Ivanhoe Mines Issues Second Quarter 2024 Financial Results, and Review of Construction and Exploration Activities
Ivanhoe Mines reported a quarterly profit of $67 million and a record normalized profit of $115 million for Q2 2024, significantly driven by the Kamoa-Kakula joint venture income of $90 million. The company achieved a record Adjusted EBITDA of $203 million, up from $126 million in Q1 2024.
Kamoa-Kakula generated record revenue of $817 million and record EBITDA of $547 million, selling 95,900 tonnes of payable copper at a cost of sales of $1.53 per lb. The C1 cash cost stood at $1.52 per lb., at the lower end of guidance. The Phase 3 concentrator was completed ahead of schedule, increasing annual copper production to approx. 600,000 tonnes. Additionally, the smelter project is over 85% complete and on track for year-end completion.
Elsewhere, the Kipushi concentrator was finished ahead of schedule with ramp-up to steady-state expected in Q3. First ore was fed into the concentrator on May 31, 2024, and the first zinc concentrate was produced on June 14, 2024.
Financially, Ivanhoe Mines maintains a strong balance sheet with $246 million in cash and minimal corporate debt post-convertible note redemption. New funding includes $200 million from a term finance facility and $110 million in loans for Kipushi operations.
Ivanhoe Mines ha riportato un utile trimestrale di 67 milioni di dollari e un utile normalizzato record di 115 milioni di dollari per il secondo trimestre del 2024, notevolmente sostenuto dai redditi della joint venture Kamoa-Kakula che ammontano a 90 milioni di dollari. L'azienda ha raggiunto un EBITDA rettificato record di 203 milioni di dollari, rispetto ai 126 milioni di dollari registrati nel primo trimestre del 2024.
Kamoa-Kakula ha generato ricavi record di 817 milioni di dollari e un EBITDA record di 547 milioni di dollari, vendendo 95.900 tonnellate di rame pagabile a un costo di vendita di 1,53 dollari per libbra. Il costo in contante C1 si è attestato a 1,52 dollari per libbra, al limite inferiore delle previsioni. Il concentratore della Fase 3 è stato completato in anticipo, aumentando la produzione annuale di rame a circa 600.000 tonnellate. Inoltre, il progetto del forno è completato oltre l'85% ed è in linea con il completamento entro la fine dell'anno.
In altre aree, il concentratore di Kipushi è stato terminato in anticipo rispetto ai tempi previsti, con una messa a regime attesa per il terzo trimestre. Il primo minerale è stato introdotto nel concentratore il 31 maggio 2024 e il primo concentrato di zinco è stato prodotto il 14 giugno 2024.
Dal punto di vista finanziario, Ivanhoe Mines mantiene un solido bilancio con 246 milioni di dollari in contante e un debito aziendale minimo dopo il riscatto delle note convertibili. I nuovi finanziamenti includono 200 milioni di dollari da una struttura di finanziamento a termine e 110 milioni di dollari in prestiti per le operazioni di Kipushi.
Ivanhoe Mines reportó una utilidad trimestral de 67 millones de dólares y una utilidad normalizada récord de 115 millones de dólares para el segundo trimestre de 2024, impulsada significativamente por los ingresos de la joint venture Kamoa-Kakula, que totalizaron 90 millones de dólares. La compañía logró un EBITDA ajustado récord de 203 millones de dólares, en comparación con los 126 millones de dólares en el primer trimestre de 2024.
Kamoa-Kakula generó ingresos récord de 817 millones de dólares y un EBITDA récord de 547 millones de dólares, vendiendo 95,900 toneladas de cobre pagable a un costo de ventas de 1.53 dólares por libra. El costo de efectivo C1 se situó en 1.52 dólares por libra, en el extremo inferior de la guía. El concentrador de la Fase 3 se completó antes de lo programado, incrementando la producción anual de cobre a aproximadamente 600,000 toneladas. Además, el proyecto de la fundición está más del 85% completo y en camino a finalizarse a fin de año.
En otras áreas, el concentrador de Kipushi se terminó antes de lo previsto, y se espera que inicie operaciones estables en el tercer trimestre. La primera carga de mineral se introdujo en el concentrador el 31 de mayo de 2024, y el primer concentrado de zinc se produjo el 14 de junio de 2024.
Financieramente, Ivanhoe Mines mantiene un balance sólido con 246 millones de dólares en efectivo y una deuda corporativa mínima tras el rescate de notas convertibles. La nueva financiación incluye 200 millones de dólares de una instalación de financiamiento a plazo y 110 millones de dólares en préstamos para las operaciones de Kipushi.
Ivanhoe Mines는 2024년 2분기에 6700만 달러의 분기 이익과 1억 1500만 달러의 기록적인 정상화 이익을 보고했으며, 이는 Kamoa-Kakula 합작 투자의 수익 9000만 달러에 의해 크게 견인되었습니다. 회사는 2024년 1분기 1억 2600만 달러에서 증가한 2억 300만 달러의 조정 EBITDA 기록을 달성했습니다.
Kamoa-Kakula는 8억 1700만 달러의 기록적인 수익과 5억 4700만 달러의 기록적인 EBITDA를 달성했으며, 판매 가능한 구리 95,900톤을 lb당 1.53달러의 판매 비용으로 판매했습니다. C1 현금 비용은 lb당 1.52달러로 가이던스의 하한선에 위치했습니다. 3단계 농축기가 예정보다 일찍 완공되어 연간 구리 생산량이 약 60만 톤으로 증가했습니다. 또한 제련소 프로젝트는 85% 이상 완료되어 연말 완료를 목표로 하고 있습니다.
다른 지역에서는 Kipushi 농축기가 일정보다 앞서 완공되었으며, Q3에 안정적인 운영이 예상됩니다. 최초의 광석은 2024년 5월 31일 농축기에 공급되었고, 최초의 아연 농축물은 2024년 6월 14일에 생산되었습니다.
재무적으로, Ivanhoe Mines는 2억 4600만 달러의 현금과 최소한의 기업 부채를 유지하며 건전한 재무구조를 유지하고 있습니다. 새로운 자금 조달에는 2억 달러의 기한 금융 시설과 Kipushi 운영을 위한 1억 1000만 달러의 대출이 포함됩니다.
Ivanhoe Mines a rapporté un bénéfice trimestriel de 67 millions de dollars et un bénéfice normalisé record de 115 millions de dollars pour le deuxième trimestre 2024, principalement soutenu par les revenus de la joint-venture Kamoa-Kakula, s'élevant à 90 millions de dollars. L'entreprise a réalisé un EBITDA ajusté record de 203 millions de dollars, en hausse par rapport à 126 millions de dollars au premier trimestre 2024.
Kamoa-Kakula a généré des revenus record de 817 millions de dollars et un EBITDA record de 547 millions de dollars, vendant 95 900 tonnes de cuivre payables à un coût de vente de 1,53 dollar par livre. Le coût en espèces C1 s'est établi à 1,52 dollar par livre, à la limite inférieure des prévisions. Le concentrateur de phase 3 a été achevé en avance, augmentant la production annuelle de cuivre à environ 600 000 tonnes. De plus, le projet de fonderie est achevé à plus de 85 % et est sur la bonne voie pour être achevé d'ici la fin de l'année.
Par ailleurs, le concentrateur de Kipushi a été terminé avant le calendrier, avec une mise en service stable prévue pour le troisième trimestre. Le premier minerai a été introduit dans le concentrateur le 31 mai 2024 et le premier concentré de zinc a été produit le 14 juin 2024.
Sur le plan financier, Ivanhoe Mines maintient un bilan solide avec 246 millions de dollars en espèces et une dette d'entreprise minimale après le rachat d'obligations convertibles. Les nouveaux financements comprennent 200 millions de dollars d'une facilité de financement à terme et 110 millions de dollars de prêts pour les opérations de Kipushi.
Ivanhoe Mines berichtete für das zweite Quartal 2024 einen Quartalsgewinn von 67 Millionen Dollar und einen rekordverdächtigen normalisierten Gewinn von 115 Millionen Dollar, der wesentlich durch die Einnahmen aus dem Kamoa-Kakula Joint Venture in Höhe von 90 Millionen Dollar angetrieben wurde. Das Unternehmen erreichte ein rekordverdächtiges bereinigtes EBITDA von 203 Millionen Dollar, ein Anstieg von 126 Millionen Dollar im ersten Quartal 2024.
Kamoa-Kakula erzielte einen rekordverdächtigen Umsatz von 817 Millionen Dollar und ein rekordverdächtiges EBITDA von 547 Millionen Dollar, indem 95.900 Tonnen zahlbaren Kupfer zu einem Verkaufspreis von 1,53 Dollar pro Pfund verkauft wurden. Die C1 Bargeldkosten lagen bei 1,52 Dollar pro Pfund, am unteren Ende der Prognose. Der Phasen-3-Konzentrator wurde vor dem Zeitplan fertiggestellt und erhöhte die jährliche Kupferproduktion auf etwa 600.000 Tonnen. Darüber hinaus ist das Projekt der Schmelzerei zu über 85 % abgeschlossen und auf Kurs für einen Abschluss bis zum Jahresende.
An anderer Stelle wurde der Kipushi-Konzentrator vorzeitig fertiggestellt, und es wird erwartet, dass die volle Betriebsaufnahme im dritten Quartal erfolgt. Die erste Erze wurden am 31. Mai 2024 in den Konzentrator eingespeist, und das erste Zinkkonzentrat wurde am 14. Juni 2024 produziert.
Finanziell hält Ivanhoe Mines einen soliden Finanzierungsrahmen mit 246 Millionen Dollar Bargeld und minimalen Unternehmensschulden nach der Rückzahlung von wandelbaren Anleihen aufrecht. Neue Finanzierungsquellen umfassen 200 Millionen Dollar aus einem mittelfristigen Finanzierungsangebot und 110 Millionen Dollar an Krediten für die Kipushi-Betriebe.
- Quarterly profit of $67 million and record normalized profit of $115 million
- Record Adjusted EBITDA of $203 million for Q2 2024
- Record revenue of $817 million and EBITDA of $547 million at Kamoa-Kakula
- Cost of sales at $1.53 per lb. and C1 cash cost at $1.52 per lb.
- Phase 3 concentrator completed ahead of schedule, boosting production to 600,000 tonnes copper
- Smelter project over 85% complete, on track for year-end 2024 completion
- Strong balance sheet with $246 million in cash and minimal corporate debt
- Quarterly profit decreased to $67 million in Q2 2024 from $87 million in Q2 2023
- Increased cost of sales from $1.24/lb in Q2 2023 to $1.53/lb in Q2 2024
- Increased C1 cash cost from $1.41/lb in Q2 2023 to $1.52/lb in Q2 2024
Ivanhoe Mines announces quarterly profit of
Ivanhoe Mines reports record Adjusted EBITDA of
Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex sold 95,900 tonnes of payable copper in Q2 2024 and recognized record quarterly revenue of
Kamoa-Kakula's quarterly cost of sales total
Kamoa-Kakula's Phase 3 concentrator expansion completed ahead of schedule, boosting annualized production to approx. 600,000 tonnes copper
Smelter project over
On July 28, Kamoa-Kakula produced a daily record of 1,614 tonnes of copper, following 16,703 tonnes of ore milled at the Phase 3 concentrator, exceeding nameplate by
Kipushi concentrator completed ahead of schedule, with ramp-up to steady-state operations underway during Q3
Johannesburg, South Africa--(Newsfile Corp. - July 31, 2024) - Ivanhoe Mines' (TSX: IVN) (OTCQX: IVPAF) President Marna Cloete and Chief Financial Officer David van Heerden are pleased to present the company's financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024. Ivanhoe Mines is a leading Canadian mining company developing and operating its four principal mining and exploration projects in Southern Africa: expanding production at the world-class Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); ramping-up the ultra-high-grade Kipushi zinc-copper-lead-germanium mine in the DRC; building the tier-one Platreef palladium, rhodium, nickel, platinum, copper and gold development in South Africa; as well as exploring and advancing the expansive exploration licenses of Ivanhoe's Western Forelands project, which currently hosts the Makoko, Kitoko, and Kiala copper discoveries near Kamoa-Kakula. All figures are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated.
