Toronto Stock Exchange - EXN
TORONTO, May 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ - Excellon Resources
Inc. (TSX:EXN) ("Excellon" or "the Company"), Mexico's highest grade silver producer, is
pleased to report financial results for the three month periods
ended March 31, 2013 and 2012.
Q1 2013 Highlights
- Production of 495,529 silver equivalent ounces from the
100%-owned and royalty free La Platosa Mine in Durango, Mexico, including:
-
- Ore grades of 591 g/t (17.24 oz/T) Ag, 6.35% Pb and
10.01% Zn;
- 312,167 ounces Ag;
- 2,161,223 lb Pb; and
- 3,506,965 lb Zn;
- Net cash costs per silver ounce of $6.96(1) remain among the lowest in
the industry due to increased production tonnage and strong
byproduct credits;
- Net loss of $601,000 for
the quarter;
- Expenditures during the period include $4.8 million on successful exploration in
Mexico and Canada, with a combined total of over 26,000
metres of diamond drilling;
- Financial position remains strong, with cash, marketable
securities and trade receivables growing to $11.5 million at the end of the
period;
- High-grade drill results at each of our projects in
Mexico and Canada, including:
-
- La Platosa: 7.25 g/t Au and 3.57% Zn over 13.1 metres
("m") in LP1038 and 123 g/t Ag, 4.42% Pb, 5.05% Zn over 6.23 m
in LP1044;
- Beschefer: 55.60 g/t Au over 5.57 m in
BE13-035;
- DeSantis: 2.16 g/t Au over 31.70 m, including 4.09 g/t Au
over 7.20 m, in DS11-016F.
"During the first quarter of 2013, we were
focused on an intensive drill program with seven rigs on three of
our properties," stated Brendan
Cahill, President and Chief Executive Officer. "We
were successful on all three of these programs, with significant
Source-style intersections at La Platosa and the first occurrences
of high-grade gold on the project, and high-grade gold results from
both of our Canadian projects. These results add to our long
term exploration potential and enhance the value of both our La
Platosa and Canadian projects."
Mr. Cahill continued, "As we shift our
strategy during the second quarter to focus on optimizing
high-grade production and increasing mine life, we expect to see a
rapid return to profitability, despite lower than expected silver
prices and the recent mining of lower grade areas of the
mine. With a rebound in the silver price and our expected
return in the coming months to mining 700 g/t to 800 g/t silver
mineralization, we expect our profitability to improve and cash
costs per ounce to decrease significantly."
Financial and Operating Highlights
Financial results for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:
|
|
|
Three months ended
March 31, |
|
|
|
2013 |
|
|
2012 |
|
|
|
$000's |
|
|
$000's |
Revenue |
|
|
10,055 |
|
|
13,106 |
Cost of sales |
|
|
(5,963) |
|
|
(4,841) |
|
|
|
4,092 |
|
|
8,265 |
Expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Corporate administration |
|
|
(1,783) |
|
|
(1,804) |
|
Exploration |
|
|
(4,839) |
|
|
(2,080) |
|
Other |
|
|
2,093 |
|
|
2,204 |
Income tax recovery (expense) |
|
|
(164) |
|
|
(965) |
Net income (loss) |
|
|
(601) |
|
|
5,620 |
Other comprehensive income (loss) |
|
|
(850) |
|
|
78 |
Total comprehensive income
(loss) |
|
|
(1,451) |
|
|
5,698 |
Mine production for the three months periods
ended March 31, 2013 and 2012 are as
follows:
|
Three months ended
March 31, |
|
|
|
2013 |
|
|
2012 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tonnes of ore processed |
|
|
18,361 |
|
|
17,132 |
Ore grades: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Silver (g/t) |
|
|
591 |
|
|
949 |
|
Silver (oz/T) |
|
|
17.24 |
|
|
27.68 |
|
Lead (%) |
|
|
6.35 |
|
|
6.60 |
|
Zinc (%) |
|
|
10.01 |
|
|
10.61 |
Recoveries: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Silver (%) |
|
|
93.7 |
|
|
91.9 |
|
Lead (%) |
|
|
84.8 |
|
|
77.1 |
|
Zinc (%) |
|
|
83.8 |
|
|
84.4 |
Production: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Silver - (oz) |
|
|
312,167 |
|
|
436,351 |
|
Silver equivalent ounces (oz) |
|
|
495,529(2) |
|
|
588,027(2) |
|
Lead - (lb) |
|
|
2,161,223 |
|
|
1,902,028 |
|
Zinc - (lb) |
|
|
3,506,965 |
|
|
3,254,953 |
Sales: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Silver ounces- (oz) |
|
|
302,466 |
|
|
402,096 |
|
Silver equivalent ounces
