Mr. Tony Makuch reports
KIRKLAND LAKE GOLD REPORTS SOLID THIRD QUARTER 2017 RESULTS, company IMPROVES FULL-YEAR 2017 GUIDANCE, INCREASES DIVIDENDS
Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. has released its financial and operating results for the third quarter and first nine months of 2017. The company's full financial statements and management's discussion and analysis are available on SEDAR and on the company's website. All dollar amounts in this news release are expressed in U.S. dollars, unless otherwise noted.
Key highlights include:
- Production of 139,091 ounces in Q3 2017 and 429,822 ounces in year-to-date (YTD) 2017, representing increases of 80 per cent and 107 per cent from comparable 2016 levels;
- Mineral reserves more than doubled at Fosterville to 1.03 million ounces with an 83-per-cent increase in average reserve grade to 17.9 grams per tonne;
- Improved full-year 2017 guidance with company now targeting full-year 2017 consolidated production of 580,000 to 595,000 ounces, as well as operating cash cost and all-in sustaining cost per ounce sold of $475 to $500 and $800 to $825, respectively;
- Fosterville achieves record monthly production in October of over 30,000 ounces;
- Investment in Novo Resources Corp. of $61.0-million ($74.9-million (Canadian)) to acquire 25.8 million common shares and 14.0 million common share purchase warrants, $99.5-million of non-cash, pretax gains reported on Novo commons shares and warrants in Q3 2017;
- 4.8 million common shares repurchased for $51.9-million ($65.8-million (Canadian)) through normal course issuer bid as of Nov. 1, 2017;
- Quarterly dividend increased to two Canadian cents/share from one Canadian cent/share.
Financial highlights of Q3 2017 results are provided below:
- Net earnings of $43.8-million (21 cents/basic share) in Q3 2017 versus $18.9-million (16 cents/share) in Q3 2016 and $34.6-million (17 cents/share) in Q2 2017;
- Adjusted net earnings of $30.0-million (14 cents/share) compared with $21.2-million (18 cents/share) in Q3 2016 and $35.6-million (17 cents/share) in Q2 2017;
- Q3 2017 adjusted net earnings exclude $19.2-million non-cash gain on fair valuing Novo warrants;
- Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of 98.1-million in Q3 2017 compared with $45.3-million in Q3 2016 and $91.3 in Q2 2017;
- Revenue totalling $176.7-million in Q3 2017 based on gold sales of 137,907 ounces compared with $100.8-million on sales of 76,339 ounces in Q3 2016 and $189.9-million on sales of 151,208 ounces in Q2 2017;
- Operating cash costs and AISC per ounce sold of $482 and $845 in Q3 2017 versus $540 and $970 in Q3 2016 and $482 and $729 in Q2 2017;
- Exploration expense of $16.9-million in Q3 2017, up from $4.7-million in Q3 2016 and $11.6-million in Q2 2017;
- Free cash flow
totalling $31.5-million in Q3 2017, bringing total free cash flow in 2017 to $113.5-million, operating cash flow of $66.8-million in Q3 2017 and $206.5-million year to date;
- Cash and cash equivalents of $210.5-million at Sept. 30, 2017.
Tony Makuch, president and chief executive officer of Kirkland Lake Gold, commented: "During Q3 2017, we achieved solid financial and operating results, more than doubled reserves at Fosterville, increased our commitment to exploration and made a strategic investment in Novo, which has already gained substantial value. We also continued to generate significant cash flow, with total free cash flow reaching over $110-million for the year to date. Particularly encouraging is our cost performance, with both cash operating costs and AISC for the quarter averaging well within our full-year guidance, to the point that we have been able to improve our cost guidance for the year. In Canada, our unit costs in Canadian dollars improved quarter over quarter, with an average operating cost per tonne of $184, 14 per cent better than the second quarter of the year.