Watch a July 2024 video highlighting Ivanhoe Mines' financial results, as well as construction and exploration activities: https://vimeo.com/991739402/081b7ace0b?share=copy
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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Ivanhoe Mines recorded a profit of
$67 million for Q2 2024 compared with a profit of$87 million for Q2 2023. Ivanhoe Mines’ normalized profit for Q2 2024 was$115 million , compared with a normalized profit of$114 million for Q2 2023. Normalized profit for the quarter excludes the non-cash loss on the fair valuation of the embedded derivative component of the$575 million convertible bond and the non-cash finance costs due to the early redemption of the convertible notes. All convertible notes still outstanding at end of June were redeemed after quarter end.Kamoa-Kakula sold 95,900 tonnes of payable copper during Q2 2024, recognizing record revenue of
$817 million , record operating profit of$463 million , and record quarterly EBITDA of$547 million .Kamoa-Kakula's cost of sales per pound (lb.) of payable copper sold was
$1.53 /lb. for Q2 2024 compared with$1.50 /lb. and$1.24 /lb. in Q1 2024 and Q2 2023, respectively. Cash cost (C1) per pound of payable copper produced in Q2 2024 totaled$1.52 /lb., which is at the lower end of the guidance range of$1.50 t o$1.70 /lb., compared with$1.57 /lb. and$1.41 /lb. achieved in Q1 2024 and Q2 2023, respectively.Ivanhoe Mines' Adjusted EBITDA was
$203 million for Q2 2024, compared with$172 million for the same period in 2023, including an attributable EBITDA share from Kamoa-Kakula.Ivanhoe Mines has a strong balance sheet with cash and cash equivalents of
$246 million on hand as at June 30, 2024, with little debt at the corporate level following the redemption of the convertible notes. Ivanhoe expects cash flow from Kamoa-Kakula’s Phase 1, 2, and 3 operations, as well as project level financing facilities to be sufficient to fund outstanding capital cost requirements at current copper prices, which are largely related to the completion of the smelter complex and associated ramp-up activities.At Kamoa-Kakula, joint venture company Kamoa Copper drew a further
$200 million during the quarter under a term finance facility with ABSA of Johannesburg, South Africa, Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) of Lagos, Nigeria, Rawbank of Kinshasa, DRC, and FirstBank of Lagos, Nigeria. The new funding facilities will be used to fund both the Phase 3 expansion of Kamoa-Kakula and expanded working capital, as well as future growth, such as Project 95. This brings total Kamoa-Kakula joint-venture in-country term loans and working capital facilities to$800 million , at attractive interest rates of less than9% .At Kipushi, Trafigura and CITIC Metal, off-takers for approximately two thirds of the zinc concentrate production, have each provided a loan facility to Kipushi Corporation (KICO) for
$60 million over the five-year term of the off-take contract, at a rate of interest SOFR, plus6% . Both these loan facilities were drawn in July 2024. A bank facility has also been signed and drawn with domestic lender FirstBank DRC for$50 million at SOFR plus4.5% .
OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
- Quarterly production of 100,812 tonnes of copper in concentrate was achieved at Kamoa-Kakula for Q2 2024, compared with 86,203 tonnes in Q1 2024 and 103,786 tonnes in Q2 2023.
- Over the first six months of 2024, Kamoa-Kakula produced a total of 187,015 tonnes of copper in concentrate. With the ramp-up to steady state of the Phase 3 concentrator expected to be complete in August 2024, boosting annual copper production capacity to over 600,000 tonnes, Kamoa-Kakula's 2024 production guidance is maintained at between 440,000 - 490,000 tonnes of copper.
- Kamoa-Kakula's Phase 1 and 2 concentrators milled 2.29 million tonnes of ore during the second quarter at an average feed grade of
5.04% copper, benefitting from improved power availability including imported power via the Zambian interconnector, which is now up to 65 megawatts (MW). On-site back-up power generation capacity has been increased to 135 MW with commissioning nearing completion.
- First ore into Kamoa-Kakula's Phase 3 concentrator was achieved on May 26, 2024, up to two quarters ahead of the originally announced schedule, with first concentrate reported on June 10, 2024. The Phase 3 concentrator produced 1,100 tonnes of copper in concentrate for the remainder of June.
- After quarter end, Kamoa-Kakula's Phase 1, 2 and 3 concentrators achieved a daily production record of 1,614 tonnes of copper. The record consisted of 306 tonnes of copper from the Phase 3 concentrator, in addition to 1,308 tonnes from Phase 1 and 2. Phase 3 also achieved a daily milling record 16,703 tonnes of ore, exceeding nameplate capacity of 5 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) by
19% .
- Kamoa-Kakula's 500,000-tonne-per-annum on-site, direct-to-blister copper smelter and the refurbishment of Turbine #5 at the Inga II hydroelectric facility are advancing on schedule. Construction completion of the smelter is expected by the end of 2024, and Turbine #5 by Q1 2025.
- Basic engineering of “Project 95” at Kamoa-Kakula is now complete, with engineering contractor tendering and early procurement activities now underway. A capital cost of
$198 million is estimated for concentrator modifications, plus$102 million in capital costs brought forward for a new tailings storage cell. Increased recovery to95% is expected to boost average annualized copper production by up to 30,000 tonnes from the Phase 1 and 2 concentrators. Project execution is expected to take 18 months.
- First feed of ore into the Kipushi concentrator from the surface run-of-mine (ROM) stockpiles was achieved on May 31, 2024, marking the completion of construction ahead of schedule. The first batch of zinc concentrate production was achieved two weeks later, on June 14, 2024. Ramp-up of the Kipushi concentrator to steady-state production is expected in September.
- Kipushi's 2024 production guidance is between 100,000 - 140,000 tonnes of zinc in concentrate.
- Basic engineering has already commenced on de-bottlenecking initiatives of the Kipushi concentrator, to target a
20% increase in processing capacity to 960,000 tonnes of ore per annum. The de-bottlenecking program is expected to take approximately nine months, based on the availability of long-lead order equipment.
- Kipushi will be the lowest greenhouse gas emitter per tonne of zinc produced. On a Scope 1 and 2 basis (reported from ore to mine gate), Kipushi's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity for 2025 is expected to be 0.019 equivalent tonnes of carbon dioxide per tonne of contained zinc produced (t CO2-e / t Zn). This comfortably ranks Kipushi at the bottom of the Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions curve, according to independent industry experts Skarn Associates.
- Ivanhoe continues its expansive copper exploration program on its Western Foreland licenses adjacent to Kamoa-Kakula. The company's 2024 exploration program consists of 70,000 metres of diamond-core drilling, with 39,000 metres completed during H1 2024. Drilling during Q2 2024 was mostly focused on Kitoko and Makoko West. Nine drill rigs were in operation at quarter end.
- Construction of Platreef's Phase 1 concentrator was completed on schedule after the quarter's end. Cold commissioning has started, with water being fed through the concentrator. The concentrator will be placed on care and maintenance until H2 2025, as Shaft 1 prioritizes the hoisting of waste from the development required to bring forward the start of Phase 2.
- Work continues on the updated feasibility study to accelerate Platreef's Phase 2, as well as the preliminary economic assessment of the new Phase 3 expansion. Both studies are expected to be completed in the fourth quarter.
- Construction of Platreef's Shaft 2 headgear now is approximately
60% complete. Construction activities are advancing well on the installation of 1,124 tonnes of internal structural steel inside Shaft 2's headgear.
Lebo Ramonyalioa, Instrumentation Engineer, DRA; and, Pieter Schoeman, Instrumentation Engineer, DRA, standing at the newly completed apron feeder in the Kakula North mining area.
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Conference call for investors on Wednesday, July 31, 2024
Ivanhoe Mines will hold an investor conference call to discuss the results at 10:30 a.m. Eastern time / 7:30 a.m. Pacific time on July 31, 2024. The conference call will conclude with a question-and-answer (Q&A) session. Media are invited to attend on a listen-only basis.
To view the webcast use the link: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/67hi5owr
Analysts are invited to join by phone for the Q&A using the following link: https://register.vevent.com/register/BIdca605fc67a44c9188026e3aad0c263d
An audio webcast recording of the conference call, together with supporting presentation slides, will be available on Ivanhoe Mines' website at www.ivanhoemines.com.
After issuance, the condensed consolidated interim financial statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis will be available at www.ivanhoemines.com and www.sedarplus.ca.
Read Ivanhoe's Second Quarter 2024 Sustainability Review:
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For the second quarter, the group achieved an industry-leading combined Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) of 0.22 per 1,000,000 hours worked and a Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate (TRIFR) of 0.82 per 1,000,000 hours worked. Regrettably, there was one fatality in the group during the quarter, which occurred at Kamoa-Kakula.
For more information on each project’s health and safety performance, as well as more information on the various sustainability initiatives underway across the group, read Ivanhoe’s Q2 2024 Sustainability Review: https://www.ivanhoemines.com/wp-content/uploads/Sustainability_review_Q2_2024V5.pdf
Principal projects and review of activities
1. Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex
Democratic Republic of Congo
The Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex is operated as the Kamoa Holding joint venture between Ivanhoe Mines and Zijin Mining. The project is approximately 25 kilometres southwest of the town of Kolwezi and about 270 kilometres west of Lubumbashi. Kamoa-Kakula's Phase 1 concentrator began producing copper in May 2021. The Phase 2 concentrator, completed in April 2022, doubled nameplate production capacity to 400,000 tonnes of copper per annum. A debottlenecking program, completed 10 months later in February 2023, further increased copper production capacity to 450,000 tonnes per annum. The Phase 3 concentrator, completed in June 2024, increased copper production capacity to over 600,000 tonnes per annum, ranking the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex as the world's third-largest copper mining operation by international mining consultant Wood Mackenzie.
Ivanhoe sold a
Kamoa-Kakula summary of operating and financial data
Q2 2024 | Q1 2024 | Q4 2023 | Q3 2023 | Q2 2023 | |||||||||||
Ore tonnes milled (000's tonnes) | 2,381(1 | ) | 2,061 | 2,133 | 2,236 | 2,244 | |||||||||
Copper ore grade processed (%) | ) | ||||||||||||||
Copper recovery (%) | ) | ||||||||||||||
Copper in concentrate produced (tonnes) | 100,812 | 86,203 | 92,215 | 103,947 | 103,786 | ||||||||||
Payable copper sold (tonnes) | 95,900 | 85,155 | 90,967 | 96,509 | 101,526 | ||||||||||
Cost of sales per pound ($ per lb.) | 1.53 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.34 | 1.24 | ||||||||||
Cash cost (C1) ($ per lb.) | 1.52 | 1.57 | 1.53 | 1.46 | 1.41 | ||||||||||
Realized copper price ($ per lb.) | 4.34 | 3.82 | 3.71 | 3.84 | 3.79 | ||||||||||
Sales revenue before remeasurement ($'000) | 813,817 | 612,496 | 625,983 | 681,821 | 729,924 | ||||||||||
Remeasurement of contract receivables ($'000) | 3,256 | 5,824 | (8,365 | ) | 13,014 | (27,542 | ) | ||||||||
Sales revenue after remeasurement ($'000) | 817,073 | 618,320 | 617,618 | 694,835 | 702,382 | ||||||||||
EBITDA ($'000) | 547,257 | 364,893 | 343,899 | 423,211 | 456,628 | ||||||||||
EBITDA margin (% of sales revenue) |
All figures in the above tables are on a
(1) Blended figures across the Phase 1, 2, and 3 concentrators, following the commencement of Phase 3 concentrator in June 2024. Excluding Phase 3, the Phase 1 and 2 concentrators milled 2,288,000 tonnes of ore at an average feed grade of
C1 cash cost per pound of payable copper produced can be further broken down as follows:
Q2 2024 | Q1 2024 | Q4 2023 | Q3 2023 | Q2 2023 | ||||||||||||||
Mining | ($ per lb.) | 0.45 | 0.44 | 0.38 | 0.41 | 0.39 | ||||||||||||
Processing | ($ per lb.) | 0.21 | 0.23 | 0.24 | 0.20 | 0.19 | ||||||||||||
Logistics charges (delivered to China) | ($ per lb.) | 0.48 | 0.50 | 0.50 | 0.46 | 0.45 | ||||||||||||
TC, RC, smelter charges | ($ per lb.) | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.26 | 0.25 | 0.25 | ||||||||||||
General & Administrative | ($ per lb.) | 0.13 | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.14 | 0.13 | ||||||||||||
Cash cost (C1) per pound of payable copper produced | ($ per lb.) | 1.52 | 1.57 | 1.53 | 1.46 | 1.41 |
Cash cost (C1) is prepared on a basis consistent with the industry standard definitions by Wood Mackenzie cost guidelines but are not measures recognized under IFRS. In calculating the C1 cash cost, the costs are measured on the same basis as the Company's share of profit from the Kamoa Holding joint venture that is contained in the financial statements. C1 cash cost is used by management to evaluate operating performance and include all direct mining, processing, and general and administrative costs. Smelter charges and freight deductions on sales to the final port of destination, which are recognized as a component of sales revenues, are added to C1 cash cost to arrive at an approximate cost of delivered, finished metal. C1 cash cost excludes royalties, production taxes, and non-routine charges as they are not direct production costs.
