McEwen Mining: 2021 Year End and Q4 Results
McEwen Mining reported its Q4 and full-year results for 2021, highlighting a 154,410 gold equivalent ounces (GEOs) production, a 34% increase from 2020. Cash costs per GEO sold dropped to $1,453, an 18% reduction year-over-year. The company faced a consolidated net loss of $56.7 million, reflecting high investments in exploration and general expenses. Operational efficiency improved significantly at the Gold Bar Mine, with production increasing 66% in Q4. For 2022, production guidance is set between 153,000 to 172,000 GEOs.
- Production increased 34% year-over-year to 154,410 GEOs.
- Cash costs per GEO decreased 18% to $1,453.
- AISC fell 21% to $1,635 per GEO.
- Successful investment in exploration with 254,800 feet drilled at Fox Complex.
- Gold Bar Mine production grew 66% in Q4 2021.
- Consolidated net loss of $56.7 million for 2021, or $0.12 per share.
- Gross loss of $6.5 million from operations.
- High exploration and administrative costs totaling $46.4 million.
TORONTO, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- McEwen Mining Inc. (NYSE: MUX) (TSX: MUX) today reported fourth quarter and full year results for the period ended December 31, 2021.
- Cash and liquid assets(2) and working capital at December 31, 2021 were
$63.5 million and$32.6 million , respectively. - Our operations delivered production in line with our guidance. For the full year 2021, production was 154,410 gold equivalent ounces (GEOs)(1), above the midpoint of guidance for the year and
34% higher than 2020 production. - Production costs/oz for 2021 decreased compared to 2020 and additional reductions remain a focus. Cash costs(2) per GEO sold from our
100% -owned mines in 2021 were$1,453 representing a decrease of18% compared to 2020. All-in sustaining costs (“AISC”)(2) per GEO sold from our100% -owned mines in 2021 were$1,635 , representing a decrease of21% compared to 2020. - For 2022, our gold equivalent production guidance is 153,000 to 172,000 GEOs (see Table 5).
- We continued to invest aggressively in exploration, completing 254,800 feet (77,700 meters) of drilling at the Fox Complex, and 17,500 feet (5,300 meters) of drilling at Gold Bar.
- Our
100% -owned mines generated a cash gross profit of$17.3 million (2) in 2021 and a gross loss of$6.5 million . Cash gross profit (loss) is calculated by adding back depletion and depreciation to gross profit (loss). - Our consolidated net loss in 2021 of
$56.7 million , or$0.12 per share, relates primarily to investment of$35.0 million in advanced projects and exploration, general and administrative costs of$11.4 million , and a gross loss of$6.5 million from our operations. - Fox Complex PEA outlined potential to extend the mine life by 9 years, generating average annual production of 80,800 gold ounces at average cash costs and AISC per ounce of
$769 and$1,246 , respectively. - A webcast will be held on Wednesday, March 9th at 2 pm EST. Please see the details further below.
Table 1. Production for Q4 & 12 months (“12M”) ended December 31, 2021, compared to Q4 & 12M ended December 31, 2020.
| 2021 vs 2020 | Increased Production in Q4 2021 | Increased Production in 2021 | ||||||
| Q4 2021 | Q4 2020 | Q4 2021 vs Q4 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | 2021 vs 2020 | |||
| (GEOs) | (GEOs) | (GEOs) | (GEOs) | |||||
| Gold Bar Mine, Nevada | 9,950 | 6,000 | +66 | % | 43,850 | 28,000 | +57 | % |
| Fox Complex, Canada | 9,500 | 8,000 | +18 | % | 30,060 | 24,400 | +23 | % |
| San José Mine, Argentina | 20,200 | 14,600 | +38 | % | 76,800 | 54,500 | +41 | % |
Table 2. Cash costs and AISC per ounce sold for 12M ended December 31, 2021, compared to 12M ended December 31, 2020.
