744 0 Kommentare San Gold Reports 2014 Second Quarter Results

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA--(Marketwired - Aug. 11, 2014) - San Gold Corporation (TSX:SGR)(OTCQX:SGRCF) today reported 2014 second quarter financial and operating results.

During the quarter, the Company produced 11,375 ounces of gold and recognized a quarterly loss from operations of $4.2 million and a total and comprehensive loss of $8.5 million. Exploration expenses decreased by $5.6 million and depletion expense decreased by $3.0 million. Additionally, capital expenditures were reduced by $8.6 million or 51% compared with Q2 2013. These savings were offset by a total reduction in revenues of $10.4 million or 34% compared with last year.

The Company implemented a number of new operating principles during the quarter, including stricter grade control, better cost control, reduced capital expenditures and lower overall overheads. A new mine plan was also developed that optimizes the mining rate to better match the geometry of the Rice Lake ore bodies. Accordingly, 2014 production guidance has been updated to between 50,000 and 55,000 ounces of gold. Cost savings associated with this new production target are expected to result in a significant reduction in cash costs through the remainder of the year, achieving cash costs by year end of between $700 and $800.

"The Company has made tremendous progress in reshaping itself over the past four months. We have a new mine plan in place that provides us with clear, achievable targets and a direct path to profitability. We also have a significant opportunity ahead of us, with multiple high- grade gold projects in mining friendly jurisdictions in need of this kind of turnaround. The Kerr transaction in particular would allow us to leverage the knowledge and skills already developed at Rice Lake to restart the high-grade Copperstone mine with little capital requirements," said Greg Gibson, San Gold's Chief Executive Officer.

2014 Second Quarter Highlights:

Completed a comprehensive overhaul of mine site operations and implemented a revised mine plan.
Achieved a mill head grade of 4.18 grams per tonne - a 14% improvement from Q1 2014.
Produced 11,375 ounces of gold.
Milled ore at a throughput of 1,273 tons per day.
Mined ore at a rate of approximately 1,231 tons per day.
Recognized revenue of $20.0 million on gold sales of 14,248 ounces at a realized price of $1,402 per ounce and total cash costs of $1,336 per ounce of gold sold.
Cash flow used by operating activities before changes in non-cash working capital of $1.0 million - a substantial improvement from a use of $5.6 million in Q1 2014.
Recognized loss from operations of $4.2 million and a total and comprehensive loss of $8.5 million.
Had cash and short term investments of $10.4 million as at June 30, 2014.
Appointed Mr. Greg Gibson as CEO effective June 10, 2014.

Review of 2014 Second Quarter Results

During the quarter, the Company's technical committee performed a detailed review of operations to ensure it is well-positioned to take advantage of recent improvements in its cost structure as it shifts production activities to the recently discovered high-grade zones at the eastern extent of the Rice Lake mine. Significant progress was made in the quarter and the Company expects costs to decline going forward and grade to improve significantly as the year progresses. Mill head grade has improved by approximately 14% since the first quarter of 2014 showing that the changes being implemented by the committee have started to be realized at the Rice Lake operations.

The Company produced 11,375 ounces of gold during the quarter compared with 22,526 ounces in the second quarter of 2013. Lower gold production in the second quarter of 2014 relative to the same period of 2013 was primarily the result of the Company's revised mine plan. This resulted in a 29% decrease in tons of material processed by the mill. A 17% decrease in milled head grade was also experienced during the quarter as the Company completed mining operations in previously developed, lower grade districts. Mill recovery was consistent with the second quarter of 2013 despite the lower head grade.

During the second quarter of 2014, the Rice Lake mill processed 115,802 tons of ore at an average grade of 4.18 grams of gold per tonne of ore. The Company achieved a quarterly mill throughput rate of 1,273 tons per day in the second quarter of 2014, a 29% decrease compared to throughput of 1,784 tons per day in the second quarter of 2013. The decrease in mill throughput relative to the prior period was mainly the result of decreased tonnage delivered from the mine. During the second quarter of 2014, the Company mined ore at a quarterly rate of approximately 1,231 tons per day for a total of 112,018 tons, a decrease of 35% compared to the rate of 1,905 tons per day in the same period of 2013. The Company has intentionally reduced its mining rate compared with last year to ensure sufficient development work can be completed to facilitate improved decision making ahead of mining operations.

