Orla Mining - Q2 2024

Transcript

Operator (participant)

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Orla Mining's conference call for the second quarter 2024 results. My name is Kayla, and I will be your conference operator today. All lines have been placed on mute to prevent any background noise. After the speaker's remarks, there will be a question-and-answer session. If you'd like to ask a question during this time, simply press Star, followed by the number 1 on your telephone keypad. If you would like to withdraw your question again, press the Star and 1. Please be advised that this call is being recorded. I would like to turn the meeting over to Andrew Bradbury, Vice President of Investor Relations and Corporate Development. Please go ahead, Mr. Bradbury.

Andrew Bradbury (VP of Investor Relations and Corporate Development)

Thank you, operator, and welcome to Orla's second quarter 2024 results conference call. We will be making forward-looking statements during today's call, and I direct you to the first and second slides of the presentation, which contains important cautionary notes regarding these forward-looking statements. All dollar amounts discussed today will refer to US dollars unless otherwise indicated. The Orla executive team is on the call this morning, and I'll pass the call to Jason Simpson, President and CEO.

Jason Douglas Simpson (President and CEO)

Thanks, Andrew. During the second quarter, Camino Rojo continued to produce higher than planned ounces at low costs, all the while maintaining the health and safety of our workforce and considerate of our local environment. Our low-cost production, combined with higher gold prices, is driving increased margins and cash flow, which is being used to pay down debt and invest in our growth. Some of that growth includes the Camino Rojo sulfide extensions, with recent drilling showing impressive high grades and strong initial metallurgical results. We have the executive team on the call to provide specific updates in various areas. The year-to-date outperformance at Camino Rojo enables us to increase our full-year production guidance to 120,000-130,000 ounces and decreasing our all-in sustaining cost guidance to $800-$900 per ounce gold sold.

I am very proud of our team's efforts in delivering the consistent execution quarter-over-quarter. Now over to Andrew Cormier, our Chief Operating Officer, to discuss more on this operating performance.

Andrew Cormier (COO)

Thank you, Jason. As mentioned, our operating team in Mexico delivered another strong quarter. It is imperative to Orla that we maintain a safety-first culture and always consider the impact of our actions on our stakeholders. During the quarter, we mined over 1.9 million tons of ore at a strip ratio of 1.08. In the second half of the year, we plan to continue to increase the waste movement to a strip ratio of 1.5. As we previously indicated, we'll be mining at least 90% of the material planned for the year. The average gold grade of ore processed during the second quarter was 0.87 grams per ton. We also achieved an average stacking rate of 19,717 tons of ore per day.

I would like to provide an update on the recovery improvement program we started in August 2023. The objective of the program was to increase the gold recovery by reducing the crusher product size while maintaining the daily throughput. The program has resulted in an increased gold recovery between 3%-5%, and we will continue with the testing in 2024. With the continued strong mining and operating performance in the second quarter, we produced over 33,000 ounces of gold, and year to date, we have outperformed on tons, grade, and recovery for both gold and silver. With the continued operational execution and performance, we are increasing our production guidance for the full year to 120,000-130,000 ounces of gold.

The increased production guidance for 2024 is a result of the increased total stacked material and improved recoveries. Overall grades for the year will remain in line with plan. It is worth noting that we are continuing our permitting efforts to expand the mine in Mexico and have the flexibility of the current mine plan. The permitting process also continues in Nevada. We are working through the federal permitting process with the Bureau of Land Management, the lead agency for the permitting. All 19 supplemental environmental reports have been submitted for review, of which 13 reviews have been completed. We anticipate permitting will continue through this year and next year in advance of the target construction start in 2026. With that, I'll pass the call to Etienne Morin, our Chief Financial Officer, to discuss the financial results for the quarter.

Etienne Morin (CFO)

Thank you, Andrew. During the quarter, we sold 35,000 ounces at a realized gold price of $2,332 per ounce, resulting in a record $85 million in revenue for the period. Our all-in sustaining cost for the second quarter was $782 per ounce, lower in part due to higher gold production and improved silver recoveries. With a strong gold production and cost management, we're reducing our 2024 all-in sustaining cost guidance to a range of $800-$900 per ounce of gold sold, down from our initial guidance of $875-$975 per ounce.

This low-cost production, coupled with the higher gold prices, are driving strong earnings and cash flow generation. Our earnings for the quarter was $24.3 million, or $0.08 per share, and after adjusting for unrealized foreign exchange gains and other small items, adjusted net earnings was $23 million or $0.07 per share. These strong earnings are reflected in peer-leading operating margins of 64% in record free cash flow generation. During the quarter, exploration and project costs were $9.7 million, of which approximately 2/3, or $6.6 million, was expensed and $3.1 million was capitalized. Cash flow from operating activities before changes in non-cash working capital was $53.2 million, or $0.17 per share for the quarter. Meanwhile, we generated a record $44 million in free cash flow of $0.14 per share.