"Looking ahead, we are off to a strong start in the fourth quarter and now expect to produce between 580,000 to 595,000 ounces of gold for full-year 2017 and have also improved our operating cash cost and AISC guidance. At Fosterville, we had our second-best quarter ever in the third quarter and exited the quarter having achieved solid results in September, including over 24,000 ounces of production. One month into the fourth quarter, we have just achieved record monthly production at Fosterville of over 30,000 ounces in October. In Canada, we are targeting one of our best quarters ever from our Canadian operations, with all three mines expected to achieve strong results. Turning to exploration, results from ongoing drill programs at Fosterville, Macassa and Taylor continue to be very positive.
"As a company, we remain focused on providing returns to shareholders, with the repurchase of 4.8 million shares through the NCIB year to date, and through doubling the quarterly dividend payable to shareholders to two Canadian cents/share from one Canadian cent/share effective for shareholders of record Dec. 29, 2017. Our remaining convertible debenture matures on Dec. 31, 2017, after which we will be debt-free, and we will continue to use the NCIB to repurchase stock with excess cash as we feel that our company's shares are significantly undervalued in the market."
During Q3 2017, the company invested $61.0-million ($74.9-million (Canadian)) to acquire 25.8 million common shares and 14.0 million common share purchase warrants of Novo, each of the latter entitling the company to acquire one common share of Novo for $6 (Canadian) per share until Sept. 6, 2020, subject to certain rights held by Novo to accelerate their expiry. Based on Novo's share price performance during the quarter, the company recorded pretax, non-cash gains on fair valuing the Novo common shares of $80.3-million ($69.7-million net of tax included in comprehensive income) and on fair valuing the Novo warrants of $19.2-million ($14.1-million net of tax included in net earnings).
Consolidated financial summary
The table provides key summarized consolidated financial information for the company's operations for the three and nine months ended Sept. 30, 2017, and 2016. Discussion of these results is included in the company's management's discussion and analysis for the same periods. For the three and nine months ended Sept. 30, 2017, the information includes the consolidated operating and financial information for the company's Canadian and Australian operations. The operating and financial information for the three and nine months ended Sept. 30, 2016, does not include the Australian operations, which were acquired following the completion of the Newmarket arrangement on Nov. 30, 2016. In addition, information for the first nine months of 2016 includes the St. Andrew assets from Jan. 26, 2016, the date the St. Andrew arrangement was completed.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
(in thousands, except per share)
Three months ended Sept. 30 Nine months ended Sept. 30
2017 2016 2017 2016
Revenue $176,709 $100,825 $535,131 $272,440
Production costs 66,497 41,309 220,032 132,198
Earnings before income taxes 64,048 30,158 141,280 61,674
Net earnings 43,780 18,880 91,446 38,638
Earnings per share -- basic 0.21 0.16 0.44 0.34
Earnings per share -- diluted 0.20 0.16 0.44 0.34
Cash flow from operations 66,829 46,427 206,461 118,525
Cash investment on mine development and PPE $35,298 $20,271 $93,008 $49,940
CONSOLIDATED KEY PERFORMANCE MEASURES
Three months ended Sept. 30 Nine months ended Sept. 30
2017 2016 2017 2016
Tonnes milled 448,251 307,886 1,519,196 827,876
Grade (g/t Au) 10.1 8.2 9.2 8.2
Recovery (%) 95.6 96.6 95.5 96.8
Gold produced (oz) 139,091 77,274 429,822 207,887
Gold sold (oz) 137,908 76,339 427,017 217,792
Average realized price ($/oz sold) $1,281 $1,321 $1,253 $1,251
Operating cash costs per ounce sold ($/oz sold) $482 $540 $508 $591
All-in sustaining costs ($/oz sold) $845 $970 $811 $940
Adjusted net earnings $30,037 $21,187 $81,808 $43,629
Performance against 2017 guidance
At Sept. 30, 2017, Kirkland Lake Gold was on track to achieve the company's full-year consolidated 2017 guidance. A number of improvements have been made to guidance during 2017. Guidance for consolidated production and AISC has been improved twice after beginning the year at 500,000 to 525,000 ounces and $950 to $1,000 per ounce sold, respectively. Consolidated production and AISC guidance was improved to 530,000 to 570,000 ounces and $850 to $900 per ounce sold with the release of the company's first quarter results on May 4, 2017, and was then improved to 570,000 to 590,000 ounces and $800 to $850 per ounce sold with the release of the second quarter results on Aug. 2, 2017. The revisions to production and AISC guidance resulted from improving grades at Fosterville and the expectation of higher tonnes mined and milled at Macassa. Other revisions to consolidated guidance during 2017 include an improvement to operating cash costs per ounce sold from $625 to $675 to $475 to $525 on May 4, 2017, and a revision to sustaining and growth capital expenditure guidance from $180-million to $200-million to $160-million to $180-million on Aug. 2, 2017 (for more information on the revisions to guidance announced on Aug. 2, 2017, and May 4, 2017, see the MD&As for the periods ended March 31, 2017, and June 30, 2017.)
