Thompson Creek Reports Third Quarter 2015 Cash Balance of $217 Million and Non-GAAP Unit Cash Cost on a By-Product Basis of Negative $0.16 per Pound of Copper Produced

DENVER, Nov. 9, 2015 /CNW/ - Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc. (NYSE: TC) (TSX: TCM) (the "Company" or "Thompson Creek"), a  North American mining company, announced today financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles ("US GAAP"). All dollar amounts are in United States ("US") dollars unless otherwise indicated.

Thompson Creek ended the quarter with a strong cash position of $217 million and achieved non-GAAP unit cash cost, on a by-product basis, net of gold credits, of negative $0.16 per pound of copper produced.  The Company has lowered its 2015 unit cash cost guidance on a by-product basis from $0.70 - $0.90 to $0.55 - $0.75 per pound of copper produced. Please see "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below for the definition and reconciliation of non-GAAP cash costs.

During the quarter, the Company completed significant maintenance at the Langeloth facility on time and on budget. The scheduled maintenance, which occurs every few years, allows the Company to continue providing tolling services and to upgrade purchased molybdenum concentrates for sale in the metallurgical and chemical markets. In 2015, the molybdenum business is expected to generate positive cash flow before capital expenditures of approximately $21 to $23 million, net of care and maintenance costs at the Thompson Creek and Endako molybdenum mines, enabling the Company to maintain the optionality of its molybdenum business.

"First and foremost, we once again significantly improved our safety performance from one year ago, which is directly attributable to the hard work and commitment of all of our employees," said Jacques Perron, President and Chief Executive Officer of Thompson Creek. "We continue to focus on operational improvements at Mount Milligan Mine and our efforts have been rewarded by our excellent unit cash cost performance year-to-date. We are pleased to report that we successfully completed the installation of the second SAG discharge screen deck on October 26, and that the commissioning of the new configuration was completed at the end of October, with both screen decks operating as expected. Since restarting operations following the mill shutdown, we have been experiencing gradual improvements in throughput. Other than the permanent secondary crushing plant, all major modifications required to achieve our objectives have now been successfully completed, and we are confident that throughput will continue to increase through the remainder of the year."

The Company also announced that it has engaged Moelis & Company and BMO Capital Markets to assist the Board in evaluating strategic and financial alternatives available to the Company, including debt refinancing and restructuring, new capital transactions and asset sales.

Highlights for the Third Quarter 2015

• Total cash and cash equivalents at September 30, 2015 were $217.1 million, which included $19.0 million in tax refunds received during the quarter, compared to $265.6 million at December 31, 2014. Total debt, including capital lease obligations, at September 30, 2015 was $891.5 million, compared to $944.7 million at December 31, 2014.

• Cash generated by operating activities was $38.5 million in the third quarter of 2015 compared to cash generated by operating activities of $83.0 million in the third quarter of 2014.

• Consolidated revenues for the third quarter of 2015 were $141.7 million compared to $229.3 million in the third quarter of 2014. Copper and gold sales contributed $113.0 million in revenue in the third quarter of 2015 compared to $100.7 million in the third quarter of 2014. Molybdenum sales were $23.0 million for the third quarter of 2015 compared to $124.3 million in the third quarter of 2014. During the third quarter of 2015 we completed five shipments of copper and gold concentrate and recorded five sales compared to three shipments and three sales in the third quarter of 2014.

• Payable production at Mount Milligan Mine for the third quarter of 2015 was 16.4 million pounds of copper and 53,791 ounces of gold, compared to payable production of 16.3 million pounds of copper and 60,366 ounces of gold for the third quarter of 2014.

• Sales volumes and average realized sales prices for copper and gold for the third quarter of 2015 were 24.4 million pounds of copper at an average realized price of $2.09 per pound and 75,451 ounces of gold at an average realized price of $926 per ounce, as compared to 16.5 million pounds of copper at an average realized price of $3.02 per pound and 57,974 ounces of gold at an average realized price of $952 per ounce for the third quarter of 2014. Molybdenum sales volumes in the third quarter of 2015, which consisted of the sale of molybdenum inventory produced at our mines in 2014 and molybdenum sourced from third parties, were 2.9 million pounds at an average realized price of $7.86 per pound compared to 8.9 million pounds at an average realized price of $13.94 per pound for the third quarter of 2014.