The Company reports quarterly loss from operations of $4.2 million and a total and comprehensive loss of $8.5 million, compared to income from operations of $3.4 million and a total and comprehensive loss of $3.6 million in the second quarter of 2013. The change in loss from operations is primarily due to reduced gold production and gold sales in the second quarter of 2014. The increase in loss from operations was partially offset by a $4.8 million decrease in depletion expense. The decrease in depletion expense is due to the reduced carrying value of mineral properties resulting from the non-cash impairment charge recognized in the fourth quarter of 2013 and due to the decrease in gold production.

Gold sales revenue in the second quarter of 2014 of $20.0 million was 34% lower than revenues of $30.4 million recognized in the second quarter of 2013. The decrease in gold sales revenue in the second quarter of 2014 is a result of a 35% decrease in the number of ounces sold. The average realized gold price was relatively consistent compared to the second quarter of 2013. The Company sold 14,248 ounces of gold compared with 21,796 ounces of gold in the previous quarter. The Company realized $1,402 per ounce of gold sold, compared to the $1,394 in the previous quarter.

The Company used $1.0 million of cash flow from operating activities before changes in non-cash working capital in the second quarter of 2013, compared with cash flow from operations of $5.0 million in the previous period. After changes in non-cash working capital, operating activities generated $3.9 million in the second quarter of 2014, compared to $5.1 million in the second quarter of 2013.

Capital spending in the second quarter of 2014 was focused on increasing mining capability, improving key infrastructure, and sustaining capital. For the quarter ended June 30, 2014, the Company invested $8.4 million in operating and development capital compared with expenditures of $17.0 million in the same quarter of the prior year.

In the second quarter of 2014, the Company invested $6.6 million in mine development activities and recognized related depletion of $3.1 million, compared to an investment of $12.9 million and depletion of $7.8 million in the same period of the prior year. The Company capitalized $1.8 million of property, plant, and equipment during the second quarter of 2014 compared to $4.1 million in the same quarter of the prior year.

Outlook

The Company made a number of significant changes across the board at its Rice Lake Complex during the second quarter, including the implementation of a new mine plan. The Company is also continuing its comprehensive review of all operating, capital, corporate overhead, and exploration costs as well as evaluating investments that do not directly contribute to the Company's core operations. The focus continues to be on optimizing margins per ounce and finding the most direct path to achieving free cash flows.

The Company is in the process of shifting its mining operations to the newly discovered, high- grade 710/711 district of the Rice Lake mine, with less dependence on the Hinge and 007 mines than in recent years. Mining operations in the Rice Lake mine will continue alongside ongoing capital development projects to accelerate operational access to the down dip extensions of the 007 and Hinge mines. The Company expects recent changes to result in improved grade for the balance of the year and a further decrease in capital development and property, plant and equipment spending requirements.

The objective of the Company's exploration program is to develop a mine complex that can be exploited through existing infrastructure. Exploration activities for the remainder of the year will continue to focus on underground definition and extension drilling targets within the Company's mineral lease for both production planning and exploration purposes. The primary target of this program is the mineralized extensions of the recent 710 and 711 zone discoveries located within a newly discovered hanging wall mining horizon located between the San Antonio and Shoreline Basalt mining units. The 710 and 711 zones have a combined strike length of 500 metres and vertical continuity of approximately 280 metres. The newly discovered mining horizon remains open to surface and to depth and is located very close to existing Rice Lake mine infrastructure. Underground drill bays constructed earlier this year continue providing better access for definition drilling of these and other targets at depth.

The Company is currently reviewing every aspect of its operation, including mining methods, grade control initiatives, mill recovery and supply chain management. As part of this review, the Company is also considering strategic alternatives aimed at growing the Company through new discoveries and potential acquisitions or joint venture opportunities.

Proposed Transaction with Kerr Mines Inc.

The Company has entered into a non-binding Letter of Intent with Kerr Mines Inc. ("Kerr Mines") to merge their respective businesses pursuant to a plan of arrangement.