2017 GUIDANCE (AS AT AUG. 2, 2017)
(in millions, unless otherwise stated)
Canadian mines
Macassa Holt Taylor
Gold production (oz) 190,000 to 195,000 65,000 to 70,000 50,000 to 55,000
Operating cash costs/ounce sold $520-$550 $670-$725 $450-$525
AISC/ounce sold
Operating cash costs
Royalty costs
Sustaining and growth capital
Exploration expenditures
Corporate G&A expense
Australian mines
Fosterville Cosmo Consolidated
Gold production (oz) 250,000 to 260,000 20,000 570,000 to 590,000
Operating cash costs/ounce sold $260-$280 $1,500-$1,600 $475-$525
AISC/ounce sold $800-$850
Operating cash costs $270-$280
Royalty costs $20-$25
Sustaining and growth capital $160-$180
Exploration expenditures $45-$55
Corporate G&A expense $17
YEAR-TO-DATE 2017 PERFORMANCE
(in millions, unless otherwise stated)
Canadian mines Australian mines
Macassa Holt Taylor Fosterville Cosmo Consolidated
Gold production (oz) 142,628 47,414 34,223 184,688 $20,595 429,822
Operating cash costs/ounce sold $516 $708 $625 $281 $1,661 $508
AISC/ounce sold $811
Operating cash costs $217.0
Royalty costs $15.2
Sustaining and growth capital $105.9
Exploration expenditures $37.7
Corporate G&A expense $15.6Key highlights of YTD 2017 performance compared with guidance:
-
Gold production for YTD 2017 totalled 429,822 ounces, more than double the 207,887 ounces produced in for the same period in 2016 when consolidated production included only the Canadian operations. The company's Australian operations, mainly Fosterville, contributed 205,283 ounces in 2017. Production from Canadian operations totalled 224,539 ounces in 2017, an 8-per-cent increase from the previous year (18-per-cent increase excluding production from Holloway, which was placed on care and maintenance in December, 2016). Production from all three of the company's Canadian operating mines, Macassa, Holt and Taylor, increased from the prior year level. Also contributing to the company's strong 2017 production results was record output at the Fosterville mine of 184,688 ounces, with full-year production targeted at 250,000 to 260,000 ounces. At Sept. 30, 2017, the company remained well positioned to achieve the improved full-year guidance of 570,000 to 590,000 ounces of gold.
- Operating cash costs per ounce sold for YTD 2017 averaged $508, a 14-per-cent improvement from the same period the prior year and within the improved guidance range for full-year 2017 of $475 to $525 per ounce. Record results at Fosterville were the primary factor contributing to the low unit operating cash costs, with the mine's operating cash costs per ounce sold averaging $281 in YTD 2017. At Macassa, operating cash costs per ounce sold for YTD 2017 averaged $516, an 11-per-cent improvement from YTD 2016 and better than the full-year 2017 guidance of $520 to $550. Operating cash costs per ounce sold at Taylor averaged $625 in YTD 2017, higher than the target range of $450 to $525, mainly reflecting lower than planned throughput and increased levels of operating development.