All figures are on a
Improved grid stability experienced during the quarter had a notable improvement on operations, with Kamoa-Kakula's Phase 1 and 2 concentrators milling 2.3 million tonnes of ore at an average feed grade of
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Kamoa-Kakula Phase 1, 2, and 3 operations produced 100,812 tonnes of copper in concentrate in Q2 2024
Kamoa-Kakula produced 100,812 tonnes of copper in concentrate in the second quarter of 2024. This includes 99,712 tonnes from the Phase 1 and 2 concentrators and 1,100 tonnes of copper from the Phase 3 concentrator.
Kamoa-Kakula's Phase 1 and 2 concentrators milled approximately 2.29 million tonnes of ore during the second quarter at an average feed grade of
Kamoa-Kakula's Phase 3 concentrator was completed up to two quarters ahead of the originally announced schedule and produced its first batch of concentrate on June 10, 2024. The Phase 3 concentrator is undergoing ramp-up to steady-state production, which is expected in August, taking the production capacity of the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex to over 600,000 tonnes per annum. Ramp-up activities are progressing as planned and therefore, annual production guidance for Kamoa-Kakula is maintained at between 440,000 and 490,000 tonnes of copper in concentrate for 2024.
As of June 30, 2024, a total of 4.82 million tonnes of ore at an average grade of
After the quarter ended on July 28, the combined Phase 1, 2, and 3 operations achieved a daily production record of 1,614 tonnes of copper in concentrate. The record included 306 tonnes of copper from the Phase 3 concentrator, which milled a record 16,703 tonnes of ore over the 24 hours. The Phase 3 milling record was approximately
Kamoa Copper continues to work closely with the DRC's state-owned power company, La Société Nationale d'Electricité (SNEL), to deliver solutions for the identified causes of instability experienced across the southern DRC's grid infrastructure since late 2022. The project work, which is budgeted at up to
The project work consists of grid infrastructure upgrades, such as an increase in grid capacity between the Inga II dam and Kolwezi, a new harmonic filter at the Inga Converter Station, as well as a new static compensator at the Kolwezi Converter Station. In addition, various smaller initiatives have been identified to strengthen the transmission capability and improve the long-term stability of the southern grid. This includes the restringing of powerlines in the southern grid and repairs to the direct current (DC) infrastructure. In addition to this, Ivanhoe Mines Energy is working with SNEL to put in place maintenance contracts to maintain key generation capacity and transmission infrastructure.
Kamoa-Kakula's Phase 3 concentrator was completed up to two quarters ahead of the originally announced schedule and is expected to ramp-up to steady state in August 2024. Phase 3 increases total annual production to over 600,000 tonnes of copper.
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Imported power via Zambia Interconnector increased to 65 MW, significantly improving grid stability and Kamoa-Kakula's copper production
During the second quarter, grid-supplied power to Kamoa-Kakula was supplemented by 55 MW of imported power from Zambia and Mozambique, via the Zambian interconnector. Kamoa-Kakula's executive team is targeting that imported power will increase by up to a further 20 MW by the end of the third quarter. Imported power as at July 30 has increased to 65 MW. Subject to capacity availability in the first half of 2025, imported power is then expected to increase to 100 MW.
Other power-generating projects have been initiated to de-risk the current and future operations over the short to medium term, while the grid infrastructure upgrades are completed.
Kamoa Copper's engineering team is currently expanding its on-site backup generation capacity to ensure there is on-site redundancy for the current Phase 1, 2, and 3 operations.
On-site backup-power generator capacity is scheduled to increase, via a phased roll-out, to a total of over 200 MW in time for the completion of the direct-to-blister copper smelter in early 2025, as shown in Figure 1. The generator farm sites are being built adjacent to the Phase 1 and 2 concentrators, and smelter at Kakula, as well as adjacent to the Phase 3 concentrator at Kamoa.
An additional 72 MW of new generators were delivered to site in July, increasing the on-site generation capacity to 135 MW. Installation of the new generators is complete, with commissioning expected to be completed in early August.
As shown in Figure 1, the power requirement for Phase 3 will be 45 MW once fully ramped up to steady state from August 2024. In addition, the smelter will require a further 75 MW of power once fully ramped up to steady state.
Figure 1. Kamoa-Kakula's power demand profile versus the projected phased rollout of on-site, back-up generation capacity and imported grid power, supplementing existing domestically-supplied power by SNEL (MW).
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Construction of the Phase 3 concentrator plant and associated infrastructure complete, with production ramp-up underway
First ore to Kamoa-Kakula's Phase 3 concentrator was achieved on May 26, 2024, up to two quarters ahead of the originally announced schedule, with first concentrate reported on June 10, 2024. The new 5-Mtpa Phase 3 concentrator is located adjacent to the Kamoa underground mines, approximately 10 kilometres north of the Phase 1 and 2 concentrators located above the Kakula underground mine. Since June 10, 2024, the Phase 3 concentrator has produced 1,100 tonnes of copper in concentrate.
The Phase 3 concentrator is
Ramp-up to steady state production of the Phase 3 concentrator is expected in August, following the commissioning of the fine-grinding equipment. Once complete, Kamoa-Kakula will have a total processing capacity of 14.2 Mtpa, producing over 600,000 tonnes of copper per annum. This positions Kamoa-Kakula as the world's third-largest copper mining complex, and the largest copper mine on the African continent as shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2. World's top 10 copper mining operations estimated for 2025, by paid copper production per annum (kt)
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Source: Wood Mackenzie, 2024 (based on public disclosure and the Kamoa-Kakula Phase 3 annualized production estimate of approx. 600,000 tonnes of copper). (The Kamoa-Kakula data has not been reviewed by Wood Mackenzie).
Kamoa-Kakula's Phase 3 expansion, consists of two new underground mines called Kamoa 1 and Kamoa 2, as well as the existing Kansoko Mine. The Kamoa 1 and Kamoa 2 mines share a single box cut with a twin service-and-conveyor decline.
Sale of copper concentrates produced by the Phase 3 concentrator commenced post-quarter end, with the concentrate toll smelted at the nearby Lualaba Copper Smelter in Kolwezi. In the fourth quarter, a portion of the Phase 3 concentrate will start to be stockpiled on-site in anticipation for the smelter heat-up, which is expected in early 2025.
Kamoa-Kakula's Phase 3 concentrate storage warehouse. The Phase 3 concentrator has produced 1,100 tonnes of copper in concentrate between June 10, 2024, and quarter end.
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Lorraine Nkulu Ngoie, Control Room Supervisor, at work at the Kamoa-Kakula Phase 3 concentrator control room.
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The Phase 3 concentrator run-of-mine stockpile. As of June 30, 2024, a total of 2.51 million tonnes of ore at an average grade of
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The direct-to-blister copper smelter project is over
The Phase 3 expansion also includes the construction of Africa's largest smelter, which will have a capacity of 500,000 tonnes of >
The smelter project is over
Recruitment and training of the 950-strong operational team is well advanced with all management and technical personnel on-boarded. Procurement of maintenance spares and start-up consumables is also well-advanced.
The smelter will have a processing capacity of approximately 1.2 Mtpa of dry concentrate feed and is designed to run on a blend of concentrate produced from the Kakula (Phase 1 and 2) and Kamoa (Phase 3 and future Phase 4) concentrators. As per the Kamoa-Kakula 2023 Integrated Development Plan, the smelter is projected to process approximately
As a by-product, the smelter will also produce approximately 700,000 tonnes per year of high-strength sulphuric acid. There is a strong demand for sulphuric acid in the DRC, as it is used to leach copper from oxide ores through the SX-EW (solvent extraction and electrowinning) process. In 2023, approximately 6 million tonnes of acid were consumed by mining operations in the DRC. Domestic acid demand is expected to increase to over 7 million tonnes in the short to medium term. The market price for acid in the DRC is comparatively high, as most of the high-strength sulphuric acid consumed is imported first as sulphur, with high associated transportation costs, and burned in domestic acid plants to produce liquid high-strength sulphuric acid. Offtake contracts for the high-strength sulphuric acid produced by the smelter are well-advanced with local purchasers.
The on-site smelter will offer transformative financial benefits for the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex, most significantly a material reduction in logistics costs, and to a lesser extent reduced concentrate treatment charges and local taxes, as well as revenue from acid sales. Logistics costs accounted for approximately one-third of Kamoa-Kakula's total cash cost (C1) during 2024 to date, and the volume of required trucks is expected to approximately halve following the smelter start-up as each truck will transport 99+%-pure blister copper anodes instead of wet concentrate with 40
Construction of Kamoa-Kakula's direct-to-blister smelter furnace is progressing on schedule for construction completion by the end of 2024. Once complete, it will be Africa's largest smelter.
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Aerial view of the Smelter construction site at dusk
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Refurbishment of hydropower at Inga II approximately
The refurbishment of Turbine #5 at the Inga II hydroelectric facility is approximately
ProMarks and Trafigura sign MOU with the Angolan government to build a 2,000 MW high-voltage 'interconnector' to supply hydro-powered electricity in DRC and Zambia
On July 4, 2024, Trafigura Group of Geneva, Switzerland, and ProMarks of Luanda, Angola signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Government of Angola to study the technical and economic viability of building a 2,000 MW high-voltage electricity "interconnector" (a high-voltage direct current transmission line) to export surplus green electricity to the DRC Copperbelt and Zambia. The project enables electricity generated by hydroelectric dams located in the north of Angola to be connected to the Southern Africa Power Pool, via the DRC. A joint venture will be formed between ProMarks and Trafigura to develop, finance, construct and operate the electricity "interconnector". The project is intended to be financed through a combination of equity capital and third-party debt. Planning, approvals, and construction would take around four years after the final investment decision is made. See link to the full press release made by Trafigura: https://www.trafigura.com/news-and-insights/press-releases/2024/promarks-and-trafigura-sign-mou-with-the-angolan-government/.
Basic engineering for ‘Project 95’ complete, aiming to increase copper recovery from Phase 1 and 2 concentrators to
Project 95 is an initiative targeting an increase in copper recoveries from current Phase 1 and 2 concentrator recovery rate of approximately
Figure 3. Global average copper head grade since 2000, compared with the estimated copper grade of Kamoa-Kakula's tailings as at June 30, 2024.
