MAG Silver Corp. (TSX:MAG) (NYSE American: MAG) announces the Company’s audited consolidated financial results for the year ended December 31, 2022. For details of the audited consolidated financial statements, Management’s Discussion and Analysis, Annual Information Form and Annual Report on Form 40-F for the year ended December 31, 2022, please see the Company’s filings on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) or on EDGAR (www.sec.gov).
All amounts herein are reported in $000s of United States dollars unless otherwise specified.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS (on a 100% basis unless otherwise noted)
OPERATIONAL (on a 100% basis unless otherwise noted)
CORPORATE
EXPLORATION
JUANICIPIO PROJECT UPDATE
Underground Mine Production
With the Juanicipio plant now in the commissioning and ramp-up phase, excess mineralized material from the Juanicipio Project continues to be campaign processed, subject to capacity availability, at the nearby Saucito and Fresnillo plants (both 100% owned by Fresnillo). Metals are refined and sold on commercial terms under long-term off-take agreements with an affiliate of Fresnillo. During the year and quarter ended December 31, 2022, approximately 63% and 70% respectively, of the total tonnage processed was through the Saucito plant. The Saucito plant flowsheet better resembles that of the Juanicipio flowsheet and will provide valuable metallurgical information as production ramps up at Juanicipio.
In the year ended December 31, 2022, a total of 646,148 tonnes of mineralized development and stope material were processed through the Fresnillo plants. The resulting payable metals sold and processing details are summarized in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Mineralized Material Processed at Fresnillo’s Processing Plants (100% basis)
Year Ended December 31, 2022 (646,148 tonnes processed) |
Year Ended |
|||
Payable Metals | Quantity | Average Per Unit $ |
Amount $ |
|
Silver | 8,697,372 ounces | 21.70 per oz | 188,722 | 71,369 |
Gold | 20,268 ounces | 1,823 per oz | 36,958 | 10,702 |
Lead | 4,487 tonnes | 0.95 per lb. | 9,380 | 2,387 |
Zinc | 6,758 tonnes | 1.57 per lb. | 23,398 | 4,849 |
TCRCs and other processing costs | (42,722) | (12,768) | ||
Provisional revenue adjustment related to 2020 sales (1) | – | (1,146) | ||
Net Revenue | 215,736 | 75,393 | ||
Mining and transportation costs | (61,985) | (15,329) | ||
Depreciation and amortization | (20,913) (2) | – | ||
Gross Profit | 132,838 | 60,064 |
(1) Provisional revenues for 2020 were finalized in Q1 2021 resulting in negative adjustment to net revenue of $1,146.
(2) The underground mine is now in stopes with mineralized development and stope material being processed through Fresnillo’s plants and refined and sold. The mine was considered readied for its intended use on January 1, 2022.
In the three months ended December 31, 2022, a total of 165,786 tonnes of mineralized development and stope material were processed through the Fresnillo plants. The resulting payable metals sold and associated processing details are summarized in Table 2 below. The sales and treatment charges for tonnes processed in Q4 2022 were recorded on a provisional basis and will be adjusted in the first quarter of 2023 based on final assay and pricing adjustments in accordance with the offtake contracts.
Table 2: Mineralized Material Processed at Fresnillo’s Processing Plants (100% basis)
Three Months Ended December 31, 2022 (165,786 tonnes processed) | Q4 2021 Amount $ |
|||
Payable Metals | Quantity | Average Per Unit $ |
Amount $ |
|
Silver | 1,825,680 ounces | 22.59 per oz | 41,235 | 34,877 |
Gold | 4,903 ounces | 1,848 per oz | 9,061 | 6,531 |
Lead | 1,058 tonnes | 0.94 per lb. | 2,184 | 1,300 |
Zinc | 1,673 tonnes | 1.35 per lb. | 4,975 | 2,729 |
TCRCs and other processing costs | (11,574) | (6,069) | ||
Net Revenue | 45,881 | 39,368 | ||
Mining and transportation costs | (15,877) | (7,593) | ||
Depreciation and amortization | (5,861) (1) | – | ||
Gross Profit | 24,143 | 31,775 |
(1) The underground mine is now in stopes with mineralized development and stope material being processed through Fresnillo’s plants and refined and sold. The mine was considered readied for its intended use on January 1, 2022.
The average silver head grade for the mineralized development and initial stope material processed in the year and three months ended December 31, 2022 was 520 g/t and 415 g/t, respectively (year and three months ended December 31, 2021 was 470 g/t and 542 g/t, respectively). As per plan, and mine ramp-up, this increased grade for year 2022 reflects more stoped vein material being processed. Metal recovery and concentrate grades are in line with expectations from the initial metallurgical test work conducted on Valdecañas mineralized material.
