Titan Mining Corporation (TSX: TI, OTCQB: TIMCF)
(“
Titan” or the "
Company")
announces the results for the quarter ended September 30, 2024.
(All amounts are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated)
Don Taylor, Chief Executive Officer of Titan,
commented, “Despite the setback caused by Tropical Storm Debby,
management and staff at the mine were able to make full repairs and
stockpile ore during the recovery period while the crusher repairs
were being completed. As a result, Titan reiterates its full year
production guidance and fully expects Q4 cash costs to offset the
higher costs reflected in Q3. Additionally, in Q4,
Titan expects to release an updated Life of Mine Plan for its zinc
operations and a maiden resource estimate for its Kilbourne
graphite project.”
Q3 2024 HIGHLIGHTS:
-
Appointment of Rita Adiani as President of the Company
-
Zero Lost Time Injuries in the third quarter.
- Returned to full commercial
production on September 26, 2024 following the temporary suspension
of operations resulting from the historic flooding caused from
Tropical Storm Debby. There were no injuries to employees or damage
to the mobile fleet. Repairs were completed ahead of schedule and
under budget.
TABLE 1 Financial and Operating Highlights
|
|
Q3 2024 |
Q2 2024 |
Q1 2024 |
Q4 2023 |
Q3 2023 |
Operating |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Payable
Zinc Produced |
mlbs |
8.0 |
|
14.5 |
14.7 |
|
13.9 |
|
18.3 |
Payable
Zinc Sold |
mlbs |
8.2 |
|
14.7 |
14.4 |
|
13.9 |
|
18.3 |
Average Realized Zinc
Price |
$/lb |
1.27 |
|
1.30 |
1.11 |
|
1.13 |
|
1.10 |
Financial |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenue |
$m |
8.27 |
|
17.97 |
11.73 |
|
10.91 |
|
15.50 |
Net
Income (loss) before tax |
$m |
(4.86 |
) |
2.62 |
(2.63 |
) |
(6.96 |
) |
0.50 |
Earnings (loss) per share - basic |
$/sh |
(0.04 |
) |
0.02 |
(0.02 |
) |
(0.05 |
) |
0.00 |
Cash Flow from Operating
Activities before changes in non-cash working capital |
$m |
(1.68 |
) |
6.97 |
0.26 |
|
(1.36 |
) |
4.21 |
Cash
and Cash Equivalents |
$m |
5.84 |
|
5.55 |
4.18 |
|
5.03 |
|
4.32 |
Net Debt 1 |
$m |
30.78 |
|
30.63 |
32.44 |
|
30.75 |
|
32.93 |
1Net 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.
As a result of Tropical Storm Debby, revenues
were lower during the three and nine months ended September 30,
2024, largely due to the temporary suspension of operations at ESM
during the period from August 12, 2024 to September 26, 2024.
Additionally, AISC increased to $1.35 in Q3 2024 from $0.79/lb in
Q2 2024, primarily due to lower concentrate deliveries during
August and September.
OPERATIONS REVIEW
Mining in the third quarter of 2024 focused on
the Mahler, New Fold, and Mud Pond zones. Mining activities remain
suspended in the N2D zone while the Company reviews opportunities
to restart production in this area. Deepening of the Lower Mahler
ramp system provided access to higher-grade ore in the Lower Mahler
mining zone that supported higher than budgeted grades. Longhole
stope mining in New Fold provided above-target grades and tons. Ore
recovery from the longhole stoping in New Fold will continue into
the fourth quarter. It is expected that ore from New Fold and Lower
Mahler zones will continue to support budgeted head grades for the
remainder of the fiscal year. Mining will continue in these key
zones during the fourth quarter of 2024.
While crushing and hoisting activities were
halted from August 12, 2024 to September 26, 2024, mining
activities continued and ore was stockpiled in the underground. The
Company expects to hoist and mill budgeted tonnage in Q4 plus all
underground ore that was stockpiled in Q3. With the excess capacity
in the mill, the Company expects to meet full year guidance.
Work on projects focused mainly on the
rehabilitation of the underground crusher and associated electrical
components that were damaged during the flooding caused by Tropical
Storm Debby. In addition, a previously unknown raise at the old
Streeter Portal at the #2 mine area, which is suspected to have
been a major contributor to the inflow, was permanently plugged to
prevent any future inflow. Rod mill liners were installed in the
third quarter of 2024. In the fourth quarter of 2024, the Company
plans to initiate a market search for a replacement underground
haulage truck and a mechanical bolter.
EXPLORATION UPDATE
Kilbourne:
Titan has continued work on defining the
Kilbourne graphite target, 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 roughly 25,000 ft
(7.6 km) of strike length, from surface to a depth of over 3,000 ft
(914 m). Roughly 8,500 ft (2.5 km) of this strike length is within
the affected area of the Empire State Mine. The remaining strike
length is securely within mineral rights held by Titan. Permitting
for bringing Kilbourne into production is subject to a state level
permitting process.
