Thompson Creek Reports Fourth Quarter and Year Ended December 31, 2015 Financial Results

Achieved Unit Cash Costs on a By-product Basis of $0.55 per Pound of Copper Produced and Ended the Year with $177 Million of Cash

DENVER, Feb. 24, 2016 - Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc. (TSX: TCM) (OTCQX: TCPTF) (the "Company" or "Thompson Creek"), a North American mining company, announced today financial results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2015, prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles ("US GAAP"). All dollar amounts are in United States ("US") dollars unless otherwise indicated.

Jacques Perron, President and Chief Executive Officer of Thompson Creek, said, "We achieved several operational and financial milestones during 2015. Operationally, we significantly improved our company-wide safety performance, achieved 2015 production and cash cost guidance, and successfully transformed our molybdenum business with the expectation of generating sufficient revenue to substantially cover care and maintenance costs and maintain the future option value of our molybdenum mines. Financially, we achieved average unit cash cost on a by-product basis of $0.55 per pound of copper produced and ended the year with approximately $177 million of cash. Looking ahead, our immediate 2016 objectives include continuing the optimization of Mount Milligan Mine to maximize the value of the asset and executing a strategic plan to address the Company's outstanding debt and strengthen the balance sheet."


Highlights for 2015

• Total cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2015 were $176.8 million compared to $265.6 million at December 31, 2014. Total debt, including capital lease obligations, at December 31, 2015 was $884.6 million, compared to $944.7 million at December 31, 2014.
  
  
• Cash generated by operating activities was $37.4 million in 2015 compared to $184.8 million in 2014.
  
  
• Consolidated revenues for 2015 were $494.1 million compared to $806.7 million in 2014. Copper and gold sales contributed $360.9 million in revenue in 2015 compared to $350.7 million in 2014. Molybdenum sales for 2015 were $103.7 million compared to $441.2 million in 2014. The decrease in revenues was due primarily to our molybdenum mines being on care and maintenance, partially offset by slightly higher gold revenue.
  
  
• Payable production at Mount Milligan Mine for 2015 was 71.4 million pounds of copper and 218,081 ounces of gold, compared to 2014 payable production of 64.6 million pounds of copper and 177,606 ounces of gold.
  
  
• Non-GAAP unit cash cost per pound of copper produced for 2015 was, on a by-product basis, $0.55 per pound, and, on a co-product basis, $1.55 per pound of copper and $478 per ounce of gold. Non-GAAP unit cash costs in 2014 were, on a by-product basis, $1.15 per pound, and on a co-product basis, $1.97 per pound of copper and $525 per ounce of gold. See "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for the definition and reconciliation of non-GAAP cash costs.
  
  
• Sales volumes and average realized sales prices for copper and gold for 2015 were 76.5 million pounds of copper at an average realized price of $2.28 per pound and 221,902 ounces of gold at an average realized price of $950 per ounce, as compared to 64.7 million pounds of copper at an average realized price of $3.02 per pound and 172,741 ounces of gold at an average realized price of $1,002 per ounce for 2014. Molybdenum sales volumes in 2015 were 12.1 million pounds at an average realized price of $8.55 per pound compared to 36.6 million pounds at an average realized price of $12.06 per pound for 2014.
  
  
• Consolidated operating income for 2015 was $31.0 million compared to a consolidated operating income of $36.1 million for 2014. Consolidated operating income for 2015 was impacted by $23.6 million in costs of idle operations related to our molybdenum business and non-cash lower-of-cost-or-market product inventory write downs of $15.8 million. Consolidated operating income for 2014 was impacted by non-cash asset impairments of $104.8 million and non-cash lower-of-cost-or-market product inventory write downs of $25.5 million. Year over year consolidated operating income was lower due to our molybdenum mines being on care and maintenance.
  
  
• Net loss for 2015 was $134.9 million, or $0.62 per share compared to a net loss of $124.2 million, or $0.64 per share for 2014. The net loss for 2015 and 2014 included non-cash foreign exchange losses of $168.4 million and $99.8 million, respectively, primarily on intercompany notes.
  
  
• Non-GAAP adjusted net loss for 2015 was $49.8 million, or $0.23 per diluted share compared to a non-GAAP adjusted net income for 2014 of $54.6 million, or $0.25 per diluted share. Non-GAAP adjusted net (loss) income excludes the non-cash impact of asset impairment losses and foreign exchange losses, net of the related tax impacts and a non-cash release of tax valuation allowances. See "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for the definition and reconciliation of non-GAAP adjusted net income (loss).
  
  
• Senior Notes repurchased during 2015 resulted in the principal retirement of $41.4 million of 2017, 2018 and 2019 Notes, reducing future interest payments by approximately $11.6 million. Total cash used during 2015 for this program was $44.8 million. During 2014 our Senior Notes repurchases resulted in the principal retirement of $25.7 million of 2018 and 2019 Notes, reducing future interest payments by approximately $9.9 million. Total cash used during 2014 for this program was $23.4 million.
  
  
• Cash capital expenditures in 2015 were $61.3 million, comprised of $54.9 million for Mount Milligan Mine and $6.4 million of other capital costs primarily related to Endako Mine, TC Mine and the Langeloth Facility compared to $82.1 million in 2014.

