FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
- Revenues increased by 5% to $2,266 million (2018: $2,162 million) as higher production and sales offset lower copper prices
- Full year copper sales volumes of 317 kt (2018: 296 kt) and gold sales of 225 koz (2018: 169 koz)
- Average LME copper price in 2019 reduced by 8% to $6,000/t (2018: $6,526/t)
- EBITDA1 of $1,355 million at an EBITDA margin of 60% (2018: $1,310 million)
- Operating profit increased by 8% to $923 million (2018: $851 million)
- Industry leading net cash cost1 of 77 USc/lb (2018: 85 USc/lb)
- Gross cash costs1 reduced to 140 USc/lb (2018: 144 USc/lb) driven by increased contribution from Aktogay and cost efficiencies at the East Region
- Gold by-product revenues rose by 50% to $318 million (2018: $212 million) driven by 10% increase in production, 10% higher average LBMA gold price and the sale of inventory
- Structural factors of economies of scale, competitive energy and transport costs, and low strip ratios continue to support the Group’s low cost position
- Net debt1 $2,759 million (2018: $1,986 million)
- 2019 investments include $436 million cash consideration for the Baimskaya acquisition and $718 million of expansionary capital expenditure (2018: $530 million)
- Gross liquid funds1 of $541 million at 31 December 2019 (2018: $1,467 million)
- $1.0 billion of committed facilities undrawn as at 28 January 2020, following amendment of PXF
- Final dividend of 8 US cents per ordinary share recommended
- Total 2019 dividend of 12 US cents per ordinary share, including the interim dividend of 4 US cents per ordinary share paid on 25 October 2019
OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
- Copper production2 of 311 kt and gold production3 of 201 koz (+6% and +10% compared with 2018)
- 2020 copper production2 guided at 280-300 kt as grades are expected to decline at Aktogay while East Region output is limited by low grades and challenging geological conditions
POSITIONED FOR GROWTH
- Strong performance from producing assets supports investment in near and long term growth
- Aktogay expansion on track for completion in 2021, $1.2 billion project budget unchanged
- Baimskaya feasibility study ongoing, expected to be completed later in the first half of 2020
|
$ million (unless otherwise stated) |
2019 |
2018 |
|
Revenues |
2,266 |
2,162 |
|
EBITDA1 |
1,355 |
1,310 |
|
|
|
|
|
Operating profit |
923 |
851 |
|
Profit before tax |
726 |
642 |
|
Underlying Profit1 |
571 |
530 |
|
Ordinary EPS – basic ($) |
1.21 |
1.14 |
|
Ordinary EPS – diluted ($) |
1.17 |
1.14 |
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash flows from operating activities |
512 |
673 |
|
Free Cash Flow1 |
411 |
585 |
|
|
|
|
|
Gross cash cost1 (USc/lb) |
140 |
144 |
|
Aktogay |
102 |
106 |
|
Bozshakol |
137 |
129 |
|
East Region & Bozymchak |
234 |
244 |
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash cost1 (USc/lb) |
77 |
85 |
|
Aktogay |
98 |
103 |
|
Bozshakol |
31 |
58 |
|
East Region & Bozymchak |
104 |
94 |
|
|
|
|
|
Gross borrowings |
3,300 |
3,453 |
|
Gross liquid funds1 |
541 |
1,467 |
|
Net debt1 |
2,759 |
1,986 |
1 Alternative Performance Measures (“APMs”) are used to assess the performance of the Group and are not defined or specified under IFRS. For further information on APMs, including justification for their use, please refer to the APMs section on page 54.
2 Payable metal in concentrate and copper cathode from Aktogay oxide ore.
3 Payable metal in concentrate.
Andrew Southam, Chief Executive Officer, said: “In 2019 KAZ Minerals has continued to build on its operational track record, delivering further growth in copper production and maintaining its industry leading cost position. Our large scale operations in Kazakhstan achieved record levels of production and our proven, low cost asset base provides a strong platform for investment into value-accretive growth projects. The Aktogay expansion project is on budget and on track to commence production in 2021. We look forward to releasing further details of our plans for Baimskaya when the bankable feasibility study is completed.”
