China smelter group agrees to lower Q1 copper charges
The charges tend to fall when ore supply declines and rise when more concentrate is available.
McEwen Mining (NYSE: MUX) (TSX: MUX) shares are lifting off despite reporting on Wednesday a loss of C$18.5 million in the third quarter of 2023.
The Toronto-based company said it had a loss of C$0.39 per share, versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of C$0.77. This compares to loss of C$0.21 per share a year ago.
The gold and silver mining company posted revenue of C$38.4 million in the period.
According to the miner, consolidated gold equivalent ounce (GEO) production in Q3 improved by 8% compared to both Q2 2023 and Q3 2022. McEwen produced 38,500 GEOs in Q3, and 104,400 GEOs for the nine months ended September 30.
The Fox mine complex in Ontario produced 11,200 oz. of gold and remains on track to meet guidance of 42,000 to 48,000 oz. for the year. The Gold Bar mine in Nevada produced 9,500 oz. of gold, an increase of 20% compared to Q2 2023. The San José mine in Argentina produced 17,800 GEOs, an increase of 3% over last quarter.
The company said it continues to advance exploration at Los Azules in Argentina, aiming to deliver all information required for the feasibility study.
During Q3, it completed planning and preparation work for the 2023-2024 drilling campaign, which has a target of 48,000 meters and includes additional exploration, infill, geotech, hydrological and hydrogeological drilling. The project is anticipated to produce an annual average of 322 million lb. of copper cathode over a 27-year life of mine.
McEwen invested C$18.5 million in Los Azules copper project during the quarter, primarily to build a winter camp, further improve road access, and to construct a logistics facility in San Juan.
The company reiterated its consolidated production guidance at the lower end of a range of 150,000 to 170,000 GEOs for the year.
Shares of McEwen surged 12.7% by 12:14 p.m. EDT Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of C$301 million ($218.5m).
