Titan Mining Corporation (TSX: TI) (“
Titan”
or the "
Company") announces the results for the
quarter ended September 30, 2023. (All amounts are in U.S. dollars
unless otherwise stated)
Don Taylor, President and Chief Executive
Officer of Titan, commented, “Titan’s ESM operations have continued
to outperform expectations year-to-date, producing a record 18.3
million payable pounds of zinc in the third quarter at its lowest
quarterly All-In Sustaining Cost1 since restarting the mine at
$0.86/lb. Underpinning the outstanding production and cost numbers
is the safety performance at the operations. Through the first
three quarters of the year the reportable incident rate at ESM is
well below the national average of US underground metal mines.”
Q3 2023 HIGHLIGHTS:
-
There were no Lost Time Injuries during the third quarter
-
Produced and sold 18.3 million payable pounds of zinc in the
quarter at an All-In Sustaining Cost1 of $0.86/lb, both metrics
being records since restarting operations in 2018.
-
Tons milled were consistent with milling rates in the prior quarter
and payable pounds of zinc produced were 22% higher than the prior
quarter
-
Announced the discovery of the Kilbourne graphite trend, an
extensively drill tested graphite-bearing trend principally located
on permitted lands. Highlights include:
- At or near surface
targets with geological potential totaling between 210 and 1,050
million tons (Mt) grading between 2.0% and 4.5% graphitic carbon
(Cg)
- Flake graphite is a
key input to the auto industry battery supply chain and designated
as a Critical Material by the United States Department of
Energy
- There is no domestic
source of flake graphite production; China, which accounts for more
than half of global production, has recently announced export
restrictions that may threaten the market
- ESM lands hosting
the Kilbourne graphite trend are fully permitted for drilling with
some portions of these lands also currently permitted for
mining
- Aggressive plan to
fast-track exploration and development with goal of being first
domestic supplier of materials to the auto industry battery
market
1 All-In Sustaining Cost (“AISC”) is a non-GAAP measure. This
term is not a standardized financial measure under IFRS and might
not be comparable to similar financial measures disclosed by other
issuers. See Non-GAAP Performance Measures below for additional
information.
TABLE 1 Financial and Operating Highlights
|
|
|
Q3 2023 |
Q2 2023 |
Q1 2023 |
Q3 2022 |
Q3 2023 vs. Q2
2023 |
Q3 2023 vs. Q3
2022 |
Operating |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Payable
Zinc Produced |
mlbs |
18.3 |
15.0 |
13.8 |
11.6 |
22% |
58% |
|
Payable
Zinc Sold |
mlbs |
18.3 |
15.0 |
14.8 |
12.6 |
22% |
45% |
|
Average Realized Zinc
Price |
$/lb |
1.10 |
1.15 |
1.42 |
1.49 |
-4% |
-26% |
Financial |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenue |
$m |
15.50 |
8.95 |
16.74 |
14.03 |
73% |
11% |
|
Net
Income (loss) before tax |
$m |
0.50 |
-4.84 |
1.10 |
-0.16 |
>100% |
>100% |
|
Earnings (loss) per share - basic |
$/sh |
- |
-0.03 |
0.01 |
0.00 |
>100% |
NA |
|
Cash Flow from Operating
Activities before changes in non-cash working capital |
$m |
4.21 |
-0.11 |
3.35 |
1.22* |
>100% |
>100% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Financial
Position |
|
30-Sep-23 |
|
31-Dec-22 |
|
|
Change |
|
Cash
and Cash Equivalents |
$m |
4.32 |
|
6.72 |
|
|
-2.40 |
|
Net Debt 1 |
$m |
32.93 |
|
23.31 |
|
|
9.62 |
*This number in the
Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for Q3 2023 has bee
reclassified to better represent the Changes in Non-cash Working
Capital. |
Net Debt is a non-GAAP measure. This term is not
a standardized financial measure under IFRS and might not be
comparable to similar financial measures disclosed by other
issuers. See Non-GAAP Performance Measures below for additional
information.
OPERATIONS REVIEW
Mining efforts in the third quarter of 2023
focused on the Mahler, New Fold, and Mud Pond zones. Waste
development was advanced in the second quarter on the Mahler ramp
system which provided access to a high-grade ore horizon in the
Lower Mahler mining zone. This zone supported strong grades
resulting in better than expected metal production throughout the
quarter. It is expected that ore from this zone will continue to
support head grade at planned levels for the remainder of the year.