For further information please contact:
|
KAZ Minerals PLC |
|
|
|
Chris Bucknall |
Investor Relations, London |
Tel: +44 20 7901 7882 |
|
Anna Mallere |
Investor Relations, London |
Tel: +44 20 7901 7814 |
|
Maksut Zhapabayev |
Corporate Communications, Almaty |
Tel: +7 727 244 03 53 |
|
Brunswick Group |
|
|
|
Carole Cable, Charlie Pretzlik
|
|
Tel: +44 20 7404 5959 |
REGISTERED OFFICE
6th Floor, Cardinal Place, 100 Victoria Street, London SW1E 5JL, United Kingdom.
NOTES TO EDITORS
KAZ Minerals PLC (“KAZ Minerals” or “the Group”) is a high growth copper company focused on large scale, low cost, open pit mining in Kazakhstan, Russia and Kyrgyzstan. It operates the Aktogay and Bozshakol open pit copper mines in the East Region and Pavlodar region of Kazakhstan, three underground mines and associated concentrators in the East Region of Kazakhstan and the Bozymchak copper-gold mine in Kyrgyzstan. In 2019, total copper production was 311 kt with by-products of 201 koz of gold, 3,382 koz of silver and 38 kt of zinc in concentrate. The Group acquired the Baimskaya project in the Chukotka region of Russia in January 2019, one of the world’s most significant undeveloped copper assets, with the potential to become a large scale, low cost, open pit copper mine.
The Group’s new operations at Aktogay and Bozshakol have delivered industry leading production growth and transformed KAZ Minerals into a company dominated by world class, open pit copper mines.
Aktogay is a large scale, open pit mine similar to Bozshakol, with a remaining mine life of around 25 years (including the expansion project) at an average copper grade of 0.35% (oxide) and 0.33% (sulphide). Aktogay commenced production of copper cathode from oxide ore in December 2015 and copper in concentrate from sulphide ore in February 2017. The operating sulphide concentrator has an annual ore processing capacity of 25 million tonnes and the sulphide processing capacity will be doubled to 50 million tonnes with the addition of a second concentrator by the end of 2021. Aktogay is competitively positioned on the global cost curve and will produce an average of 100 kt of copper per year from sulphide ore until 2021, increasing to 170 kt per year from 2022 to 2027, after the second concentrator commences operations. Copper production from oxide ore will be in the region of 20 kt per annum until 2024.
Bozshakol is a first quartile asset on the global cost curve with an annual ore processing capacity of 30 million tonnes and a remaining mine life of c.40 years at an average copper grade of 0.36%. The mine and processing facilities commenced output in 2016 and will produce an average of 100 kt of copper cathode equivalent and 120 koz of gold in concentrate per year over the first 10 years of operations.
The Peschanka deposit within the Baimskaya licence area in Russia has JORC resources of 9.5 Mt of copper at an average grade of 0.43% and 16.5 Moz of gold at an average grade of 0.23 g/t. Average annual production over the first ten years of operations is expected to be 250 kt copper and 400 koz gold, or 330 kt Copper Equivalent Production, with a mine life of approximately 25 years and first quartile operating costs. The project is located in a region identified by the Russian Government as strategically important for economic development and will benefit from the construction of state-funded power and transport infrastructure and the provision of tax incentives. The estimated capital budget for construction is $5.5 billion. The parameters of the project will be confirmed on completion of the feasibility study. The Group expects the project to generate a significant NPV uplift and an attractive IRR at analyst consensus copper prices. The development of Baimskaya will enable the Group to continue its high growth trajectory, adding a large scale, long life asset to the Group’s portfolio.
KAZ Minerals is listed on the London Stock Exchange and the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange and employs around 16,000 people, principally in Kazakhstan.
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