Alphamin Resources Corp. (AFM:TSXV, APH:JSE AltX)( “Alphamin” or
the “Company”), a producer of 4% of the world’s mined tin1 from its
high grade operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is
pleased to provide the following update for the quarter ended
September 2023:
- Tin production of 3,104
tonnes for the quarter, in line with the previous
quarter
- Q3 2023
EBITDA3,4
guidance of US$38.3m, up 8% from the previous
quarter
- Mpama South development
projected to increase annual tin production by 60%
progressing well
- Additional debt facilities
secured
Operational and Financial Summary for
the Quarter ended September 20232
__________________________________________________________________________________________
1Data obtained from International Tin
Association Tin Industry Review 2022 2Information is disclosed on a
100% basis. Alphamin indirectly owns 84.14% of its operating
subsidiary to which the information relates. 3Q3 2023 EBITDA and
AISC represent management’s guidance. 4This is not a standardized
financial measure and may not be comparable to similar financial
measures of other issuers.See “Use of Non-IFRS Financial Measures”
below for the composition and calculation of this financial
measure. Operational and Financial Performance
Contained tin production of 3,104 tonnes for the
quarter ended September 2023 was in line with the previous quarter.
Tin production of 9,442 tonnes for the nine months ended September
2023 exceeds the run-rate to achieve market guidance of 12,000
tonnes for the year ending December 2023. The run-of-mine and
crushed ore stockpiles ahead of the processing plant were at record
levels at quarter-end, being 30,393 tonnes at an average tin grade
of 4,79% (Q2: 27,439 tonnes at 6.74%).
Sales volumes of 3,111 tonnes of tin for Q3 2023
were slightly higher than the previous quarter and averaged a tin
price of US$26,557/t (Q2 2023: US$25,587/t).
Guidance for AISC per tonne of tin sold is
US$14,812, 6% above the previous quarter. Approximately half of the
AISC cost increase relates to the timing effect of sustaining
capital expenditure. The remaining variance in AISC follows the
impact of the higher tin price on off-mine costs, higher diesel
prices and a 7% increase in underground development metres at Mpama
North. The higher underground development rate at Mpama North is
expected to increase developed ore reserves and improved mining
flexibility.
Stable production and sales volumes at the
slightly higher tin price resulted in expected EBITDA of US$38.3
million for the quarter ended September 2023 (Q2 2023: US$35.4
million).
Alphamin’s unaudited consolidated financial
statements and accompanying Management’s Discussion and Analysis
for the three and nine months ended 30 September 2023 are expected
to be released on or about November 17, 2023.
Funding structure and capital
allocation
Alphamin’s vision is to become one of the
world’s largest sustainable tin producers. From a capital
allocation perspective, the Board considers the combination of
investment in growth, ongoing exploration, and a high dividend
yield a robust value proposition. From a FY2023 capital allocation
perspective, the funding of the Mpama South expansion project, DRC
income tax payments and shareholder distributions remain the
priority.
By quarter-end, the Company had spent US$99
million of cash resources on the Mpama South project of which
US$24.5 million was spent in Q3 2023. The project is forecasted to
be substantially completed within the budget of US$116 million.
The Company has signed an amended and restated
credit agreement to raise an additional US$10m in senior debt
finance. The additional funding is subject to certain drawdown
conditions. Under the amended and restated credit agreement, the
current senior debt balance of US$5m together with the new funding
of US$10 million will be repayable over two years commencing in
January 2024. Under the revised terms there is no requirement for
political risk insurance or a debt service reserve account and
there are no restrictions on dividends, provided covenants have not
been breached. The terms are otherwise substantially the same as
the existing facility. In addition, the Company’s banking
institution in the DRC has increased its short-term facility by
US$15 million to US$55 million. The additional debt facilities
provide bridging finance towards the previously reported high final
and provisional DRC tax payments during 2023 not expected to repeat
in 2024 as well as additional liquidity optionality while the Mpama
South project approaches completion.
In late September 2023, a bridge on the primary
export/import route was damaged. As a result, inbound and outbound
trucks had to be re-routed resulting in longer than normal transit
times and delays in revenue receipts. Additional road maintenance
teams have been mobilized to ensure the efficient passage of
inbound and outbound traffic via alternative routes which have been
proven to be effective in the past. The negative liquidity impact
from the damaged bridge is expected to reverse during Q4, 2023.
Mpama South development
progress
A total of 2,448m of
underground development at Mpama South has been completed to date,
of which 988m was achieved in Q3 2023 (Q2: 603m). The underground
development rate increased by 64% during Q3 2023 as additional
underground equipment arrived on site and more development ends
became available. The Mpama South adit from surface successfully
advanced beyond the previously reported area of poor ground
conditions and is expected to connect with the Mpama South
underground workings by early November 2023. The year-to-date
development metres at Mpama South are in line with the Company’s
updated two-year underground mine plan to achieve the targeted tin
production expansion from FY2024. This plan requires ~1,200m of
underground development at Mpama South during the quarter ending
December 2023.