The proposed transaction would allow the Company to utilize the knowledge, skills, and equipment developed at its Rice Lake mine across multiple projects, most notably at Kerr Mines' 100 per cent owned Copperstone mine. The high grade Copperstone mine will be similar in size to the Rice Lake mine and can be restarted quickly with low capital requirements under a combined management team. This would increase the Company's overall gold production, improve operating and administrative efficiencies and reduce all-in costs. Kerr Mines also owns a number of other highly prospective properties and claims in the Kirkland-Larder Lake-Timmins region including the historic Kerr-Addison mine and a number of adjacent properties. This combination reflects the Company's new strategy of operating multiple, efficient high-grade gold mines that are located in mining friendly jurisdictions. The Company's operating principles of strict grade control, better cost control, lower overheads and operating the mines at the optimum mining rate to properly match the geometry of the ore bodies are paying off at Rice Lake and will be applied to other projects.

2014 Q2 Financial Results Conference Call

The Company's senior management plans to host a conference call on August 12, 2014 at 11 am Eastern Time to discuss the Q2 2014 financial results, and to provide an update of the Company's operating, exploration, and development activities.

Participants may join the conference call by dialing 1 (866) 225-0198 or 1 (416) 340-8061 for participants outside of Canada and the United States. The conference call will also be available by webcast on the Company's website at www.sangold.ca.

A recorded playback of the conference call can be accessed after the event until August 26, 2014 by dialing 1 (800) 408-3053 or 1 (905) 694-9451 for calls outside Canada and the United States. The pass code for the conference call playback is 9786131. The archived audio webcast will also be available on the Company's website at www.sangold.ca.

About San Gold

San Gold is an established Canadian gold producer, explorer, and developer that owns and operates the Rice Lake Mining Complex near Bissett, Manitoba. San Gold is on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "SGR" and on the OTCQX under the symbol "SGRCF".

This press release should be read in conjunction with the Company's consolidated financial statements for the quarter ended June 30, 2014 and associated Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A"), which are available from the Company's website (www.sangold.ca), in the "News & Reports" section under "Financial Statements", and on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).

Cautionary Non-IFRS Statements

The Company believes that investors use certain indicators to assess gold mining companies. They are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). "Total cash operating costs" as used in this analysis is a non-IFRS term typically used by gold mining companies to assess the level of gross margin available to the Company per ounce of gold by subtracting these costs from the unit price realized during the period. This non-IFRS term is also used to assess the ability of a mining company to generate cash flow from operations. There may be some variation in the method of computation of "total cash operating costs" as determined by the Company compared with other mining companies. In this context, "total cash operating costs" reflects the per ounce cash costs allocated from in-process and dore inventory associated with ounces of gold sold in the period and net royalties. "Total cash operating costs" may vary from one period to another due to operating efficiencies, quantity of ore processed, grade of ore processed, and gold recovery rates.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. This news release includes certain "forward- looking statements". All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding forecast gold production, gold grades, recoveries, cash operating costs, potential mineralization, mineral resources, mineral reserves, exploration results, and future plans and objectives of the Company, are forward- looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to mining and processing of mined ore, achieving projected recovery rates, anticipated production rates and mine life, operating efficiencies, costs and expenditures, changes in mineral resources and conversion of mineral resources to proven and probable mineral reserves, and other information that is based on forecasts of future operational or financial results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management.

Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "estimates" or "intends", or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements.

There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include, among others, the actual results of current exploration activities, conclusions of economic evaluations and changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined as well as future prices of precious metals, as well as those factors discussed in the section entitled "Other MD&A Requirements and Additional Disclosure and Risk Factors" in the Company's most recent quarterly Management's Analysis and Discussion ("MD&A"). Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. 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.

Exploration results that include geophysics, sampling, and drill results on wide spacings may not be indicative of the occurrence of a mineral deposit. Such results do not provide assurance that further work will establish sufficient grade, continuity, metallurgical characteristics, and economic potential to be classed as a category of mineral resource. A mineral resource that is classified as "inferred" or "indicated" has a great amount of uncertainty as to its existence and economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that any or part of an "indicated mineral resource" or "inferred mineral resource" will ever be upgraded to a higher category of resource. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into proven and probable reserves.

Cautionary Note to United States and Other Investors Concerning Estimates of Measured, Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources:

This press release uses the terms "Measured", "Indicated", and "Inferred" resources. United States investors are advised that while such terms are recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission does not recognize them. "Inferred Mineral Resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an Inferred Mineral Resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of Inferred Mineral Resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies. United States investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of Measured or Indicated Mineral Resources will ever be converted into Mineral Reserves. United States investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of a Mineral Resource is economically or legally mineable.

