
Musselwhite Addition Increases Orla’s Production to 280 – 300 koz in 2025; Aggressive Investment to Enhance Future Growth
Orla Mining Ltd. (TSX: OLA) (NYSE: ORLA) announces the results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025.
(All amounts expressed in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated)
First Quarter 2025 Highlights
“We are proud of the continued consistency from our team in Mexico where the Camino Rojo Mine remains a strong cash flow generator. This quarter also marked a major milestone with the closing of the Musselwhite acquisition, expanding our presence in Canada, and increasing our annual gold production guidance to 280 – 300 thousand ounces. Over the next two quarters, our focus will be on integrating Musselwhite, laying the foundation for long-term success. Over the next 24 months and beyond, we plan to invest significantly in exploration and provide our new team with the resources to reshape Musselwhite beyond 2030. Our next step of growth will be driven by our U.S. team, where we continue to advance the South Railroad Project in Nevada through permitting and toward construction.”
– Jason Simpson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Orla
_______________________________________ |
1 Non-GAAP measure. Refer to the “Non-GAAP Measures” section of this press release. |
2 The updated production guidance includes 10 months of operations at the Musselwhite Mine. All-in sustaining cost guidance for Musselwhite is for 9 months from April to December 2025. |
3 The Company entered into a $360 million gold prepayment arrangement as part of the Musselwhite acquisition ($360 million upfront in exchange for 144,887 ounces in total gold deliveries over the subsequent three years at an average gold price of $2,834 per ounce). |
Financial and Operations Update
Table 1: Financial and Operating Highlights | ||
Operating | Q1 2025 | |
Consolidated | ||
Total Gold Produced | oz | 47,759 |
Total Gold Sold | oz | 46,356 |
Average Realized Gold Price2 | $/oz | $ 2,915 |
Cash Cost per Ounce2,3 | $/oz | $ 597 |
All-in Sustaining Cost per Ounce2,3 | $/oz | $ 845 |
Camino Rojo, Mexico | ||
Ore Stacked | tonnes | 1,672,826 |
Stacked Ore Gold Grade | g/t | 0.78 |
Gold Produced | oz | 29,973 |
Gold Sold | oz | 30,512 |
Musselwhite, Canada1 | March’25 | |
Ore Milled | tonnes | 104,287 |
Milled Ore Gold Head Grade | g/t | 5.55 |
Gold Produced | oz | 17,786 |
Gold Sold | oz | 15,845 |
Financial | ||
Revenue | $m | $ 140.7 |
Cost of Sales – Operating Cost | $m | $ 48.3 |
Net Income (Loss) | $m | $ (69.8) |
Adjusted Earnings2 | $m | $ 38.6 |
Earnings per Share – basic | $/sh | $ (0.22) |
Adjusted Earnings per Share – basic2 | $/sh | $ 0.12 |
Cash Flow from Operating Activities before Changes in Non-Cash Working Capital |
$m | $ 401.2 |
Free Cash Flow2 | $m | $ (404.1) |
Financial Position | Mar 31, 2025 | |
Cash and Cash Equivalents | $m | $ 184.2 |
Net Cash (Debt)2 | $m | $ (265.8) |
1 Orla completed the acquisition of Musselwhite on February 28, 2025. Operational figures are provided from March 1, 2025 onwards. | ||
2 Non-GAAP measure. Refer to the “Non-GAAP Measures” section of this news release. | ||
3 Cash cost and AISC for Q1 2025 does not include the operations of Musselwhite Mine, which was acquired on February 28, 2025. Refer to “Non-GAAP Measures” for further discussion. |
First Quarter 2025 Consolidated Summary
Gold produced during the quarter totalled 47,759 ounces, with contributions from the Camino Rojo Oxide Mine and the Musselwhite Mine. While it was only a single month of production contribution from Musselwhite to Orla’s account, this total represented a quarterly record for the Company.
Gold sold during the quarter totalled 46,356 ounces, also a quarterly record. Cash costs and AISC totaled $597 and $845 per ounce of gold sold, respectively. Cash cost and AISC do not include the impact of Musselwhite. The closing of the Musselwhite transaction during the quarter resulted in one-time, non-cash accounting treatments impacting cost of sales and therefore cash cost and AISC calculation would not be representative of the performance of the mine for that period. Starting in the second quarter, and for the remainder of the year, Musselwhite will be included in the computation of cash cost and AISC.
Camino Rojo Operations Summary
The Camino Rojo Oxide Gold Mine produced 29,973 ounces of gold in the first quarter of 2025, in-line with plan.
During the quarter, Camino Rojo mined nearly 1.9 million tonnes of ore and 2.8 million tonnes of waste, for an implied strip ratio of 1.48. The operations achieved a daily stacking rate of 18.6 thousand tonnes per day at an average gold grade of 0.78 g/t, in line with the mine plan.
Gold sold during the first quarter 2025 totaled 30,512 ounces and sustaining capital during the first quarter of 2025 totaled $0.5 million.