Phase I of drilling at Kilbourne was completed
in the second quarter of 2024 and totalled 11,916 ft (3,362 m).
Drilling indicates that host lithology can be divided into two
zones of mineralization. The upper mineralized zone with an average
thickness of 57 ft (17.4 m) and an average grade of 3.1% graphitic
carbon (Cg) and the lower mineralized zone with an average
thickness of 29 ft (8.8 m) and an average grade of 2.8% Cg. Phase I
of Kilbourne drilling successfully tested 8,255 ft of strike length
within the ESM active use permit.
Phase II of the metallurgical testing performed
by Forte Analytical of Wheatridge Colorado was completed in the
third quarter. The Company is awaiting assay results from these
tests. The Company has additionally sought the services of Metpro
Services to help in developing the next stages of metallurgical and
process testing. Phase III of metallurgy will take place at SGS
Lakefield and is likely to be completed by Q4 2024.
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,
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. Drill core samples submitted for analysis
had a minimum weight of 0.6 lb (0.3 kg) and a maximum weight of 6.0
lb (2.7 kg), with an average weight of 3.6 lb (1.6 kg). Trench
samples submitted for analysis had a minimum weight of 4.2 lb (1.9
kg) and a maximum weight of 26.2 lb (11.9 kg), with an average
weight of 6.2 lb (13.6 kg).
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 (%).
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, |
|
2024 |
2023 |
2024 |
2023 |
C1 cash cost per payable pound |
|
Total |
|
Per pound |
|
Total |
|
Per pound |
|
Total |
|
Per pound |
|
Total |
|
Per pound |
Pounds of payable zinc sold (millions) |
|
|
|
8.2 |
|
|
|
18.3 |
|
|
|
37.3 |
|
|
|
48.2 |
Operating expenses and selling
costs |
$ |
9,206 |
$ |
1.12 |
$ |
9,761 |
$ |
0.53 |
$ |
29,121 |
$ |
0.78 |
$ |
34,991 |
$ |
0.72 |
Concentrate smelting and
refining costs |
|
1,664 |
|
0.20 |
|
5,673 |
|
0.31 |
|
7,245 |
|
0.19 |
|
14,307 |
|
0.30 |
Total C1 cash cost |
$ |
10,871 |
$ |
1.32 |
$ |
15,434 |
$ |
0.84 |
$ |
36,366 |
$ |
0.97 |
$ |
49,298 |
$ |
1.02 |
Sustaining Capital Expenditures |
$ |
266 |
$ |
0.03 |
$ |
425 |
$ |
0.02 |
$ |
705 |
$ |
0.02 |
$ |
1,944 |
$ |
0.04 |
AISC |
$ |
11,137 |
$ |
1.35 |
$ |
15,859 |
$ |
0.86 |
$ |
37,071 |
$ |
0.99 |
$ |
51,242 |
$ |
1.06 |
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, |
|
|
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
Sustaining capital expenditures |
|
$ |
705 |
$ |
1,944 |
Expansionary capital expenditures |
|
|
557 |
|
588 |
Additions to mineral, properties, plant and equipment |
|
$ |
1,262 |
$ |
2,532 |
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.
|
As of September 30, |
|
As of December 31, |
|
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
Current portion of debt |
$ |
36,623 |
|
$ |
35,779 |
|
Non-current portion of debt |
|
- |
|
|
- |
|
Total debt |
$ |
36,623 |
|
$ |
35,779 |
|
Less:
Cash and cash equivalents |
|
(5,844 |
) |
|
(5,031 |
) |
Net debt |
$ |
30,779 |
|
$ |
30,748 |
|
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. The Company is focused on value creation and operating
excellence, with a strong commitment to developing critical mineral
assets that enhance the security of the U.S. supply chain. 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 in Q4,
Titan expects to release an updated Life of Mine Plan for its zinc
operations and a maiden resource estimate for Titan’s Kilbourne
graphite project; ore recovery from the longhole stoping in New
Fold will continue into the fourth quarter; it is
expected that ore from New Fold and Lower Mahler zones will
continue to support budgeted head grades for the remainder of the
fiscal year; mining will continue in these key zones during the
fourth quarter of 2024; the Company expects to hoist and mill
budgeted tonnage in Q4 plus all underground ore that was stockpiled
in Q3; With the excess capacity in the mill, the Company expects to
meet full year guidance; in the fourth quarter of 2024, the Company
plans to initiate a market search for a replacement underground
haulage truck and a mechanical bolter; any permitting for bringing
Kilbourne into production is likely to be subject to a streamlined
permitting process at state level; phase III of metallurgy will
take place at SGS Lakefield and is likely to be completed by Q4
2024. 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 permitting process for Kilbourne; 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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