Table 1: 2014 Second Quarter Income Statement

SAN GOLD CORPORATION
INTERIM CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF NET LOSS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
(Unaudited)


		Three month period ended						Six month period ended
		June 30			June 30			June 30			June 30
		2014			2013			2014			2013


REVENUE		$	19,972,239		$	30,374,431		$	34,908,337		$	54,694,459

OPERATIONS
	Operations (Note 17)		24,133,353			26,997,444			41,865,833			51,356,518

INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS			(4,161,114	)		3,376,987			(6,957,496	)		3,337,941

	Exploration		129,142			5,708,211			150,737			10,360,046
	General and administrative (Note 18)		1,436,359			1,460,625			4,696,171			6,893,359

LOSS BEFORE OTHER INCOME AND EXPENSES			5,726,615			3,791,849			11,804,404			13,915,464

OTHER INCOME AND EXPENSES
	Finance income - net (Note 19)		(27,729	)		42,572			267,650			(364,365	)
	Finance costs (Note 19)		(2,945,237	)		(1,663,203	)		(4,875,090	)		(2,286,361	)
	Equity loss from associate (Note 8)		(317,550	)		-			(317,550	)		-
	Foreign exchange gain (loss)		517,565			(19,160	)		530,545			(21,027	)

LOSS BEFORE INCOME TAX			8,499,566			5,431,640			16,198,849			16,587,217

Income tax recovery on flow-through shares			-			1,871,574			-			3,359,194

NET LOSS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS FOR THE PERIOD		$	8,499,566		$	3,560,066		$	16,198,849		$	13,228,023

NET LOSS PER COMMON SHARE: (Note 22)
	Basic	$	(0.02	)	$	(0.01	)	$	(0.04	)	$	(0.04	)
	Diluted	$	(0.02	)	$	(0.01	)	$	(0.04	)	$	(0.04	)

Table 2: Financial Summary

	Q2			Q2
	2014			2013

Total and comprehensive income (loss) (000)	$	(8,500	)	$	(3,560	)
Items not affecting cash (000)	$	7,492		$	8,604
Cash provided (used) by operating activities before changes in non-cash working capital (000)	$	(1,008	)	$	5,044
Net change in non-cash working capital (000)	$	4,880		$	22

Cash provided by operating activities (000)	$	3,872		$	5,067

Earnings (loss) per share
- basic	$	(0.02	)	$	(0.01	)
- diluted	$	(0.02	)	$	(0.01	)

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding
- basic		373,390,981			335,230,029
- diluted		373,390,981			335,230,029

Table 3: Production Summary and Statistics

	Q2		Q2		Change		Change
	2014		2013		(#)		(%)

Ore milled (tons)	115,802		162,344		(46,542	)	-29	%
Head grade (g/tonne Au)	4.18		5.05		(0.87	)	-17	%
Contained gold (ounces)	12,115		23,964		(11,849	)	-49	%

Ounces of gold produced	11,375		22,526		(11,151	)	-50	%

Ore mined (tons)	112,018		173,350		(61,332	)	-35	%

Ore milled per day (tons)	1,273		1,784		(511	)	-29	%
Ore mined per day (tons)	1,231		1,905		(674	)	-35	%
Mill recovery (%)	94	%	94	%	-0.1	%	-0.1	%

Table 4: Quarterly Production Summary and Statistics

	Q2		Q1		Q4		Q3		Q2		Q1		Q4		Q3
	2014		2014		2013		2013		2013		2013		2012		2012

Ore milled (tons)	115,802		119,996		148,042		175,311		162,344		156,013		168,088		191,105
Head grade (g/tonne Au)	4.18		3.67		3.78		4.24		5.05		4.15		4.22		5.21
Contained gold (ounces)	12,115		12,830		16,308		21,672		23,964		18,884		20,539		29,029

Ounces of gold produced	11,375		12,083		15,118		20,220		22,526		17,354		19,019		27,084

Ore mined (tons)	112,018		123,868		144,165		167,937		173,350		143,859		171,351		143,949

Ore milled per day (tons)	1,273		1,333		1,609		1,906		1,784		1,733		1,827		2,077
Ore mined per day (tons)	1,231		1,376		1,567		1,825		1,905		1,598		1,863		1,565
Mill recovery (%)	94	%	94	%	93	%	93	%	94	%	92	%	93	%	93	%