In addition, the pillar recovery program in Mud Pond delivered tons
and grade, as planned, further supporting the strong production for
the quarter. Mining is expected to continue in the same zones in
the fourth quarter.
EXPLORATION UPDATE
Underground:
Drill programs in the third quarter of 2023
focused on exploring near mine targets within proximity to active
mine areas. All underground drilling was completed with three
Company-owned underground drills by Company employees. A total of 6
holes totaling 7,769 ft were completed targeting mineralized
extensions Lower Mahler. Drilling is planned to continue to target
Mahler and commence at Fowler in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Kilbourne:
The Company believes that the Kilbourne target
has the potential to host between 3.36 Mt and 26.25 Mt of Cg,
contained within 210 to 1,050 Mt grading 2.0% to 4.5% Cg. The
potential tonnages and grades are conceptual in nature and have
been estimated using the available drill data, with extents
restricted to areas of accessibility and probability of
extraction. There has been insufficient
exploration to define a current mineral resource and the Company
cautions that there is a risk further exploration will not result
in the delineation of a current mineral resource.
The Kilbourne target was generated through the
review of historic geologic data, recent drilling and assays within
the known stratigraphic sequence that hosts Empire State Mines’
zinc ore bodies. The high metamorphic grade of the host rocks has
increased the size and morphology of the contained graphite to
flake sizes.
Titan Mining is advancing work to further define
the Kilbourne prospect, a graphite exploration target hosted within
the same stratigraphic sequence as ESM’s zinc mineralization. The
host unit is Unit 2 of the lower marbles. Historic mapping and
drilling have documented 8.2 km of strike length, to a depth of
roughly 1 km from surface. Over 3.5 km of this strike length is
within the affected area of the Empire State Mine and is covered by
current permitting. The remaining strike length is securely within
mineral rights held by ESM.
The unit has been intercepted in 53 historic
drill holes, with logs, skeletonized core, and photographs
confirming the presence of graphite mineralization. Titan has
assayed Unit 2 intercepts from six recently completed core holes
drilled by the Company, with an average unit grade of 1.6%
graphitic carbon (Cg) and mineralized intercepts averaging 2.5% Cg.
The highest returned values were ~4.5% Cg. Material from these
holes is currently undergoing testing at SGS Labs in Lakefield,
Ontario to classify the nature of the graphite mineralization, and
to begin testing on the processes required to produce a graphite
concentrate.
Surface exposures of the graphite mineralization
are being mapped and sampled via surface trenching to help in
guiding upcoming bulk sample collection and to aid in the
development of future exploration programs.
Please refer to Titan’s press release dated October 23, 2023,
titled “Titan Mining Announces Significant Graphite Discovery at
Empire State Mines in Upstate New York, USA” for additional
details.
Qualified Person
The scientific and technical information
contained in this news release and the sampling, analytical and
test data underlying the scientific and technical information has
been reviewed, verified and approved by Donald R. Taylor, MSc., PG,
President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, a qualified
person for the purposes of NI 43-101. Mr. Taylor has more than 25
years of mineral exploration and mining experience and is a
Registered Professional Geologist through the SME (registered
member #4029597). The data was verified using data validation and
quality assurance procedures under high industry standards.
Assays and Quality Assurance/Quality
Control
To ensure reliable sample results, the Company
has a rigorous QA/QC program in place that monitors the
chain-of-custody of samples and includes the insertion of blanks
and certified reference standards at statistically derived
intervals within each batch of samples. Core is photographed and
split in half with one-half retained in a secured facility for
verification purposes.
Analysis has been performed as SGS Canada Inc.
(“SGS”) an independent ISO/IEC accredited lab. Sample preparation
(crushing and pulverizing) and total graphitic carbon analysis has
been completed at SGS Lakefield, Ontario, Canada. SGS prepares a
pulp of all samples and sends the pulps to their analytical
laboratory in Burnaby, B.C., Canada for multielement analysis. SGS
analyzes the pulp sample by leach and IR combustion for total
graphitic carbon (GC_CSA05V) and aqua regia digestion (GE-ICP21B20
for 34 elements) with an ICP – OES finish including Cu (copper), Pb
(lead), and Zn (zinc). All samples in which Cu (copper), Pb (lead),
or Zn (zinc) are greater than 10,000 ppm are re-run using aqua
regia digestion (GO_ICP21B100) with the elements reported in
percentage (%).