Selected Consolidated Financial and Operational Information
(US$ in millions, except per share, per pound and per ounce amounts)

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Summary of Quarterly Results
(US$ in millions, except per share, per pound and per ounce amounts—unaudited)

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Payable production for copper and gold reflects estimated metallurgical losses resulting from handling of the concentrate and payable metal deductions, subject to metal content, levied by smelters. The current payable percentage applied is approximately 95.0% for copper and 96.5% for gold, which may be revised on a prospective basis after sufficient history of payable amounts are determined.

Current Guidance

The following table presents the Company's guidance for the full year 2016.

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Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In addition to the condensed consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with US GAAP, management uses certain non-GAAP financial measures to assess the Company's operating performance for the reasons described further below. These measures do not have standard meanings prescribed by US GAAP and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. The presentation of these measures is not intended to be considered in isolation from, as a substitute for, or as superior to, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with US GAAP. In addition, these non-GAAP measures have limitations in that they do not reflect all of the amounts associated with the results of operations as determined in accordance with US GAAP.

Adjusted Net Income (Loss), Adjusted Net Income (Loss) Per Share—Basic and Diluted

Management of the Company uses adjusted net income (loss) and adjusted net income (loss) per share—basic and diluted to evaluate the Company's operating performance and for planning and forecasting future business operations. The Company believes the use of these measures allows investors and analysts to compare results of the continuing operations of the Company to similar operating results of other mining companies, by excluding unusual or infrequent items that are considered non-core to our business.

Adjusted net income (loss) represents the income (loss) prepared in accordance with US GAAP, adjusted for significant non-cash items.

For 2015, the significant non-cash items were the net realized and unrealized gains and losses related to the impact of foreign exchange due primarily to intercompany notes, net of related tax effects. Additionally for 2015, in connection with a change in our legal structure we also had a significant non-cash release of tax valuation allowances which were generated in prior years primarily as a result of asset impairments. For 2014 and 2013, the significant non-cash items were the asset impairments, goodwill impairment, and the non-cash net realized and unrealized gain and losses related to the impact of foreign exchange due primarily to intercompany notes, and related tax effects.

In connection with the Company's strategy to manage cash balances, fund its operations and provide future tax benefits, management may enter into intercompany loan arrangements. At times, the loans are denominated in currencies other than the measurement currency of one of the parties. US GAAP requires that notes that are intended to be repaid should not be considered a capital contribution, and, therefore, the foreign exchange fluctuations related to these loans impact net income (loss) each period. At each period end, management compares the exchange rate between the Canadian and US dollars to the exchange rate at the end of the prior reporting period. The difference between those rates is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss on the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) at each period end. Settlement of these intercompany loans results in realized foreign exchange gains or losses recorded on the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss. As the loans between the parent company and its subsidiaries are the primary driver of our foreign exchange gains and losses, as discussed above, management does not consider gains or losses on foreign exchange in its evaluation of our financial performance. Management believes that presentation of the Company's non-GAAP measures excluding these gains or losses provides useful information to its investors regarding the Company's financial condition and results of operations.

Management reviews and evaluates the Company's long-lived assets for impairment using a two-step approach when events and changes in circumstances indicate that the related carrying amounts of its assets may not be recoverable. The Company experienced non-cash impairment write downs of its long-lived assets of different types during 2014 and 2013, as described in Note 5 within Item 8, and, therefore, these charges should not be considered non-recurring. However, management does not consider these impairment charges in its evaluation of the Company's financial performance and excludes non-cash asset write-downs and related tax impacts from adjusted net income (loss) and adjusted net income (loss) per share — basic and diluted. Management believes that presentation of the Company's non-GAAP measures excluding these non-cash impairment losses provides useful information to its investors regarding the Company's financial condition and results of operations.

Adjusted net income (loss) per share (basic and diluted) is calculated using adjusted net income (loss), as defined above, divided by the weighted-average basic and weighted-average diluted shares outstanding during the period as determined in accordance with US GAAP. If the adjustments to net (loss) on a US GAAP basis result in non-GAAP adjusted net income, management calculates weighted-average diluted shares outstanding in accordance with US GAAP and use that to calculate adjusted net income per share—diluted. If the adjustments to net income on a US GAAP basis result in non-GAAP adjusted net (loss), we utilize weighted-average basic shares outstanding to calculate adjusted net income per share—diluted, in accordance with US GAAP.

The following tables reconcile net income (loss) presented in accordance with US GAAP to the non-GAAP financial measures of adjusted net income (loss) and adjusted net income (loss) per share—basic and diluted, for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013 and for all of the previous eight quarters. All figures within the tables are unaudited and are presented in US$ in millions, except shares and per share amounts.

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Copper-Gold Operations - Unit Cash Cost and Average Realized Price per Payable Pound or Payable Ounce Sold

The following tables provide a reconciliation of cash costs, unit cash costs, and operating expenses for Copper-Gold operations included in our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) in the determination of net income (loss).