Source: BMO Research, Wood Mackenzie
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DRA Global of Johannesburg, South Africa was appointed to conduct basic engineering on Project 95, which was recently completed. The modifications to the existing Phase 1 and 2 concentrators consist of a new coarse-fine cyclone bank, flash flotation cells, coarse rougher tailings tank, additional feed tanks to the rougher scavenger and cleaner scavenger flotation cells, and new cleaner flotation cells. In addition, a new regrind milling plant adjacent to the Phase 1 and Phase 2 concentrator plants will be constructed, with high-intensity grinding (HIG) mills, rougher tailings cyclones, and slime thickeners.
The capital cost estimate for Project 95 includes
Infrastructure site plan of Phase 1 and 2 concentrators, showing new Project 95 equipment to be installed in red
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Following the completion of Project 95, the copper grade of the tailings stream from the Phase 1 and 2 concentrators will be significantly reduced to
The retreatment of the high-grade tailings in cell 1 to recover the copper, will then take place at the start of the Phase 4 expansion. More information on the Phase 4 expansion and the Phase 3 debottlenecking program will be included in an updated Integrated Development Plan, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Improving the recovery of the Phase 3 concentrator will take place as part of a Phase 3 debottlenecking program, a study that is expected to commence once the Phase 3 concentrator has reached steady state production.
Project 95 to unlock up to 30,000 tonnes per annum of additional copper growth for a capital investment of
Project 95 is expected to increase Phase 1 and 2 concentrator’s annual copper production by up to 30,000 tonnes of copper per annum. At a capital intensity of approximately
Project 95’s incremental operating costs are estimated to be approximately
New in-country financing facilities to assist Kamoa-Kakula with funding future expansions, including Project 95
In the first half of 2024, Kamoa Copper closed a term facility of
COPPER PRODUCTION AND CASH COST GUIDANCE FOR 2024
Kamoa-Kakula 2024 Guidance | |
Contained copper in concentrate (tonnes) | 440,000 to 490,000 |
Cash cost (C1) ($ per pound) | 1.50 to 1.70 |
The figures are on a
Production guidance is based on assumptions for the ramp-up of the Phase 3 concentrator, the reliability of the DRC grid power supply, and the availability of back-up generation capacity, among other variables. The Kamoa-Kakula joint venture produced a total of 100,812 tonnes of copper in concentrate for the three months ended June 30, 2024, and 187,015 tonnes of copper for the first six months of 2024.
Cash cost (C1) per pound of payable copper amounted to
Cash cost guidance is impacted by the timing of the ramp-up of Kamoa-Kakula's Phase 3 concentrator. Copper in concentrate produced by the Phase 3 concentrator is expected to have a higher cash cost, compared with that of the Phase 1 and Phase 2 concentrators. This is primarily due to the lower copper grade of the Kamoa 1 and Kamoa 2 underground mines that feed the Phase 3 concentrator, compared with the higher-grade Kakula Mine that feeds the Phase 1 and Phase 2 concentrators. Completion of the on-site smelter construction, which is on target for construction completion by the end of 2024, is expected to drive a decrease in average cash cost (C1) over the first five years post-completion and ramp-up by approximately
Cash cost (C1) is a non-GAAP measure used by management to evaluate operating performance and includes all direct mining, processing, stockpile rehandling charges, and general and administrative costs. Smelter charges and freight deductions on sales to the final port of destination (typically China), which are recognized as a component of sales revenues, are added to cash cost (C1) to arrive at an approximate cost of delivered finished metal.
For historical comparatives, see the non-GAAP Financial Performance Measures section of this release.
Sarah Mbya Mujinga, Attendant, Thickening and Services, standing in front of Kamoa-Kakula's Phase 3 flotation cells.
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2. Kipushi Project
Democratic Republic of Congo
The historic Kipushi zinc-copper-germanium-silver mine in the DRC is adjacent to the town of Kipushi, approximately 30 kilometres southwest of Lubumbashi on the Central African Copperbelt. Kipushi is approximately 250 kilometres southeast of the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex and less than one kilometre from the Zambian border. Ivanhoe acquired its
For over 69 years up until 1993 when the mine was placed on care and maintenance, the Kipushi Mine produced a total of 6.6 million tonnes of zinc and 4.0 million tonnes of copper from 60 million tonnes of ore grading
Since acquiring its interest in Kipushi in 2011, Ivanhoe's drilling campaigns have upgraded and expanded the mine's zinc-rich Big Zinc and Southern Zinc orebodies to a Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource of 11.78 million tonnes grading
The Kipushi team commemorate the initial ore feed into the new concentrator on May 31, 2024, followed by the production of first concentrate on June 14, 2024.
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Construction of Kipushi concentrator completed ahead of schedule, with, with ramp-up to steady-state operations underway during Q3
Construction of the new 800,000-tonne-per-annum concentrator facility was completed months ahead of schedule on May 31, 2024, following the first feed of ore. The concentrator process consists of dense media separation (DMS) and a milling and flotation circuit. Design recoveries are targeted to be
Figure 4. World’s top 10 zinc mines estimated for 2025, by paid zinc production per annum (‘000 tonnes) with head grade (% zinc).
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Source: Wood Mackenzie, 2024, Ivanhoe Mines. Production and grade assumptions for Kipushi are the first five-year average as stated in the 2022 Feasibility Study.
Commissioning of the Kipushi concentrator commenced in early May, with first feed of ore from the surface ROM stockpiles fed through the ball mill during the evening of May 31, 2024. The first batch of concentrate production was achieved on June 14, 2024. Ramp-up to steady-state production is ongoing and expected to be completed in September.
Basic engineering has commenced to increase zinc production, by optimising and de-bottlenecking the newly constructed Kipushi concentrator. The de-bottlenecking program is targeting a
The construction of the down-stream tailings storage facility is complete and commissioned. The tailings storage facility has been designed per Global Industry Standards on Tailings Management (GISTM).
Off-take agreements for Kipushi concentrate signed, plus
Ivanhoe Mines recently established a wholly-owned subsidiary, Ivanhoe Marketing (Pty) Ltd (Ivanhoe Marketing), to manage the in-land logistics across the African continent. Ivanhoe Marketing will be responsible for arranging the transportation of zinc concentrate from mine gate to the point of delivery. Initially, it is expected that approximately
Ivanhoe Marketing has entered into off-take agreements with CITIC and Trafigura for the sale of Kipushi concentrate. To date, off-take agreements for approximately two-thirds of Kipushi's zinc concentrate production over a five-year term have been agreed. The off-take agreements contain standard, international commercial terms, including payables and treatment charges based on the zinc industry's annual benchmark. The 2024 annual treatment charge benchmark is currently
In addition to the off-take agreements, Trafigura and CITIC Metal have each provided a loan facility to KICO for
Run-of-mine stockpiles to support ramp-up to steady-state production, with mining rates to increase throughout the second half of 2024
As of June 30, 2024, a total of approximately 336,000 tonnes of ore at an average grade of
Underground mining rates are expected to significantly increase throughout the second half of the year to match the steady-state processing rate of the Kipushi concentrator. Year-to-date underground mining rates have averaged just over 20,000 tonnes per month, with rates expected to increase to 75,000 tonnes per month, at an average grade of up to
Graduate Process Engineer, Lebogang Motau, conducting installation inspections at the Kipushi concentrator.
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On June 14, 2024, Kipushi produced its first zinc concentrate. Zinc production capacity to average 278,000 tonnes per annum over first five years, making Kipushi the fourth-largest zinc mine globally.
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Updated greenhouse gas emissions assessment confirms that Kipushi will be lowest carbon emitter per unit of zinc production in the world
Kipushi will be the lowest greenhouse gas emitter per tonne of zinc produced. On a Scope 1 and 2 basis (reported from ore to mine gate), Kipushi's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity for 2025 is expected to be 0.019 equivalent tonnes of carbon dioxide per tonne of contained zinc produced (t CO2-e / t Zn). This comfortably ranks Kipushi near the bottom of the Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions curve, as shown in Figure 5.
This is partially due to the ultra-high-grade Big Zinc orebody, which has an average head grade of over
The low carbon emissions intensity is also a function of the DRC grid being among the world's cleanest, with
Figure 5. 2023 Scope 1 & 2 zinc GHG emissions intensity curve, highlighting Kipushi and the top 10 largest zinc mining operations in 2023.
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Notes: Kipushi and industry peer Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions data are estimates by Skarn Associates. Estimates include all direct and indirect emissions to produce contained zinc from ore to mine gate. The horizontal width of each bar represents the quantity of each operation's 2023 zinc production in '000 tonnes. 2025 Kipushi production is estimated to be 278,000 tonnes of payable zinc in concentrate, based on the 2022 feasibility study. 2025 zinc production is not forward guidance. It is estimated that operations will emit a total of 5,047 equivalent tonnes of CO2, thereby producing 0.019 equivalent tonnes of CO2 per tonne of zinc produced. Chart sources: Skarn Associates, Ivanhoe Mines.
ZINC PRODUCTION AND CASH COST GUIDANCE FOR 2024
Contained zinc in concentrate (tonnes) | 100,000 to 140,000 |
These figures are on a
The Company will provide 2024 guidance ranges for C1 cash cost (C1) per pound of payable zinc once ramp-up to steady-state production has been achieved.
3. Platreef Project
South Africa
The Platreef Project is owned by Ivanplats (Pty) Ltd (Ivanplats), which is
The Platreef Project hosts an underground deposit of thick, platinum-group metals, nickel, copper, and gold mineralization on the Northern Limb of the Bushveld Igneous Complex in Limpopo Province - approximately 280 kilometres northeast of Johannesburg and eight kilometres from the town of Mokopane in South Africa.
On the Northern Limb, platinum-group metals mineralization is primarily hosted within the Platreef, a mineralized sequence traced for more than 30 kilometres along strike. Ivanhoe's Platreef Project, within the Platreef's southern sector, is comprised of two contiguous properties: Turfspruit and Macalacaskop. Turfspruit, the northernmost property, is contiguous with, and along strike from, Anglo Platinum's Mogalakwena group of mining operations and properties.
Since 2007, Ivanhoe has focused its exploration and development activities on defining and advancing the down-dip extension of its original discovery at Platreef, now known as the Flatreef Deposit, which is amenable to highly mechanized, underground mining methods.
Construction of Phase 1 concentrator completed on-schedule, with first ore deferred until 2025; underground development prioritizing waste development required to accelerate start of Phase 2
Construction of Platreef’s Phase 1 concentrator was completed on-schedule after the quarter end. Cold commissioning started in July, with water being fed through the concentrator. The concentrator will be placed on care and maintenance until H2 2025, as Shaft #1 prioritizes hoisting waste development required to bring forward the start of Phase 2.
The Platreef Phase 1 project team convened to celebrate the successful commencement of cold commissioning. First concentrate is expected in the second half of 2025.
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Electrician, Mapontsho Ngobeni, conducts testing at the Platreef Phase 1 concentrator.
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Optimized Platreef development plan to accelerate and re-scope Phase 2 to 4-Mtpa capacity by equipping Shaft 3 for hoisting
In 2023, Ivanhoe's engineering team completed an internal optimization study of the phased expansion of the Platreef Project. Current underground development and operations are dependent on the initial 1 Mtpa Shaft #1 until the 10-metre-diameter, 8-Mtpa Shaft #2 is commissioned. The study concluded that accelerating the startup of Phase 2 will create significant project value.
Phase 2 expansion will be accelerated by re-purposing ventilation Shaft #3 for hoisting. Shaft #3 will generate additional hoisting capacity of approximately 4 Mtpa, bringing total hoisting capacity to approximately 5 Mtpa.
The reaming of Shaft #3 down to the 950-metre level commenced in 2023. Reaming is the process of boring, or excavating, a vertical shaft from the bottom up and it is the quickest and safest method of constructing a shaft. Reaming is expected to be completed during the third quarter of 2024. Once equipped, Shaft #3 is expected to be ready for hoisting in the first quarter of 2026, well ahead of the completion of the much larger Shaft #2.
