Centamin plc Results for the Third Quarter and Nine Months Ended 30 September 2017
Centamin plc ("Centamin", the "Group" or "the Company") (LSE: CEY, TSX: CEE) is pleased to announce its results for the third quarter and nine months ended 30 September 2017.
Q3 2017 Operational Highlights (1),(2)
· Record quarterly gold production of 156,533 ounces was a 26% increase on Q2 2017 and 5% higher than Q3 2016.
· Q3 2017 cash cost of production and all-in sustaining costs (AISC) remain well controlled resulting in unit cash cost of production of US$483 per ounce produced and unit AISC of US$732 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.
· Quarterly throughput of 3.0 million tonnes from Sukari process plant, a slight decrease of 2% on Q2 2017 and an increase of 7% on Q3 2016 performance.
· Amun / Ptah underground operations delivered 302kt at a grade of 7.98g/t to the ROM pad with mill feed from underground of 305kt at 8.07g/t during the period.
· Third successive record quarterly open-pit material movement of 18.6 million tonnes.
· Continued positive results from underground exploration drilling at Sukari at both Amun / Ptah and Cleopatra and further encouraging drill results received from Côte d'Ivoire.
· Development of the Cleopatra exploration decline, located in the north-east of Sukari Hill, advanced 153 metres.
Financial Highlights (1),(2)
· Q3 2017 EBITDA of US$103.6 million up 57% from Q2 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$45 million in the third quarter, US$96 million year to date.
· Cash at bank, bullion on hand, gold sales receivable and available-for-sale financial assets as at 30 September 2017 of US$345.8 million, following an interim dividend payment of US$29.0 million.
· The Egyptian state has benefitted directly from profit share payments to EMRA of US$76.6 million during the first nine months of 2017 in addition to US$14.5 million in royalties.
· Quarterly basic earnings per share (after profit share) of 3.41 US cents, an increase from 1.10 US cents in Q2 2017, due primarily to higher EBITDA offset by higher profit share payments.