• Consolidated operating income for the third quarter of 2015 was $10.5 million compared to $63.8 million for the third quarter of 2014. The quarter over quarter decline in operating income was primarily due to a decrease in molybdenum sales, partially offset by an increase in gold sales. Consolidated operating income for the third quarter of 2015 was also impacted by $3.5 million of costs related to idle molybdenum mining operations.

• Net loss for the third quarter of 2015 was $60.9 million, or $0.28 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $11.1 million, or $0.05 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2014. The net loss for the third quarter of 2015 and 2014 included primarily unrealized non-cash foreign exchange losses of $68.8 million and $60.3 million, respectively, primarily on intercompany notes.

• Non-GAAP adjusted net loss for the third quarter of 2015 was $5.0 million, or $0.02 per diluted share, compared to non-GAAP adjusted net income for the same period of 2014 of $38.3 million, or $0.17 per diluted share. Non-GAAP adjusted net income (loss) excludes foreign exchange gains and losses, net of related income tax effects. See "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for the definition and reconciliation of non-GAAP adjusted net income (loss).

• Non-GAAP unit cash cost per pound of copper produced for the third quarter of 2015 was, on a by-product basis, net of gold credits, negative $0.16 per pound and, on a co-product basis, $1.66 per pound of copper and $527 per ounce of gold. Non-GAAP unit cash costs in the third quarter of 2014 was, on a by-product basis, $0.77 per pound and on a co-product basis, $1.80 per pound of copper and $477 per ounce of gold. See "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for the definition and reconciliation of non-GAAP cash costs.

• Capital expenditures for the third quarter of 2015 were $24.9 million, composed of $21.9 million for Mount Milligan Mine and $3.0 million for the Langeloth Facility, Endako Mine and corporate combined, compared to $21.9 million for the third quarter of 2014.

Summary of Quarterly Results
(US$ in millions, except per share, per pound and per ounce amounts—unaudited)

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Selected Condensed Consolidated Financial and Operational Information
(US$ in millions, except per share, per pound and per ounce amounts)

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Updated Guidance

The Company has updated its 2015 guidance as of November 9, 2015, to reflect revisions to the ranges for (i) payable production and cash costs for its copper and gold business; and (ii) care and maintenance and stripping costs and cash flow from operations for its molybdenum business. These ranges have been updated based on actual operational performance and costs through September 30, 2015, and management's expectations for the remainder of 2015.

The table below presents (i) updated guidance for fiscal year 2015 as of November 9, 2015; and (ii) for comparison purposes, the guidance management previously provided in the Company's Form 10-Q for the three months ended June 30, 2015.

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Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In addition to the condensed consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with US GAAP, management uses certain non-GAAP financial measures to assess its operating performance for the reasons described further below. These measures do not have standard meanings prescribed by US GAAP and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. The presentation of these measures is not intended to be considered in isolation from, as a substitute for, or as superior to, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with US GAAP. In addition, these non-GAAP measures have limitations in that they do not reflect all of the amounts associated with the results of operations as determined in accordance with US GAAP.

Adjusted Net (Loss) Income, Adjusted Net (Loss) Income Per Share—Basic and Diluted

Management of the Company uses adjusted net (loss) income and adjusted net (loss) income per share—basic and diluted— to evaluate the Company's operating performance and for planning and forecasting future business operations. The Company believes the use of these measures allows investors and analysts to compare results of the continuing operations of the Company to similar operating results of other mining companies, by excluding unusual or infrequent items that are considered non-core to our business.

Adjusted net (loss) income represents the (loss) income prepared in accordance with US GAAP, adjusted for significant non-cash items.

