TSX: ELD NYSE: EGO
VANCOUVER, Jan. 20, 2015 /CNW/ - Eldorado Gold Corporation,
("Eldorado" or "the Company") is pleased to report the Company's
2014 operating results and preliminary cash costs, and to provide
production and cash cost guidance for 2015.
Highlights
- Record gold production of 789,224 ounces (including
Olympias production from tailings retreatment), in-line with
original 2014 guidance of 730,000-800,000 ounces of gold.
- 2014 all-in sustaining cash costs averaged
$780 per ounce; cash operating
costs averaged $500 per
ounce.
- Significant advancement of construction at Skouries:
completion of the mill foundations; installation of the SAG and
ball mills; and construction of the tailings dam began during the
fourth quarter.
- Closed the year with total liquidity of approximately
$875 million, including
$500 million in cash, cash
equivalents and term deposits, and $375
million in lines of credit.
- 2015 forecast gold production estimated to be
640,000-700,000 ounces of gold at an average cash
cost ranging between $570-615
per ounce, and an all-in sustaining cash cost between
$960-995 per ounce.
- An eligible dividend of CDN $0.01 per common share will be paid on
February 16, 2015.
"The Company delivered another solid year with
all of our mines either meeting or exceeding the original 2014
guidance. Costs were kept within the lower quartile of the
industry average, crucial when we are faced with a period when
metal prices remain depressed across the board." said Paul Wright, Chief Executive Officer of
Eldorado.
"We are driving our development projects forward
and I would like to highlight the significant progress made during
2014 at Skouries. The mill foundations and the installation
of the SAG and regrind mills were completed and installation of the
ball mill will be completed in the second quarter. We look forward
to advancing Skouries throughout 2015, along with commencing
construction on the Olympias Phase II Project. These are two
mines of exceptional quality, which will add significantly to
Eldorado's growth profile in
2017. Progress also continues to be made in resolving the
outstanding permit approvals at our Eastern Dragon project where
the Company plans on commencing operations prior to year-end
2015."
Eldorado's
year-end financial statements are scheduled to be released on
February 19, 2015. The final
calculation of capital and operating costs has not yet been
completed, but all-in sustaining costs for the fourth quarter and
2014 are expected to be approximately $764 and $780 per
ounce of gold, respectively. Cash costs for the year averaged
approximately $500 and $505 for the fourth quarter 2014.
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2014 Operating Results |
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2014 Q4 |
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2014 |
Realized Gold Price ($/oz) |
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1,199 |
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1,266 |
Gold Sold (oz) |
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203,952 |
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774,522 |
Gold Produced (oz) 1 |
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199,572 |
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789,224 |
Cash Cost ($/oz) |
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505 |
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500 |
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Kisladag |
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Gold Sold (oz) |
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89,410 |
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311,451 |
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Gold Produced (oz) |
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89,148 |
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311,233 |
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Tonnes to Pad |
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4,687,620 |
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15,501,790 |
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Grade (g/t) |
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0.96 |
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1.01 |
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Cash cost ($/oz) |
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464 |
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443 |
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Jinfeng |
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Gold Sold (oz) |
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42,177 |
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168,432 |
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Gold Produced (oz) |
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42,219 |
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168,503 |
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Tonnes Milled |
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380,818 |
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1,470,824 |
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Grade (g/t) |
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3.92 |
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3.99 |
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Cash cost ($/oz) |
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531 |
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575 |
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Tanjianshan |
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Gold Sold (oz) |
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28,058 |
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107,614 |
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Gold Produced (oz) |
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28,058 |
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107,614 |
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Tonnes Milled |
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221,741 |
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1,045,440 |
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Grade (g/t) |
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4.73 |
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3.70 |
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Cash cost ($/oz) |
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359 |
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389 |
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White Mountain |
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Gold Sold (oz) |
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19,705 |
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85,308 |
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Gold Produced (oz) |
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19,705 |
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85,308 |
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Tonnes Milled |
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217,859 |
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850,782 |
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Grade (g/t) |
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3.45 |
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3.47 |
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Cash cost ($/oz) |
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638 |
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617 |
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Efemcukuru |
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Gold Sold (oz) |
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24,602 |
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101,717 |
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Gold Produced (oz) |
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19,988 |
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98,829 |
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Tonnes Milled |
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112,703 |
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436,852 |
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Grade (g/t) |
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7.77 |
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8.34 |
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Cash cost ($/oz) |
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674 |
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573 |
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Olympias |
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Gold Sold (oz) |
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- |
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- |
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Gold Produced (oz) 2 |
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454 |
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17,737 |
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Tonnes Milled |
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175,244 |
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625,345 |
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Grade (g/t) |
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2.27 |
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2.70 |
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Cash cost ($/oz) |
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n/a |
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n/a |
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1 Includes Olympias tailings
retreatment
2 All tailings retreatment |
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2014 Operating Results (Continued) |
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2014 Q4 |
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Stratoni
(Lead/Zinc Concentrate) |
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Tonnes Sold (oz) |
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12,129 |
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Tonnes Produced (oz) |
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50,634 |
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Cash cost ($/t) |
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821 |
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Vila Nova (Iron
Ore) |
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Tonnes Sold (oz) |
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84,652 |
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Tonnes Produced (oz) |
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175,763 |
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Cash cost ($/t) |
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34 |
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Throughout this press release we use cash operating cost per
ounce, all-in sustaining cost per ounce, gross profit from gold
mining operations, adjusted net earnings and cash flow from
operating activities before changes in non-cash working capital as
additional measures of Company performance. These are non
IFRS measures. Please see page 11 of the Third Quarter
MD&A for an explanation and discussion of these non IFRS
measures. All dollar amounts are stated in US $ unless stated
otherwise.