| 2021 vs 2020 | Cash Costs | AISC | ||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | 2021 vs 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | 2021 vs 2020 | |||
| ($/GEO) | ($/GEO) | ($/GEO) | ($/GEO) | |||||
| Gold Bar Mine, Nevada | 1,687 | 2,106 | -20 | % | 1,753 | 2,459 | -29 | % |
| Fox Complex, Canada | 1,108 | 1,397 | -21 | % | 1,461 | 1,650 | -11 | % |
| San José Mine, Argentina | 1,262 | 1,233 | +2 | % | 1,603 | 1,514 | +6 | % |
Table 3. Liquidity on December 31st, 2021 and December 31st, 2020.
| (Millions of Dollars) | Dec 31st, 2021 | Dec 31st, 2020 | |||
| Cash and cash equivalents | |||||
| Liquid assets(2) | 63.5 | 25.9 | |||
| Working capital | 32.6 | 7.9 | |||
| Debt principal | 50.0 | 50.0 | |||
Table 4. Financial results Q4 & 12M 2021, compared to Q4 & 12M 2020.
| 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||
| (Millions of Dollars) | Q4 | 12M | Q4 | 12M | ||||||||
| Revenue | $35.0 | $136.5 | ||||||||||
| Cash gross profit (loss)(2) | 1.2 | 17.3 | (6.9) | (4.0) | ||||||||
| Gross profit (loss) | (5.9) | (6.5) | (13.7) | (27.0) | ||||||||
| Net loss | (21.0) | (56.7) | (23.5) | (152.3) | ||||||||
| (Dollars) | ||||||||||||
| Net loss per share | (0.05) | (0.12) | (0.06) | (0.38) | ||||||||
Operations Update
Fox Complex Canada (
Fox production for Q4 and 12M 2021 was
Black Fox mine wound down during 2021 as production shifted to the Froome mine. We realized a milestone on September 19th, 2021 when commercial production was reached at the Froome mine, three months ahead of schedule. To date, mineralized material extracted from the Froome mine produced grades that are consistent with the resources model and mine plan.
On January 26, 2022, we announced the results of our PEA for the Fox Complex. The PEA presents estimates for a positive business case for the Fox Complex expansion project, with potential average gold production of 80,800 gold ounces per year over nine (9) years, after the depletion of the current resources at Froome. The economic analysis estimates an after-tax IRR of
We remain focused on our principal exploration goal of cost-effectively discovering and extending gold deposits adjacent to our existing operations, that can contribute to near-term gold production. During 2021, we incurred
Gold Bar Mine, USA (
Gold Bar production for Q4 and 12M 2021 was
The permitting process to access ore at Gold Bar South satellite deposit is ongoing and we anticipate receiving the permit in Q1 of 2022. The initiation of gold production from Gold Bar South is planned for the second half of 2022.
In 2021, we spent
San José Mine, Argentina (
San José attributable production(3) for Q4 and 12M was
Gold and silver production increased in 2021 due to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions that impacted operations throughout 2020. We received
McEwen Copper (
Activities at Los Azules ramped up in Q4, with the opening of the seasonal exploration road, the activation of two camps, the start of construction of a new all-year access road, and the preparation of drill pads and roads to support the current drilling program. Drilling started in January 2022 and there are currently five rigs operating, increasing to seven in March.
On February 17th, 2022, Michael Meding joined as Vice President responsible for the overall direction and management of the Los Azules project. Mr. Meding has over 20 years of international experience, primarily with major mining companies such as Barrick Gold and Trafigura, including extensive experience with project development and operations in Argentina. While at Barrick Gold's Veladero mine in Argentina, he played a key role in the turnaround, extension of the mine life, and subsequent strategic partnering with Shandong Gold.