On November 11, 2024, the Company completed and resubmitted the environmental permit application for the Camino Rojo pit extensions and layback. Since then, Orla has maintained regular engagement with federal and state level stakeholders and continued to engage with employees and communities about the scope of the application.
Musselwhite
On November 18, 2024, Orla announced the acquisition of the Musselwhite Mine from Newmont Corporation for upfront cash consideration of $810 million and gold-linked contingent consideration of $40 million. The transaction closed on February 28, 2025, and operational figures are provided from March 1, 2025, onwards.
During the month of March, Musselwhite mined 108,000 tonnes of ore and milled 104,000 tonnes at a mill head grade of 5.55 g/t gold. Gold recovery rates of 95.7% resulted in gold production of nearly 18,000 gold ounces. Mill throughput in March was 3,360 tonnes per day, a 10% improvement from average mill throughput in February.
Project and Exploration Summary
In the first quarter, exploration focused on drilling activities at Camino Rojo in Mexico and the South Carlin Complex (including the South Railroad Project) in Nevada. Exploration activities at Musselwhite were reactivated upon closing of the acquisition in March 2025. For the first quarter, a total of 11,008 metres were drilled, with 8,044 metres in Mexico, 549 metres in Nevada and 2,415 metres at Musslewhite.
Camino Rojo, Mexico:
In Mexico, the Company started the infill drill campaign at Zone 22, the extension of the Camino Rojo Sulphides. The 15,000-metre drill program is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2025. Results from the current drill program will build on the initial Zone 22 inferred resource, which will be included as part of the upcoming Camino Rojo Mineral Resource update, expected in the second quarter of 2025. A drill campaign to test regional targets started in mid-April.
South Railroad Project & South Carlin Complex, Nevada:
The South Railroad Project is currently advancing under the guidance of the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for permitting.
Orla is encouraged by the current US administration’s momentum in advancing American mineral production. This includes the recent Executive Order supporting the development of critical minerals, which now includes gold. Gold is increasingly being recognized for its strategic role in economic resilience and national security.
Orla has held constructive meetings with political appointees at the Department of the Interior and the Acting Director of the Bureau of Land Management. The Company appreciates their continued support as the project moves through the permitting process.
Orla remains committed to following the proper regulatory pathways, while advocating for an efficient and timely review. The Notice of Intent (NOI) is expected to be published mid 2025, with the Company targeting a Record of Decision (final permitting decision) by mid-2026. Following this approval, construction on the South Railroad Project can advance to the earth movement stage, with first gold production anticipated in 2027.
Orla’s 2025 exploration program for the South Carlin Complex is focused on increasing near-deposit oxide resources at Pinion and Dark Star, advancing satellite deposits, and discovering new zones of oxide mineralization. Drilling was initiated in the first quarter but paused due to weather conditions and exploration drilling is expected to resume in May.
Musselwhite, Ontario:
At Musselwhite, underground exploration drilling to expand resources and reserves began in early March and is expected to continue through 2025. Beginning in the second quarter, Orla intends to launch an aggressive surface exploration program, including drilling aimed at confirming the down-plunge extension of the mine trend. This work is intended to expand the resource base and support technical studies for potential future mine expansions. A drill campaign testing near-mine targets with the goal of identifying shallow, near-mine open pit mill feed is planned to start mid-year.
2025 Guidance Summary (Updated)
On January 16, 2025, the Company announced its full year 2025 annual guidance, which included the outlook for production, operating costs, capital costs, and exploration spending at Camino Rojo and South Railroad, but which excluded the Musselwhite Mine. On February 28, 2025, the Company completed the acquisition of Musselwhite. The following table provides updated guidance including 10 months of operations at the Musselwhite Mine. Cash cost and all-in sustaining cost guidance for Musselwhite is for 9 months from April to December 2025.
The closing of the Musselwhite transaction during the quarter resulted in one-time, non-cash accounting treatments impacting cost of sales and therefore cash cost and AISC calculation would not be representative of the performance of the mine for that period. Therefore, we excluded Musselwhite from cash cost and AISC for the first quarter of 2025.