2015 Guidance
Mine |
2015
Production
(Au oz) |
Cash
Costs
($/oz) |
Sustaining Capital
Expenditure ($ M) |
Kisladag |
230,000-245,000 |
600-650 |
70 |
Efemcukuru |
90,000-100,000 |
550-600 |
25 |
Jinfeng |
135,000-145,000 |
660-700 |
30 |
Tanjianshan |
90,000-100,000 |
475-500 |
20 |
White Mountain |
70,000-75,000 |
650-690 |
20 |
Olympias |
20,000-25,000 1 |
N/A |
0 |
Eastern Dragon |
5,000-10,000 |
100-125 |
0 |
Total |
640,000-700,000
2 |
570-615 |
165 |
1All tailings retreatment
2 Includes Olympias tailings retreatment
Principal assumptions used in the preparation of
guidance for 2015 include:
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Gold Price |
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$1,200/oz |
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CAD vs USD 1.10 |
Silver Price |
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$20/oz |
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RMB vs USD 6.00 |
Lead Price |
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$2,300/tonne |
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REAL vs USD 2.45 |
Zinc Price |
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$2,400/tonne |
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USD vs EUR 1.20 |
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TRL vs USD 2.40 |
Turkey
In 2015, Kisladag is expected to place
17.5 million tonnes of ore on the leach pad at a grade of 0.70
grams per tonne gold, including 4.6 million tonnes of run of mine
(ROM) ore. The increase in costs are mainly grade related due to
ore being mined from a lower grade portion of a new pit phase.
Sustaining capital expenditures for the year are estimated
to be $70 million, mainly on
capitalized waste stripping and construction projects. The
Company has decided to defer the completion of the Phase Four
expansion as a result of prioritizing capital allocation in a
period of weaker gold prices. This decision will result in a
smaller open pit and subsequent reduction in reserves.
Efemcukuru is expected to mine and
process 450,000 tonnes of ore at a grade of 7.69 grams per tonne
gold. Sustaining capital expenditures for 2015 are estimated to be
approximately $25 million, spent
primarily on underground mine development, equipment to mine
narrower veins, equipment rebuilds and tailings dam
construction.
Greece
During 2015, Stratoni is expected to
process 190,000 tonnes of ore at grades of 6.6% lead, 9.3% zinc and
184 grams per tonne silver. Sustaining capital costs for the
year are expected to total $6
million, which includes underground equipment rebuilds and
replacement, environmental infrastructure and exploration.
Development work at Skouries is planned
to continue through 2015. Approximately $200 million in development capital has been
budgeted for the year's development plans, which includes advancing
the plant construction, continuing with construction of the
tailings dam and the exploratory drift for delineation and
exploration drilling underground. Construction at Skouries is
expected to be completed in late 2016.
Olympias Phase I tailings re-processing
will continue during 2015 and an additional 20,000 ounces of gold
are expected to be recovered. Capital spending in 2015 is
planned for $110 million. This
includes continuing the Stratoni-Olympias access decline,
underground mine development, another phase of construction on the
Kokkanolikas tailings dam, and Phase II plant construction.
Commissioning of the plant is expected in mid-2016. A total
of 350,000-400,000 tonnes per year of ore will be treated during
Phase II to recover three products consisting of lead/silver
concentrate, zinc concentrate and a gold concentrate. These
products will go to market as per our current arrangements for both
Stratoni and Olympias concentrates.
China
At White Mountain, the Company expects to
process 830,000 tonnes of ore at a grade of 3.28 grams per tonne
gold. Sustaining capital costs will be approximately
$20 million in 2015. This includes
underground mine development, tailings dam lift and some
underground equipment rebuilds.
Jinfeng will process 1.3 million tonnes
of ore at a grade of 3.95 grams per tonne gold. The ore will
be primarily sourced from the underground operations, with the open
pit operations being completed early in 2015. Sustaining capital
costs for 2015 are estimated at $30
million. Major capital items include underground
development, underground equipment rebuilds and a new ventilation
shaft.
