Quadra Fnx Mining Ltd. Announces Record Revenues And Earnings For The Year Ended December 31, 2010
(All figures, except per share
amounts, are in $US thousands unless otherwise stated or unless context
requires otherwise)
Vancouver, Canada -- February 28th, 2011 - Quadra FNX Mining Ltd. (the
"Company" or "Quadra FNX") (TSX: QUX) is pleased to
provide its fourth quarter and year end 2010 financial and operational results.
The Company recorded 2010 earnings of $173 million or $1.11 per share (basic)
compared to earnings of $81 million or $0.89 per share for the previous year.
The increased earnings in the current year are primarily a result of higher
average copper prices, and the increased earnings contribution from Franke and the Sudbury operations following the merger with
FNX. Adjusted earnings totalled $225 million or $1.45
per share (basic) for the year.
In the fourth quarter of 2010 the Company recorded earnings of $58 million or
$0.30 per share (basic). Unusual items included a $33 million leach pad
inventory write down at the Carlota mine and a $22 million accounting loss on
derivatives. Fourth quarter 2010 adjusted earnings totalled
$105 million or $0.55 per share (basic).
2010 AND FOURTH QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS:
On May 20, 2010 the Company completed a merger with FNX Mining Company Inc, and
with this transaction, established a new, mid-cap Canadian mining company with
considerable financial strength and a diverse asset base. The following
financial information only includes the FNX operations since May 21, 1010
unless otherwise stated.
- Production for the year was 224
million pounds of copper and 148 thousand ounces of total precious metals
(TPMs). Cash costs for the year were $1.57 per pound of copper. Production
in the fourth quarter totalled 57 million pounds
of copper and 39 thousand ounces of TPMs while cash costs were $1.55 per
pound of copper.
- In 2010 total revenues
increased 100% to $958 million compared to $479 million in 2009 supported
by an over 30% increase in the copper price, which ended the year at $4.42
per pound.
- 2010 earnings increased 114% to
$173 million (or $1.11 per share basic) from $81 million (or $0.89 per
share basic) in 2009.
- Operating income from the
Robinson mine increased 36% to $193 million from $143 million in 2009.
- The Morrison deposit achieved
commercial production on September 1, 2010 and produced 7.1 million pounds
of payable copper in the fourth quarter and 19 million pounds of payable
copper for the year, exceeding expectations.
- The Sierra Gorda
Financing Study approached completion as the Company continued discussions
with potential financial partners.
- Exploration at the Victoria
property resulted in the discovery of the Zone 4 sulphide
mineralized system. Drilling has continued to add significant confidence
and a Scoping Study is underway.
- The Company ended the year with
$320 million of cash and after year end Quadra FNX sold its holding in
Gold Wheaton for initial proceeds of C$263 million, and contingent
proceeds of C$30 million.
The Robinson Mine transitioned from the Veteran to the Ruth pit, and produced
109 million pounds of copper in concentrate for the year. The Morrison deposit
delivered above plan and is expected to continue to increase production in both
2011 and 2012. Both the Franke and Carlota operations
emerged at year-end with strategies that should improve on the 2010 results.
Specifically, Carlota is transitioning to conveyor stacking while Franke is continuing to make progress on its ongoing optimisation programs.
Paul Blythe, President and CEO of Quadra FNX comments, "In mid-2010 we
successfully completed the merger with FNX. Since then our strong financial
results have been driven by a much improved copper price environment as well as
the increase in copper production from the combined Quadra and FNX asset base.
In January 2011 we closed the sale of our Gold Wheaton shares for initial cash
proceeds of C$263 million which increased our cash balance to approximately
$600 million."
"The internal Sierra Gorda Financing Study,
which establishes the development parameters for the project, remains on track
for completion by the end of the first quarter of 2011, with the NI 43-101
compliant Feasibility Study expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2011.
Discussions with potential partners are ongoing and progressing well and we
remain confident that a favourable partnership and
financing structure will be in place by mid-2011. The environmental permit
process (EIS) also remains on track for completion in June. In the meantime, we
will continue to move the project forward in accordance with our 2014 start-up
schedule, with our current focus on detailed engineering and mining equipment
acquisition."
Paul Blythe concludes; "2010 also saw the discovery of Zone 4 at Victoria,
which we view as one of the most important discoveries in the Sudbury district
in recent history. Our next step is to complete an inferred resource
calculation which will be used in our ongoing Scoping Study. We are also
advancing permitting, First Nations consultation and discussions with Vale on
processing terms and their potential back-in right. Our intention is to
commence shaft construction this year, initially for underground exploration,
but ultimately this infrastructure could also be for future production."
"This has been a pivotal year for our Company and, with the integration of
Quadra and FNX essentially complete, we will focus on optimizing the
performance of our existing asset base and on delivering growth"
The complete financial statements and the MD&A will be available at www.quadrafnx.com and www.sedar.com.
This
Management Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") of Quadra FNX Mining
Ltd. and its subsidiaries ("Quadra FNX" or the "Company")
has been prepared as at February 25, 2011 and is intended to be read in
conjunction with the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements for
the year ended December 31, 2010. This MD&A contains 'forward looking
information' and reference to the cautionary statement at the end of this MD&A
is advised. Additional information relating to the Company, including its
Annual Information Form, is available on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. The Company is a reporting issuer
in all provinces and territories of Canada and its common shares are traded on
the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol: QUX.All
financial information in this MD&A is prepared in accordance with the
Canadian Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and all dollar amounts are
expressed in millions of United States dollars unless otherwise indicated.
FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
This Press Release that includes the MD&A contains "forward-looking
information" that is based on Quadra FNX's expectations, estimates and
projections as of the dates as of which those statements were made. This
forward-looking information includes, among other things, statements with
respect to the Company's business strategy, plans, outlook, financing plans,
long-term growth in cash flow, earnings per share and shareholder value,
projections, targets and expectations as to reserves, resources, results of
exploration (including targets) and related expenses, property acquisitions,
mine development, mine operations, mine production costs, drilling activity, sampling
and other data, estimating grade levels, future recovery levels, future
production levels, capital costs, costs savings, cash and total costs of
production of copper, gold and other minerals, expenditures for environmental
matters, projected life of Quadra FNX's mines, reclamation and other post
closure obligations and estimated future expenditures for those matters,
completion dates for the various development stages of mines, availability of
water for milling and mining, future copper, gold, molybdenum and other mineral
prices (including the long-term estimated prices used in calculating Quadra
FNX's mineral reserves), end-use demand for copper, currency exchange rates,
debt reductions, use of future tax assets, timing of expected sales and final pricing
of concentrate sales, the percentage of anticipated production covered by
option contracts or agreements, anticipated outcome of litigation and
anticipated impact of converting to IFRS,. Generally, this forward-looking
information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as
"outlook", "anticipate", "project",
"target", "believe", "estimate",
"expect", "intend", "should", "scheduled",
"will", "plan" and similar expressions. Forward-looking
information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
factors that may cause Quadra FNX's actual results, level of activity,
performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or
implied by such forward-looking information, and developed based on assumptions
about such risks, uncertainties and other factors set out herein, including but
not limited to:
- risks associated with the
mineralogy and block model assumptions at all mines and projects
including, in particular the complex Robinson mine;
- uncertainties related to the
extent to which historical mining activities at Robinson have removed
mineral material expected to be present;
- uncertainties related to the
impact of the 2010 storm event at the Carlota Mine and uncertainty
relating to the leaching rate achieved at Carlota;
- risks related to maintaining
current operating parameters at Podolsky;
- uncertainties related to actual
capital costs, operating costs, production schedules and economic returns
associated with the ramp-up of the Morrison deposit;
- risks associated with Quadra
FNX's off-take agreement with Vale Inco, including the risk of potential
adjustment to final payable metal and processing cost terms;
- uncertainties relating to
availability of updated equipment, the leaching rate and the transition to
owner mining at Franke;
- uncertainties related to the
construction quality and structural design at Franke;
- risks associated with the
development of the Sierra Gorda project, a large
project with significant capital expenditure, permitting and
infrastructure requirements;
- risks relating to the
preliminary nature of the testwork underlying
the scoping study described in the Sierra Gorda
2009 Technical Report;
- risks associating with ongoing
litigation at Sierra Gorda and with potential
future litigation at Sierra Gorda and other
projects;
- risks relating to Quadra FNX's
ability to find a suitable partner or obtain project financing for Sierra Gorda;
- uncertainties related to the
amount of funding required to achieve full production levels at Franke and Carlota and at the Morrison deposit;
- uncertainties related to Quadra
FNX's ability to expand or replace depleted reserves;
- uncertainties related to the
possible recalculation or reduction of the Company's mineral reserves and
resources;
- risks that Quadra FNX's title
to its property could be challenged, including potential challenges from
First Nations with respect to the Sudbury operations;
- risks associated with Quadra
FNX's dependence on transportation facilities and infrastructure;
- risk associated with labour relations;
- risks related to Quadra FNX's
shareholder rights plan;
- risk related to derivative
contracts and exposure to the credit risk of counterparties;
- risks
associated with
taxation;
- conflicts
of interest;
- risks associated with
fluctuations in costs of operating supplies and other inputs;
- uncertainties related to actual
capital costs, operating costs and expenditures, production schedules and
economic returns from the Company's mining projects;
- inherent hazards and risks
associated with mining operations;
- inherent uncertainties
associated with mineral exploration;
- risks associated with Quadra
FNX being subject to government regulation, including changes in
regulation;
- risks associated with Quadra
FNX being subject to extensive environmental laws and regulations,
including change in regulation;
- risks associated with Quadra
FNX's need for governmental license and permits;
- political
and country risk;
- Quadra FNX's need to attract
and retain qualified personnel;
- risks related to the need for
reclamation activities on Quadra FNX's properties, including the nature of
reclamation required and uncertainty of costs estimates related thereto;
- risk of water shortages and
risks associated with competition for water;
- increases in off-site
transportation and concentrate processing costs;
- risks related to the stability
of mine pit walls;
- uncertainties related to
fluctuations in copper and other metal prices;
- uncertainties related to the
current global financial conditions; and
- uncertainties
related to fluctuation in foreign currency exchange rates.
A discussion of these and other factors that may affect Quadra FNX's actual
results, performance, achievements or financial position is contained in the
filings by Quadra FNX with the Canadian provincial securities regulatory
authorities, including Quadra FNX's Annual Information Form and the Annual
Information Form filed by FNX prior to the merger between Quadra and FNX.
Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be
reasonable, including but not limited to the continued operation of Quadra
FNX's mining operations, no material adverse change in the market price of
commodities, that the mining operations will operate in accordance with Quadra
FNX's public statements and achieve its stated production outcomes, and such
other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although Quadra FNX has
attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may
be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or
intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove
to be accurate. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on
forward-looking statements. Quadra FNX disclaims any intent or obligations to
update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements whether as a result of
new information, estimates or options, future events or results or otherwise,
unless required to do so by law.
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Media and Investor Relations Contact:
|
Derek White
Executive Vice President, Corporate Development
(604)-699-3063
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Nawojka Wachowiak
Vice President, Investor Relations
(416) 985-8317
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