
increasing pro-rata to a maximum annual payment of $15.25 million at copper prices of US$5.00 per pound or higher. The annual
payments also can not exceed 6.25% of Gibraltar's annual cashflow for the 2025 to
2028 calendar years, and 10% of Gibraltar's cashflow for the 2029 to 2033
calendar years. Any outstanding balance on the minimum
acquisition amount of $117 million
will be repayable in a final balloon payment in March 2034.
Total consideration is capped at $142
million, limiting the contingent consideration to a maximum
of $25 million. In addition,
Taseko has the option to settle the full acquisition price at any
time prior to 2029 by making total payments of $117 million.
The Company's minimum payment obligations for the acquisition
are in the form of loans from Dowa and Furukawa to Cariboo.
The loans are non-interest bearing, are guaranteed by Taseko, and a
portion of the loans are secured by Cariboo's 25% joint venture
interest in Gibraltar. The loans
contain minimum protective covenants including the requirement not
to amend the joint venture agreement for Gibraltar, or sell Cariboo's 25% interest in
the joint venture.
Under the Cariboo offtake arrangements entered into in 2010,
Dowa and Furukawa were entitled to receive 30% of Gibraltar's copper concentrate offtake for the
life of mine at benchmark terms. Upon closing of this
acquisition, the Cariboo offtake agreement was terminated and
Taseko retained full marketing rights for 100% of Gibraltar's concentrate offtake going
forward.
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.
Florence Copper - Continued
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$232
million (Q3 2022 basis)
Site activities in the first quarter of 2024 have focused on
site preparations and earthworks for the commercial wellfield and
plant area, and the hiring of additional personnel for the
construction and operations teams.
Drilling of the commercial facility wellfield commenced in
February and there are currently three drills operating, with a
fourth drill to be mobilized in May. At the end of April, a
total of ten new production wells have been drilled, and a total of
90 new production wells will be drilled during the construction of
the commercial facility.
The Company has a fixed-price contract with the general
contractor for construction of the SX/EW plant and associated
surface infrastructure. The general contractor continues
their mobilization. Plant earthworks is underway with a focus
on bulk excavation of the various facility ponds and preparations
for the initial concrete pour in the plant area.
Florence Copper Quarterly Capital Spend
|
Three months
ended
|
(US$ in
thousands)
|
March 31,
2024
|
Site and PTF
operations
|
4,245
|
Commercial facility
construction costs
|
17,998
|
Other capital
costs
|
15,709
|
Total Florence
project expenditures
|
37,952
|
The estimated remaining capital costs in the 2023 Technical
Report for construction of the commercial facility was US$232 million, of which US$18.0 million has been incurred in the first
quarter of 2024. Other capital costs of US$15.7 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. Approximately
US$10 million of these other capital
costs remain to be incurred in the next two quarters.
The Company has closed several Florence project level financings to fund
initial commercial facility construction costs. On January 26, 2024, the Company received the first
US$10 million deposit from the
US$50 million copper stream
transaction with Mitsui. The remaining amounts will be paid on a
quarterly basis. On February 2, 2024,
the Company also closed a US$50
million royalty with Taurus, which was funded in one
lump-sum payment at that time.
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.
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.
The Company is preparing to advance into the environmental
assessment process and is undertaking some additional engineering
work in conjunction with ongoing engagement with local communities
including First Nations. The Company is also 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.
The Company will host a
telephone conference call and live webcast on Thursday, May 2, 2024
at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time (8:00 a.m. Pacific Time) 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/3wakEXk 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 May
16, 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
748928#.