Additional sample preparation (crushing and
pulverizing) has been performed at ALS Geochemistry (“ALS”), an
independent ISO/IEC accredited lab located in Sudbury, Ontario,
Canada. ALS prepares a pulp of all samples and sends the pulps to
their analytical laboratory in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, for
analysis. ALS analyzes the pulp sample by an aqua regia digestion
(ME-ICP41 for 35 elements) with an ICP – AES finish including Cu
(copper), Pb (lead), and Zn (zinc). All samples in which Cu
(copper), Pb (lead), or Zn (zinc) are greater than 10,000 ppm are
re-run using aqua regia digestion (Cu-OG46; Pb-OG46; and Zn-OG46)
with the elements reported in percentage (%). Silver values are
determined by an aqua regia digestion with an ICP-AES finish
(ME-ICP41) with all samples with silver values greater than 100 ppm
repeated using an aqua regia digestion overlimit method (Ag-OG46)
calibrated for higher levels of silver contained. Gold values are
determined by a 30 g fire assay with an ICP-AES finish (Au-ICP21).
Graphite values are determined by leach and induction furnace/IR
(C-IR18).
The Company has not identified any drilling,
sampling, recovery, or other factors that could materially affect
the accuracy or reliability of the data set out in this news
release. True widths of the mineralized zones described in this
news release are not presently known.
Non-GAAP Performance
Measures
This document includes non-GAAP performance
measures, discussed below, that do not have a standardized meaning
prescribed by IFRS. The performance measures may not be comparable
to similar measures reported by other issuers. The Company believes
that these performance measures are commonly used by certain
investors, in conjunction with conventional GAAP measures, to
enhance their understanding of the Company's performance. The
Company uses these performance measures extensively in internal
decision-making processes, including to assess how well the Empire
State Mine is performing and to assist in the assessment of the
overall efficiency and effectiveness of the mine site management
team. The tables below provide a reconciliation of these non-GAAP
measures to the most directly comparable IFRS measures as contained
within the Company's issued financial statements.
C1 cash cost per payable pound
sold
C1 cash cost is a non-GAAP measure. C1 cash cost
represents the cash cost incurred at each processing stage, from
mining through to recoverable metal delivered to customers,
including mine site operating and general and administrative costs,
freight, treatment and refining charges.
The C1 cash cost per payable pound sold is
calculated by dividing the total C1 cash costs by payable pounds of
metal sold.
All-In Sustaining Cost
(AISC)
AISC measures the estimated cash costs to
produce a pound of payable zinc plus the estimated capital
sustaining costs to maintain the mine and mill. This measure
includes the C1 cash cost and capital sustaining costs divided by
pounds of payable zinc sold. AISC does not include depreciation,
depletion, amortization, reclamation and exploration expenses.
|
Three months ended September 30, |
Nine months ended September 30, |
|
2023 |
2022 |
2023 |
2022 |
C1 cash cost per payable pound |
|
Total |
|
Per pound |
|
Total |
|
Per pound |
|
Total |
|
Per pound |
|
Total |
|
Per pound |
Pounds of payable zinc sold (millions) |
|
|
|
18.3 |
|
|
|
12.6 |
|
|
|
48.2 |
|
|
|
38.0 |
Operating expenses and selling
costs |
$ |
9,761 |
$ |
0.53 |
$ |
12,105 |
$ |
0.96 |
$ |
34,991 |
$ |
0.72 |
$ |
32,493 |
$ |
0.85 |
Concentrate smelting and
refining costs |
|
5,673 |
|
0.31 |
|
3,848 |
|
0.30 |
|
14,307 |
|
0.30 |
|
10,405 |
|
0.27 |
Total C1 cash cost |
$ |
15,434 |
$ |
0.84 |
$ |
15,953 |
$ |
1.26 |
$ |
49,298 |
$ |
1.02 |
$ |
42,898 |
$ |
1.12 |
Sustaining Capital
Expenditures |
$ |
425 |
$ |
0.02 |
$ |
268 |
$ |
0.02 |
$ |
1,944 |
$ |
0.04 |
$ |
2,143 |
$ |
0.06 |
AISC |
$ |
15,859 |
$ |
0.86 |
$ |
16,221 |
$ |
1.28 |
$ |
51,242 |
$ |
1.06 |
$ |
45,041 |
$ |
1.18 |
Sustaining capital
expenditures
Sustaining capital expenditures are defined as
those expenditures which do not increase payable mineral production
at a mine site and excludes all expenditures at the Company’s
projects and certain expenditures at the Company’s operating sites
which are deemed expansionary in nature. Expansionary capital
expenditures are expenditures that are deemed expansionary in
nature. The following table reconciles sustaining capital
expenditures and expansionary capital expenditures to the Company’s
additions to mineral, properties, plant and equipment (or total
capital expenditures):
|
Nine months ended September 30 |
|
|
|
2023 |
|
2022 |
Sustaining capital expenditures |
|
$ |
1,944 |
$ |
2,143 |
Expansionary capital expenditures |
|
|
588 |
|
1,851 |
Additions to mineral, properties, plant and equipment |
|
$ |
2,532 |
$ |
3,994 |
Net Debt
Net debt is calculated as the sum of the current
and non-current portions of long-term debt, net of the cash and
cash equivalent balance as at the balance sheet date. A
reconciliation of net debt is provided below.
