13:09:54 EDT Tue 21 May 2024
Enter Symbol
or Name
USA
CA



Ivanhoe Mines Ltd
Symbol IVN
Shares Issued 1,220,563,700
Close 2023-11-03 C$ 10.85
Market Cap C$ 13,243,116,145
Recent Sedar Documents

Ivanhoe Mines earns $108-million (U.S.) in Q3 2023

2023-11-06 09:18 ET - News Release

Mr. Robert Friedland reports

IVANHOE MINES ISSUES THIRD QUARTER 2023 FINANCIAL RESULTS, AND REVIEW OF CONSTRUCTION AND EXPLORATION ACTIVITIES

Ivanhoe Mines Ltd.'s president Marna Cloete and chief financial officer David van Heerden have released the company's financial results for the three and nine months ended Sept. 30, 2023. Ivanhoe Mines is a leading Canadian mining company developing and operating its four principal mining and exploration projects in Southern Africa: expanding operations at the world-class Kamoa-Kakula copper complex in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC); building the Tier 1 Platreef palladium, nickel, platinum, rhodium, copper and gold development in South Africa; restarting the historic, ultrahigh-grade Kipushi zinc-copper-lead-germanium mine in the DRC; as well as exploring the expansive exploration licences of Ivanhoe's Western Foreland for copper discoveries adjacent to Kamoa-Kakula. All figures are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated.

Ivanhoe founder and executive co-chairman Robert Friedland commented: "Kamoa-Kakula continues its industry-leading development and operating performance with copper production and costs remaining solidly within our annual guidance ranges ... an increasing rarity in our business, where many of our peers are being plagued by cost overruns and production shortfalls. With the phase 3 concentrator expansion now well ahead of schedule, our teams are striving to further expedite copper production ramp-up into the second half of 2024, en route to becoming the world's third-largest, lowest-carbon-emitting copper complex by 2027.

"And this is only the beginning for a copper district with a multigenerational life span that will benefit the Congolese people, our partners and our shareholders for many decades to come. We are particularly excited to provide, very soon, updates on our extensive exploration activities across Ivanhoe's district-scale Western Foreland exploration project surrounding our 400-square-kilometre Kamoa-Kakula mining licences. The Western Forelands, soon to be serviced by the new Lobito railway corridor, is without a doubt the best copper hunting ground on our planet. As we will soon demonstrate, there are vast opportunities to further expand high-grade, ultralow-emissions copper production across this Tier 1 copper-mineralized basin, endowed with the world's best copper deposits.

"Finally, our track record of operational excellence is continuing with the successful development of the Kipushi zinc-copper-silver mine, which is well ahead of schedule. Kipushi will also be powered by the Congo's green hydropower grid. With the Platreef PGM-nickel-copper mine in South Africa also on track for production next year, Ivanhoe Mines has two additional world-class orebodies spanning many critical strategic minerals, including zinc, platinum, palladium, nickel, rhodium, copper, and potentially gallium and germanium."

Financial highlights:

