Centamin plc Results for the Second Quarter and Six Months Ended 30 June 2017
Centamin plc ("Centamin", the "Group" or "the Company") (LSE: CEY, TSX: CEE) is pleased to announce its results for the second quarter ended 30 June 2017.
Q2 2017 Operational Highlights (1),(2)
· Gold production of 124,641 ounces was a 14% increase on Q1 2017 and 11% lower than Q2 2016.
· Cash cost of production and all-in sustaining costs (AISC) remain well controlled resulting in unit cash cost of production of US$609 per ounce and unit AISC of US$829 per ounce sold.
· Full year 2017 guidance maintained at 540,000 ounces, with US$580 per ounce cash cost of production and US$790 per ounce AISC.
· Record quarterly throughput of 3.06 million tonnes from Sukari process plant, an increase of 5% on Q1 2017 and of 4% on Q2 2016 performance.
· Amun / Ptah underground operations delivered 293kt at a grade of 8.79g/t to the ROM pad with mill feed from underground of 276kt at 7.74g/t during the period.
· Record open-pit material movement of 17,493 million tonnes. Mining of the east wall cutback was completed during quarter as planned, allowing open-pit mining to move to higher grade sectors.
· Continued positive results from underground exploration drilling at Sukari at both Amun / Ptah and Cleopatra.
· Development of the Cleopatra exploration decline, located in the north-east of Sukari Hill, advanced 407 metres. Encouraging initial results from diamond drilling over 5,231 metres.
Financial Highlights (1),(2)
· Interim dividend per share of 2.5 US cents, a 25% increase on 2016 interim payment and in line with Centamin's stated policy of returning free cash flow to shareholders.
· EBITDA of US$66 million up 24% from Q1 2017 due to an increase in both sales volumes and average realised gold price.
· Strong cash flow generation with free cash flow generation of US$50.8 million year to date.
· Cash at bank, bullion on hand, gold sales receivable and available-for-sale financial assets as at 30 June 2017 of US$333.6 million.
· The Egyptian state has benefitted directly from profit share payments to EMRA of US$41.2 million during H1 2017 (in line with guidance for 2017) in addition to US$8.7 million in royalty payments.
· Quarterly basic earnings per share (after profit share) of 1.10 US cents, a decrease on Q1 2017 due to non-cash and non-recurring items as well as higher profit share payments.