An extensive team of experts have been engaged to advance the Los Azules project to a pre-feasibility stage, including the following:
- Bechtel Corporation, the largest construction company in America with a long history of advancing, building and developing large copper concentrators and infrastructure projects globally, including the recent feasibility study update on the El Pachon project approximately 75 km south of Los Azules;
- Samuel Engineering, who will help oversee project management, controls, metallurgy and processing plant design, is a full service multi-disciplinary project development and execution company bringing a team with extensive experience in large South American copper projects, including past involvement at the Los Azules project;
- Stantec, a full service engineering and consulting firm, with offices in Argentina, Chile, and Peru, will focus on geology, resource and reserve estimates, mining engineering, hydrology, geotechnical and the design of tailings, waste, and water management facility;
- Whittle Consulting from Australia, with over 35 years of leadership in the field of integrated strategic planning and optimization; and
- McLennan Design in Seattle, led by Jason F. McLennan, a prominent figure in the field of architecture and green building movement. McLennan is the creator of the Living Building Challenge – the most stringent and progressive green building program in existence.
Our overarching goal is to design a mine that will be the model for copper mining in the 21st century, one that supplies the raw material to enable a greener world, while incorporating the use of renewable energy sources and technological innovation for a low-carbon footprint and energy efficient mining.
Table 5 below provides production and cost results for Q4 and the full year 2021, with comparative results from 2020 and our guidance range for 2022.
| Q4 | Full Year | Full Year 2022 Guidance Range | |||
| 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | ||
| Consolidated Production | |||||
| Gold (oz) | 24,100 | 31,300 | 92,100 | 118,500 | 118,000-133,000 |
| Silver (oz) | 532,400 | 682,700 | 2,020,000 | 2,572,000 | 2,520,000-2,800,000 |
| GEOs(1) | 30,100 | 40,150 | 114,800 | 154,410 | 153,000-172,000 |
| Gold Bar Mine, Nevada | |||||
| GEOs(1) | 6,000 | 9,950 | 28,000 | 43,850 | 38,000-44,000 |
| Cash Costs ($/GEO)(1) | 3,439 | 2,038 | 2,106 | 1,687 | |
| AISC ($/GEO)(1) | 3,726 | 2,104 | 2,459 | 1,753 | |
| Fox Complex, Canada | |||||
| GEOs(1) | 8,000 | 9,460 | 24,400 | 30,060 | 44,000-49,000 |
| Cash Costs ($/GEO)(1) | 1,307 | 1,122 | 1,397 | 1,108 | |
| AISC ($/GEO)(1) | 1,439 | 1,760 | 1,650 | 1,461 | |
| San José Mine, Argentina ( | |||||
| Gold production (oz)(3) | 8,700 | 11,300 | 31,800 | 40,900 | 34,500-38,500 |
| Silver production (oz)(3) | 531,500 | 682,700 | 2,013,000 | 2,572,500 | 2,520,000-2,800,000 |
| GEOs(1)(3) | 14,600 | 20,200 | 54,500 | 76,800 | 69,500-77,500 |
| Cash Costs ($/GEO)(1) | 1,234 | 1,708 | 1,233 | 1,262 | |
| AISC ($/GEO)(1) | 1,455 | 2,043 | 1,514 | 1,603 | |
Our El Gallo project produced 540 GEOs during Q4 and 3,700 GEOs for 2021. Residual heap leaching continues with production of 1,500 GEOs expected in 2022.
Notes:
- 'Gold Equivalent Ounces' are calculated based on a gold to silver price ratio of 77:1 for Q4 2020, 89:1 for 2020, 77:1 for Q4 2021 and 72:1 for 2021. 2022 production guidance is calculated based on 72:1 gold to silver price ratio.
- Cash gross profit, cash costs per ounce, all-in sustaining costs (AISC) per ounce, and liquid assets are non-GAAP financial performance measures with no standardized definition under U.S. GAAP. For definition of the non-GAAP measures see "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" section in this press release; for the reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures to the closest U.S. GAAP measures, see the Management Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2021 filed on Edgar and SEDAR.