Non-GAAP cash cost

Unit cash cost on a by-product and co-product basis are considered key measures in evaluating operating performance in the Company's Copper-Gold operations, as well as measures of profitability and efficiency on a consolidated basis. Although, unit cash cost on a by-product and co-product basis are not measures of financial performance, do not have standardized meaning prescribed by US GAAP and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies, management uses these measures to manage operations and believes these non-GAAP measures provide useful supplemental information to investors.

Unit cash cost on a by-product and co-product basis represent the mining, milling, on-site general and administration, truck and rail transportation, warehousing, refining and treatment, and ocean freight and insurance costs; and exclude the effects of changes in inventory; non-cash corporate allocations; other non-cash employee benefits, such as stock-based compensation; depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion.

On a by-product basis, sales of by-product metals are deducted when computing cash costs in accordance with the cash cost standard endorsed by the World Gold Council and, previously, the Gold Institute.

On a co-product basis, cash costs are allocated between copper and gold based on production. Copper production is stated in thousands of pounds. Gold production has been converted to thousands of copper equivalent (Cu eq.) pounds using the gold production for the periods presented, as well as the most recent monthly average prices for copper and gold. The price used for copper is the most recent monthly average of the Metals Bulletin Daily published price for LME settlement per tonne. The price used for gold is a weighted average of the most recent monthly average of the Metals Bulletin Daily published prices for daily average London price per ounce adjusted for the fixed price established under the Gold Stream Arrangement ($435 per oz).

The following tables provide a reconciliation of cash costs, unit cash costs, and operating expenses for Copper-Gold operations included in our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss in the determination of net loss.

Non-GAAP cash cost

 

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By-Product

 

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Co- Product

 

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Average realized sales price

The average realized sales price per payable pound or payable ounce sold is calculated by dividing copper or gold sales revenue, gross together with the final pricing adjustments and mark-to-market adjustments by the pounds or ounces sold, respectively, as shown in the tables below.

 

 

Additional information on the Company's financial position is available in Thompson Creek's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2015, which was filed today on EDGAR (www.sec.gov) and SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and posted on the Company's website (www.thompsoncreekmetals.com).

Conference Call and Webcast

Thompson Creek will hold a conference call for analysts and investors to discuss its 2015 financial results on Thursday, February 25, 2016 at 11:00 am Eastern Time.

To participate in the call, please dial 1 (647) 427-7450 or 1 (888) 231-8191.  A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available at http://bit.ly/1QUvwLn and www.thompsoncreekmetals.com.

An archived recording of the conference call will be available through March 10, 2016.  To access the recording, dial 1 (416) 849-0833 or 1 (855) 859-2056 and enter replay code 44047097.  The archived recording will also be available at Thompson Creek's website.

About Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc.

Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc. is a North American mining company.  The Company's principal operating property is its 100%-owned Mount Milligan mine, an open-pit copper and gold mine and concentrator in British Columbia. The Company's molybdenum assets consist of its 100%-owned Thompson Creek Mine, an open-pit molybdenum mine and concentrator in Idaho, its 75% joint venture interest in the Endako Mine, an open-pit molybdenum mine, concentrator and roaster in British Columbia, and its Langeloth Metallurgical Facility in Pennsylvania.  The Company's development project is the Berg property, a copper, molybdenum, and silver exploration property located in British Columbia.  The Company's principal executive office is located in Denver, Colorado.  More information is available at www.thompsoncreekmetals.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release, other than purely historical information are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and applicable Canadian securities legislation and are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provided by these regulations. These forward-looking statements can, in some cases, be identified by the use of such terms as "believe," "project," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "strategy," "future," "opportunity," "plan," "may," "should," "will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result," and similar expressions. Our forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements with respect to: future financial or operating performance of the Company or its subsidiaries and its projects; future liquidity; access to existing or future financing arrangements and ability to refinance or reduce debt on favorable terms or at all; future inventory, production, sales, payments from customers, cash costs, capital expenditures and exploration expenditures; future earnings and operating results; expected mining and concentrate grades and recoveries; estimates of mineral reserves and resources, including estimated mine life and annual production; expectations regarding the optimization of Mount Milligan Mine and construction of a permanent secondary crusher, including the effects of secondary crushing; future concentrate shipment dates and shipment sizes; future operating plans and goals, including expected financial and operating results of the molybdenum business; expected impact of an internal corporate restructuring on utilization of tax attributes; expected costs, including any severance costs; personnel decisions, including reductions in work force; future copper, gold, and molybdenum prices; and future foreign exchange rates.

Where we express an expectation or belief as to future events or results, such expectation or belief is expressed in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis. However, our forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed, projected or implied by those forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results and events to differ from those described in such forward-looking statements can be found in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Thompson Creek's Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents filed on EDGAR at www.sec.gov and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although we have attempted to identify those material factors that could cause actual results or events to differ from those described in such forward-looking statements, there may be other factors, currently unknown to us or deemed immaterial at the present time that could cause results or events to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Many of these factors are beyond our ability to control or predict. Given these uncertainties, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

 

 

SOURCE Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc.



Contact

Pamela Solly, Director, Investor Relations and Corporate Responsibility
Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc.
Tel: (303) 762-3526
psolly@tcrk.com