Updated Guidance | Preliminary Guidance | ||
Gold Production | |||
Camino Rojo | 110 – 120 | 110 – 120 | |
Musselwhite | 170 – 180 | – | |
Total Gold Production | Koz | 280 – 300 | 110 – 120 |
Total Cash Cost1 (net of by-product) | |||
Camino Rojo | $625 – $725 | $625 – $725 | |
Musselwhite – April to December | $1,000 – $1,200 | – | |
Total Cash Cost (Net of by-product)1 – Consolidated | $/oz sold | $850 – $1,050 | $625 – $725 |
AISC1 – Consolidated | |||
Camino Rojo | $700 – $800 | – | |
Musselwhite – April to December | $1,550 – $1,750 | – | |
All-In Sustaining Costs1 – Consolidated | $/oz sold | $1,300 – $1,500 | $875 – $975 |
Capital Expenditures | |||
Camino Rojo | |||
Sustaining capital expenditures | $5.0 | $10.0 | |
Non-sustaining – (Sulphides + capitalized exploration) | $7.0 | $7.0 | |
Musselwhite | |||
Sustaining capital expenditures | $90.0 | – | |
Non-sustaining – capitalized exploration | $18.0 | – | |
South Carlin Complex | |||
Non-sustaining – capital projects | $10.0 | $10.0 | |
Total Capital Expenditures | $m | $130.0 | $27.0 |
Exploration and Project Development Expenses | |||
Camino Rojo – Exploration Expense | $9.0 | $9.0 | |
Musselwhite – Exploration Expense | $7.0 | – | |
South Carlin Complex – Exploration Expense | $15.0 | $15.0 | |
South Carlin Complex – Project Development | $12.0 | $12.0 | |
Total Exploration and Development Expenses | $m | $43.0 | $36.0 |
Corporate G&A2 | |||
Corporate General & Administrative Costs | $27.0 | – | |
Share Based Compensation (non-cash) | $6.0 | – | |
Total Corporate G&A | $m | $33.0 | – |
1 Cash cost and AISC include 9 months of production and costs from Musselwhite, and full year from Camino Rojo and Corporate G&A (inclusive of share-based compensation). Cash costs and AISC are non-GAAP measures. Please refer to the Non-GAAP section of this news release for further detail. | |||
2 Corporate G&A costs include one-time costs associated with the closing of the Musselwhite transaction of approximately $10 million. These costs are excluded from the AISC calculation. Please refer to the Non-GAAP section of this news release for further detail. | |||
3 Exchange rates used to forecast cost metrics include MXN/USD of 19.0 and CAD/USD of 1.35. A +/-1.0 change to the MXN/USD exchange rate would have an impact of +/-$21/oz on AISC. A 0.05 change to the USD /CAD (from 1.35 to 1.4) would have an impact of +/-$52/oz on AISC. |
Updated Guidance Commentary
Orla’s updated gold production guidance range includes the Musselwhite operation for the 10-month period under Orla ownership. The production guidance range is 280,000 to 300,000 ounces of gold. AISC guidance for 2025 is in the range of $1,300 to $1,500 per ounce of gold sold, which reflects consolidated production and costs from Camino Rojo, Musselwhite and includes corporate G&A.
Camino Rojo & South Railroad
The Company has revised the sustaining capital guidance for Camino Rojo to $5 million, down from the preliminary estimate of $10 million, reflecting a decision to expense, rather than capitalize, waste movement activities in alignment with the current operational approach. Otherwise, updated guidance for Camino Rojo and South Railroad remains consistent with preliminary guidance provided in January 2025.
Musselwhite Operations
Production guidance for Musselwhite is 170,000 to 180,000 ounces of gold. This includes production from March 1, 2025 following the closing of the acquisition. Cash cost and all-in sustaining cost guidance range is $1,000 to $1,200 and $1,550 to $1,750 per ounce of gold sold, respectively, for the nine-month period starting April 1, 2025.
Sustaining capital expenditures guidance is $90 million with the majority of the investment relating to underground lateral development and underground mobile equipment in order to improve ore availability and efficiency for future years.
Musselwhite Exploration and Evaluation
As stated in Orla’s April 1, 2025, press release, Orla has launched an aggressive $25 million drill program at Musselwhite for 2025. Of the $25 million, $18 million will be considered non-sustaining capital expenditures and $7 million will be expensed. The 2025 program is as follows:
Corporate G&A
Total corporate G&A includes regular costs, non-cash share-based compensation, and one-time transaction costs associated with the closing of the Musselwhite transaction which amount to approximately $10 million. Those transaction costs are excluded from the AISC calculation. Please refer to the non-GAAP section.
Financial Statements
Orla’s unaudited financial statements and management’s discussion and analysis for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, are available on the Company’s website at www.orlamining.com, and under the Company’s profiles on SEDAR+ and EDGAR.
Qualified Persons Statement
The scientific and technical information in this news release was reviewed and approved by Mr. J. Andrew Cormier, P. Eng., Chief Operating Officer of the Company, and Mr. Sylvain Guerard, P. Geo., Senior Vice President, Exploration of the Company, who are the Qualified Persons as defined under NI 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
About Orla Mining Ltd.
Orla’s corporate strategy is to acquire, develop, and operate mineral properties where the Company’s expertise can substantially increase stakeholder value. The Company has three material projects, consisting of two operating mines and one development project, all 100% owned by the Company: (1) Camino Rojo, in Zacatecas State, Mexico, an operating gold and silver open-pit and heap leach mine. The property covers over 139,000 hectares which contains a large oxide and sulphide mineral resource, (2) Musselwhite Mine, in Northwestern Ontario, Canada, an underground gold mine that has been in operation for over 25 years and produced over 6 million ounces of gold, with a long history of resource growth and conversion, and (3) South Railroad, in Nevada, United States, a feasibility-stage, open pit, heap leach gold project located on the Carlin trend in Nevada. The technical reports for the Company’s material projects are available on Orla’s website at www.orlamining.com, and on SEDAR+ and EDGAR under the Company’s profile at www.sedarplus.ca and www.sec.gov, respectively.
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