  • Ivanhoe Mines recorded a profit of $108-million for Q3 2023, which includes a $12-million non-cash gain on the $575-million convertible bond fair valuation, compared with a profit of $87-million for Q2 2023. The profit in the quarter includes Ivanhoe Mines' share of profit and finance income from the Kamoa-Kakula joint venture of $121-million for Q3 2023.
  • Kamoa-Kakula sold 96,509 tonnes of payable copper during Q3 2023, recognizing revenue of $695-million, an operating profit of $373-million and quarterly EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) of $423-million.
  • Copper in concentrate held in inventory at Kamoa-Kakula at quarter-end increased to more than 3,000 tonnes. In addition, approximately 48,000 dry metric tonnes of concentrate were sent for tolling at the local smelter in Q3, with copper in work in progress at the end of the quarter exceeding 7,000 tonnes. Excess inventory is expected to be sold in the fourth quarter.
  • Kamoa-Kakula's cost of sales per pound (lb) of payable copper sold was $1.34/lb for Q3 2023 compared with $1.24 and $1.05 in Q2 2023 and Q3 2022, respectively. Cash costs (C1) per pound of payable copper produced during the quarter totalled $1.46/lb, compared with $1.41/lb and $1.43/lb in Q2 2023 and Q3 2022, respectively.
  • Ivanhoe Mines' adjusted EBITDA was $152-million for Q3 2023, compared with $85-million for the same period in 2022, and $172-million for Q2 2023, which includes an attributable share of EBITDA from Kamoa-Kakula. Since entering phase 1 commercial production on July 1, 2021, the Kamoa-Kakula joint venture has generated $2.14-billion of net cash from operating activities, which has financed both the phase 2 and phase 3 expansions to date.
  • Ivanhoe Mines has a strong balance sheet with cash and cash equivalents of $303-million on hand as at Sept. 30, 2023. The company expects Kamoa-Kakula's phase 1 and phase 2 cash flow, together with additional local financing facilities that are advancing well, to be sufficient to finance the phase 3 expansion capital cost requirements at current copper prices.
  • Kamoa-Kakula's full-year cash cost (C1) guidance is unchanged at $1.40 to $1.50 per pound and full-year production guidance is also maintained at 390,000 to 430,000 tonnes of copper in concentrate.

Operational highlights:

  • Record quarterly production of 103,947 tonnes of copper in concentrate was achieved at Kamoa-Kakula for Q3 2023, compared with 103,786 tonnes in Q2 2023 and 97,820 tonnes in Q3 2022.
  • Over the first nine months of 2023, Kamoa-Kakula has produced a total of 301,336 tonnes of copper in concentrate, placing it well on track to deliver annual production guidance of between 390,000 and 430,000 tonnes of copper.
  • Kamoa-Kakula's phase 1 and 2 concentrators milled a record 2.24 million tonnes of ore during the third quarter at an average feed grade of 5.37 per cent copper. This included high-grade, run-of-mine ore from the Kakula mine, supplemented with ore from the surface stockpiles to achieve throughput higher than original design capacity.
  • Kamoa-Kakula's phase 3 mine and concentrator expansion, 500,000-tonne-per-annum on-site, direct-to-blister copper smelter and the refurbishment of Turbine No. 5 at the Inga II hydroelectric facility are advancing on schedule for completion in late 2024.
  • Kamoa-Kakula completed highly promising preliminary test work to further improve copper recoveries at Kamoa-Kakula by liberating copper from the tailings stream. Initial results indicate that with a tailings feed grade of less than 1 per cent copper, approximately 65 per cent of the contained copper can be recovered from the tailings stream, which could increase overall metallurgical recoveries to well over 90 per cent. Basic engineering for the tailings stream recovery plant is under way and is expected to be complete in Q1 2024.
  • Kamoa Copper SA signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Lobito Atlantic International SARL, the consortium awarded the concession for the Lobito Atlantic rail corridor. A trial shipment of up to 10,000 tonnes of copper concentrate from Kamoa-Kakula to the port of Lobito, Angola, is planned for Q4 2023, making the Kamoa-Kakula joint venture the first customer for the Lobito corridor in the modern era.
  • Ivanhoe is expanding its copper exploration program on its Western Foreland licences, which covers approximately 2,407 square kilometres adjacent to Kamoa-Kakula. Significant drilling has taken place year to date, with over 37,500 metres completed, including several new targets identified. An additional $2-million has been added to the remaining budget for 2023 to further advance new targets.
  • Ivanhoe is planning to publish a maiden mineral resource estimate for its Makoko and Kiala high-grade copper discoveries in the Western Foreland shortly, as well as an update on more recent drill developments across the 2,407-square-kilometre land package.
  • At Platreef, optimization work is under way to identify value-accretive options for installing hoisting capacity in Shaft 3 (previously named Vent Shaft 1), which has the benefit of derisking the development and ramp-up of the phase 1 mine and may be used to accelerate the ramp-up of underground mining activities for phase 2 in advance of the completion of Shaft 2 -- expected in 2027.
  • Platreef underground development work is focused on lateral development toward the high-grade Flatreef orebody on the 750-metre, 850-metre and 950-metre levels. Once the commissioning of underground crusher and loader has been completed, underground development rate is expected to increase to approximately 400 metres per month by year-end.
  • Drilling of the pilot drill hole for the reaming of Platreef's Shaft 2, which commenced in February, 2023, has reached the shaft bottom. Reaming from the 950-metre level is now under way with 38 metres completed. Shaft 2 raisebore reaming is expected to be complete in Q2 2024.
  • Platreef's phase 1 is approximately 63 per cent complete and on schedule for first production in Q3 2024, with all major civil structures nearing completion and the fabrication of the long-lead order mechanical equipment items progressing as planned.
  • At Kipushi, construction of the 800,000-tonne-per-annum concentrator is approximately 67 per cent complete and ahead of schedule for commissioning in Q2 2024. Kipushi's underground development continues to progress at approximately 20 per cent ahead of schedule, with 2,744 metres of lateral development completed since September, 2022. The underground development rate is expected to increase by 50 per cent to approximately 450 metres per month by year-end.
  • Stoping (mining) of Kipushi's ultrahigh-grade Big Zinc orebody is expected to commence this month. Stoping will start on a trail mining basis to complete the training of the underground mining crews in preparation for the commencement of commercial operations in the new year.