|
September 30, |
December 31, |
|
|
2023 |
|
2022 |
Current portion of debt |
$ |
962 |
$ |
176 |
Non-current portion of debt |
|
36,283 |
|
29,856 |
Total debt |
$ |
37,245 |
$ |
30,032 |
Less: Cash and cash equivalents |
|
(4,319) |
|
(6,720) |
Net debt |
$ |
32,926 |
$ |
23,312 |
About Titan Mining
Corporation
Titan is an Augusta Group company which produces
zinc concentrate at its 100%-owned Empire State Mine located in New
York state. Titan is built for growth, focused on value and
committed to excellence. For more information on the Company,
please visit our website at www.titanminingcorp.com.
Contact
For further information, please contact: Investor
Relations: Email: info@titanminingcorp.com
Cautionary Note Regarding
Forward-Looking Information
Certain statements and information contained in
this new release constitute "forward-looking statements", and
"forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable
securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These
statements appear in a number of places in this news release and
include statements regarding our intent, or the beliefs or current
expectations of our officers and directors, including that
geological potential of the Kilbourne target; that China’s recently
announced export restrictions may threaten the market; that Titan
has an aggressive plan to fast-track exploration and development
with goal of being first domestic supplier of materials to the auto
industry battery market; that it is expected that ore from this
zone will continue to support head grade at planned levels for the
remainder of the year; that mining is expected to continue in the
same zones in the fourth quarter; that drilling is planned to
continue to target Mahler and commence at Fowler in the fourth
quarter of 2023; that Titan is advancing work to further define the
Kilbourne prospect, a graphite exploration target hosted within the
same stratigraphic sequence as ESM’s zinc mineralization; and that
surface exposures of the graphite mineralization are being mapped
and sampled via surface trenching to help in guiding upcoming bulk
sample collection and to aid in the development of future
exploration programs. When used in this news release words such as
“to be”, "will", "planned", "expected", "potential", and similar
expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking
statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations
reflected in such forward-looking statements and/or information are
reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking
statements since the Company can give no assurance that such
expectations will prove to be correct. These statements involve
known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may
cause actual results or events to vary materially from those
anticipated in such forward-looking statements, including the
risks, uncertainties and other factors identified in the Company's
periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators. Such
forward-looking statements are based on various assumptions,
including assumptions made with regard to the ability to advance
exploration efforts at ESM; the results of such exploration
efforts; the ability to secure adequate financing (as needed); the
Company maintaining its current strategy and objectives; and the
Company’s ability to achieve its growth objectives. While the
Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable, based on
information currently available, they may prove to be incorrect.
Except as required by applicable law, we assume no obligation to
update or to publicly announce the results of any change to any
forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect actual
results, future events or developments, changes in assumptions or
changes in other factors affecting the forward-looking statements.
If we update any one or more forward-looking statements, no
inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with
respect to those or other forward-looking statements. You should
not place undue importance on forward-looking statements and should
not rely upon these statements as of any other date. All
forward-looking statements contained in this news release are
expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary
statement.
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