TORONTO, ONTARIO–(Marketwired – Sept. 6, 2016) – Detour Gold Corporation (TSX:DGC) (“Detour Gold” or the “Company”) today announces a revision to its 2016 production guidance to between 525,000 to 545,000 ounces of gold. The Company will host a conference call on Wednesday, September 7, 2016 at 9:00 AM E.T. to discuss the guidance revisions.
Production at Detour Lake for the second half of the year is being impacted by the unusually heavy rainfalls experienced in mid-August, which flooded the bottom west end of the pit and saturated the surrounding watershed. The west end of the pit hosts the Calcite Zone which is the main source of the higher grade for the plant in the second half of 2016. With the pumping of the water out of the pit expected to be completed by the end of September, access to the Calcite Zone is now delayed. The resulting mine sequencing changes will not impact the mining rates but will result in a lower head grade than previously planned for the third and fourth quarters.
Consequently, gold production for the third quarter is projected at approximately 120,000 ounces. Gold production for the fourth quarter is expected to be between 138,000 and 158,000 ounces and is dependent on timely access to the Calcite Zone and on the success of the larger scale test of processing medium grade fines scheduled to commence later this month. Medium grade fines are obtained by screening the ROM stockpile at minus 2″ to elevate the grade of the ore processed.
Paul Martin, President and CEO of Detour Gold, commented: “We are disappointed that we are not able to access the higher grade Calcite Zone earlier. We have been monitoring our progress in dewatering the pit and have now concluded that the mine plan adjustments we have made for the remainder of 2016 are necessary. On a positive note, the Company remains in a strong financial position and we anticipate significant cash flow in the fourth quarter which will allow us to continue to pursue our debt reduction program.”
In addition, the Company has now completed its last 2016 major scheduled plant shutdown to replace the liners on the SAG and ball mills for both grinding lines. Gold recoveries have been trending back to normalized levels (90%) since August, following operational issues in the recovery circuit in June and July.
All-in sustaining costs are now expected to be between US$970 and US$1,020 per ounce sold as a result of the reduction in gold production and the higher costs associated with the larger scale test of the medium grade fines from the existing ROM stockpile. These tonnes will incur a non-cash book value charge projected at Cdn$10 million, representing approximately US$15 per ounce sold based on the mid-point of the revised guidance.
| Prior Guidance | Revised Guidance | |
| Gold production (oz) | 540,000-570,000 | 525,000-545,000 |
| Total cash costs (US$/oz sold) | $640-700 | $700-750 |
| All-in sustaining costs (US$/oz sold) | $920-980 | $970-$1,020 |
Conference Call
The Company will host a short conference call tomorrow (Wednesday, September 7, 2016) at 9:00 AM E.T., which can be accessed as follows:
- By phone toll free in Canada and the United States 1-800-319-4610
- By phone internationally 416-915-3239
A playback will be available until September 30, 2016 by dialing 604-674-8052 or 1-855-669-9658 within Canada and the United States, using pass code 0795.
Technical Information
The scientific and technical content of this news release was reviewed, verified and approved by Drew Anwyll, P.Eng., Senior Vice President, Technical Services, a Qualified Person as defined by Canadian Securities Administrators National Instrument 43-101 “Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.”
About Detour Gold
Detour Gold is an intermediate gold producer in Canada that holds a 100% interest in the Detour Lake mine, a long life large-scale open pit operation. Detour Gold’s shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol DGC.
Non-IFRS Financial Performance Measures
The Company has included certain non-IFRS measures in this news release. The Company believes that these measures, in addition to conventional measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, provide investors an improved ability to evaluate the underlying performance of the Company. The non-IFRS measures are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. These measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS, and therefore may not be comparable to other issuers.
Total cash costs
Detour Gold reports total cash costs on a sales basis. Total cash costs include production costs such as mining, processing, refining and site administration, agreements with Aboriginal communities, less non-cash share-based compensation and net of silver sales divided by gold ounces sold to arrive at total cash costs per gold ounce sold. The measure also includes other mine related costs incurred such as mine standby costs and current inventory write downs. Production costs are exclusive of depreciation and depletion. Production costs include the costs associated with providing the royalty in kind ounces.
All-in sustaining costs
The Company believes this measure more fully defines the total costs associated with producing gold. The Company calculates all-in sustaining costs as the sum of total cash costs (as described above), share-based compensation, corporate general and administrative expense, exploration and evaluation expenses that are sustaining in nature, reclamation cost accretion (also known as unwinding of the discount on decommissioning and restoration provisions), sustaining capital including deferred stripping, and realized gains and losses on hedges due to operating and capital costs, all divided by the total gold ounces sold to arrive at a per ounce figure.
Other companies may calculate this measure differently as a result of differences in underlying principles and policies applied. Differences may also arise to a different definition of sustaining versus non-sustaining capital.
Forward-Looking Information
This press release contains certain forward-looking information as defined in applicable securities laws (referred to herein as “forward-looking statements”). Specifically, this news release contains forward-looking statements regarding gold production for the third quarter projected at approximately 120,000 ounces; gold production for the fourth quarter expected to range between 138,000 and 158,000 ounces; 2016 gold production of 525,000 to 545,000 ounces of gold; and 2016 total cash costs of US$700 to US$750 per ounce sold and all-in sustaining costs of US$970 to US$1,020 per ounce sold (based on a US dollar to Canadian dollar exchange rate of $1.28).
Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are beyond Detour Gold’s ability to predict or control and may cause Detour Gold’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any of its future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to, gold price volatility, changes in debt and equity markets, the uncertainties involved in interpreting geological data, increases in costs, environmental compliance and changes in environmental legislation and regulation, interest rate and exchange rate fluctuations, general economic conditions and other risks involved in the gold exploration and development industry, as well as those risk factors discussed in the section entitled “Description of Business – Risk Factors” in Detour Gold’s 2015 AIF and in the continuous disclosure documents filed by Detour Gold on and available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Such forward-looking statements are also based on a number of assumptions which may prove to be incorrect, including, but not limited to, assumptions about the following: the availability of financing for exploration and development activities; operating and capital costs; the Company’s ability to attract and retain skilled staff; the mine development schedule; sensitivity to metal prices and other sensitivities; the supply and demand for, and the level and volatility of the price of, gold; timing of the receipt of regulatory and governmental approvals for development projects and other operations; the supply and availability of consumables and services; the exchange rates of the Canadian dollar to the U.S. dollar; energy and fuel costs; the accuracy of reserve and resource estimates and the assumptions on which the reserve and resource estimates are based; market competition; ongoing relations with employees and impacted communities and general business and economic conditions. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date hereof, or such other date or dates specified in such statements. Detour Gold undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements contained herein whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. If the Company does update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that it will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.
President and CEO
(416) 304.0800
Laurie Gaborit
Director Investor Relations
(416) 304.0581