Conference call for investors on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023

Ivanhoe Mines will hold an investor conference call to discuss its 2023 third quarter financial results at 3:30 p.m. London time/10:30 a.m. Eastern Time/7:30 a.m. Pacific Time on Monday, Nov. 6. The conference call will conclude with a question-and-answer (Q&A) session. Media are invited to attend on a listen-only basis.

Analysts are invited to join by phone for the Q&A.

An audio webcast recording of the conference call, together with supporting presentation slides, will be available on Ivanhoe Mines' website.

After issuance, the financial statements and management's discussion and analysis will be available on Ivanhoe Mines' website and on SEDAR+.

Selected quarterly financial information

The attached 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.

Disclosure of technical information

Disclosures of a scientific or technical nature in this news release regarding the Kamoa-Kakula copper complex (other than stockpiles estimation), 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 news release.

Disclosures of a scientific or technical nature regarding the Kamoa-Kakula stockpiles in this news release have been reviewed and approved by George Gilchrist, who is considered, by virtue of his education, experience and professional association, a qualified person under the terms of NI 43-101. Mr. Gilchrist is not considered independent under NI 43-101 as he is the vice-president, resources, at Ivanhoe Mines. Mr. Gilchrist has verified the technical data regarding the Kamoa-Kakula stockpiles disclosed in this news release.

Disclosures of a scientific or technical nature regarding the Western Foreland exploration project in this news release have been reviewed and approved by Mr. Gilchrist, who is considered, by virtue of his education, experience and professional association, a qualified person under the terms of NI 43-101. Mr. Gilchrist is not considered independent under NI 43-101 as he is the vice-president, mineral resources, at Ivanhoe Mines. Mr. Gilchrist has verified the technical data regarding the Western Foreland exploration project disclosed in this news release.

Ivanhoe has prepared an independent, NI 43-101 compliant technical report for the Kamoa-Kakula copper complex, the Platreef project and the Kipushi project, each of which is available on the company's website and under the company's SEDAR+ profile.

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 news release, as well as information regarding data verification, exploration procedures and other matters relevant to the scientific and technical disclosure contained in this news release in respect of the Platreef project, Kipushi project and Kamoa-Kakula copper complex.

We seek Safe Harbor.

© 2024 Canjex Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.