Also Announces Customs Authority
Instruction Temporarily Preventing Imports and Exports
ZUG, Switzerland, Nov. 14, 2018 /CNW/ - Katanga Mining
Limited (TSX: KAT) ("Katanga" or the
"Company") today announces its 2018 third quarter financial
results. Katanga's interim Financial Statements and Management's
Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") will be available on
SEDAR, www.sedar.com.
Katanga also disclosed today that the Direction Générale des
Douanes et Accises ("DGDA") in the Democratic Republic of the Congo issued an
internal instruction on November 9,
2018, temporarily preventing the Company's 75% owned
subsidiary, Kamoto Copper Company SA ("KCC"), from importing
or exporting any material or production, including copper
production, as a result of KCC's alleged failure to declare and pay
duties on the export of at least 6,650 tons of copper in
December 2014 and January 2015.
Financial performance highlights for the three and nine
months ended September 30,
2018
|
|
Three months
ended
|
Nine months
ended
|
|
|
Sep
30,
2018
|
Jun 30,
2018
|
Sep 30,
2017
|
Sep
30,
2018
|
Sep 30,
2017
|
Sales
|
$'000
|
428,116
|
345,527
|
5,875
|
920,386
|
17,596
|
Mining, processing
and other costs (net of changes in metal stocks)*
|
$'000
|
(220,282)
|
(130,372)
|
(3,031)
|
(452,605)
|
(27,550)
|
Royalties and
transportation costs*
|
$'000
|
(73,704)
|
(51,865)
|
-
|
(147,356)
|
-
|
Depreciation and
amortization*
|
$'000
|
(74,955)
|
(61,352)
|
-
|
(190,917)
|
-
|
Gross profit
(loss)
|
$'000
|
59,175
|
101,938
|
2,844
|
129,508
|
(9,954)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net Loss
attributable to shareholders of the company
|
$'000
|
(78,507)
|
(324,548)
|
(115,362)
|
(480,979)
|
(342,840)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adjusted
EBITDA***
|
$'000
|
100,714
|
151,008
|
(69,091)
|
268,081
|
(195,161)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic and diluted
loss per common share
|
$/share
|
(0.04)
|
(0.17)
|
(0.06)
|
(0.25)
|
(0.18)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
C1
costs****
|
$/lb
|
0.94
|
1.08
|
nm
|
1.42
|
nm
|
|
* Since the
resumption of production, expenses previously disclosed in
operating expenses have been reclassified to cost of
sales.
|
**Refer to item 10
under "Restructuring costs" of the MD&A.
|
***The aggregation
of sales, cost of sales (less depreciation), operating expenses,
general and administrative expenses, loss on disposal and
write-offs of property, plant and equipment and foreign exchange
gains and losses are included within adjusted
EBITDA.
|
****Refer to item
22 under "Non – IFRS financial measures" of the
MD&A.
|
|
|
Three months
ended
|
Nine months
ended
|
|
|
Sep
30,
2018
|
Jun 30,
2018
|
Sep 30,
2017
|
Sep
30,
2018
|
Sep 30,
2017
|
Copper
revenue
|
$'000
|
246,289
|
204,383
|
(169)
|
597,152
|
(166)
|
Cobalt
revenue
|
$'000
|
181,827
|
141,144
|
-
|
322,971
|
-
|
Concentrate
revenue
|
$'000
|
-
|
-
|
6,044
|
263
|
17,762
|
Total
revenue
|
$'000
|
428,116
|
345,527
|
5,875
|
920,386
|
17,596
|
Including net
provisional pricing adjustment
|
|
5,585
|
2,953
|
(169)
|
5,694
|
(166)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Copper cathode
sold
|
tonnes
|
43,596
|
30,825
|
-
|
97,057
|
-
|
Cobalt contained in
hydroxide sold
|
tonnes
|
3,737
|
2,176
|
-
|
5,913
|
-
|
Copper contained in
concentrate sold
|
tonnes
|
-
|
-
|
1,015
|
74
|
5,821
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LME average copper
price
|
$/lb
|
2.77
|
3.12
|
2.95
|
3.01
|
2.75
|
Realized copper
price*
|
$/lb
|
2.03
|
2.49
|
-
|
2.30
|
-
|
MB average cobalt
price
|
$/lb
|
34.65
|
42.45
|
26.84
|
38.49
|
24.21
|
|
*Realized copper
prices are based on gross copper revenue (above) after deducting
realization charges, royalties and other selling
expenses.
|
The movement in revenue is due to the following price and volume
factors:
- Copper revenue increased to $246.3
million in Q3 2018 from $204.4
million in Q2 2018. Copper revenue increased to $597.2 million in Q3 2018 YTD from $(0.2) million in Q3 2017 YTD. Cobalt revenue
increased to $181.8 million in Q3
2018 from $141.1 million in Q2 2018.
