McEwen Mining: 2023 Year End and Q4 Results
This is a paid press release. Contact the press release distributor directly with any inquiries.

McEwen Mining: 2023 Year End and Q4 Results

Trade McEwen on Coinbase
McEwen Mining
McEwen Mining

2023 Net income $1.15/share vs. 2022 net loss $1.71/share

TORONTO, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- McEwen Mining Inc. (NYSE: MUX) (TSX: MUX) today reported its fourth quarter (“Q4”) and full year 2023 financial and operational results. Net income for the year was $54.7 million or $1.15 per share versus a 2022 net loss of $81.1 million or $1.71 per share! Gold production at the Fox Complex and Gold Bar mine came in just above the low end of guidance and San José just below guidance. However, cash costs(1) and AISC(1) per ounce remain 12-18% higher than guided and need more attention.

Growth Plans for 2024

“Our biggest single asset with the greatest near-term potential to increase our share value is our 48% owned subsidiary McEwen Copper. Its 2nd and 3rd largest shareholders are global giants, Rio Tinto and Stellantis, the world’s 2nd largest mining company and the world’s 4th largest automaker, owning 14.5% and 19.4% of McEwen Copper, respectively. McEwen Copper is driving hard, with 22 drills operating on site, to complete the necessary work to deliver a bankable Feasibility Study in Q1 2025.

“Compared to conventional copper mines, Los Azules is designed with a much lighter impact on the environment, initially emitting one third (1/3) of the CO2-e emissions and progressing to net-zero carbon by 2038, utilizing one quarter (1/4) the water, powered by 100% renewable electricity, and producing sustainable copper cathode.

“At our Canadian and Mexican mines we are advancing two important development projects. At the Fox Complex, the construction of the underground ramp access to the Stock orebodies will start in Q1. The Stock West deposit will become the primary source of production following the completion of mining at the Froome deposit in 2026. At the Fenix project, construction is expected to start in H2. Both of these projects are designed to extend the mine lives by over 9 years,” said Rob McEwen, Chairman and Chief Owner.

Individual Mine Performance and Growth (see Table 1 and 2)

Fox Complex, Timmins, Canada

Fox performed well in 2023, achieving its annual production guidance. Mill throughput achieved a record average of 1,300 tonnes per day in Q4, the highest since our acquisition in 2017. As a result, mill throughput in Q4 was 36% higher than in Q4 2022. This is an important achievement by our team in Canada, as we aim to continue to increase mining productivity and mill throughput capacity during 2024 in preparation for production from our Stock West project. While we work to develop our ramp access to Stock West in 2024, with completion expected by the end of 2025, we also intend to conduct exploration activities at Stock East and Stock Main. We see operational improvements and cost savings at Stock as compared to Froome due to the close proximity of the Stock Mill (expected savings of $7 per tonne), softer material enabling higher mill throughput, and deposits which are not encumbered by a meaningful royalty or a stream (Froome’s 2023 stream cost estimated at $108 per ounce produced). Exploration activities are also underway with our Grey Fox project where we see significant long-term growth potential. In 2023, cash costs(1) of $1,157 per GEO sold were higher than our annual guidance of $1,020 per GEO sold due to moving to contractor crushing in early 2023, however AISC(1) of $1,351 per GEO sold came in below guidance of $1,465 per GEO sold, as a result of reduced sustaining capital expenditure requirements enabled by the productivity improvements achieved by contractor crushing.