|
Stuart McDonald
President & CEO
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) – 87.5% basis (except for Q1 2023 and
Q1 2024)
|
2024
Q11
|
2023
Q41
|
2023
Q31
|
2023
Q21
|
2023
Q11
|
Cost of
sales
|
122,528
|
93,914
|
94,383
|
99,854
|
86,407
|
Less:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Depletion and
amortization
|
(15,024)
|
(13,326)
|
(15,993)
|
(15,594)
|
(12,027)
|
Net change in
inventories of finished goods
|
(20,392)
|
(1,678)
|
4,267
|
3,356
|
(399)
|
Net change in
inventories of ore stockpiles
|
2,719
|
(3,771)
|
12,172
|
2,724
|
5,561
|
Transportation
costs
|
(10,153)
|
(10,294)
|
(7,681)
|
(6,966)
|
(5,104)
|
Site operating
costs
|
79,678
|
64,845
|
87,148
|
83,374
|
74,438
|
Oxide ore stockpile
reclassification from capitalized stripping
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(3,183)
|
3,183
|
Less by-product
credits:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Molybdenum, net of
treatment costs
|
(6,112)
|
(5,441)
|
(9,900)
|
(4,018)
|
(9,208)
|
Silver, excluding
amortization of deferred revenue
|
(137)
|
124
|
290
|
(103)
|
(160)
|
Site operating costs,
net of by-product credits
|
73,429
|
59,528
|
77,538
|
76,070
|
68,253
|
Total copper produced
(thousand pounds)
|
26,694
|
29,883
|
30,978
|
24,640
|
19,491
|
Total costs per pound
produced
|
2.75
|
1.99
|
2.50
|
3.09
|
3.50
|
Average exchange rate
for the period (CAD/USD)
|
1.35
|
1.36
|
1.34
|
1.34
|
1.35
|
Site operating
costs, net of by-product credits (US$ per pound)
|
2.04
|
1.46
|
1.87
|
2.30
|
2.59
|
Site operating costs,
net of by-product credits
|
73,429
|
59,528
|
77,538
|
76,070
|
68,253
|
Add off-property
costs:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Treatment and refining
costs
|
4,816
|
7,885
|
6,123
|
4,986
|
4,142
|
Transportation
costs
|
10,153
|
10,294
|
7,681
|
6,966
|
5,104
|
Total operating
costs
|
88,398
|
77,707
|
91,342
|
88,022
|
77,499
|
Total operating
costs (C1) (US$ per pound)
|
2.46
|
1.91
|
2.20
|
2.66
|
2.94
|
1 Q1,
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 2023 and Q1 2024)
|
2024
Q11
|
2023
Q41
|
2023
Q31
|
2023
Q21
|
2023
Q11
|
Site operating
costs
|
79,678
|
64,845
|
87,148
|
83,374
|
74,438
|
Add:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capitalized stripping
costs
|
16,152
|
31,916
|
2,083
|
8,832
|
12,721
|
Total site costs –
Taseko share
|
95,830
|
96,761
|
89,231
|
92,206
|
87,159
|
Total site costs –
100% basis
|
109,520
|
110,584
|
101,978
|
105,378
|
112,799
|
1 Q1, 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;
- Gain on Cariboo acquisition;
- Gain on acquisition of control of Gibraltar;
- Realized gain on sale of inventory; and
- Finance and other non-recurring costs.
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
Q1
|
2023
Q4
|
2023
Q3
|
2023
Q2
|
Net
income
|
18,896
|
38,076
|
871
|
9,991
|
Unrealized foreign
exchange loss (gain)
|
13,688
|
(14,541)
|
14,582
|
(10,966)
|
Unrealized loss (gain)
on derivatives
|
3,519
|
1,636
|
4,518
|
(6,470)
|
Gain on Cariboo
acquisition
|
(47,426)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Gain on acquisition of
control of Gibraltar**
|
(14,982)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Realized gain on sale
of inventory**
|
13,354
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Accretion and fair
value adjustment on Florence royalty obligation
|
3,416
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Accretion and fair
value adjustment on consideration payable to Cariboo
|
1,555
|
(916)
|
1,244
|
1,451
|
Non-recurring other
expenses
|
138
|
-
|
-
|
263
|
Estimated tax effect of
adjustments
|
15,570
|
(195)
|
(1,556)
|
1,355
|
Adjusted net income
(loss)
|
7,728
|
24,060
|
19,659
|
(4,376)
|
Adjusted
EPS
|
0.03
|
0.08
|
0.07
|
(0.02)
|
(Cdn$ in thousands,
except per share amounts)
|
2023
Q1
|
2022
Q4
|
2022
Q3
|
2022
Q2
|
Net (loss)
income
|
33,788
|
(2,275)
|
(23,517)
|
(5,274)
|
Unrealized foreign
exchange (gain) loss
|
(950)
|
(5,279)
|
28,083
|
11,621
|
Unrealized loss (gain)
on derivatives
|
2,190
|
20,137
|
(72)
|
(30,747)
|
Gain on Cariboo
acquisition
|
(46,212)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Estimated tax effect of
adjustments
|
16,272
|
(5,437)
|
19
|
8,302
|
Adjusted net income
(loss)
|
5,088
|
7,146
|
4,513
|
(16,098)
|
Adjusted
EPS
|
0.02
|
0.02
|
0.02
|
(0.06)
|
**The $15.0 million
gain on acquisition of control of Gibraltar relates to the write-up
of finished copper concentrate inventory to its fair value at March
25, 2024. Of this amount, $13.4 million was actually realized
through the sale of concentrate inventory between March 26 and
March 31, 2024. This realized portion of the gain has been
included in Adjusted net income.
|
Adjusted EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA is presented as a supplemental measure of the
Company's performance and ability to service debt. Adjusted EBITDA
is frequently used by securities analysts, investors and other
interested parties in the evaluation of companies in the industry,
many of which present Adjusted EBITDA when reporting their results.
Issuers of "high yield" securities also present Adjusted EBITDA
because investors, analysts and rating agencies consider it useful
in measuring the ability of those issuers to meet debt service
obligations.
Adjusted EBITDA represents net income before interest, income
taxes, and depreciation and also eliminates the impact of a number
of items that are not considered indicative of ongoing operating
performance. Certain items of expense are added and certain items
of income are deducted from net income that are not likely to recur
or are not indicative of the Company's underlying operating results
for the reporting periods presented or for future operating
performance and consist of:
- Unrealized foreign exchange gains/losses;
- Unrealized gain/loss on derivatives;
- Amortization of share-based compensation expense;
- Gain on Cariboo acquisition;
- Gain on acquisition of control of Gibraltar;
- Realized gain on sale of inventory; and
- Non-recurring other expenses.
