Centamin plc Results for the Quarter ended 31 March 2016
Centamin plc ("Centamin" or the "Company") (LSE: CEY, TSX: CEE) is pleased to announce its unaudited results for the three months ended 31 March 2016.
Operational Highlights
· Gold production of 125,268 ounces was a 6% increase on Q4 2015 and 16% higher than Q1 2015.
· Cash cost of production of US$603 per ounce and all-in sustaining costs (AISC) of US$758 per ounce.
· Unchanged 2016 annual guidance of 470,000 ounces at US$680 per ounce cash cost of production and US$900 per ounce AISC.
· Process plant throughput of 2.88Mt was 5% above the base case target rate of 11Mtpa, with scope over the coming quarters for further throughput increases through ongoing optimisation.
· Open pit mining total material movement of 15.2Mt was a quarterly record with the full annualised rate of 66Mt reached, as scheduled, for the expanded operation in March.
· Underground mining rates and average grades were above the forecast average for the full year.
· Continued positive results from underground exploration drilling at Sukari supports the potential for further resource and reserve expansion.
· Exploration continues to support the potential for near-surface and high-grade economic mineralisation in Burkina Faso. Encouraging results from initial drilling programmes in Côte d'Ivoire.
Financial Highlights
· EBITDA of US$67.5 million was up 42% on Q4 2015 and up 27% on Q1 2015.
· Basic earnings per share 3.56 US cents, up 3.75 US cents on Q4 2015 and up 1.06 US cents on Q1 2015.
· Centamin remains debt-free and un-hedged with cash, bullion on hand, gold sales receivable and available-for-sale financial assets of US$275.7 million at 31 March 2016, up 19.5% on Q4 2015.
Legal Developments in Egypt
· The Supreme Administrative Court appeal and Diesel Fuel Oil court case are both still on-going. With the potential for the legal process in Egypt to be lengthy, Centamin anticipates a number of hearings and adjournments before decisions are reached. Any enforcement of the Administrative Court decision has been suspended pending the appeal ruling.