Last checked at 14 Apr 2016 07:00
14 April 2016
Weatherly International plc
("Weatherly" or "the Company")
Quarterly Operations and Production Update
Weatherly International plc (AIM: WTI) announces its quarterly update for the quarter ending 31 March 2016, this being the third quarter of the financial year ending 30 June 2016.
Highlights
· Tschudi delivered quarterly production of 4,442 tonnes of copper cathode, which is 4% above its nameplate production rate of 17,000 tonnes per annum.
· C1 costs for Tschudi for the quarter were US$3,429 per tonne, remaining well below guidance of US$4,250-4,350 per tonne for the current financial year.
· Prices received for the quarter averaged US$4,742 per tonne and planned June Quarter production has been pre-sold at US$4,912 per tonne.
Craig Thomas, CEO of Weatherly, commented:
"We are very pleased with the consistent production performance from Tschudi during the quarter, and we finished the period 4% above nameplate, continuing our track record of meeting or beating guidance at Tschudi.
"Exchange rate movements have assisted us in keeping US dollar production costs well below forecast, although a focus on productivity and cost discipline by the team on site have also played important roles in delivering these satisfying results."
Tschudi
Production performance
Production results for the third quarter of the financial year to 30 June 2016
Quarter ended Jun-15 | Quarter ended Sep-15 | Quarter ended Dec-15 | Quarter ended Mar-16 | |
Total (Ore + Waste) Mined (000 tonnes) | 5,741 | 6,282 | 6,489 | 6,091 |
Ore Tonnes stacked (000 tonnes) | 637 | 821 | 772 | 583 |
Ore Stacked grade (per cent) | 0.61 | 0.73 | 0.83 | 0.81 |
Copper Cathode Produced (tonnes) | 2,257 | 3,554 | 4,076 | 4,442 |
After achieving nameplate 17,000 tonnes per annum production rates at Tschudi for the first time in December 2015, the Company is pleased to confirm that these rates have been maintained consistently for the quarter ending March 2016. Production of 4,442 tonnes of copper cathode in the quarter exceeds nameplate by 4%.
The Company is also pleased to report that Tschudi operating costs continue to remain well below guidance. Tschudi C1 costs for the quarter were US$3,429 per tonne of copper produced, well below guidance ranges of US$4,250-4,350 per tonne for the current financial year. This performance is a result of strong production results and a focus on productivity and cost discipline on site, as well as favourable movements in the NAD/USD exchange rate.
On 21 December 2015, the Company announced an Amended Agreement with Orion Mine Finance (Master) Fund I LP ("Orion") for the Tschudi debt facilities and that this included certain hedging arrangements to be agreed between Orion and Weatherly during Q3 FY16. The result of these arrangements to date is that the average price received during the March Quarter was US$4,742 per tonne and planned June Quarter production, of approximately 4,250 tonnes, has been pre-sold to Orion at US$4,912 per tonne.
For further information please contact:
Weatherly International plc +44 (0) 20 7936 9910
Craig Thomas, Chief Executive Officer
Kevin Ellis, CFO and Company Secretary
RFC Ambrian Limited +44 (0) 20 3440 6800
(Nominated Adviser & Broker)
Samantha Harrison / Stephen Allen / Kim Eckhof
Blytheweigh +44 (0) 20 7138 3204
(Financial PR) Tim Blythe / Camilla Horsfall / Megan Ray
About Weatherly
Weatherly is an AIM listed copper mining company operating in Namibia in southern Africa. Its principal assets are one operating open pit copper mine called Tschudi and two underground copper projects called Otjihase and Matchless.
These assets will enable Weatherly to achieve its medium term goal of establishing a mining business capable of sustaining approximately 25,000 tonnes per annum of copper production.
The Company also has a 25 per cent. stake in the AIM listed company, China Africa Resources plc (AIM: CAF), which is developing a lead/zinc mine called Berg Aukas, also in Namibia.