As per our plan, sustaining capital costs will ramp down in the second half of the year as the phase two expansion of the heap leach pad was completed in early Q3. The total capital expenditures in the second quarter was $7.9 million, of which $4.9 million was sustaining capital and $3 million was non-sustaining and related to capitalized exploration in Mexico. So here on this graph, we've shown. So we actually shown this chart in previous quarter, but it's worth reiterating our commitment to pay down our debt as we continue to generate strong cash flows. During the quarter, we repaid $10 million towards a credit facility, and we ended Q2 with $154 million in cash, $78 million in debt, and resulting in a $76 million net cash position.

In July, and subsequent to quarter end, we repaid an additional $20 million towards a revolving credit facility, bringing down the current balance outstanding to $58.4 million. We'll continue to evaluate opportunities to reduce debt, to reduce interest charges while maintaining our financial flexibility to fund our internal project pipeline, including our exploration programs. With that, I'll pass the call over to Sylvain Guerard, our Senior Vice President, Exploration.

Sylvain Guerard (SVP of Exploration)

Thanks, Etienne. In the second quarter, we continued to advance our 2024 exploration program, with ongoing drilling at Camino Rojo in Mexico and the commencement of our 2024 exploration program at South Railroad in Nevada. Throughout the quarter, we drilled over 10,000 m, with approximately 7,800 m on the Camino Rojo sulfide extension and 2,300 m at South Railroad. We issued a press release in late June, highlighting positive drilling intersection and metallurgical results from Camino Rojo extension in the first half of 2024. Additional news releases providing results from our Camino Rojo and South Railroad drill programs are planned for late 2024. As part of the near mine exploration at Camino Rojo, we are focusing our 2024 efforts on the promising Camino Rojo extensions.

We have designed a 30,000 m drill program aimed at testing and expanding the potential of the still open mineralization at the extensive Camino Rojo deposit. The program targets polymetallic replacement style sulfides and skarn-type mineralization beyond the current resource boundaries. At the end of the quarter, we have drilled over 18,000 m and 23 holes, with assay and metallurgical testing in progress. The drill results indicate potential expansion of the Camino Rojo sulfide resources at depth, extending beyond the current mineral resource, down plunge by at least 500 m. The remainder of the current exploration program will focus on extending mineralization from 0.5 km-1 km down plunge of the current limits of the mineral resources along the dike structure. This drilling is expected to test the open mineralized trends to assess the broader potential of the growing Camino Rojo deposit.

The initial metallurgical results have been quite positive and are consistent with the results of last year's gold recoveries of 81%-96% for bottle roll and 85%-88% for rougher flotation, highlighting the potential for compatibility of this new mineralized style with both standard cyanide processing and flotation metal. As part of the Camino Rojo Sulphide Project planning, we are advancing an initial on-the-ground resource estimate but will not yet include any of the extension drilling which remains ongoing. Metallurgical studies on the recent phase is also ongoing. In Nevada, along the Carlin Trend, we have an exciting drill program underway. With the acquisition of Contact Gold, we increased our 2024 exploration budget by $3 million.

We started our drilling 2024 in late May, and by the end of the second quarter, had drilled more than 2,000 m and completed 9 RC holes, testing extension of known deposit with assay results pending. The 2024 exploration program will continue to test potential extension of known mineralized zones, including targets on the edge of the Pinion and Dark Star deposit, while also test new exploration targets across the South Railroad project. Our 2024 exploration program is progressing well with drilling operation underway in Mexico and in Nevada. We look forward to providing updates on our progress and results as we advance. I will now pass the call to Chafika Eddine.

Chafika Eddine (SVP of Sustainability)

Thank you, Sylvain. On the sustainability front, we keep advancing our 2030 sustainability strategy to produce a net positive benefit for our stakeholders, where we can add more than we extract into society, the environment, and the economy. Our second sustainability report will be released shortly, and I would invite you to have a look to learn about the targets and key performance indicators that measure our progress. We have many reasons to be proud of our sustainability efforts. This includes how we are collaborating to protect and restore ecosystems, and the low carbon intensity index from our Camino Rojo mine, which remains consistent with our 2020-2022 level. This performance continues to position our Camino Rojo mine among the lowest global emitters in the gold sector.

Embedding the sustainability strategy into the business, into the business targets, means creating actions that are economically feasible and operationally achievable, and that can create superior outcome, outcomes for the company and its stakeholders. We strive to foster a fair, safe, and healthy working environment, where everyone genuinely wants the company to succeed. We also keep engaging with all stakeholders to listen to their concerns and aspirations, and to develop partnerships to maximize benefits. Openness is critical to build trust and achieve positive relationships. This is the way we are cementing Orla's reputation and culture for our company to remain recognized as a desired place to work for and to work with. I'll now pass the call back to Jason.

