RE: 10p21 Mar 2024 05:31
Yanfolila
Mining commenced August 2017
First gold pour Dec 2017
Commercial production April 2028
Kouroussa
Mining commenced approx May 2023
First Gold pour June 2023
Commercial production ???
Only produced 6000oz in H2 vs target 30koz
Clearly contractors were well behind targets for commercial production even including the 1 month delay due to the fuel fire.
The fact that performance targets have been written into contract is not good for Corica, and I’m sure they will want this resolved quickly without additional reputations damage. To me it was a very strange move for Corica to make this a public dispute rather than settling behind the scenes. Again if we have to bring outside help to bring this up to speed it didn’t look good. They will now want it resolved asap.
The fact that work has stopped now suggests this must be in the end game for commercial production, when it hits us the hardest, just before this is announced.
Simple solution for us is to roll over scheduled debt repayments, get in new contractors
and announce commercial production asap.
As we have stated we are able to withhold payment under the terms of the contract. That’s pretty clear cut. If Corica don’t get back to work to resolve this then they are shooting them selves in the foot as I assume we would not be required to pay the disputed outstanding balance. We have also stated that interim payment have already been made.
I would assume that under the terms of the contract, where the company is withholding monies owed it has to be held ringfenced/escrow which would be fairly standard. In which case any sell off here, based on the idea that we don’t have the money, as opposed to withholding the money was unnecessary.
It’s also annoying we were not told of the notification on the breach of contract in July 2023. The update simply stated we needed to focus on “The management and monitoring of mining and other on-site contractors to maximise the operational performance for the Group” well that didn’t work out well.
Kouroussa MUST now be at or very near conercial production and Yanfolila is generating plenty of cash in the background, not to mention the strategic review and possible sale of Dugbe for what must be now about the mcap of the whole company.
This surely isnt as bad as 6p? We retain control here and it’s good to give the contractors a good kick up the @rse when they are not performing, and it’s very satisfying to have it written into the contract. Will Corica simply back down?