The internal study concluded that equipping Shaft #3 for hoisting de-risks Phase 1 underground operations ahead of the completion of Shaft #2 and accelerates the underground development for Phase 2. In addition, the Phase 2 concentrator would have an increased processing capacity of 3.3 Mtpa, up from 2.2 Mtpa as per the first module of Phase 2 defined in the Platreef 2022 Feasibility Study. Therefore, the Phase 1 and Phase 2 concentrators will have a total combined processing capacity of approximately 4.0 Mtpa, with ore fed by Shaft #1 and Shaft #3.
Additional underground ventilation will now be provided by a new 5.1-metre diameter shaft, named Shaft #4. The drilling of the pilot hole for Shaft #4 commenced in April 2024. Once reaming is complete and the ventilation fans are installed, Shaft #4 is expected to be operational during the third quarter of 2025.
Following the completion of the optimization study, work is well underway on an updated independent Feasibility Study for the Phase 2 expansion, which is planned to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Study work in progress for new Phase 3 expansion to 10 Mtpa, expected to rank Platreef as one of the world's largest PGM producers
In parallel with the release of the updated Phase 2 Feasibility Study, Ivanhoe also commissioned a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) for an additional expansion, Phase 3, taking the total Platreef processing capacity up to approximately 10 Mtpa. The new Phase 3 expansion is expected to consist of two additional 3.3-Mtpa concentrator modules, to be located adjacent to the Phase 1 and 2 concentrators. Phase 3 is anticipated to rank Platreef as one of the world's largest and lowest-cost platinum-group metal, nickel, copper, and gold producers. The 10-Mtpa concentrator capacity of the Phase 3 expansion will be 12.5 times greater than that of Phase 1 and 2.5 times greater than the processing capacity of the optimized Phase 2 expansion.
The completion of Shaft #2 will increase the total hoisting capacity for ore and waste development, across all three shafts to over 12 Mtpa.
Construction of Shaft #2 headgear approximately
Construction activities are advancing well on the installation of 1,124 tonnes of internal structural steel inside Shaft #2's headgear. In addition, all long-lead order equipment packages for the headgear have now been placed. The installation of the sinking winders and related infrastructure is advancing well with the on-boarding of the sinking contractor to commence sinking operations in the first quarter of 2025. The production winder, as well as the man and material winder, are expected to be delivered to site early in the third quarter of 2024.
Structural steel erection in progress at Shaft 2. The 10-metre diameter Shaft 2, which is required for the Phase 2 expansion, will be the largest hoisting shaft on the African continent.
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4. Western Foreland Exploration Project
Democratic Republic of Congo
Ivanhoe's DRC exploration group is targeting Kamoa-Kakula-style copper mineralization on its Western Forelands exploration licences. The 21 licences in the Western Foreland cover a combined area of approximately 1,808 square kilometres to the north, south, and west of the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex.
The exploration group is using models that successfully led to the discoveries of Kakula, Kakula West, and the Kamoa North Bonanza Zone at the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex. More recent discoveries at Makoko, Kiala, and the 2023 Kitoko mineralization confirm the effectiveness of these models.
The total area of the land package has been reduced from 2,407 square kilometres in accordance with DRC regulations, as 10 exploration licences reached the end of their first holding period, requiring a relinquishment of
Diamond drilling during the second quarter of 2024 has been focused on Makoko West and Kitoko with one hole drilled in Lubudi. Nine contractor rigs were in operation at quarter end, having completed a total of 20,701 metres of diamond core drilling, over 27 completed holes, and two abandoned holes.
Drilling activity at Kitoko continues to define the extent of mineralization and test the extent of the system. Between three and four diamond drill rigs were active on the prospect during the quarter, with nine holes completed. Two holes were abandoned due to broken ground. Kitoko mineralization is now interpreted to occur at the onlap of pyritic layers of Nguba Group diamictites and siltstones with a Kibaran age basement high. The high-grade onlap zones are still open at depth and will be one of the areas targeted to be drilled in the coming months. Step-out drilling continues on 400-meter sections.
Drilling at Makoko West (southwest of the original Makoko mineral resource declared in 2023) continued during the quarter with up to four rigs in operation. The drilling at Makoko West is targeting the up-dip area of the Kitoko mineralized system. Fifteen holes were completed, with three underway at quarter end.
Drilling activities also started in June on the area between Kitoko and Makoko to characterize the basement architecture in the areas and to test for sub-basins (see Figure 7). The drilling in this untested region will continue for the remainder of the dry season.
Figure 7. Map showing location of current drilling activities of six out of the nine rigs current drilling in the Western Forelands. Drilling is primarily focused around Makoko West and Kitoko, as well as testing mineralization between the two areas.
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Drilling has also started in the Lubudi region to the south of the Western Forelands. Drilling in this area was not previously focused on the deeper part of the shelf due to a lack of Roan sediments, which before the Kitoko discovery were thought to be essential conditions for high-grade copper mineralization. The Kitoko discovery, however, proved that Roan sediments are not necessarily required and therefore Lubudi is being tested again, only this time at greater depths.
A passive seismic program initially scheduled for the second quarter of 2024 at both Lupemba and Kitoko will now take place in the third quarter. The passive seismic program will test the system's ability to determine the thickness of Kalahari sand, basement architecture, and the location of thick mafic rocks below Nguba sediments. A shallow, air-core drilling program through the Kalahari sand cover, designed to collect samples at the top of the underlying residual soil, commenced in early July. This program is expected to run through the remainder of the dry season.
5. The Mokopane Feeder Exploration Project
South Africa
Three new
A gravity-high anomaly based on wide-spaced historical Council for Geoscience data was interpreted to represent a primary feeder zone to the Rustenburg Layered Suite of the Northern Limb of the Bushveld Complex. The working hypothesis for this large gravity anomaly (the Mokopane Feeder) is that it represents a significant thickening of the Rustenburg Layered Suite, particularly of the denser Lower Zone units associated with regional scale crustal faults, with significant potential for nickel, copper and platinum-group metals mineralization.
Detailed high-resolution fixed-wing airborne magnetic and Falcon airborne gravity gradiometer geophysical surveys were completed in 2023 to map the subsurface petrophysical characteristics of the anomaly. Detailed inversion modeling of the two high-resolution datasets was completed in December 2023.
The collection, interpretation and review process of all geological and geophysical data is now complete. The geological understanding of the anomaly continues to evolve, with three targets identified for drilling. The drilling program is expected to commence towards the end of Q3 2024, once the stakeholder engagement and heritage impact assessment are complete.
SELECTED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL INFORMATION
The following table summarizes selected financial information for the prior eight quarters. Ivanhoe had no operating revenue in any financial reporting period. All revenue from commercial production at Kamoa-Kakula is recognized within the Kamoa Holding joint venture. Ivanhoe did not declare or pay any dividend or distribution in any financial reporting period.
Three months ended | ||||||||||||
June 30, | March 31, | December 31, | September 30, | |||||||||
2024 | 2024 | 2023 | 2023 | | ||||||||
$'000 | $'000 | $'000 | $'000 | |||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Share of profit from joint venture | 89,616 | 45,165 | 49,272 | 69,829 | ||||||||
Finance income | 62,873 | 62,457 | 63,110 | 56,671 | ||||||||
Deferred tax recovery | 1,398 | 3,221 | 4,201 | 1,212 | ||||||||
Finance costs | (32,871 | ) | (8,944 | ) | (6,741 | ) | (8,752 | ) | ||||
(Loss) gain on fair valuation of embedded derivative liability | (20,727 | ) | (139,271 | ) | (39,961 | ) | 12,218 | |||||
General administrative expenditure | (12,345 | ) | (14,001 | ) | (14,947 | ) | (9,841 | ) | ||||
Exploration and project evaluation expenditure | (10,589 | ) | (8,901 | ) | (8,637 | ) | (6,264 | ) | ||||
Share-based payments | (8,505 | ) | (8,933 | ) | (7,715 | ) | (6,732 | ) | ||||
Profit (loss) attributable to: | ||||||||||||
Owners of the Company | 76,401 | (65,552 | ) | 27,739 | 112,510 | |||||||
Non-controlling interests | (9,885 | ) | (3,858 | ) | (1,980 | ) | (4,988 | ) | ||||
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to: | ||||||||||||
Owners of the Company | 88,223 | (73,648 | ) | 37,155 | 109,681 | |||||||
Non-controlling interest | (8,672 | ) | (4,728 | ) | (1,003 | ) | (5,250 | ) | ||||
| ||||||||||||
Basic profit (loss) per share | 0.06 | (0.05 | ) | 0.02 | 0.09 | |||||||
Diluted profit (loss) per share | 0.06 | (0.05 | ) | 0.02 | 0.08 | |||||||
| ||||||||||||
Three months ended | ||||||||||||
June 30, | March 31, | December 31, | September 30, | |||||||||
2023 | 2023 | 2022 | 2022 | |||||||||
$'000 | $'000 | $'000 | $'000 | |||||||||
Share of profit from joint venture | 73,066 | 82,659 | 83,324 | 34,057 | ||||||||
Finance income | 61,956 | 57,826 | 58,477 | 46,720 | ||||||||
Loss on fair valuation of embedded derivative liability | (26,618 | ) | (30,900 | ) | (66,600 | ) | (27,700 | ) | ||||
General administrative expenditure | (10,474 | ) | (8,571 | ) | (11,870 | ) | (9,199 | ) | ||||
Finance costs | (5,539 | ) | (10,465 | ) | (10,457 | ) | (10,223 | ) | ||||
Share-based payments | (7,120 | ) | (7,702 | ) | (7,809 | ) | (7,381 | ) | ||||
Exploration and project evaluation expenditure | (4,375 | ) | (3,381 | ) | (3,887 | ) | (4,312 | ) | ||||
Deferred tax (expense) recovery | 1,965 | 926 | (3,839 | ) | 4,252 | |||||||
Profit (loss) attributable to: | ||||||||||||