- Represents the portion attributable to us from our
49% interest in the San José Mine.
Conference Call and Webcast
Management will discuss our Q4 and Year-End 2021 financial results and project developments and follow with a question-and-answer session. The conference call and webcast is being held later than usual this quarter due to executive site visits. Questions can be asked directly by participants over the phone during the webcast.
| Wednesday, March 9th, 2022 at 2:00 pm EST | To call into the conference call over the phone, please register here: http://www.directeventreg.com/registration/event/4468146 Audience URL: https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/3623813/BAFBDBA447F03F0274DD62549AE52BB5 |
The webcast will be archived on McEwen Mining's website at https://www.mcewenmining.com/media following the call.
Resource and Reserve Updates
The following statements apply to the information contained in the resource and reserve tables below:
- Mineral Resources are exclusive of Mineral Reserves;
- Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no certainty that any part of the Mineral Resources estimated will be converted into a Mineral Reserves estimate;
- Numbers in the tables have been rounded to reflect the accuracy of the estimates and may not sum due to rounding;
- The Inferred Mineral Resource in these estimates has a lower level of confidence than that applied to an Indicated Mineral Resource and must not be converted to a Mineral Reserve. It is reasonably expected that the majority of the Inferred Mineral Resource could be upgraded to an Indicated Mineral Resource with continued exploration;
- Quantity and grade of reported Inferred resources are uncertain in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to classify these Inferred resources as Measured or Indicated;
- Mineral Resources and Reserves were estimated using the guidelines set out in and in accordance with the definitions in SEC Regulation S-K subpart 1300.
San José Mine
Hochschild Mining Plc (“Hochschild”), our joint venture partner, prepared the mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates for the San José mine current as at December 31st, 2021.
These figures, reported on a
Table 6.1: San José Mine - Mineral Reserve Estimate, December 31, 2021 –
| Classification | Quantity (‘000 t) | Gold Grade (g/t) | Silver Grade (g/t) | Contained Gold (‘000 oz) | Contained Silver (M oz) |
| Proven | 778 | 5.69 | 368 | 142 | 9.2 |
| Probable | 717 | 5.68 | 314 | 131 | 7.2 |
| Total Proven & Probable | 1,495 | 5.69 | 342 | 273 | 16.4 |
Table 6.1 Notes:
• Reserves are stated on a
• Mineral reserves were estimated by Hochschild Mining Plc; P&E Mining Consultants Inc. have audited the resource and reserve estimates and found that they meet the requirements for disclosure under Canadian National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) and the Joint Ore Reserves Committee of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy ("JORC") as well as the US Securities and Exchange Commission under section 1300 of rule S-K for reserves.
• Metal prices used for reserve estimation are US
• For reserves average internal dilution was
• Reserve cut-off grades: Cut and fill = 269 gpt AgEq., Long hole = 191 gpt AgEq. [AgEq = (Au x 72) + Ag].
Table 6.2: San José Mine - Mineral Resource Estimate, December 31, 2021 –
| Classification | Quantity (‘000 t) | Gold Grade (g/t) | Silver Grade (g/t) | Contained Gold (‘000 oz) | Contained Silver (M oz) |
| Measured | 115 | 5.09 | 310 | 19 | 1.1 |
| Indicated | 101 | 2.41 | 204 | 8 | 0.7 |
| Total Measured & Indicated | 216 | 3.84 | 260 | 27 | 1.8 |
| Total Inferred | 1,839 | 5.22 | 332 | 308 | 19.6 |
Table 6.2 Notes:
• Resources are stated on a
• Mineral resources were estimated by Hochschild Mining Plc; P&E Mining Consultants Inc. have audited the resource and reserve estimates and found that they meet the requirements for disclosure under Canadian National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) and the Joint Ore Reserves Committee of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy ("JORC") as well as the US Securities and Exchange Commission under section 1300 of rule S-K for reserves.