Processing Plant Construction & Outlook
The Juanicipio Project team delivered the 4,000 tpd processing plant for commissioning in the fourth quarter of 2021. However, as previously reported, in late 2021, the Comisión Federal de Electricidad, a state-owned electrical company, notified Fresnillo that approval to complete the tie-in to the national power grid could not yet be granted and the mill commissioning timeline would therefore be extended. This delay primarily related to staffing effects related to the COVID-19 pandemic on the state-owned electrical company. To mitigate the effect on cash flow generation from the Juanicipio Project while CFE approvals were pending, Fresnillo made available unused plant capacity at its Saucito and Fresnillo operations to process mineralized material produced at the Juanicipio Project during this period, matching commissioning and ramp up tonnages that were previously expected, where possible. On December 28, 2022 the Company announced its receipt of CFE approval, the completion of the electrical tie-in to the national power grid and the envisioned commissioning of the 4,000 tpd processing facility. Commissioning commenced in early January 2023 with feed of lower grade mineralized material to the grinding mills. Mineralized material has been conveyed to the fine ore bin and stockpiled for commissioning and ramp-up operations. Processing of higher grade material is envisioned once the plant is fully commissioned and operating at steady state levels.
With the plant now in the commissioning and ramp-up phase, final project capital costs are expected to wind down as Juanicipio approaches full commercial production and associated free cash flow generation. Additional funding requirements related to market conditions, delayed ramp up to nameplate capacity, tax payments or additional sustaining capital in excess of the operating cash flow generated is expected to be funded by further cash calls required from Fresnillo and MAG.
FINANCIAL RESULTS – YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2022
As at December 31, 2022, MAG had working capital of $29,232 (December 31, 2021: $57,761) including cash of $29,955 (December 31, 2021: $56,748) and no long-term debt. As well, as at December 31, 2022, Juanicipio had a negative working capital of $1,395 including cash of $1,102 (MAG’s attributable share is 44%).
The Company’s net income for the year ended December 31, 2022 amounted to $17,644 (December 31, 2021: $6,025) or $0.18/share (December 31, 2021: ($0.06)/share). MAG recorded its 44% income from equity accounted investment in Juanicipio of $40,767 (December 31, 2021: $15,686) which included MAG’s 44% share of net income from the sale of pre-production development and stope material as well as loan interest earned on mining assets brought into use (see Table 3 below).
Table 3: MAG’s share of income from its equity accounted Investment in Juanicipio
December 31, | December 31, | |||
2022 | 2021 | |||
Gross profit from processing mineralized development material (see Underground Mine Production — Juanicipio Project above) | $132,838 | $60,064 | ||
Consulting and administrative expenses | (8,436) | (1,929) | ||
Extraordinary mining duty | (349) | (337) | ||
Exchange losses and other | (7,458) | (1,363) | ||
Net income before tax | 116,595 | 56,435 | ||
Income tax expense | (26,348) | (20,784) | ||
Net income for the year (100% basis) | 90,247 | 35,651 | ||
MAG’s 44% share of income | 39,709 | 15,686 | ||
Loan interest on mining assets – MAG 44% | 1,058 | – | ||
MAG’s 44% share of income from equity accounted Investment in Juanicipio | $40,767 | $15,686 |
Qualified Person: All scientific or technical information in this press release including assay results referred to, and Mineral Resource estimates, if applicable, is based upon information prepared by or under the supervision of, or has been approved by Dr. Peter Megaw, Ph.D., C.P.G., a Certified Professional Geologist who is a “Qualified Person” for purposes of National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Dr. Megaw is not independent as he is an officer and a paid consultant of MAG.
About MAG Silver Corp.
MAG Silver Corp. is a growth-oriented Canadian development and exploration company focused on becoming a top-tier primary silver mining company by exploring and advancing high-grade, district scale, precious metals projects in the Americas. Its principal focus and asset is the Juanicipio Project (44%), being developed with Fresnillo Plc (56%), the operator. The project is located in the Fresnillo Silver Trend in Mexico, the world’s premier silver mining camp, where the operator is currently advancing underground mine development and commissioning a 4,000 tonnes per day processing plant. Underground mine production of mineralized development material commenced in Q3 2020, and an expanded exploration program is in place targeting multiple highly prospective targets at Juanicipio. MAG is also executing multi-phase exploration programs at the Deer Trail 100% earn-in Project in Utah and the recently acquired Larder Lake Project, located in the historically prolific Abitibi region of Canada.
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