Michael Cinnamond
Analyst · Canaccord Genuity. Your line is open
Thanks Clive. So, I'll start with the quarter and then comment a little bit on the full year results. So for the quarter, I think the story for Q4 is that our operations came through and delivered on the sort of forecast that we were going to have a big Q4. I think if you may recall, by the end of Q3, we were close to budget, but there were some delays in production at both Fekola because of water in the pit that was dewatered and then resolved at the start of the fourth quarter. And then some delays in Otjikoto just with accessing the Wolfshag underground. So that led to a big forecast Q4 to catch up on some of the high grade that we weren't able to mine in Q3 is originally scheduled. So good news is we delivered on it. In terms of results that that delivered, gold revenues were 592 million. So that was based on the sale of 339,000 ounces, which a bit higher than we'd budgeted to sell and that’s truly a function of how high the production was. So if you look at production for the queue, from our three operating mines, 353,000 ounces. 335,000 ounces higher than budget and it's a quarterly record for our operations. And if you include our share of Calibre results, we had 368,000 ounces, which is almost 40,000 ounces higher than budget. The leader in that outperformance was for Fekola, 244,000 ounces in the quarter, 37,000 ounces higher than budget quarterly record, and like I said, it came mainly from processing that higher grade material out Phase 6 at the Fekola pit that we -- some of which we thought process in Q3. But Fekola basically continued outperform all around. The processing facilities are still put in more material through them than I guess the nameplate and the mill feed grade was higher, so positive on all aspects of gold production. Masbate is 900,000 ounces. It's pretty much right on budget. There were slightly lower gold recoveries during the quarter to the nature of the higher ratio of saprolite and transitional ore versus budget, but that was offset by higher than expected feet grade so came in right on budget. Otjikoto of 60,000 ounce, little below budget and that's really just a function of the timing of get in the Wolfshag Underground. We got into the Wolfshag Underground, started producing ore there and gold there little later in Q4. So that's running well now, but we're slightly under budget in the queue. How does that factor into the operating results? Well, for the consolidated cash costs from all operations including our share Calibre $468 per ounce, very close to budget overall. Fekola was pretty much in line with budget, it had slightly higher costs, but also record production. So, it came in on budget. Masbate was a bit higher. Masbate cash costs for the queue$872 versus a budget of 752. And that's all -- production was online, so it's really just a factor of inflation driven higher costs, almost -- not almost exclusively, but mainly driven by fuel costs, which were higher for Masbate in the period. Otjikotowas $465 an ounce which is $46 below budget, and that's really just a function of the timing of getting into the underground that were lower underground mining costs because we were a little later getting into that than originally forecast. Put that all together, we pretty much came in online with budget for the queue on the cash cost site. On the oil end sustaining cost site, the total oil and sustaining cost per including our share Calibre is $892 an ounce. That's about $130 an ounce higher than budget. And that's a function of broadly aligned cash costs, as I described, but impacted by higher royalties due to higher goal price. And also, the main factor influence in it was the catch up of budgeted sustaining CapEx. So, as we reported to the end of Q3, as some of the CapEx since it was originally scheduled for earlier in the year was forecast to be caught up in Q4. And overall, we did catch up in the queue. So that's why for the quarter we get higher than budget all on sustaining costs. When you put everything together on the cost side, well, firstly on the production side, just to comment, including our share of Calibre, we came in at 1,028,000 ounces slightly above the upper half of our midpoint of our guidance range, consolidated of 990,000 to 10,50,000 ounces, so good news is right in the range and the upper half of it. Individually, Fekola came in 599,000 ounces, couldn't quite get it to that 600,000 ounces. We'll have to talk to Bill about that later. That was right at the top end of its annual guidance range of 570,000 to 600,000 ounces. Masbate came in 213,000 ounces slightly below the revised guidance range we had of 215 to 225. But remember it was at the upper end of our original guidance range of 205,000 to 215,000 ounces, and Otjikoto162,000 ounces slightly below our revised guidance range of 165,000 to 175,000. And that again, was just a function of the timing of getting into the Wolfshag underground material in the wrap up of operations there, but overall, very pleased that we came in above the midpoint of our guidance range for the year. On the cash cost only sustaining cost site. I've guided, I think we came in for the cash costs, consolidated from all ops including Calibre $660 per ounce, so right at the top end of our original guidance range of 620 to 660. So, I'd stress that that was the original guidance range, we didn't reguide on the cash costs overall consolidated basis. So, we're pleased that even in a period of higher inflation, higher costs, and definitely higher fuel costs as all mining companies have seen. We still managed to come in at the upper end of our original range. And similar story for you all in sustaining cost site, There we came in consolidate all operations including Calibre $1,033 an ounce. So pretty much within a range of $1,010 to $1,050 per ounce. And what we saw there was cash costs at the