Crocodile Gold Reports Results for the Year Ended December 31, 2010
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 03/31/11 -- Crocodile Gold Corp. (TSX: CRK)(OTCQX: CROCF)(FRANKFURT: XGC) ('Crocodile Gold' or the 'Company') today announces its financial and operating results for the year ended December 31, 2010. All figures are in U.S. dollars, unless otherwise stated.
Highlights include:
-- The Company declared commercial production on June 1, 2010, when the
Union Reef's mill achieved commercial levels of throughput, grades and
recoveries on a sustained basis.
-- During the year ended December 31, 2010, the Company recorded a net loss
of $19,836,004, or $0.10 per share, and cash flow from operations of
$6,263,016. The net loss for the year included impairment charges of
$8,299,703 to the Brock's Creek underground mine.
-- In the seven month period since the declaration of commercial
production, the Company recorded gold sales revenue of $73,178,056 on
the sale of 56,990 ounces of gold, for an average realized price of
$1,284 per ounce.
-- During the seven months of production since commercial production was
declared in June 2010, a total of 1,250,000 tonnes of ore was processed
at an average head grade of 1.54 grams per tonne ('g/t') and a recovery
rate of 91.1% to produce 56,294 ounces of gold and, during the twelve
months ended December 31, 2010, the Company processed 1,856,180 tonnes
of ore at an average head grade of 1.55 g/t and a recovery rate of 88.4%
to produce 81,793 ounces of gold.
-- Cash cost per ounce sold during the seven months ended December 31, 2010
was $1,109 on 56,990 ounces of gold (see Non-GAAP Measures below).
-- The Company completed 81,946 metres of exploration drilling at Brock's
Creek, Howley, Cosmo, Princess Louise and Tom's Gully during the year
ended December 31, 2010.
-- In September 2010, Crocodile Gold was added to the S&P/TSX Small Cap
Index.
In releasing this information, Mike Hoffman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Crocodile Gold commented, '2010 was an important transition year for Crocodile Gold. We ramped up production, declaring commercial production in June 2010, and initiated the development of our most important asset at Cosmo. We are continuing to work on important initiatives in 2011, including bringing the Cosmo underground mine into production; which will have a major impact on increasing overall production and lowering cash costs in the future. In addition, we continue to work on optimizing the operational plan for Cosmo and optimizing the existing Union Reef's mill. Our exploration team will be aggressively exploring our tenement package, with the current priorities being Cosmo, Union Reef's and existing mining areas.'
Financial Discussion
During the year ended December 31, 2010, Crocodile Gold recorded a net loss of $19,836,004, or $0.10 per share. The net loss in 2010, included impairment charges against mining and exploration assets of $8,704,929.
Crocodile Gold's operations have been in commercial production since June 1, 2010, prior to which all operational activity and related revenue and costs were treated as capitalized development. During the seven months ended December 31, 2010, gold sales revenue of $73.2 million was recorded on the sale of 56,990 ounces of gold, for an average realized gold price of $1,284 per ounce.
Operating expenses during the period June 1 to December 31, 2010 were $63.7 million. Depreciation, depletion and amortization expense of $9.8 million, or $172 per ounce of gold sold, was recorded during this period. After reclamation accretion and royalty expenses, the Company recorded a loss from mine operations of $953,038 for the year ended December 31, 2010.
The Company incurred care and maintenance costs for the year ended December 31, 2010 amounting to $1.6 million, related to properties that have not yet been put into production. Corporate general and administration expenses of $4.5 million recorded were comprised mainly of salaries and consulting fees, professional fees, shareholder communications and travel expenses. Stock-based compensation expense of $4.2 million was recorded relating to options granted between July 10, 2009 and December 31, 2010. During 2010, 6,700,000 options were granted (2009: 11,160,000). Options typically vest over a two-year period with 1/8th of the grant vesting each quarter.
With the strengthening of the Australian dollar vis-a-vis the U.S. dollar, the Company recorded gains of $1.4 million on the currency forward contracts it had in place to buy Australian dollars and sell U.S. dollars during the year.
Cash Flow
During the year ended December 31, 2010, cash flow from operating activities before changes in non-cash working capital, provided $6.4 million (see Non-GAAP Measures below).
Investing activities during the year ended December 31, 2010 used $94.4 million, consisting of capitalized exploration costs, development on the Cosmo underground mine, and development costs at Brock's Creek, Howley, Tom's Gully and at the Union Reef's mill. Investing activities also included the capitalization of pre-commercial production operating costs of $45.6 million, netted against proceeds on the sale of gold of $26.7 million, and the final deferred payment on the purchase of mining assets of $13.2 million.