Owners of the Company | 92,042 | 86,637 | 41,884 | 26,344 | ||||||||
Non-controlling interests | (4,859 | ) | (4,157 | ) | (4,705 | ) | (2,477 | ) | ||||
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to: | ||||||||||||
Owners of the Company | 86,588 | 74,154 | 53,078 | 4,588 | ||||||||
Non-controlling interest | (5,443 | ) | (5,420 | ) | (3,621 | ) | (4,678 | ) | ||||
| ||||||||||||
Basic profit per share | 0.08 | 0.07 | 0.03 | 0.02 | ||||||||
Diluted profit per share | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.03 | 0.02 |
DISCUSSION OF RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Review of the three months ended June 30, 2024 vs. June 30, 2023
The company recorded a profit for Q2 2024 of
The Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex sold 95,900 tonnes of payable copper in Q2 2024 realizing revenue of
Three months ended | ||||||
June 30, | ||||||
2024 | 2023 | | ||||
$'000 | $'000 | |||||
Company's share of profit from joint venture | 89,616 | 73,066 | ||||
Interest on loan to joint venture | 58,123 | 49,837 | ||||
Company's income recognized from joint venture | 147,739 | 122,903 |
The company's share of profit from the Kamoa Holding joint venture was
Three months ended | ||||||
June 30, | ||||||
2024 | 2023 | |||||
$'000 | $'000 | |||||
| ||||||
Revenue from contract receivables | 813,817 | 729,924 | ||||
Remeasurement of contract receivables | 3,256 | (27,542 | ) | |||
Revenue | 817,073 | 702,382 | ||||
Cost of sales | (324,428 | ) | (277,646 | ) | ||
Gross profit | 492,645 | 424,736 | ||||
| ||||||
General and administrative costs | (26,712 | ) | (27,794 | ) | ||
Amortization of mineral property | (3,071 | ) | (3,005 | ) | ||
Profit from operations | 462,862 | 393,937 | ||||
| ||||||
Finance costs | (71,143 | ) | (90,701 | ) | ||
Foreign exchange loss | (12,258 | ) | (29,333 | ) | ||
Finance income and other | 1,058 | 5,193 | ||||
Profit before taxes | 380,519 | 279,096 | ||||
| ||||||
Current tax expense | (141,020 | ) | (119,120 | ) | ||
Deferred tax expense | (3,056 | ) | 30,278 | |||
Profit after taxes | 236,443 | 190,254 | ||||
| ||||||
Non-controlling interest of Kamoa Holding | (55,401 | ) | (42,645 | ) | ||
Total comprehensive income for the period | 181,042 | 147,609 | ||||
Company's share of profit from joint venture ( | 89,616 | 73,066 |
The higher average copper price during the quarter resulted in increased quarterly revenue in Q2 2024, even with copper tonnes sold being
Three months ended | ||||||
June 30, | ||||||
2024 | 2023 | | ||||
$'000 | $'000 | |||||
| ||||||
Realized during the period - open at the start of the period | ||||||
Opening forward price ($/lb.)(1) | 3.99 | 4.05 | ||||
Realized price ($/lb.)(1) | 4.30 | 3.79 | ||||
Payable copper tonnes sold | 29,142 | 37,092 | ||||
Remeasurement of contract receivables ($'000) | 20,218 | (21,356 | ) | |||
| ||||||
Realized during the period - new copper sold in the current period | ||||||
Provisional price ($/lb.)(1) | 4.31 | 4.00 | ||||
Realized price ($/lb.)(1) | 4.37 | 3.80 | ||||
Payable copper tonnes sold | 31,345 | 30,792 | ||||
Remeasurement of contract receivables ($'000) | 4,453 | (13,006 | ) | |||
| ||||||
Open at the end of the period - new copper sold in current period | ||||||
Provisional price ($/lb.)(1) | 4.47 | 3.77 | ||||
Closing forward price ($/lb.)(1) | 4.32 | 3.81 | ||||
Payable copper tonnes sold | 64,555 | 69,935 | ||||
Remeasurement of contract receivables ($'000) | (21,415 | ) | 6,820 | |||
| ||||||
Total remeasurement of contract receivables ($'000) | 3,256 | (27,542 | ) | |||
| ||||||
(1) Calculated on a weighted average basis |
Of the
Ivanhoe's exploration and project evaluation expenditure amounted to
Finance income for Q2 2024 amounted to
The company recognized a loss on the fair valuation of the embedded derivative financial liability of
Review of the six months ended June 30, 2024 vs. June 30, 2023
The company recorded a loss of
The company recognized income in aggregate of
Six months ended | ||||||
June 30, | ||||||
2024 | 2023 | | ||||
$'000 | $'000 | |||||
Company's share of profit from joint venture | 134,781 | 155,725 | ||||
Interest on loan to joint venture | 113,514 | 97,429 | ||||
Company's income recognized from joint venture | 248,295 | 253,154 |
The company's share of profit from the Kamoa Holding joint venture was
Six months ended | ||||||
June 30, | ||||||
2024 | 2023 | | ||||
$'000 | $'000 | |||||
| ||||||
Revenue from contract receivables | 1,426,313 | 1,389,453 | ||||
Remeasurement of contract receivables | 9,080 | 2,052 | ||||
Revenue | 1,435,393 | 1,391,505 | ||||
Cost of sales | (606,769 | ) | (517,223 | ) | ||
Gross profit | 828,624 | 874,282 | ||||
| ||||||
General and administrative costs | (73,740 | ) | (58,440 | ) | ||
Amortization of mineral property | (5,836 | ) | (5,601 | ) | ||
Profit from operations | 749,048 | 810,241 | ||||
| ||||||
Finance costs | (144,859 | ) | (179,374 | ) | ||
Foreign exchange loss | (20,988 | ) | (34,218 | ) | ||
Finance income and other | 5,109 | 10,188 | ||||
Profit before taxes | 588,310 | 606,837 | ||||
| ||||||
Current tax expense | (201,319 | ) | (195,593 | ) | ||
Deferred tax expense | (17,388 | ) | (9,339 | ) | ||
Profit after taxes | 369,603 | 401,905 | ||||
| ||||||
Non-controlling interest of Kamoa Holding | (97,319 | ) | (87,308 | ) | ||
Total comprehensive income for the year | 272,284 | 314,597 | ||||
Company's share of profit from joint venture ( | 134,781 | 155,725 |
The realized and provisional copper prices used for the remeasurement (mark-to-market) of contract receivables for the six months ended June 30, 2024, and for the same period in 2023, can be summarized as follows.
Six months ended | ||||||
June 30, | ||||||
2024 | 2023 | |||||
$'000 | $'000 | |||||
| ||||||
Realized during the period - open at the start of the period | ||||||
Opening forward price ($/lb.)(1) | 3.86 | 3.90 | ||||
Realized price ($/lb.)(1) | 3.78 | 3.95 | ||||
Payable copper tonnes sold | 35,966 | 88,271 | ||||
Remeasurement of contract receivables ($'000) | (6,040 | ) | 11,269 | |||
| ||||||
Realized during the period - new copper sold in the current period | ||||||
Provisional price ($/lb.)(1) | 3.96 | 4.05 | ||||
Realized price ($/lb.)(1) | 4.11 | 3.94 | ||||
Payable copper tonnes sold | 116,500 | 86,913 | ||||
Remeasurement of contract receivables ($'000) | 36,535 | (21,556 | ) | |||
| ||||||
Open at the end of the period - open at the start of the period | ||||||
Opening forward price ($/lb.)(1) | - | 3.79 | ||||
Closing forward price ($/lb.)(1) | - | 4.05 | ||||
Payable copper tonnes sold | - | 6,625 | ||||
Remeasurement of contract receivables ($'000) | - | 3,748 | ||||
| ||||||
Open at the end of the period - new copper sold in current period | ||||||
Provisional price ($/lb.)(1) | 4.47 | 3.84 | ||||
Closing forward price ($/lb.)(1) | 4.32 | 3.88 | ||||
Payable copper tonnes sold | 64,555 | 100,241 | ||||
Remeasurement of contract receivables ($'000) | (21,415 | ) | 8,591 | |||
| ||||||
Total remeasurement of contract receivables ($'000) | 9,080 | 2,052 | ||||
| ||||||
(1) Calculated on a weighted average basis |
Of the
Ivanhoe's exploration and project evaluation expenditure amounted to
Finance income amounted to
As explained in the accounting for the convertible notes section of the Interim MD&A, the Company recognized a loss on fair valuation of the embedded derivative financial liability of
The total comprehensive loss for the six months ended June 30, 2024, included an exchange gain on translation of foreign operations of
Financial position as at June 30, 2024, vs. December 31, 2023
The company's total assets increased by
The company's investment in the Kamoa Holding joint venture increased by
June 30, | December 31, | |||||
2024 | 2023 | | ||||
$'000 | $'000 | |||||
Company's share of net assets in joint venture | 920,046 | 785,265 | ||||
Loan advanced to joint venture | 1,845,800 | 1,732,286 | ||||
Total investment in joint venture | 2,765,846 | 2,517,551 |
The company's share of net assets in the Kamoa Holding joint venture can be broken down as follows:
June 30, 2024 | December 31, 2023 | |||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
$'000 | $'000 | $'000 | $'000 | |||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Assets | ||||||||||||
Property, plant, and equipment | 5,259,504 | 2,603,454 | 4,195,216 | 2,076,632 | ||||||||
Mineral property | 772,586 | 382,430 | 778,423 | 385,319 | ||||||||
Indirect taxes receivable | 493,772 | 244,417 | 419,779 | 207,791 | ||||||||
Current inventory | 450,464 | 222,980 | 435,212 | 215,430 | ||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents | 397,045 | 196,537 | 72,486 | 35,881 | ||||||||
Run of mine stockpile | 390,997 | 193,544 | 304,261 | 150,609 | ||||||||
Long-term loan receivable | 353,104 | 174,786 | 306,594 | 151,764 | ||||||||
Other receivables | 199,714 | 98,858 | 320,143 | 158,471 | ||||||||
Trade receivables | 126,349 | 62,545 | 241,944 | 119,762 | ||||||||
Right-of-use asset | 51,808 | 25,645 | 56,966 | 28,198 | ||||||||
Prepaid expenses | 13,326 | 6,596 | 81,802 | 40,492 | ||||||||
Non-current deposits | 1,872 | 927 | 1,872 | 927 | ||||||||
Deferred tax asset | 574 | 284 | 606 | 300 | ||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Liabilities | ||||||||||||
Shareholder loans | (3,729,363 | ) | (1,846,035 | ) | (3,500,105 | ) | (1,732,552 | ) | ||||
Term loan facilities | (683,346 | ) | (338,256 | ) | (111,193 | ) | (55,041 | ) | ||||
Advance payment facility | (405,455 | ) | (200,700 | ) | (150,449 | ) | (74,472 | ) | ||||
Trade and other payables | (302,329 | ) | (149,653 | ) | (471,377 | ) | (233,332 | ) | ||||
Deferred tax liability | (260,690 | ) | (129,042 | ) | (322,194 | ) | (159,486 | ) | ||||
Overdraft facility | (216,715 | ) | (107,274 | ) | (177,775 | ) | (87,999 | ) | ||||
Income taxes payable | (185,949 | ) | (92,045 | ) | (217,028 | ) | (107,429 | ) | ||||
Other provisions | (97,830 | ) | (48,426 | ) | (33,344 | ) | (16,505 | ) | ||||
Rehabilitation provision | (95,081 | ) | (47,065 | ) | (95,081 | ) | (47,065 | ) | ||||
Provisional payment facility | (82,381 | ) | (40,779 | ) | (51,501 | ) | (25,493 | ) | ||||
Lease liability | (49,029 | ) | (24,269 | ) | (51,913 | ) | (25,697 | ) | ||||
Dividends Payable | (19,543 | ) | (9,674 | ) | - | - | ||||||
| ||||||||||||
Non-controlling interest | (524,726 | ) | (259,739 | ) | (446,950 | ) | (221,240 | ) | ||||
| ||||||||||||
Net assets of the joint venture | 1,858,678 | 920,046 | 1,586,394 | 785,265 |
Before commencing commercial production in July 2021, the Kamoa Holding joint venture principally used loans from its shareholders to develop the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex through investing in development costs and other property, plant, and equipment. No additional shareholder loans were advanced from 2022 to date with joint venture cashflow and facilities funding its operations and expansions.
