🕐13.08.09 - 21:32 Uhr
NEWS OUT(SILVER): SPM.TSX-SCORPIO MINING-2ND QTR. RESULTS
*TSX.SPM*
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*Scorpio Announces Second Quarter 2009 Results*
VANCOUVER, Aug.
13 /CNW/ - Scorpio Mining Corporation (TSX: SPM) ("Scorpio"
or the "Company") today reported unaudited financial and operating results
for the second quarter ended June 30, 2009 and provided an update on its
operations.
Peter J.
Hawley, Chairman, CEO reports, "We, as a team, are very proud to
report a record second quarter for commercial production with positive mine
operating cash flows, positive net earnings, an increase in concentrate
sales, underground production, mill throughput and silver grades and lower
than budgeted Mexican cash operating costs per tonne, smelter treatment
charges and underground development costs.
Since the end of second quarter, metal prices have strengthened, changes in
mill blending have resulted in increased silver grades and long-term mining
extraction plans have been implemented to begin mine and mill ramp-ups.
For
example, in the month of July, the mill throughput was in excess of 18,000
tonnes compared to approximately 15,000 tonnes per month for the second
quarter.
These positive factors should begin to be recognized in the third
quarter resulting in increased revenues per tonne of concentrates sold.
The
Company has set strict mandates for 2009 to show profitability, and to date
has exceeded all goals set.
The Company continues to aggressively seek
acquisitions of near-term, high-grade development projects and/or operating
assets in Mexico."
This earnings release should be read in conjunction with the Companys MD&A,
Financial Statements and Notes to Financial Statements for the corresponding
period, which are available on the Companys website at
www.scorpiomining.com and have been posted on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
Second Quarter Highlights:
- Nuestra Senora mine operating earnings were $1,100,429 compared to
$895,596 in the first quarter of 2009.
- Net earnings were $462,634 or $0.00 per share compared to a loss of
$385,854 in the first quarter of 2009.
- The Companys Mexican operations generated positive cash flows.
- Nuestra Senora cash operating costs were lower than budgeted at
US$43.95 per tonne compared with the forecasted cost of US$46.50 per
tonne(1) a favourable variance of 5%, despite additional operating
costs including major equipment overhauls such as one of the cone
crushers and a scoop tram and the purchase of grinding balls required
to maintain productivity at the mill.
- The average cost per meter of development declined from US$1,105 in
the first quarter of 2009 ("Q1") to US$998 in the second quarter
("Q2") a decrease in costs of 10%.
- Underground ore production increased from 9,658 tonnes in March to
10,722 tonnes in June, an increase of 11% in underground ore
production.
- Mill throughput increased from 12,078 tonnes in April to 15,387 tonnes
in May, a 27% increase from April and to 14,960 tonnes in June, a 24%
increase from April.
The Company expects to maintain or exceed
throughput above 15,000 tonnes during the remainder of the year.
- During Q2, the mill processed 42,427 tonnes (Q1: 39,594), a 7%
increase in 58 days (Q1: 53 days) at an average grade of 1.42% lead,
0.40% copper, 2.43% zinc and 114 g/t silver (Q1: 1.44% lead, 0.44%
copper, 2.66% zinc and 109 g/t silver).
- During Q2, contained metals produced in concentrates consisted of
960,000 pounds of lead, a 3% decrease; 201,000 pounds of copper, a 8%
increase; 1.68 million pounds of zinc, a 8% decrease and 137,982
ounces of silver, a 10% increase.
In comparison, in Q1 the contained
metals produced were 993,000 pounds of lead, 184,000 pounds of copper,
1.81 million pounds of zinc and 123,577 ounces of silver.
The
Companys mandate for Q2 was to focus on producing concentrates which
generated higher revenues as a result of an increase in metals prices
for the quarter.
- Concentrate inventory at the end of Q2 consisted of 143 tonnes of
lead, 28 tonnes of copper and 75 tonnes of zinc.
- For the half year production, contained metals produced in
concentrates consisted of 1.95 million pounds of lead, 385,000 pounds
of copper, 3.49 million pounds of zinc and 261,559 ounces of silver.
- In addition to the six-month (May to October 2009) contracts secured
through its marketing agent Ocean Partners USA Inc.
("Ocean") for all
of its copper and zinc concentrates, on July 1st, 2009 Ocean renewed
the Companys annual contract to deliver all of its lead concentrate
production to the Penoles smelter and refinery facility in Torreon,
Mexico for a period of 12 months.
All of the 2009 off-take contracts
are on more favourable terms to the Company than those negotiated in
2008.
- Now that the Company has demonstrated two positive solid quarters of
commercial production, it intends to follow industry standards of
reporting by only issuing quarterly statements as to the performance
of the Company and the mine, contrary to the first six months of 2009
where the Company issued monthly operational updates to demonstrate
the positive progress of the Mexican operations.
Further information is available on the Companys web site at:
www.scorpiomining.com.
President, Mr.
D.
Roger Scammell, PGeo, is the Companys Qualified
Person for the Nuestra Senora project and has reviewed the content of
this release.
ON BEHALF OF SCORPIO MINING CORPORATION
Peter J.
Hawley
Chairman & CEO
(1) This is a non-GAAP performance measure; please see Non-GAAP
Performance Measures on page 12 of the MD&A.
(2)
This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable
Canadian securities legislation.
Forward-looking statements include,
but are not limited to, statements with respect to enhancing mine
operations and Scorpio Mining Corporations commitment to, and plans
for developing the Nuestra Senora Project.
Generally, these
forward-looking statements can be identified by the forward-looking
terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is
expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "projects", "intends",
"anticipates", or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or "variations
of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or
results "may", "can", "could", "would", "might", or "will" be taken",
"occur" or "be achieved".
Forward-looking statements are subject to
known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may
cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or
achievements of Scorpio Mining Corporation to be materially different
from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements,
including but not limited to: risks related to the exploration and
development and operation of the Nuestra Senora Project, risks related
to international operations, construction delays and cost overruns,
the actual results of current exploration, development and
construction activities, conclusions of economic evaluations, changes
in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, future prices
of silver, zinc, copper, lead and gold, as well as those factors
discussed in the sections relating to risk factors of our business
filed in Scorpio Mining Corporations required securities filings on
SEDAR, including its Annual Information Form dated March 27, 2009.
Although Scorpio Mining Corporation has attempted to identify
important factors that could cause results to differ materially from
those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other
factors that cause results to be materially different from those
anticipated, described, estimated, assessed or intended.
There can be no assurance that any forward-looking statements will prove
accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from
those anticipated in such statements.
Accordingly, readers should not place
undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
Scorpio Mining Corporation
does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that are
incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable
securities laws.
*For further information*
Rich Kaiser, YES International: 1-800-631-8127;001-757-306-6090 (outside
North America), Email:
<;_ylt=ArZpYDMW2zJzA8qvNzblZjWvcq9_>
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