Financial Position
As at December 31, 2010, the Company had net working capital of $20.4 million, which included cash and cash equivalents of $22.8 million, amounts receivable of $2.2 million, prepaid expenses of $1.3 million and inventories of $8.8 million, partially offset by current liabilities of $14.8 million.
In June and November 2010, the Company issued 40,710,000 common shares as part of prospectus financings for net cash proceeds of $49.3 million. An additional $31.5 million was raised upon the exercise of share purchase warrants, and $3.1 million on the exercise of options.
On March 24, 2011, the Company closed a prospectus offering, on a bought deal basis, issuing 81,000,000 units at a price of C$1.05 per unit for aggregate gross proceeds of C$85,050,000. Each unit consists of one common share of the Company and one-half of a common share purchase warrant. Each whole common share purchase warrant entitles the holder thereof to acquire one common share of the Company at an exercise price of C$2.25 per warrant for a period of five years from the closing date. The Company has agreed to grant the underwriters an over-allotment option to purchase up to an additional 12,150,000 common shares and/or 6,075,000 common share purchase warrants, or a combination thereof, exercisable for a period of 30 days following the closing of the offering at an exercise price equal to the issue price as allocated and described in the final prospectus to cover over-allotments. The proceeds of the financing will be used for the development of the Cosmo underground mine, improvements to the Union Reef's mill, exploration and working capital and general corporate purposes.
Non-GAAP Measures
Crocodile Gold believes that investors use certain indicators to assess gold mining companies. The indicators are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with Canadian Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ('GAAP').
'Cash flow from operating activities before changes in non-cash working capital' is a non-GAAP performance measure that could provide an indication of the Company's ability to generate cash flows from operations, and is calculated by adding back the change in non-cash working capital to 'Cash provided by (used in) operating activities' as presented on the Company's consolidated statements of cash flows.
'Cash cost per ounce' is a non-GAAP performance measure which could provide an indication of the mining and processing efficiency and effectiveness at the operations. It is determined by dividing the operating expenses, excluding stock-based compensation allocated to operating expense and net of silver revenue, by the number of ounces of gold sold. There are variations in the method of computation of 'cash cost per ounce' as determined by the Company compared with other mining companies. The following is a reconciliation of the cash cost per ounce of gold sold, to the reported operating expenses for the period following the Company's declaration of commercial production on June 1, 2010:
Year ended
December 31,
2010
Operating expenses per consolidated statement of loss and
comprehensive loss $ 63,726,536
By-product silver sales credit (173,364)
Non-cash stock option expense charged to operating expenses (371,518)
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Operating cash costs 63,181,654
Divided by ounces of gold sold (commercial production ounces) 56,990
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Cash cost per ounce sold $ 1,109
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Further details regarding the Company's operations are available on the Company's website at www.crocgold.com. Complete audited financial statements and related Management's Discussion and Analysis together with the Company's Annual Information Form will be available under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com at 7:00 a.m. EST on April 1, 2011.
About Crocodile Gold
Crocodile Gold is a Canadian company with operating gold mines in the Northern Territory of Australia and a land package of over 2,700 km(2). Crocodile Gold is currently mining from the Howley open pit mine and the Brock's Creek underground mine, with production to shortly begin at the Princess Louise open pit mine. The Company is currently developing the Cosmo underground mine. Ore is processed at the 2.4 million tonne per year Union Reef's Mill. Crocodile Gold has 3.4 million ounces of NI 43-101 compliant measured and indicated resources (52 million tonnes at an average grade of 2.0 g/t gold) and 2.1 million ounces of inferred resources (35 million tonnes at an average grade of 1.9 g/t gold) (see the Annual Information Form dated March 28, 2011).
Qualified Person
David Keough, MAusIMM of Crocodile Gold Australia Operations is a 'qualified person' as such term is defined in National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and confirmed the technical information and data included in this press release.
Cautionary Note
Certain information set forth in this press release contains 'forward-looking statements', and 'forward-looking information under applicable securities laws. Except for statements of historical fact, certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements which include management's assessment of Crocodile Gold's targeted production, future plans, operations, weather forecasts and mineral resource estimates and are based on Crocodile Gold's current internal expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and beliefs, which may prove to be incorrect. Some of the forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as 'expects' 'anticipates', 'believes', 'projects', 'plans', and similar expressions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and undue reliance should not be placed on them. Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause Crocodile Gold's actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those risks described in the annual information form of the Company. 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. Crocodile Gold undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
Contacts:
Crocodile Gold Corp.
Michael Hoffman
President and CEO
416-861-2964
info@crocgold.com
Crocodile Gold Corp.
Nirupa Maharaj
Manager Investor Relations
416-861-5899
www.crocgold.com