Overdraft facilities represent drawn unsecured financing facilities from DRC financial institutions at an attractive cost of capital, utilized to augment cash generated from operations for Kamoa-Kakula's continued expansion and working capital. Total available overdraft facilities amount to
The term loan facilities represent Kamoa's equipment financing facilities, as well as term facilities with DRC financial institutions. During the quarter, Kamoa entered into an additional facility of
The cash flows of the Kamoa Holding joint venture can be summarized as follows:
Three months ended | Six months ended | |||||||||||
June 30, | June 30, | |||||||||||
2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | | ||||||||
$'000 | $'000 | $'000 | $'000 | |||||||||
Net cash generated from operating activities before change in working capital items | 306,213 | 405,417 | 644,601 | 851,957 | ||||||||
Change in working capital items | 31,635 | (83,794 | ) | (72,596 | ) | (256,913 | ) | |||||
Net cash used in investing activities | (567,476 | ) | (370,232 | ) | (1,099,063 | ) | (623,388 | ) | ||||
Net cash generated from (used in) financing activities | 379,428 | (6,142 | ) | 809,893 | (3,744 | ) | ||||||
Effect of foreign exchange rates on cash | 4,611 | (1,669 | ) | 2,784 | (341 | ) | ||||||
Net cash inflow (outflow) | 154,411 | (56,420 | ) | 285,619 | (32,429 | ) | ||||||
Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of the period | 25,919 | 389,624 | (105,289 | ) | 365,633 | |||||||
Cash and cash equivalents - end of the period | 180,330 | 333,204 | 180,330 | 333,204 |
The Kamoa Holding joint venture's net increase in property, plant, and equipment from December 31, 2023, to June 30, 2024, amounted to
Three months ended | Six months ended | |||||||||||
June 30, | June 30, | |||||||||||
2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | | ||||||||
$'000 | $'000 | $'000 | $'000 | |||||||||
Kamoa Holding joint venture | ||||||||||||
Expansion capital | 481,628 | 308,225 | 929,307 | 518,049 | ||||||||
Sustaining capital | 59,218 | 59,457 | 129,019 | 105,707 | ||||||||
540,846 | 367,682 | 1,058,326 | 623,756 | |||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Depreciation capitalized | 13,283 | 9,796 | 26,393 | 18,197 | ||||||||
Total capital expenditure | 554,129 | 377,478 | 1,084,719 | 641,953 | ||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Borrowing costs capitalized | 80,542 | 28,956 | 146,168 | 51,544 | ||||||||
Total additions to property, plant, and equipment for Kamoa Holding | 634,671 | 406,434 | 1,230,887 | 693,497 | ||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Less depreciation, disposals, and foreign exchange translation | (87,700 | ) | (42,205) | (166,599 | ) | (86,541 | ) | |||||
Net increase in property, plant, and equipment of Kamoa Holding | 546,971 | 364,229 | 1,064,288 | 606,956 |
Ivanhoe's cash and cash equivalents decreased by
The net increase in property, plant, and equipment amounted to
The main components of the additions to property, plant, and equipment - including capitalized development costs - at the Platreef and Kipushi projects for the six months ended June 30, 2024, and for the same period in 2023, are set out in the following tables:
Three months ended | Six months ended | |||||||||||
June 30, | June 30, | |||||||||||
2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | | ||||||||
$'000 | $'000 | $'000 | $'000 | |||||||||
Platreef Project | ||||||||||||
Phase 2 construction | 46,258 | 15,439 | 71,030 | 25,785 | ||||||||
Phase 1 construction | 4,033 | 33,220 | 18,887 | 55,912 | ||||||||
Salaries and benefits | 4,852 | 3,071 | 9,021 | 6,478 | ||||||||
Administrative and other expenditure | 2,789 | 1,364 | 4,956 | 3,288 | ||||||||
Depreciation | 2,212 | 1,439 | 4,144 | 3,152 | ||||||||
Social and environmental | 995 | 480 | 1,229 | 883 | ||||||||
Site costs | 1,353 | 1,004 | 2,253 | 1,984 | ||||||||
Studies and contracting work | 802 | 1,295 | 1,623 | 2,181 | ||||||||
Total development costs | 63,294 | 57,312 | 113,143 | 99,663 | ||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Other additions to property, plant, and equipment | 3,580 | 3,403 | 7,201 | 6,233 | ||||||||
Total additions to property, plant, and equipment for Platreef | 66,874 | 60,715 | 120,344 | 105,896 |
Three months ended | Six months ended | |||||||||||
June 30, | June 30, | |||||||||||
2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | | ||||||||
$'000 | $'000 | $'000 | $'000 | |||||||||
Kipushi Project | ||||||||||||
Mine construction costs | 40,123 | 24,991 | 94,401 | 39,159 | ||||||||
Other expenditure | 11,053 | 3,966 | 13,914 | 5,186 | ||||||||
Salaries and benefits | 14,175 | 3,563 | 18,651 | 7,832 | ||||||||
Administration and overheads | 5,720 | 3,624 | 9,437 | 6,619 | ||||||||
Studies and contracting work | 3,317 | 1,851 | 5,992 | 3,569 | ||||||||
Depreciation | 1,549 | 2,139 | 3,225 | 4,170 | ||||||||
Electricity | 2,587 | 1,661 | 4,539 | 3,533 | ||||||||
Other additions to property, plant, and equipment | 112 | 227 | 112 | 427 | ||||||||
Total project expenditure | 78,636 | 42,022 | 150,271 | 70,495 | ||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Accounted for as follows: | ||||||||||||
Additions to property, plant, and equipment | 40,235 | 23,897 | 94,513 | 38,265 | ||||||||
Development costs capitalized to property, plant, and equipment | 38,401 | 18,125 | 55,758 | 32,230 | ||||||||
Total project expenditure | 78,636 | 42,022 | 150,271 | 70,495 |
Costs incurred during 2024 at the Platreef and Kipushi projects are deemed necessary to bring the project to commercial production and are therefore capitalized as property, plant, and equipment.
The company's total liabilities decreased by
On May 22, 2023, Kipushi Corporation SA (Kipushi), a subsidiary of the company and the operator of the Kipushi Project, entered into a loan agreement with Rawbank SA (Rawbank), a financial institution in the DRC. Under the terms of the loan agreement, Rawbank provided an
On May 28, 2024, Kipushi entered into a
Accounting for the convertible notes
On April 30, 2024, the company announced that it would redeem all outstanding convertible senior notes on July 11, 2024 (the Redemption Date) at a price equal to
The conversion rate for all conversions of notes was 138.7073 Class A shares of the company per
As at June 30, 2024, holders of
Before the commencement of the conversion period, on June 10, 2024, the company adjusted the amortized cost of the host liability to reflect actual and revised estimated contractual cash flows using the original effective interest rate under the requirements of IFRS 9. The adjustment resulted in finance costs of
Each conversion request was treated separately. The number of shares required to be issued on receipt of a conversion request was calculated regarding the conversion rate of 138.7073 Class A shares per
The host liability and embedded derivative liability components of the convertible notes were settled at each delivery date in proportion to the number of notes converted as a percentage of the total number of notes issued. The result of this is that the balance of the host liability and embedded derivative liability as at June 30, 2024, represented the liability of the company for the notes not yet converted by holders.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
The company had
The company's capital expenditure can be summarized as follows:
Capital Expenditure | H1 2024 Actuals | 2024 Guidance | 2025 Guidance | ||||||
($' million) | ($' million) | ($' million) | |||||||
Kamoa-Kakula | |||||||||
Phase 3 and other expansion capital | 935 | 1,350 - 1,750 | 950 - 550 | ||||||
Sustaining capital | 129 | 240 | 265 | | |||||
1,064 | 1,590 - 1,990 | 1,215 - 815 | |||||||
Platreef | |||||||||
Phase 1 initial capital | 45 | 110 - 140 | 100 - 70 | ||||||
Phase 2 capital | 71 | 130 - 180 | 320 - 270 | | |||||
116 | 240 - 320 | 420 - 340 | |||||||
Kipushi | |||||||||
Initial and expansion capital | 147 | 185 | 5 | ||||||
Sustaining capital | - | 35 | 40 | | |||||
147 | 220 | 45 |
All capital expenditure figures are presented on a
The ranges provided reflect uncertainty in the timing of Kamoa-Kakula Phase 3 expansion and Platreef Phase 2 capital between calendar years 2024 and 2025.
First ore to Kamoa-Kakula's Phase 3 concentrator was achieved on May 26, 2024, with first concentrate reported on June 10, 2024. Construction of the direct-to-blister copper smelter is over
Construction of Platreef's Phase 1 concentrator was complete on schedule in July 2024. Hot commissioning and ramp-up of production are now planned to be deferred to the second half of 2025. Total planned expenditure on Phase 1 remains on budget, however, expected expenditure in 2024 has decreased due to this deferral with the expenditure planned for 2025 increasing as a result. The capital expenditure guidance in the above table has been updated from
Construction of the Kipushi concentrator facility is now complete with the first batch of concentrate produced on June 14, 2024. Capital guidance for Kipushi has been increased by
During the quarter, Kipushi entered into a
On August 4, 2023, the company entered into an
Ivanhoe's exploration budget for 2024 has been set to approximately
The company has a mortgage bond outstanding on its offices in London, United Kingdom, of £3.2 million (
In 2013, the company became a party to a loan payable to ITC Platinum Development Limited, which had a carrying value and contractual value of
The company has an implied commitment in terms of spending on work programs submitted to regulatory bodies to maintain the good standing of exploration and exploitation permits at its mineral properties. The following table sets forth the company's long-term obligations:
Contractual obligations as at June 30, 2024 | Payments Due By Period | ||||||||||||||
Total | Less than 1 year | 1-3 years | 4-5 years | After 5 years | |||||||||||
$'000 | $'000 | $'000 | $'000 | $'000 | |||||||||||
Convertible notes | 33,412 | 33,412 | - | - | - | ||||||||||
Debt | 149,229 | 43,539 | 65,856 | 39,834 | - | ||||||||||
Lease commitments | 1,424 | 382 | 1,042 | - | - | ||||||||||
Total contractual obligations | 184,065 | 77,333 | 66,898 | 39,834 | - |
Debt in the above table represents the mortgage bond owing to Citibank, the loan payable to ITC Platinum Development Limited, the loans from Rawbank and FirstBank, and the aircraft loan as described above.
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES
Kamoa-Kakula's cash cost (C1) per pound is a non-GAAP financial measure. These are disclosed to enable investors to better understand the performance of Kamoa-Kakula in comparison to other copper producers who present results on a similar basis.
Cash cost (C1) is prepared on a basis consistent with the industry standard definitions by Wood Mackenzie cost guidelines but are not measures recognized under IFRS. In calculating the C1 cash cost, the costs are measured on the same basis as the company's share of profit from the Kamoa Holding joint venture that is contained in the financial statements. C1 cash cost is used by management to evaluate operating performance and includes all direct mining, processing, and general and administrative costs. Smelter charges and freight deductions on sales to the final port of destination, which are recognized as a component of sales revenues, are added to C1 cash cost to arrive at an approximate cost of finished metal. C1 cash cost and C1 cash cost per pound exclude royalties, production taxes, and non-routine charges as they are not direct production costs.
Reconciliation of Kamoa-Kakula's cost of sales to C1 cash cost, including on a per pound basis:
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2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | |||||||||
$'000 | $'000 | $'000 | $'000 | |||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Cost of sales | 324,428 | 277,646 | 606,769 | 517,223 | ||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Logistics, treatment, and refining charges | 119,603 | 123,887 | 224,515 | 235,330 | ||||||||
General and administrative expenditure | 26,713 | 27,794 | 73,740 | 58,440 | ||||||||
Royalties and production taxes | (65,070 | ) | (59,994 | ) | (121,470 | ) | (113,806 | ) | ||||
Depreciation | (77,230 | ) | (47,722 | ) | (136,742 | ) | (86,210 | ) | ||||
Power rebate | (4,487 | ) | (4,779 | ) | (8,955 | ) | (9,272 | ) | ||||
Non-cash adjustments to inventory | 5,794 | (774 | ) | 4,397 | (1,462 | ) | ||||||
Extraordinary taxes | (722 | ) | - | (21,857 | ) | - | ||||||
General and administrative expenditures of other group entities | (580 | ) | (4,321 | ) | (2,121 | ) | (4,645 | ) | ||||
| ||||||||||||
C1 cash costs | 328,449 | 311,737 | 618,276 | 595,598 | ||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Cost of sales per pound of payable copper sold ($ per lb.) | 1.53 | 1.24 | 1.52 | 1.25 | ||||||||
C1 cash costs per pound of payable copper produced ($ per lb.) | 1.52 | 1.41 | 1.54 | 1.41 | ||||||||
Payable copper produced in concentrate (tonnes) | 98,213 | 100,413 | 182,158 | 190,974 |
Figures in the above table are for the Kamoa-Kakula joint venture on a
EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and EBITDA margin, normalized profit after tax, and normalized profit per share
EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP financial measures. Ivanhoe believes that Kamoa-Kakula's EBITDA is a valuable indicator of the mine's ability to generate liquidity by producing operating cash flow to fund its working capital needs, service debt obligations, fund capital expenditures and distribute cash to its shareholders. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are also frequently used by investors and analysts for valuation purposes. Kamoa-Kakula's EBITDA and the EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA for the company are intended to provide additional information to investors and analysts and do not have any standardized definition under IFRS and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared per IFRS. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA exclude the impact of cash cost of financing activities and taxes, and the effects of changes in operating working capital balances, and therefore are not necessarily indicative of operating profit or cash flow from operations as determined under IFRS. Other companies may calculate EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA differently.
The EBITDA margin is an indicator of Kamoa-Kakula's overall health and denotes its profitability, which is calculated by dividing EBITDA by revenue. The EBITDA margin is intended to provide additional information to investors and analysts, does not have any standardized definition under IFRS, and should not be considered in isolation, or as a substitute, for measures of performance prepared per IFRS.
