Strong Start To Year Highlighted By Commercial Production At Rochester
CHICAGO, IL - Mitchell J. Krebs, President and Chief Executive Officer of Coeur Mining, Inc. said, “The Comapny began 2024 with solid first quarter production in a catalyst-rich year for the Company. “This strong start, highlighted by the achievement of commercial production at Rochester at the end of the first quarter, puts us in a great position to achieve full-year 2024 guidance and begin generating positive free cash flow in the second half of the year. Palmarejo achieved its highest quarterly production levels in several years thanks to strong contributions from both Guadalupe and Independencia underground operations while Wharf delivered a stronger than planned quarter after achieving record performance in 2023.
The team at Rochester completed the pre-commissioning and commissioning of the new crushing circuit in the first quarter as planned. The next milestone will be to complete ramp-up to sustained nameplate capacity of 88,000 tons per day by the end of the second quarter. The combination of lower capex and significantly higher production, coupled with higher commodity prices, are expected to lead to strong cash flow generation in the second half of 2024 which will be allocated to debt reduction and funding near-mine exploration priorities. I am pleased with the progress of Kensington’s multi-year underground development and exploration program, which is expected to wrap up mid-year next year, and we look forward to achieving our goal of extending its mine life beyond five years by year-end.”
Strong year-over-year production increases in-line with 2024 guidance – Solid performances at Palmarejo and Wharf led to total production of 80,744 ounces of gold and 2.6 million ounces of silver compared to 69,039 ounces of gold and 2.5 million ounces of silver in the first quarter of 2023. Production levels are expected to increase over the balance of 2024, driven primarily by the ramp-up at Rochester. Increased revenue and adjusted EBITDA driven by increased production and lower costs – Revenue increased 14% year-over-year while adjusted EBITDA increased 76% compared to the first quarter of 2023, raising adjusted LTM EBITDA by 32% to $162 million through the end of the period compared to a year ago. The Company also saw a 5% reduction year-over-year in cost applicable to sales, totaling $146 million for the first quarter. Commercial production achieved at Rochester; ramp-up on-track – Commissioning of Rochester’s new three-stage crushing circuit and truck load-out facility was completed on March 7, 2024. The crushing circuit has routinely exceeded 70,000 tons per day since commissioning was completed. Commercial production was achieved as of March 31, 2024 and the ramp-up to sustained nameplate capacity of 88,000 tons per day remains on schedule for the end of the second quarter. Kensington’s multi-year program on target to increase mine life by year-end – The Company continued its multi-year underground mine development and exploration program, investing approximately $14 million during the quarter. Coeur has now completed roughly 71% of total underground mine development and drilling since inception of the program in 2022. The program is expected to extend Kensington’s reserve-based mine life beyond five years by the end of 2024.