• Resource estimations utilized inverse distance and ordinary kriging methods depending upon data density.
• Metal prices used for resource estimation are US
• Resources for 2021 were defined at a cut-off grade of 240 gpt silver equivalent [AgEq = (Au x 72) + Ag].
Technical Information
The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Peter Mah, P.Eng., COO of McEwen Mining and a Qualified Person as defined by SEC S-K 1300 and the Canadian Securities Administrators National Instrument 43-101 "Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects."
The technical information in this news release related to resource and reserve estimates has been reviewed and approved by Luke Willis, P.Geo., McEwen Mining’s Director of Resource Modelling and Qualified Person as defined by SEC S-K 1300 and Canadian Securities Administrators National Instrument 43-101 "Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects."
Reliability of Information Regarding San José
Minera Santa Cruz S.A., the owner of the San José Mine, is responsible for and has supplied to the Company all reported results from the San José Mine. McEwen Mining’s joint venture partner, a subsidiary of Hochschild Mining plc, and its affiliates other than MSC do not accept responsibility for the use of project data or the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
CAUTIONARY NOTE TO US INVESTORS REGARDING RESOURCE ESTIMATION
The resource estimates contained in this release have been prepared in accordance with SEC S-K 1300 (defined below).
The SEC has adopted amendments to its disclosure rules to modernize the mineral property disclosure requirements for issuers engaged in the mining industry and which are required to file reports with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”). These amendments became effective February 25, 2019 (“SEC S-K 1300”) and, commencing for registrants with their first fiscal year beginning on or after January 1, 2021, SEC S-K 1300 replaces the historical property disclosure requirements included in SEC Industry Guide 7. SEC S-K 1300 includes the adoption of terms describing mineral reserves and mineral resources that are “substantially similar” to the corresponding terms under the CIM Definition Standards. As a result of the adoption of SEC S-K 1300, the SEC now recognizes estimates of “measured mineral resources”, “indicated mineral resources” and “inferred mineral resources”. In addition, the SEC has amended its definitions of “proven mineral reserves” and “probable mineral reserves” to be “substantially similar” to the corresponding CIM Definitions. U.S. investors are cautioned that while the above terms are “substantially similar” to CIM Definitions, there are differences in the definitions under SEC S-K 1300 and the CIM Definition Standards. Accordingly, there is no assurance any mineral reserves or mineral resources that the Company may report as “proven mineral reserves”, “probable mineral reserves”, “measured mineral resources”, “indicated mineral resources” and “inferred mineral resources” under NI 43-101 would be the same had the Company prepared the reserve or resource estimates under the standards adopted under SEC S-K 1300. U.S. investors are also cautioned that while the SEC recognizes “measured mineral resources”, “indicated mineral resources” and “inferred mineral resources” under SEC S-K 1300, investors should not assume that any part or all of the mineralization in these categories will ever be converted into a higher category of mineral resources or into mineral reserves. Mineralization described using these terms has a greater amount of uncertainty as to its existence and feasibility than mineralization that has been characterized as reserves. Accordingly, investors are cautioned not to assume that any measured mineral resources, indicated mineral resources, or inferred mineral resources that the Company reports are or will be economically or legally mineable. Under Canadian securities laws, estimates of “inferred mineral resources” may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies, except in rare cases. For the above reasons, the mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates and related information in this release may not be comparable to similar information made public by U.S. companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements under the United States federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING NON-GAAP MEASURES
In this release, we have provided information prepared or calculated according to United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“U.S. GAAP”), as well as provided some non-U.S. GAAP ("non-GAAP") performance measures. Because the non-GAAP performance measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by U.S. GAAP, they may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies.