Cobalt revenue increased to $323.0
million in Q3 2018 YTD from nil million in Q3 2017 YTD. The
increase in copper and cobalt revenue for both periods relates to
an increase in sales of copper cathode and cobalt contained in
hydroxide due to the resumption of production in December 2017 following the completion of phase 1
of the whole ore leach project and the on-going ramp-up of
production in 2018;
- Concentrate revenue decreased to $0.3
million in Q3 2018 YTD from $17.8
million in Q3 2017 YTD. The decrease in concentrate revenue
relates to a decrease in KITD oxide concentrate sales, driven by
the utilization of concentrate in the leaching process following
the completion of phase 1 of the whole ore leach project in
December 2017 to produce copper
cathode and cobalt contained in hydroxide; and
- Included in sales is a net provisional pricing adjustment
resulting from movements in the commodity price between the date of
sale and the final pricing based on average prices for a specified
period thereafter. At each reporting date, provisionally priced
sales that have not been finalized retain an exposure to future
changes in prices and are marked-to-market based on London Metal
Exchange ("LME") and Metal Bulletin ("MB") forward prices. These
adjustments were recorded in sales in the statement of loss and
comprehensive loss and within receivables on the statement of
financial position.
DGDA Instruction Preventing Imports and Exports
The DGDA issued an internal instruction on November 9, 2018, temporarily preventing KCC from
importing or exporting any material or production, including copper
production, as a result of KCC's alleged failure to declare and pay
duties on the export of at least 6,650 tons of copper in
December 2014 and January 2015. Both before and after the issuance
of the internal instruction, KCC has continued to produce copper at
normal levels and is in discussions with the DGDA with a view to
resolving the matter and resuming imports and exports.
The dispute with the DGDA arose as a result of the Company's
previously disclosed overstatement of copper cathode production by
6,650 tonnes in December, 2014. This overstated cathode production
was provisionally invoiced in the amount of $43 million on December
31, 2014. However, as disclosed in the Company's restated
consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, the restated
financial statements eliminated the recording of the overstated
cathode production and the provisional invoicing of $43 million.
Although the 6,650 tonnes of copper cathode at issue were not
produced by KCC in 2014 or exported in 2015, the DGDA claims that
KCC failed to pay export duties on the export of these copper lots.
The DGDA proposes to levy export duties and significant penalties
on KCC as a result of the alleged failure to pay export duties.
Given that the copper cathode production at issue did not exist
and that the copper lots were not exported, KCC strongly asserts
that no export duties are owing on the overstated (not produced and
not sold) copper cathode. As indicated above, KCC is engaged in
discussions with the DGDA with a view to resolving the dispute.
Although the Company is optimistic that the parties will reach a
satisfactory resolution in the coming days to allow imports and
exports to continue, unless the dispute with the DGDA is resolved
and KCC's imports and exports are permitted to resume in the near
future, the suspension of imports and exports is expected to
negatively impact the Company's production and revenue during the
suspension.
About Katanga Mining Limited
Katanga Mining
Limited operates a major mine complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo producing refined
copper and cobalt. The Company has the potential to become
Africa's largest copper producer
and the world's largest cobalt producer. Katanga is listed on the
Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol KAT.
Forward Looking Statements
This press
release may contain forward-looking statements. Often, but not
always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of
words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is
expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts",
"intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes",
or describes a "goal", or variation of such words and phrases or
state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could",
"would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. This
press release may contain forward-looking statements. Often, but
not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use
of words such as "plans", "expects", or "does not expect", "is
expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts",
"intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes",
or describes a "goal", or variation of such words and phrases or
state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could",
"would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved.
All forward-looking statements reflect the Company's beliefs
and assumptions based on information available at the time the
statements were made. Actual results or events may differ from
those predicted in these forward-looking statements. All of the
Company's forward-looking statements are qualified by the
assumptions that are stated or inherent in such forward-looking
statements, including the assumptions listed below. Although the
Company believes that these assumptions are reasonable, this list
is not exhaustive of factors that may affect any of the
forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks,
future events, conditions, uncertainties and other factors which
may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be
materially different from any future results, prediction,
projection, forecast, performance or achievements expressed or
implied by the forward-looking statements. Although Katanga has
attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual
actions, events or results to differ materially from those
described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors
that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated,
estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that
forward-looking 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.
The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update
or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new
information, future events, or otherwise, except in accordance with
applicable securities laws.
SOURCE Katanga Mining Limited