Vancouver — With a blunt acknowledgment of poor performance,
In light of strong metal prices, the loss is indicative of the increased cost and currency pressures being borne by gold miners. Placer Dome was also hit by a drop in copper output and increased hedging losses.
Additionally, a US$15-million tax charge on an Australian valuation allowance affected bottom-line results.
Actual gold production improved slightly in the latest quarter to 916,000 oz., up from 908,000 oz. in the same quarter of 2004, but at significantly higher total-production costs of US$349 per oz., versus US$283 in 2004. Despite an average London spot price of US$427 per oz. over the quarter, the company realized a gold-sale price of US$391 per oz. due to its maturing hedge positions. Losses attributable to hedge-position servicing, US$43 million in this latest quarter on a pre-tax basis, are expected to drop in the second half of 2005.
Operational issues at the Zaldivar mine hurt Placer’s copper production, off significantly on the quarter at 90 million lbs. versus 109 million lbs. last year. Total production costs were US80 per lb., up 27% from the US63 per lb. incurred in the second quarter of 2004.
Copper was sold at an average of US$1.36 per lb., below the average London spot price of US$1.54 per lb. The copper-hedge position will drop by about half over the remainder of 2005, allowing the company to more fully benefit from strong prices for the metal.
“This quarter does not reflect the performance our assets are capable of delivering,” said President and CEO Peter Tomsett in a statement. “The combination of a challenging cost environment and operating issues at a number of mines are impacting our results and we are addressing these issues.”
North American operations generally performed well, however a 9% appreciation in the loonie against the greenback added production costs at the Canadian Campbell, Musselwhite and Porcupine mines. In Nevada, a slight drop in gold output from Cortez was offset by improvements at Turquoise Ridge and Bald Mountain.
Production from the Porgera mine in Papua New Guinea was 11% below the prior-year’s quarter due to ongoing erosion and slides in the pit, which thwarted access to a higher-grade ore zone. Additionally, production costs grew owing to currency appreciation and higher fuel prices.
Australian operations were buoyed by performance from the Granny Smith mine where production was up 74% over the corresponding quarter last year, due to processing of higher-grade ore. Output from Osborne was up marginally this latest quarter, with production from the Kalgoorlie and Henty operations down 4% and 38%, respectively.
At the South Deep mine in South Africa, performance improved with Placer’s 50% share of production up 10% over the second quarter of 2004. However, joint-venture partner Western Areas has fallen behind on its cash-call obligations, owing some US$13 million to the project.
Output from the North Mara mine in Tanzania was up 13% due to a recently completed mill expansion; however total operating costs swelled 75% over the prior year’s quarter. Development of the Gokona pit at North Mara is nearing completion and is anticipated to provide 100% of mill feed by late-2005.
Copper production from Zaldivar, in Chile, saw a 23% drop versus the prior year due to mining of a lower-grade zone and pit-wall failure, which hampered access to higher-grade ore. Additionally, problems in the ore-conveying system impacted the amount of ore stacked on the leach pads. A brief labour disruption in early-July will have an impact on third-quarter production figures.
With an eye on optimizing Placer’s bottom line, Tomsett outlined measures the company is taking: “Staffing levels at all operations are being reviewed; at present, Osborne is in the process reducing manpower by 30%, Granny Smith by 15% and Musselwhite by 10%.”
The company has earmarked US$30 million this year for ongoing feasibility and prefeasibility studies on its five advanced-stage projects. Reviewing development plans, Tomsett added, “We remain on track to make decisions in the second half of the year on three of the projects in our development portfolio: Cerro Casale (Chile), Cortez Hills (Nevada) and Pueblo Viejo (Dominican Republic).”
Advanced exploration work will also continue on Donlin Creek, in Alaska, and at Mount Milligan, in B.C.
Annual production for 2005 is on track at 3.6 million oz. gold and 380 million lbs. copper.
Investors punished Canada’s second-largest gold producer upon the loss announcement, driving down shares by as much $1.58 before closing down 58 at $17.30 per share on the TSX on volume of over 6.3 million shares.
What nonsense – fake news. I did not resign because of PDG posting the loss. Never saw this article until now, but the reason for my resignation had nothing to do with this – it was more about time to move on after a 14 year career and changes in the management structure. Read the press release by the Company at that time.