Reconciliation of profit after tax to Kamoa-Kakula's EBITDA:
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2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | | ||||||||
$'000 | $'000 | |||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Profit after taxes | 236,443 | 190,254 | 369,603 | 401,905 | ||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Finance costs | 71,143 | 90,701 | 144,859 | 179,374 | ||||||||
Finance income | (1,000 | ) | (5,251 | ) | (5,092 | ) | (10,327 | ) | ||||
Current and deferred tax expense | 144,076 | 88,842 | 218,707 | 204,932 | ||||||||
Other taxes | 722 | - | 21,857 | - | ||||||||
Unrealized foreign exchange loss | 15,571 | 41,355 | 19,638 | 46,244 | ||||||||
Depreciation | 80,302 | 50,727 | 142,578 | 91,811 | ||||||||
| ||||||||||||
EBITDA | 547,257 | 456,628 | 912,150 | 913,939 |
Figures in the above table are for the Kamoa-Kakula joint venture on a
Reconciliation of profit after tax to Ivanhoe's EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA:
Three months ended | Six months ended | |||||||||||
June 30, | June 30, | |||||||||||
2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | | ||||||||
$'000 | $'000 | |||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Profit after taxes | 66,516 | 87,183 | (2,894 | ) | 169,663 | |||||||
Finance income | (62,873 | ) | (61,956 | ) | (125,330 | ) | (119,782 | ) | ||||
Current and deferred tax expense (recovery) | 782 | (1,769 | ) | (2,377 | ) | (2,650 | ) | |||||
Finance costs | 32,871 | 5,539 | 41,815 | 16,004 | ||||||||
Unrealized foreign exchange loss | 2,257 | 1,934 | 8,372 | 3,225 | ||||||||
Depreciation | 688 | 609 | 1,446 | 1,085 | ||||||||
EBITDA | 40,241 | 31,540 | (78,968 | ) | 67,545 | |||||||
| ||||||||||||
Share of profit from joint venture net of tax | (89,616 | ) | (73,066 | ) | (134,781 | ) | (155,725 | ) | ||||
Company's share of EBITDA from Kamoa-Kakula joint venture(1) | 224,113 | 180,489 | 368,277 | 361,285 | ||||||||
Loss on fair valuation of embedded derivative liability | 20,727 | 26,618 | 159,998 | 57,518 | ||||||||
Non-cash share-based payments | 7,459 | 6,589 | 14,799 | 13,127 | ||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Adjusted EBITDA | 202,924 | 172,170 | 329,325 | 343,750 |
(1) The company's attributable share of EBITDA from the Kamoa-Kakula joint venture is calculated using the company's effective shareholding in Kamoa Copper SA (
Normalized profit after tax and normalized profit per share are non-GAAP financial measures. Normalized profit after tax and normalized profit per share for the company are intended to provide additional information to investors and analysts and do not have any standardized definition under IFRS and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared per IFRS. Other companies may calculate normalized profit after tax and normalized profit per share differently.
Below is a table reconciling the company's profit after taxes to the company's normalized profit after taxes. Normalized profit after taxes excludes the loss on fair valuation of the embedded derivative liability and the finance costs on the early redemption of the convertible notes.
Three months ended | Six months ended | |||||||||||
June 30, | June 30, | |||||||||||
2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | | ||||||||
$'000 | $'000 | $'000 | $'000 | |||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Profit (loss) after taxes | 66,516 | 87,183 | (2,894 | ) | 169,663 | |||||||
Finance costs on early redemption of convertible notes | 28,076 | - | 28,076 | - | ||||||||
Loss on fair valuation of embedded derivative liability | 20,727 | 26,618 | 159,998 | 57,518 | ||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Normalized profit after taxes | 115,319 | 113,801 | 185,180 | 227,181 |
Below is a table reconciling the company's basic profit per share to the company's normalized profit per share. Normalized profit per share excludes the loss on fair valuation of the embedded derivative liability and the finance costs on the early redemption of the convertible notes:
Three months ended | Six months ended | |||||||||||
June 30, | June 30, | |||||||||||
2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | | ||||||||
$'000 | $'000 | $'000 | $'000 | |||||||||
Profit attributable to the owners of the Company | 76,401 | 92,042 | 10,849 | 178,679 | ||||||||
Finance costs on early redemption of convertible notes | 28,076 | - | 28,076 | - | ||||||||
Loss on fair valuation of embedded derivative liability | 20,727 | 26,618 | 159,998 | 57,518 | ||||||||
Normalized profit attributable to owners of the Company | 125,204 | 118,660 | 198,923 | 236,197 | ||||||||
Weighted average number of basic shares outstanding | 1,282,307,274 | 1,218,191,621 | 1,275,819,366 | 1,217,766,262 | ||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Basic profit per share | 0.06 | 0.08 | 0.01 | 0.15 | ||||||||
Normalized profit per share | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.16 | 0.19 |
This news release should be read in conjunction with Ivanhoe Mines' audited 2023 Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis report available at www.ivanhoemines.com and www.sedarplus.ca.
Disclosure of technical information
Disclosures of a scientific or technical nature in this release regarding the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex, the Platreef Project, and the Kipushi Project have been reviewed and approved by Steve Amos, who is considered, by virtue of his education, experience, and professional association, a Qualified Person under the terms of National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101). Mr. Amos is not considered independent under NI 43-101 as he is the Executive Vice President, Projects, at Ivanhoe Mines. Mr. Amos has verified the technical data related to the foregoing disclosed in this release.
Disclosures of a scientific or technical nature regarding the Western Foreland Exploration Project in this release have been reviewed and approved by Tim Williams, who is considered, by virtue of his education, experience, and professional association, a Qualified Person under the terms of NI 43-101. Mr. Williams is not considered independent under NI 43-101 as he is the Vice President, Geosciences, at Ivanhoe Mines. Mr. Williams has verified the technical data regarding the Western Foreland Exploration Project disclosed in this release.
Ivanhoe has prepared an independent, NI 43-101-compliant technical report for the Kamoa-Kakula Project, the Platreef Project, and the Kipushi Project, each of which is available on the company's website and under the company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.
Kamoa-Kakula Integrated Development Plan 2023 Technical Report dated March 6, 2023, prepared by OreWin Pty Ltd.; China Nerin Engineering Co. Ltd.; DRA Global; Epoch Resources; Golder Associates Africa; Metso Outotec Oyj; Paterson and Cooke; SRK Consulting Ltd.; and The MSA Group.
The Kipushi 2022 Feasibility Study dated February 14, 2022, prepared by OreWin Pty Ltd., MSA Group (Pty) Ltd., SRK Consulting (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, and METC Engineering.
The Platreef 2022 Feasibility Study dated February 28, 2022, prepared by OreWin Pty Ltd., Mine Technical Services, SRK Consulting Inc., DRA Projects (Pty) Ltd and Golder Associates Africa.
These technical reports include relevant information regarding the effective dates and the assumptions, parameters, and methods of the mineral resource estimates on the Platreef Project, the Kipushi Project and the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex cited in this release, as well as information regarding data verification, exploration procedures and other matters relevant to the scientific and technical disclosure contained in this release in respect of the Platreef Project, Kipushi Project and Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex.
Information contact
Follow Robert Friedland (@robert_ivanhoe) and Ivanhoe Mines (@IvanhoeMines_) on Twitter.
Investors
Vancouver: Matthew Keevil +1.604.558.1034
London: Tommy Horton +44 7866 913 207
Media
Tanya Todd +1.604.331.9834
Website www.ivanhoemines.com
Forward-looking statements
Certain statements in this release constitute “forward-looking statements” or “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the company, its projects, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified using words such as “may”, “would”, “could”, “will”, “intend”, “expect”, “believe”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “scheduled”, “forecast”, “predict” and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events, or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect the company’s current expectations regarding future events, performance, and results and speak only as of the date of this release.
Such statements include, without limitation: (i) statements that Ivanhoe Mines expects that the cash flow generated from Kamoa-Kakula’s Phase 1 and Phase 2 operations, as well as project-level financing facilities, will be sufficient to fund the remaining capital cost requirements for the Phase 3 expansion; (ii) statements that, through phased expansions the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex is positioned to become the world’s third largest copper producer; (iii) statements that the third phase of Kamoa-Kakula’s expansion is expected to ramp up to an annualized copper production rate of over 600,000 tonnes; (iv) statements that the Phase 3 concentrator ramp up to steady state production is expected in August; (v) statements that the project work, funded by Kamoa Copper, to deliver solutions for the identified causes of instability experienced across the southern DRC’s grid infrastructure is expected to be completed by H2 2025; (vi) statements that Kamoa-Kakula’s executive team are targeting that imported power will increase by up to a further 10 MW by the end of the third quarter and that subject to capacity availability in the first half of 2025, imported power is then expected to increase to 100 MW; (vii) statements that on-site backup-power generator capacity is scheduled to increase, via a phased roll-out, to a total of over 200 MW by year end; (viii) statements that installation and commissioning of the new generators at Kamoa-Kakula is expected to be complete in early August, increasing the total on-site generation capacity to 135 MW; (ix) statements that the Phase 3 concentrator will add an additional requirement of 45 MW once fully ramped up in the third quarter and that in addition, the smelter will require a further 75 MW of power once fully ramped up; (xi) statements that once the Phase 3 concentrator is fully ramped up, Kamoa-Kakula will have a total design processing capacity of 14.2 Mtpa; (xii) statements that copper concentrate produced from the Phase 3 concentrator later in the year will be partially sold to generate cash flow, and partially stockpiled in anticipation of the smelter commissioning; (xiii) statements that the Phase 3 expansion also includes the construction of Africa’s largest smelter, which will have a capacity of 500,000 tonnes of >
Also, all of the results of the Kamoa-Kakula 2023 IDP, the Platreef 2022 feasibility study, and the Kipushi 2022 feasibility study constitute forward-looking statements or information and include future estimates of internal rates of return, net present value, future production, estimates of cash cost, proposed mining plans and methods, mine life estimates, cash flow forecasts, metal recoveries, estimates of capital and operating costs and the size and timing of phased development of the projects.
Furthermore, concerning this specific forward-looking information concerning the operation and development of the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex, Platreef and Kipushi projects, and the exploration of the Western Forelands Exploration Project and the Mokopane Feeder Exploration Project, the company has based its assumptions and analysis on certain factors that are inherently uncertain. Uncertainties include: (i) the adequacy of infrastructure; (ii) geological characteristics; (iii) metallurgical characteristics of the mineralization; (iv) the ability to develop adequate processing capacity; (v) the price of copper, nickel, zinc, platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold; (vi) the availability of equipment and facilities necessary to complete development and exploration; (vii) the cost of consumables and mining and processing equipment; (viii) unforeseen technological and engineering problems; (ix) accidents or acts of sabotage or terrorism; (x) currency fluctuations; (xi) changes in regulations; (xii) the compliance by joint venture partners with terms of agreements; (xiii) the availability and productivity of skilled labour; (xiv) the regulation of the mining industry by various governmental agencies; (xv) the ability to raise sufficient capital to develop such projects; (xvi) changes in project scope or design; (xvii) recoveries, mining rates and grade; (xviii) political factors; (xviii) water inflow into the mine and its potential effect on mining operations, (xix) the consistency and availability of electric power.
Forward-looking statements and information involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indicators of whether such results will be achieved. Many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements or information, including, however not limited to, the factors discussed above and under the “Risk Factors” heading in the company’s MD&A for the three and six-months ended June 30, 2024, in the company’s current annual information form, and elsewhere in this release, as well as unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts with the company to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; and the failure of exploration programs or studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued exploration, studies, development or operations.
Although the forward-looking statements contained in this release are based upon what management of the company believes are reasonable assumptions, the company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this release.
The company’s actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of the factors outlined in the “Risk Factors” section in the company’s MD&A for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, in the company’s current annual information and elsewhere in this press release.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/218334
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