- AISC per ounce sold averaged $811 for YTD 2017, a 14-per-cent improvement from YTD 2016 and within the company's improved full-year 2017 guidance of $800 to $850. Contributing to the strong performance were lower unit operating costs and reduced levels of sustaining capital expenditures on a per-ounce-sold basis. AISC at Fosterville averaged $501 per ounce sold in 2017. AISC per ounce sold at Macassa averaged $804 in 2017 compared with $894 in 2016, which also contributed to the strong YTD consolidated AISC performance.
- Operating cash costs for YTD 2017 totalled $217.0-million compared with full-year 2017 guidance of $270-million to $280-million, while total production costs totalled $220.0-million. Based on planned expenditures during the final quarter of 2017, the company continues to target total operating cash costs in 2017 of $270-million to $280-million.
- Royalty costs totalled $15.2-million for YTD 2017, with the company remaining on track to achieve its full-year 2017 guidance of $20-million to $25-million.
- Sustaining and growth capital for YTD 2017 totalled $105.9-million, including $44.1-million in Q3 2017. Sustaining capital expenditure levels are being weighted to the second half of 2017 and are expected to increase in the final quarter of the year. The company continues to target full-year 2017 sustaining and growth capital of $160-million to $180-million.
- Exploration expenditures totalled $37.7-million compared with full-year 2017 guidance of $45-million to $55-million. The company expects total exploration expenditures for the year to be in the top end of the guidance range. At Sept. 30, 2017, the company had a total of 25 surface and underground drills working as part of active exploration programs at its Canadian and Australian assets.
- Corporate G&A (general and administrative) expense for YTD 2017 totalled $15.6-million compared with 2017 guidance of $17-million.
Update of full-year 2017 guidance
Based on the company's performance in the first nine months of 2017, as well as performance to date in the fourth quarter and expectations for the remainder of the year, the company now expects to achieve consolidated full-year 2017 production guidance of 580,000 to 595,000 ounces. In addition, the company is now targeting improved full-year cost guidance, including operating cash costs of $475 to $500 per ounce sold, and AISC of $800 to $825 per ounce sold. Full-year 2017 guidance for corporate G&A expense is revised to $20-million. The company is also revising full-year guidance for operating cash costs for the Taylor mine to $575 to $625 from $450 to $525 per ounce sold, based on results in the first nine months. Other components of the company's 2017 guidance remained unchanged from the previous quarter's MD&A, issued on Aug. 2, 2017.
UPDATE OF FULL-YEAR 2017 GUIDANCE
New guidance Prior guidance
Consolidated gold production (oz) 580,000-595,000 570,000-590,000
Consolidated operating cash costs/oz ($/oz) 475-500 475-525
Consolidated AISC/oz sold ($/oz) 800-825 800-850
Operating cash cost/oz ($/oz) -- Taylor mine 575-625 450-525
Corporate G&A expense ($ millions) 20 17
Third quarter 2017 financial results and conference call details
A conference call to discuss the results will be held by senior management on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017, at 2:30 p.m. ET. The call will be webcast and accessible on the company's website.
Date: Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017
Conference ID: 96846283
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
Toll-free number: 1-866-393-4306
International callers: 1-734-385-2616
Webcast: available on-line
Qualified persons
Pierre Rocque, PEng, vice-president, Canadian operations, and Ian Holland, FAusIMM, vice-president, Australian operations, are qualified persons as defined in National Instrument 43-101, and have reviewed and approved disclosure of the technical information and data in this news release.
About Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd.
Kirkland Lake Gold is a mid-tier gold producer with 2017 production targeted at 570,000 to 590,000 ounces of gold from mines in Canada and Australia. The production profile of the company is anchored from two high-grade, low-cost operations, including the Macassa mine located in Northeastern Ontario and the Fosterville mine located in the state of Victoria, Australia.
We seek Safe Harbor.
© 2026 Canjex Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.