The erection of the
new processing facility is progressing well, albeit poor road
conditions and the impact of the damaged bridge have delayed
container deliveries by approximately three weeks. As a
consequence, the commissioning of the new processing plant may be
delayed to January/February 2024.
The Alphamin project
team, together with the existing site team, remains focussed on
operational readiness preparation. This primarily involves
recruitment and training of personnel, expansion of the laboratory
and accommodation facilities and infrastructure, and increasing the
supply chain to meet the additional production.
The Mpama South project is expected to increase
combined annual tin production from ~12,000 tonnes to ~20,000
tonnes.
Qualified Person
Mr. Clive Brown, Pr. Eng., B.Sc. Engineering
(Mining), is a qualified person (QP) as defined in National
Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the scientific and
technical information contained in this news release. He is a
Principal Consultant and Director of Bara Consulting Pty Limited,
an independent technical consultant to the
Company._________________________________________________________________________________________
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Maritz
Smith CEO Alphamin
Resources
Corp. Tel:
+230 269 4166E-mail: msmith@alphaminresources.com
CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING
STATEMENTS
Information in this news release that is not a
statement of historical fact constitutes forward-looking
information. Forward-looking statements contained herein include,
without limitation, statements relating to expected EBITDA and AISC
guidance for Q3 2023; annual production guidance for 2023; planned
production expansion resulting from Mpama South; the timing for
commissioning of the Mpama South processing plant; timing and plans
regarding underground development and the total development cost of
the Mpama South project; expected allocation of capital for 2023;
expected benefits of the higher underground development rate at
Mpama North; and expected reversal of negative liquidity impact
from the damaged bridge on the primary import/export route in Q4
2023. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions
management believes to be reasonable at the time such statements
are made. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove
to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ
materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly,
readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking
statements. Although Alphamin has attempted to identify important
factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from
those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other
factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or
intended. Factors that may cause actual results to differ
materially from expected results described in forward-looking
statements include, but are not limited to: uncertainties regarding
Mpama North and Mpama South estimates of the expected mined tin
grades, processing plant performance and recoveries, uncertainties
regarding the underground conditions for development, uncertainties
regarding supply chain and logistics for purposes of Mpama South
equipment deliveries and the impact on the timing thereof,
uncertainties regarding global supply and demand for tin and market
and sales prices, uncertainties with respect to social, community
and environmental impacts, uninterupted access to required
infrastructure and third party service providers, adverse political
events and risks of security related incidents which may impact the
operation or safety of its people, uncertainties regarding the
legislative requirements in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
which may result in unexpected fines and penalties, impacts of the
global Covid-19 pandemic or other health crises on mining
operations and commodity prices as well as those risk factors set
out in the Company’s annual Management Discussion and Analysis and
other disclosure documents available under the Company’s profile at
www.sedar.com. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made
as of the date of this news release and Alphamin disclaims any
obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a
result of new information, future events or results or otherwise,
except as required by applicable securities laws.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its
regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the
policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for
the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
USE OF NON-IFRS FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE
MEASURES
This announcement refers to the following
non-IFRS financial performance measures:
EBITDA
EBITDA is profit before net finance expense,
income taxes and depreciation, depletion, and amortization. EBITDA
provides insight into our overall business performance (a
combination of cost management and growth) and is the corresponding
flow driver towards the objective of achieving industry-leading
returns. This measure assists readers in understanding the ongoing
cash generating potential of the business including liquidity to
fund working capital, servicing debt, and funding capital
expenditures and investment opportunities.
This measure is not recognized under IFRS as it
does not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and is
therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented
by other issuers. EBITDA data is intended to provide additional
information and should not be considered in isolation or as a
substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with
IFRS.
AISC
This measures the costs to produce and sell a
tonne of contained tin plus the capital sustaining costs to
maintain the mine, processing plant and infrastructure. AISC
includes mine operating production expenses such as mining,
processing, administration, indirect charges (including surface
maintenance and camp and tailings dam construction costs), smelting
costs and deductions, refining and freight, distribution, royalties
and product marketing fees and corporate costs. AISC does not
include depreciation, depletion and amortization, reclamation
expenses, borrowing costs and exploration expenses.
Sustaining capital expenditures (Sustaining
capex) are defined as those expenditures which do not increase
contained tin production at a mine site and excludes all
expenditures at the Company’s projects and certain expenditures at
the Company’s operating sites which are deemed expansionary in
nature.
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