(oz) |
|
|
476,281(2) |
|
|
541,433(2) |
|
Lead - (lb) |
|
|
2,092,963 |
|
|
1,716,172 |
|
Zinc - (lb) |
|
|
3,275,191 |
|
|
3,021,294 |
Realized prices: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Silver - ($US/oz) |
|
|
27.60 |
|
|
33.90 |
|
Lead - ($US/lb) |
|
|
0.95 |
|
|
0.96 |
|
Zinc - ($US/lb) |
|
|
0.87 |
|
|
0.97 |
(1) This is a non-IFRS performance measure. Silver
equivalence is a weighted volume average based on market spot
prices for silver, lead and zinc during the period. The
previously stated net cash cost amount of $6.64 for the quarter was
adjusted upward based on final reconciliation with the concentrate
purchaser.
(2) This is a non-IFRS performance measure. Silver equivalent
ounces produced in Q1 2013 and Q1 2012 were established based on
realized prices for silver, lead and zinc during the applicable
period being applied to the recovered metal content of the
concentrates. Realized prices were approximately US$29 per oz
Ag, US$1.00 per lb Pb and US$0.90 per lb Zn during Q1 2013 and
US$34 per oz Ag, US$1.00 per lb Pb and US$1.00 per lb Zn during Q1
2012. |
|
Note: "t"= tonne; "T"= ton |
Qualified Person
The Company's exploration programs are supervised by John Sullivan, Vice-President of Exploration,
and he has acted as the Qualified Person, as defined in National
Instrument 43-101, for this disclosure.
About Excellon
An Evolution in High Grade Silver:
Excellon's 100%-owned La Platosa Mine in Durango is Mexico's highest grade silver mine, with lead
and zinc by-products making it one of the lowest cash cost silver
mines in the country. The Company is positioning itself to
capitalize on undervalued projects by focusing on increasing La
Platosa's profitable silver production and near term mineable
resources.
The Toronto Stock Exchange has not reviewed
and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of
the content of this Press Release, which has been prepared by
management. This press release contains forward-looking statements
within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section
27E of the Exchange Act. Such statements include, without
limitation, statements regarding the future results of operations,
performance and achievements of the Company, including potential
property acquisitions, the timing, content, cost and results of
proposed work programs, the discovery and delineation of mineral
deposits/resources/reserves, geological interpretations, proposed
production rates, potential mineral recovery processes and rates,
business and financing plans, business trends and future operating
revenues. Although the Company believes that such statements are
reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will
prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically
identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend,
estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which,
by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions
investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are
not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual
results may differ materially from those in forward looking
statements as a result of various factors, including, but not
limited to, variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any
mineral deposits that may be located, significant downward
variations in the market price of any minerals produced
[particularly silver], the Company's inability to obtain any
necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for its
activities, to produce minerals from its properties successfully or
profitably, to continue its projected growth, to raise the
necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business
strategies. All of the Company's public disclosure filings may be
accessed via www.sedar.com and readers are urged to review these
materials, including the technical reports filed with respect to
the Company's mineral properties, and particularly the November 22, 2011 NI 43-101-compliant technical
report prepared by Roscoe Postle Associates Inc. with respect to
the Platosa Property. This press release is not, and is not to be
construed in any way as, an offer to buy or sell securities in
the United States.
SOURCE Excellon Resources Inc.