Non-GAAP Performance Measures - Continued
(Cdn$ in
thousands)
|
2024
Q1
|
2023
Q4
|
2023
Q3
|
2023
Q2
|
Net
income
|
18,896
|
38,076
|
871
|
9,991
|
Add:
|
|
|
|
|
Depletion and
amortization
|
15,024
|
13,326
|
15,993
|
15,594
|
Finance
expense
|
19,849
|
12,804
|
14,285
|
13,468
|
Finance
income
|
(1,086)
|
(972)
|
(322)
|
(757)
|
Income tax
expense
|
23,282
|
17,205
|
12,041
|
678
|
Unrealized foreign
exchange loss (gain)
|
13,688
|
(14,541)
|
14,582
|
(10,966)
|
Unrealized loss (gain)
on derivatives
|
3,519
|
1,636
|
4,518
|
(6,470)
|
Amortization of
share-based compensation expense
|
5,667
|
1,573
|
727
|
417
|
Gain on Cariboo
acquisition
|
(47,426)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Gain on acquisition of
control of Gibraltar**
|
(14,982)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Realized gain on sale
of inventory**
|
13,354
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Non-recurring other
expenses
|
138
|
-
|
-
|
263
|
Adjusted
EBITDA
|
49,923
|
69,107
|
62,695
|
22,218
|
(Cdn$ in
thousands)
|
2023
Q1
|
2022
Q4
|
2022
Q3
|
2022
Q2
|
Net (loss)
income
|
33,788
|
(2,275)
|
(23,517)
|
(5,274)
|
Add:
|
|
|
|
|
Depletion and
amortization
|
12,027
|
10,147
|
13,060
|
15,269
|
Finance
expense
|
12,309
|
10,135
|
12,481
|
12,236
|
Finance
income
|
(921)
|
(700)
|
(650)
|
(282)
|
Income tax
expense
|
20,219
|
1,222
|
3,500
|
922
|
Unrealized foreign
exchange (gain) loss
|
(950)
|
(5,279)
|
28,083
|
11,621
|
Unrealized loss (gain)
on derivatives
|
2,190
|
20,137
|
(72)
|
(30,747)
|
Amortization of
share-based compensation expense (recovery)
|
3,609
|
1,794
|
1,146
|
(2,061)
|
Gain on Cariboo
acquisition
|
(46,212)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Adjusted
EBITDA
|
36,059
|
35,181
|
34,031
|
1,684
|
**The $15.0 million
gain on acquisition of control of Gibraltar relates to the write-up
of finished copper concentrate inventory to its fair value at March
25, 2024. Of this amount, $13.4 million was actually realized
through the sale of concentrate inventory between March 26 and
March 31, 2024. This realized portion of the gain has been
included in Adjusted EBITDA.
|
Earnings from mining operations before depletion and
amortization
Earnings from mining operations before depletion and
amortization is earnings from mining operations with depletion and
amortization, also any items that are not considered indicative of
ongoing operating performance are added back. The Company discloses
this measure, which has been derived from our financial statements
and applied on a consistent basis, to provide assistance in
understanding the results of the Company's operations and financial
position and it is meant to provide further information about the
financial results to investors.
Non-GAAP Performance Measures - Continued
|
Three months ended
March 31,
|
(Cdn$ in
thousands)
|
2024
|
2023
|
Earnings from mining
operations
|
24,419
|
29,112
|
Add:
|
|
|
Depletion and
amortization
|
15,024
|
12,027
|
Realized gain on
sale of inventory
|
13,354
|
-
|
Earnings from mining
operations before depletion and amortization
|
52,797
|
41,139
|
During the three months ended March 31,
2024, the realized gain on sale of inventory of $13.4 million relates to concentrate inventory
held at March 25, 2024 that was
written up from book value to net realizable value and subsequently
sold between March 26 and March 31,
2024.
Site operating costs per ton milled
The Company discloses this measure, which has been derived from
our financial statements and applied on a consistent basis, to
provide assistance in understanding the Company's site operations
on a tons milled basis.
(Cdn$ in thousands,
except per ton milled amounts)
|
2024
Q11
|
2023
Q41
|
2023
Q31
|
2023
Q21
|
2023
Q11
|
Site operating costs
(included in cost of
sales) –
Taseko share
|
79,678
|
64,845
|
87,148
|
83,374
|
74,438
|
Site operating costs
– 100% basis
|
90,040
|
74,109
|
99,598
|
95,285
|
95,838
|
Tons milled
(thousands)
|
7,677
|
7,626
|
8,041
|
7,234
|
7,093
|
Site operating costs
per ton milled
|
$11.73
|
$9.72
|
$12.39
|
$13.17
|
$13.54
|
1 Q1, 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 news release 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.
No regulatory authority has approved or
disapproved of the information in this news release.
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