Cash Costs and All-in Sustaining Costs
Cash costs consist of mining, processing, on-site general and administrative costs, community and permitting costs related to current operations, royalty costs, refining and treatment charges (for both doré and concentrate products), sales costs, export taxes and operational stripping costs, and exclude depreciation and amortization. All-in sustaining costs consist of cash costs (as described above), plus accretion of retirement obligations and amortization of the asset retirement costs related to operating sites, sustaining exploration and development costs, sustaining capital expenditures, and sustaining lease payments. Both cash costs and all-in sustaining costs are divided by the gold equivalent ounces sold to determine cash costs and all-in sustaining costs on a per ounce basis. We use and report these measures to provide additional information regarding operational efficiencies on an individual mine basis, and believe that these measures provide investors and analysts with useful information about our underlying costs of operations. A reconciliation to production costs applicable to sales, the nearest U.S. GAAP measure is provided in McEwen Mining's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Cash Gross Profit
Cash gross profit is a non-GAAP financial measure and does not have any standardized meaning. We use cash gross profit to evaluate our operating performance and ability to generate cash flow; we disclose cash gross profit as we believe this measure provides valuable assistance to investors and analysts in evaluating our ability to finance our ongoing business and capital activities. The most directly comparable measure prepared in accordance with GAAP is gross profit. Cash gross profit is calculated by adding depletion and depreciation to gross profit. A reconciliation to gross profit, the nearest U.S. GAAP measure is provided in McEwen Mining's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Liquid Assets
The term liquid assets used in this report is a non-GAAP financial measure. We report this measure to better understand our liquidity in each reporting period. Liquid assets is calculated as the sum of the Balance Sheet line items of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and investments, plus ounces of doré held in precious metals inventories valued at the London PM Fix spot price at the corresponding period. A reconciliation to the nearest U.S. GAAP measure is provided in McEwen Mining's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.
CAUTION CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This news release contains certain forward-looking statements and information, including "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements and information expressed, as at the date of this news release, McEwen Mining Inc.'s (the "Company") estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations or beliefs as to future events and results. Forward-looking statements and information are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, risks and contingencies, and there can be no assurance that such statements and information will prove to be accurate. Therefore, actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements and information. Risks and uncertainties that could cause results or future events to differ materially from current expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements and information include, but are not limited to, effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, fluctuations in the market price of precious metals, mining industry risks, political, economic, social and security risks associated with foreign operations, the ability of the corporation to receive or receive in a timely manner permits or other approvals required in connection with operations, risks associated with the construction of mining operations and commencement of production and the projected costs thereof, risks related to litigation, the state of the capital markets, environmental risks and hazards, uncertainty as to calculation of mineral resources and reserves, and other risks. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information included herein, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to reissue or update forward-looking statements or information as a result of new information or events after the date hereof except as may be required by law. See McEwen Mining's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, under the caption "Risk Factors", for additional information on risks, uncertainties and other factors relating to the forward-looking statements and information regarding the Company. All forward-looking statements and information made in this news release are qualified by this cautionary statement.
The NYSE and TSX have not reviewed and do not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the contents of this news release, which has been prepared by management of McEwen Mining Inc.
ABOUT MCEWEN MINING
McEwen Mining is a diversified gold and silver producer and explorer focused in the Americas with operating mines in Nevada, Canada, and Argentina. It also has a large exposure to copper through its subsidiary McEwen Copper, owner of the Los Azules copper deposit in Argentina.
| CONTACT INFORMATION: | ||
| Investor Relations: (866)-441-0690 Toll Free (647)-258-0395 Mihaela Iancu ext. 320 info@mcewenmining.com Join our email list for updates: https://www.mcewenmining.com/contact-us/ | Website: www.mcewenmining.com Facebook: facebook.com/mcewenmining Facebook: facebook.com/mcewenrob Twitter: twitter.com/mcewenmining Twitter: twitter.com/robmcewenmux Instagram: instagram.com/mcewenmining | 150 King Street West Suite 2800, P.O. Box 24 Toronto, ON, Canada M5H 1J9 |
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