ALPHAMIN ANNOUNCES RECORD QUARTERLY TIN PRODUCTION/ Q2 2022 EBITDA OF US$67m/ DIVIDEND DECLARED
GRAND BAIE, MAURITIUS, July 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 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 operational update for the quarter ended June 2022:
- Record quarterly tin production of 3,180 tonnes
- Q2 EBITDA3 of US$67m
- Interim dividend for FY2022 of CAD$0.03 per share declared on 5 July 2022
Operational and Financial Summary for the Quarter ended June 20222
| Description | Units | Actual | |||
| Quarter ended June 2022 | Quarter ended March 2022 | Change | |||
| Ore Processed | Tonnes | 112,569 | 105,565 | 7 | % |
| Tin Grade Processed | % Sn | 3.65 | 3.73 | -2 | % |
| Overall Plant Recovery | % | 77.3 | 77.7 | -1 | % |
| Contained Tin Produced | Tonnes | 3,180 | 3,061 | 4 | % |
| Contained Tin Sold | Tonnes | 3,229 | 3,336 | -3 | % |
| EBITDA3 | US$'000 | 67,004 | 98,104 | -32 | % |
| AISC3 | US$/t sold | 14,677 | 15,782 | -7 | % |
| Net Cash3 (Cash less debt) | US$'000 | 138,146 | 129,775 | 6 | % |
| Tin Price Achieved | US$/t | 35,345 | 43,834 | -19 | % |
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1Data obtained from International Tin Association Tin Industry Review Update 2021 2Production information is disclosed on a 100% basis. Alphamin indirectly owns 84.14% of its operating subsidiary to which the information relates. Totals may not add due to rounding effects. 3This 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 – Q2 2022
Contained tin production of 3,180 tonnes represents a quarterly record, 4% above the previous quarter. Underground mining and processing plant recoveries were in line with expectations. Year-to-date contained tin production of 6,241 tonnes exceeded the run-rate to achieve market guidance of 12,000 tonnes for the year ending December 2022. We expect contained tin production and sales of approximately 3,000 tonnes for the quarter ending September 2022.
AISC per tonne of tin sold decreased by 7% to US$14,677 following a 4% increase in production and the impact of lower tin prices on off-mine costs related to product marketing fees, royalties, export duties and smelter payables.
EBITDA for Q2 2022 amounted to US$67m (Q1: US$98m) at an average achieved tin price of US$35,345/t (Q1: US$43,834/t). In addition to a higher tin price, the previous quarter’s sales volumes included a catch-up from delayed sales during Q4 2021.
The Alphamin consolidated Net Cash position increased by US$8,3 million during Q2 2022 to US$138.1 million. This increase is after a FY2021 corporate tax payment of US$43.5 million to the DRC government in April 2022.
Alphamin’s unaudited consolidated financial statements and accompanying Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the quarter ended 30 June 2022 have been filed and are available under the Company’s profile at www.sedar.com.
Interim FY2022 Dividend Declared
On 5 July 2022, the Board resolved to declare an interim FY2022 cash dividend of CAD$0.03 per share on the common shares (approximately US$30m in the aggregate) (the “Dividend”). The Dividend will be payable on 5 August 2022 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on 29 July 2022. Dividend distributions will be considered semi-annually based on excess free cash after taking account of capital funding requirements, including for the new Mpama South expansion project.
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.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Maritz Smith
CEO
Alphamin Resources Corp.
Tel: +230 269 4166
E-mail: msmith@alphaminresources.com
JSE Sponsor
Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking, a division of Nedbank Limited
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 contained tin production guidance for Q3 2022 and FY 2022. 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 estimates of the expected mined tin grades, processing plant performance and recoveries, uncertainties with respect to social, community and environmental impacts, uninterupted access to required infrastructure and third party service providers, adverse political and geopolitical events, 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 on mining operations and commodity prices as well as those risk factors set out in the Company’s 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.
NET CASH
Net cash is defined as cash and cash equivalents less total current and non-current portions of interest-bearing debt and lease liabilities.
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. AISC does not include depreciation, depletion, and amortization, reclamation expenses, borrowing costs and exploration expenses.
Sustaining capital expenditures 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.
| Reconciliation of operating profit to EBITDA | Q2 2022 | Q1 2022 | Variance | Q2 2022 | Q2 2021 | Variance | |
| Operating Profit | $'000 | 59,534 | 90,438 | -34% | 59,534 | 27,120 | 120% |
| Adjustments; | |||||||
| Depreciation, depletion & amortisation | $'000 | 7,015 | 6,852 | 2% | 7,015 | 6,419 | 9% |
| Depreciation in stock movement | $'000 | 73 | 398 | -82% | 73 | (37) | -297% |
| Borrowing costs in G&A | $'000 | 20 | 12 | 67% | 20 | 383 | -95% |
| Share based payments in G&A | $'000 | 235 | 278 | -15% | 235 | 85 | 176% |
| Depreciation in G&A | $'000 | 127 | 126 | 1% | 127 | 107 | 19% |
| EBITDA 2,3 | $'000 | 67,004 | 98,104 | -32% | 67,004 | 34,077 | 97% |
Further information on the calculation of our EBITDA and AISC is contained on pages 5 and 6 of our Management’s Discussion and Analysis – Quarterly Highlights dated July 26, 2022 which has been filed and available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and is incorporated by reference herein.