Jason Douglas Simpson (President and CEO)

Thank you, Chafika. Our execution and delivery at Camino Rojo continue to underpin all this success. We are holding our costs and seeing margins expand in this very healthy gold price environment, which is strengthening the business. Thank you to our team in every country where we operate, who remain committed to their area and this business. It is their collective efforts that drive us forward towards our vision of becoming the gold producer of choice. At this point, I'd like to open the call to questions and hand the call back to the operator.

Operator (participant)

At this time, I would like to remind everyone, in order to ask a question, press the star, then the number one on your telephone keypad. We'll pause for just a moment to compile the roster. Our first question comes from John Sclodnick with Desjardins. Your line is open.

John Sclodnick (Director and Equity Research Analyst)

Yeah, thanks for taking my question, guys. Yeah, congrats on a great quarter and another year of increasing guidance. Just on the recovery improvements, just wondering when you'd expect to start increasing that crush size and to the finer grind, and just on the impact of processing costs, if you have a sense of that at this point?

Jason Douglas Simpson (President and CEO)

Yeah, certainly. Thanks, John, and good to hear from you, and appreciate the acknowledgment. On in terms of the reduced crush size and we began that in August of last year, so that's been underway for over a year now. And as time has progressed and we understand the kinetic effect in the leach pad, we are now able to communicate to the market the percentage increase in recovery that we're seeing. And of course, as you would expect, that increased recovery is part of the reason that we've been able to increase our production guidance in addition to throughput in grades in the first half. But also, we're lowering our all-in sustaining cost guidance this year, which also considers the effects of the improved recovery.

So as we conducted that process, beginning in August of last year, we're watching two things. One is, could we achieve the reduced particle size and maintain our stacking throughput? And the answer to that is yes. And secondarily, and to your question, could we do so and still keep our costs within budget and guidance? And the answer to that is also yes.

John Sclodnick (Director and Equity Research Analyst)

Okay, great. No, appreciate that, that color there. And I guess last one for me, just on the second half of the year, just trying to get a sense on kind of gold grades, you know, we've seen elevated levels first half. I'd assume you'd expect a bit of a decline, but just wondering if you can give, you know, a bit of a sense on to what degree in the second half, and then kind of same idea for strip ratio on the opposite end. I guess I'd expect that to tick higher. Just wondering if kind of the 1.5 range is suitable or if you see it coming higher or lower than that.

Jason Douglas Simpson (President and CEO)

Yeah, let's start with the grade. One of the contributors to our overachievement in the first half has been grade, in addition to throughput and recovery that we just discussed. For the second half of the year, recoveries and throughput will continue to be contributors, but the grades will, in fact, begin to level out. So we expect, based upon our latest forecast, to be in line with our planned grades. If we can continue our first half performance, we'll expect to continue to overproduce in stacking, and we are now carrying through the recovery benefits that we described. So you're quite right, and as we communicated to the market today, we're expecting the overall year-end grades to be in line with plan.

The benefits of the increased production guidance will be a function of recovery and stacking rate. Now, in terms of the waste, you also correctly picked up that we have increased our stripping ratio beginning in quarter two. As we previously communicated, we needed to make adjustments to the mine plan to enable us to strip the amount of waste planned for this year, and that will, as you've noticed, be second half weighted. I think 1.5 that you cited is a reasonable number to expect in the second half of this year. Such that, by the end of the year, yeah, given the under-stripping in quarter one, will result to within about 90% of our waste-stripping plan for the year.

The benefits of that, of course, are that we are not going to upset the cost profiles for the years to come, having been able to adjust the mine plan and achieve the stripping ratio that we originally intended in 2024.

John Sclodnick (Director and Equity Research Analyst)

Okay, that's great. I appreciate those details. Thanks, and again, congrats on a great quarter and year so far.

Jason Douglas Simpson (President and CEO)

Thanks, John. Love your headline.

Operator (participant)

As a reminder, if you would like to ask a question, please press star and the number one on your telephone keypad. Our next question comes from the line of Bryce Adams with CIBC Capital Markets. Your line is open.

John Sclodnick (Director and Equity Research Analyst)

Good morning, all. Thanks for the presentation. Just one question, and it's probably for Etienne, but maybe Jason started to touch on it there. For the accelerated stripping in the second half, how will those costs be classified? Assume capitalized, but will they be inside or outside of all-in sustaining cost?

Jason Douglas Simpson (President and CEO)

Go ahead, Etienne.

Etienne Morin (CFO)

Yeah, thanks for the question, Bryce. No, it'll all be expensed, so it'll be part of, it'll flow through inventory and be part of cost of sales. So we don't do capitalized stripping at this point anyway.

John Sclodnick (Director and Equity Research Analyst)

Okay. That's very clear. Thank you.

Operator (participant)

At this time, there are no further questions. I will now turn the call back over to CEO Jason Simpson.

Jason Douglas Simpson (President and CEO)

Thank you, operator. Since there are no further questions, I'd like to take the opportunity to thank you for your time and remind you that you can always reach out to Orla should you have any follow-up questions. Our management team is fully available. Thank you for tuning in.

Operator (participant)

This concludes today's conference call. You may now disconnect.