and -- () -- -- (TSX: PTM)(NYSE MKT: PLG) ('Platinum Group' or the 'Company') reports the Company's financial results for the first quarter ended and provides recent highlights and outlook. For details of the consolidated financial statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis for the three months ended , please see the Company's filings on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) or on EDGAR (www.sec.gov).
All amounts herein are reported in Dollars unless otherwise stated. This is the first period for which the Company has used United States Dollars as a presentation currency. The Company holds cash in Canadian dollars, dollars and South African Rand. Changes in exchange rates may create variances in the cash holdings reported in Dollars.
Recent Highlights
-- Surface milling and concentrating facilities at the Project 1 platinum
mine, located on the , , are now complete and cold commissioning has occurred. Hot
commissioning is now in process.
-- On the Company announced an expanded diamond drilling
program at Waterberg, located on the , , to delineate and upgrade shallow mineral
resources. Prefeasibility work at Waterberg also continues.
-- On the Company announced the draw-down of both a Senior Secured Loan Facility from the and a Loan Facility from , a subsidiary of based and
the Company's largest shareholder.
-- On the Company filed an NI 43-101 Independent
Technical Report regarding the updated resource estimate for the
announced in a news release dated .
-- On the Company filed an NI 43-101 Independent Technical
Report regarding the updated resources and reserves for Project 1
announced in a news release dated .
-- On the Japan Oil, Gas and ('JOGMEC'),
('Mnombo') and the Company agreed to
consolidate the Waterberg JV and Waterberg Extension properties. All of
the Waterberg prospecting licenses and applications are to be
transferred into a new holding and operating corporation of which the
Company will own 45.65%, JOGMEC will own 28.35% and Mnombo will own 26%.
Combined with the Company's indirect stake through ownership of Mnombo,
the Company will hold a 58.62% effective interest. As part of the
agreement JOGMEC will fund in exploration and engineering
work over the next three years to .
Results For The Three Months Ended
During the three months ended , the Company incurred a net loss of ( - net loss of ). Results for the comparative period in 2014 included the write off of deferred finance fees and finance termination fees amounting to . General and administrative expenses during the period were ( - ), gains on foreign exchange were ( - ) while stock based compensation expense, a non-cash item, totalled Nil ( - ). Finance income consisting of interest earned and property rental fees in the period amounted to (- ). Loss per share for the period amounted to Nil as compared to a loss of per share for the first quarter of fiscal 2014.
The Company's cash position at was ( - ). Accounts receivable at totalled ( - ) while accounts payable and other liabilities amounted to ( - ). Accounts receivable were comprised primarily of value added taxes repayable to the Company in and amounts receivable from partners. Accounts payable included contract construction fees, drilling expenses, engineering fees, accrued professional fees and regular trade payables for ongoing exploration, development and administration costs.
During the three month period ending , total expenditures by the Company for development, construction, equipment and other costs for Project 1 totaled approximately . Total expenditures on the Waterberg projects were approximately , all of which was funded by joint venture partner JOGMEC.
Hot commissioning of the Project 1 plant is now underway and platinum and palladium concentrate production is set to commence in the weeks ahead. Hot commissioning was rescheduled from mid-December to to mitigate operational risks associated with the annual Christmas holiday season in . Underground development is ongoing and stoping is commencing. Development and stoping rates will need to increase from current levels to meet ramp up plans.
Outlook
The Company's key business objectives for calendar 2016 will be to safely ramp-up the Project 1 platinum mine inline or exceeding our guidance and to advance the through pre-feasibility and into preparations for a mining right application.
First concentrate production at Project 1 is now scheduled for late or early February, 2016 with first concentrate deliveries to Anglo platinum scheduled for February, 2016.
We strive to continue our positive relationship with all stakeholders including labour, government and local communities by staying true to our principles, of fair dealing and open, honest dialogue in a climate of mutual respect.
The Company plans to continue working on the with its joint venture partners Mnombo and JOGMEC. The Company's objectives are to determine the scale of the Waterberg deposit, to find the section of the deposit with the greatest thickness nearest to surface and to optimize the mine plan and metallurgical recovery of the deposit for inclusion in the pre-feasibility study now underway. A resource update based on current diamond drilling is anticipated in .
About
, based in and , has a successful track record with more than 20 years of experience in exploration, mine discovery, mine construction and mine operations.
Formed in 2002, holds significant mineral rights in the of , which is host to over 70% of the world's primary platinum production. The Company is currently focused on moving its first near-surface 1 platinum mine, to production.
has expanded its exploration efforts on the on the . Waterberg represents a new bulk type of platinum, palladium and gold deposit that is being studied for potential mechanized mining.
Qualified Person
, P.Eng., the Company's President, Chief Executive Officer and a significant shareholder of the Company, is a non-independent qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and is responsible for preparing the technical information contained in this news release.
On behalf of the Board of
, CFO and Director
Disclosure
and the have not reviewed and do not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this news release, which has been prepared by management.
This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws and forward-looking statements within the meaning of U.S. securities laws (collectively 'forward-looking statements'). Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, plans, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. All statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation, the construction, development and ramp up of the Project 1 platinum mine; operational and economic projections with respect to the Project 1 platinum mine; future activities at Waterberg and the funding of such activities; trends in metal prices; the Company's overall capital requirements and future capital raising activities; plans and estimates regarding exploration, studies, development, construction and production on the Company's properties, other economic projections and the Company's outlook. Statements of resources also constitute forward-looking statements to the extent they represent estimates of mineralization that will be encountered on a property and/or estimates regarding future costs, revenues and other matters. Although the Company believes the forward-looking statements in this press release are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations and assumptions in such statements will prove to be correct. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including; the Company's capital requirements may exceed its current expectations; the uncertainty of operational and economic projections; the ability of the Company to negotiate and complete future funding transactions; variations in market conditions; the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located; metal prices; other prices and costs; currency exchange rates; the Company's ability to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for its activities; the Company's ability to produce minerals from its properties successfully or profitably, to continue its projected growth, or to be fully able to implement its business strategies; and other risk factors described in the Company's Form 40-F annual report, annual information form and other filings with the and Canadian securities regulators, which may be viewed at www.sec.gov and www.sedar.com, respectively.
Contacts:
,
President
(604) 899-5450 or Toll Free: (866) 899-5450
(604) 484-4710 (FAX)
,
VP, Corporate Development
(604) 899-5450 or Toll Free: (866) 899-5450
(604) 484-4710 (FAX)
www.platinumgroupmetals.net
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