For the first nine months of 2015 and 2014, the significant items were the net gains and losses related to the impact of foreign exchange due primarily to intercompany notes and related tax effects. For the five quarters ended September 30, 2015, the significant items were the net gains and losses related to the impact of foreign exchange due primarily to intercompany notes and related tax effects and impairments on our property, plant and equipment and materials and supplies inventory.

In connection with the Company's strategy to manage cash balances, fund its operations and provide future tax benefits, the Company may enter into intercompany loan arrangements. At times, the loans are denominated in currencies other than the measurement currency of one of the parties. US GAAP requires that notes that are intended to be repaid should not be considered a capital contribution, and, therefore, the foreign exchange fluctuations related to these loans impact net (loss) income each period. At each period end, management compares the exchange rate between the Canadian and US dollars to the exchange rate at the end of the prior reporting period. The difference between those rates is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss. Settlement of these intercompany loans results in realized foreign exchange gains or losses recorded on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss. As the loans between the parent company and its subsidiaries are the primary driver of the Company's foreign exchange gains and losses, as discussed above, management does not consider gains or losses on foreign exchange in its evaluation of our financial performance. Management believes that presentation of our non-GAAP measures excluding these gains or losses provides useful information to our investors regarding the Company's financial condition and results of operations.

Adjusted net (loss) income per share (basic and diluted) is calculated using adjusted net (loss) income, as defined above, divided by the weighted-average basic and weighted-average diluted shares outstanding during the period as determined in accordance with US GAAP. If the adjustments to net (loss) on a US GAAP basis result in non-GAAP adjusted net income, management calculates weighted-average diluted shares outstanding in accordance with US GAAP and use that to calculate adjusted net income per share—diluted. If the adjustments to net income on a US GAAP basis result in non-GAAP adjusted net (loss), the Company utilizes weighted-average basic shares outstanding to calculate adjusted net income per share—diluted, in accordance with US GAAP.

The following tables reconcile net (loss) income presented in accordance with US GAAP to the non-GAAP financial measures of adjusted net (loss) income and adjusted net (loss) income per share—basic and diluted— for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 and for the five quarters ended September 30, 2015. All figures within the tables are unaudited and are presented in US$ in millions, except shares and per share amounts.

Non-GAAP Reconciliation

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Copper-Gold Operations - Unit Cash Cost and Average Realized Price per Payable Pound or Payable Ounce Sold

Unit cash cost on a by-product and co-product basis are considered key measures in evaluating operating performance in the Company's copper-gold operations, as well as measures of profitability and efficiency on a consolidated basis. Although unit cash costs on a by-product and co-product basis are not measures of financial performance, do not have standardized meaning prescribed by US GAAP, and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies, management believes these non-GAAP measures provide useful supplemental information to investors.

Unit cash costs on a by-product and co-product basis represent the mining, milling, on-site general and administration, truck and rail transportation, warehousing, refining and treatment, and ocean freight and insurance costs; and exclude the effects of changes in inventory, non-cash corporate allocations, other non-cash employee benefits, such as stock-based compensation, depreciation, depletion, amortization, and accretion.

On a by-product basis, sales of by-product metals are deducted when computing cash costs in accordance with the cash cost standard endorsed by the World Gold Council and, previously, the Gold Institute.

On a co-product basis, cash costs are allocated between copper and gold based on production. Copper production is stated in thousands of pounds. Gold production has been converted to thousands of copper equivalent (Cu eq.) pounds using the gold production for the periods presented, as well as the most recent quarterly average prices for copper and gold. The price used for copper is the most recent quarterly average of the Metals Bulletin Daily published price for LME settlement per tonne. The price used for gold is a weighted average of the most recent quarterly average of the Metals Bulletin Daily published prices for daily average London price per ounce adjusted for the fixed price established under the Gold Stream Arrangement ($435 per oz).

The following tables provide a reconciliation of cash costs, unit cash costs, and operating expenses for Copper-Gold operations included in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss in the determination of net income (loss) for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 and for the five quarters ended September 30, 2015.

Non-GAAP cash cost

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By-Product

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Co- Product