At Tanjianshan, the Company expects to
process 1.1 million tonnes of ore at a grade of 3.36 grams per
tonne in 2015. Sustaining capital spending is budgeted at
$20 million in 2015. This will be
spent on capitalised waste stripping, underground development at
Qinlongtan and tailings dam expansion.
Finally, at Eastern Dragon, the Company
plans to spend approximately $35
million in development capital over the summer months of
2015 to complete the construction of the waste dump, tailings
facility and pre-stripping works. The Company expects to
process 22,000 tonnes of ore at a grade of 14.75 grams per tonne
gold. Initial 2015 production is scheduled for late in the
year, and the Company expects to produce between 5,000-10,000
ounces of gold.
Romania
The Company's plans for Certej are
progressing on schedule. The Feasibility study that commenced
during the third quarter 2014 is scheduled for completion in the
second quarter of this year. For 2015, the Company expects to
spend approximately $25 million at
Certej, primarily on land acquisition, the feasibility study and
site development costs.
Brazil
At Vila Nova, the Company has moved
forward with the decision to place the iron ore mine on care and
maintenance due to the depressed iron ore market price.
The Tocantinzhino project, which had been
undergoing a feasibility study optimization throughout 2014, has
also been placed on hold. The Company will spend $4 million in capital during 2015, primarily on
permitting, engineering and general site costs.
2015 Financial Outlook
The Company's balance sheet remains one of the
strongest amongst its peers, with approximately $500 million in cash, cash equivalents and term
deposits and $375 million in undrawn
credit lines. Sustaining capital for gold mining operations
in 2015 is estimated to be approximately $165 million, of which approximately $65 million is associated with sustaining
production in years subsequent to 2015. Planned expenditures
for new mining development total $345
million which includes $200
million for the continued construction of the Skouries
project.
Exploration expenditures in 2015 are budgeted at
$40 million, with a balanced focus on
resource delineation and brownfield drilling at existing
operations, testing known structures, and project generation.
Depreciation, depletion and amortization expense
is expected to be approximately $260
per ounce of gold sold, subject to the Company completing its year
end 2014 reserve and resource calculation.
Dividend
The Company is declaring that it will pay an
eligible dividend of CDN $0.01 per
common share on February 16, 2015 to
the holders of the Company's outstanding shares as of close of
business on the record date of February 2,
2015.
About Eldorado Gold
Eldorado is a
leading low cost gold producer with mining, development and
exploration operations in Turkey,
China, Greece, Romania and Brazil. The Company's success to date is
based on a low cost strategy, a highly skilled and dedicated
workforce, safe and responsible operations, and long-term
partnerships with the communities where it operates.
Eldorado's common shares trade on
the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: ELD) and the New York Stock
Exchange (NYSE: EGO).
Certain of the statements made herein may
contain forward-looking statements or information within the
meaning of the United States
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable
Canadian securities laws. Often, but not always,
forward-looking statements and forward-looking information can be
identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is
expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts",
"intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negatives thereof or
variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain
actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or
"will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements
or information herein include, but are not limited, to statements
or information with respect to the Company's 2014 Production
Results and 2015 Guidance.
Forward-looking statements and
forward-looking information by their nature are based on
assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and
other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or
achievements of the Company to be materially different from any
future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by
such forward-looking statements or information. We have made
certain assumptions about the forward-looking statements and
information, including assumptions about the legal restrictions
regarding the payment of dividends by the Company; assumptions
about the price of gold; anticipated costs and expenditures;
estimated production, mineral reserves and metallurgical
recoveries; financial position, reserves and resources and gold
production; and the ability to achieve our goals. Although our
management believes that the assumptions made and the expectations
represented by such statements or information are reasonable, there
can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements or
information will prove to be accurate. Furthermore, should
one or more of the risks, uncertainties or other factors
materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect,
actual results may vary materially from those described in
forward-looking statements or information. These risks,
uncertainties and other factors include, among others, the
following: gold price volatility; risks of not meeting production
and cost targets; discrepancies between actual and estimated
production, mineral reserves and resources and metallurgical
recoveries; mining operational and development risk; litigation
risks; regulatory restrictions, including environmental regulatory
restrictions and liability; risks of sovereign investment and
operating in foreign countries; currency fluctuations; speculative
nature of gold exploration; global economic climate; dilution;
share price volatility; competition; loss of key employees;
additional funding requirements; and defective title to mineral
claims or property, as well as those factors discussed in the
sections entitled "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors"
in the Company's Annual Information Form & Form 40-F dated
March 28, 2014
There can be no assurance that
forward-looking statements or information will prove to be
accurate, as actual results and future events could differ
materially from those anticipated in such statements.
Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on the
forward-looking statements or information contained herein.
Except as required by law, we do not expect to update
forward-looking statements and information continually as
conditions change and you are referred to the full discussion of
the Company's business contained in the Company's reports filed
with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada and the U.S.
SOURCE Eldorado Gold Corporation