higher end of the range. Goods sold production and then the benefit of some offset, some fuel derivatives that allow us to come in overall within the all on sustained cost range. So, the operating results we're pleased to be able to report that we had our guidance basically, and on all measures. So that was good. Few comments on the operations overall, first of all, I'd like to just throw up there, how we're probably going to be describing reporting the results from our Malian operations. So there'll be the Fekola Mine, so we'll report that separately. That'll be Fekola Mine, which is everything from the Medinandi permit, which includes the Fekola pit right now in Cardinal and then we're going to separately Fekola regional, and that Fekola region will be the production from all their licenses. So Bantako, Menankoto, Bakolobi and Dandoko. And collectively, we're calling the Fekola Mine for reasonable the Fekola complex. So if you get confused about the different pieces that's the way it's going to go, so just wanted to throw that out there for you. At Fekola, you can see in our budget, we put our budget out earlier in January. And you can see that we're already in Phase 1 of Fekola regional development, which is developing the infrastructure and the roads, and some of the facilities so that we can start trucking material from the first of those Fekola Regional licenses in this case Bantako for example later in 2023, so that's ongoing. Then you'll see in our recently announced Sabina acquisition. So what we're going to do is, in addition to Fekola Regional Phase 1 and that will be Fekola regional Phase 2. Fekola Regional Phase 2 will be a report that we think will be out by midyear where we're doing a study to see if it makes sense, which we think it does. To build a sack a second mill, somewhere in those other licenses, probably in Menankoto license, and that that mill would process satellite oxide material, which we have an abundance in Menankoto licenses. So our goal with Fekola Phase 1 to continue as we have now in the budget, then to be able to absorb the continued construction in the Goose project with the Sabina acquisition with a goal that bringing out online by the first quarter of 2025. And then once we have this Fekola Phase 2 study, the regional study for that second mill. And if we decided to go decision then to schedule out around making sure that we get the Goose project completed and up and running by the first quarter '25. So you'll see us move into that second, Phase 2 Fekola construction a bit later in the process. And Bill, I think can talk a bit more about the overall scheduling and timing. Couple other comments Gramalote. Gramalote Project as we announced before, we decided jointly with our partners AGA to begin a sales process on Gramalote. And so, that process has been started so it's underway. So, we'll provide updates on that in due course. Then really just comment on a couple other things in the results. So net income, for the period trivial the shareholders company $157 million or $0.15 per share EPS. Adjusted EPS was $0.11 a share basis adjusted net income of $121 million. For the full year, earnings attributable shareholders accompany 253 million or $0.24 per share. EPS and adjusted EPS of $0.25 per share based on adjusted net income of $264 million. Just comment on the cash flows for the three months exceeded, it was a big cash flow generator for us, because of the weighting of that higher grade and the production that we have. So cash flow from operations $270 million for the queue, which was $0.25 per share. And then for the year cash flow from operations just under 600 million, 596 million, or $0.56 per share. So we're pleased with that result. On the financing side, if you look for the year 170 million outflow for dividends, so we're maintaining that dividend of $0.04 per share U.S. per quarter or $0.16 per share annualized. And while I would comment on it, at this point on the dividend, it's our intention even as we absorb the CapEx requirements for Fekola regional Phase 1 completing Goose with the Sabina acquisition, the construction there and then Fekola Phase 2. It's our intent to keep paying dividend at the current rate of gold prices stay where we are to keep, maintain our current dividend rate and work our way around those CapEx needs. Looking at investing activities for the year 389 million, pretty close to budget overall. On the operating sustaining site, we found that although there was a big catch up of sustaining CapEx in Q4 overall for the year, we came pretty close to budget. We finished the year $651 million in the bank. We're pretty much debt free. We have some outstanding project, our equipment loans and leases and some office leases, but we're pretty much debt free overall. So we've got 600 million undrawn on our line of credit. We've got another 200 million available in the recording feature that's $800 million available, not line. And so if you combine that with the 651 million cash we finished the year with, we've got total liquidity at the balance sheet date of somewhere between 1.4 billion and 1.5 billion. So it's that kind of liquidity. We've got great syndicate a bank that we deal with. We've got great partner with Caterpillar and who has been involved in all of our projects in the last few years and lots of tools in our toolbox to be able to see our way through funding those major CapEx items that I mentioned for Fekola regional Phase 1, Sabina acquisition getting that completed and getting the Goose project built on time scheduled by the first quarter of 25 and then moving also funding Fekola regional Phase 2. So I think we're in great shape overall cash flow wise, and like I said also maintain that dividend at the current rates. So I think those were the main items I was going to focus on or comment on as part of the overall results. So with that, I'll hand it back to Clive.