News Releases
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November 14, 2007
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Year ended |
Year ended |
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Revenue |
$55.3M |
$Nil |
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Copper |
$37.7M |
$Nil |
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Zinc |
$8.0M |
$Nil |
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Lead |
$2.7M |
$Nil |
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Silver |
$6.9M |
$Nil |
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Operating profit |
$28.0M |
$Nil |
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Earnings (before tax) |
$25.2M |
($2.6M) |
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EPS - basic (before tax) |
$0.31 |
($0.04) |
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Earnings (after tax) |
$22.7M |
($2.6M) |
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EPS - basic |
$0.28 |
($0.04) |
Cozamin Mine
Fiscal 2007 Production and Sales Highlights
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Capstone produced the following metals during the year.
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13.9 million pounds of copper
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6.8 million pounds of zinc
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3 million pounds of lead
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747,000 ounces of silver
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Concentrate sales for the year were dry metric tonnes ("DMT"), containing;
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11.8 million pounds of copper
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5 million pounds of zinc
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2.8 million pounds of lead
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641,000 ounces of silver
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Concentrate inventory at August 31, 2007 was 8,150 DMT (containing 2.6 million pounds of copper, 2.0 million pounds of zinc and 0.4 million pounds of lead).
2007 Production Results and 2008 Forecast
The forecasted copper, zinc, lead and silver production for fiscal 2007 was estimated to be 13 -- 14 million pounds of copper, 8 million pounds of zinc, 3.5 million pounds of lead and 700,000 ounces of silver.
The following table is a summary of the actual operating statistics for fiscal 2007 and forecast for 2008.
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|
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|
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Total tons mined |
484,641 |
750,000 |
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Tons of ore milled |
461,933 |
750,000 |
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Copper grade (%) |
1.59 |
1.8 |
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Zinc grade (%) |
1.47 |
1.3 |
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Silver grade (g/t) |
71 |
69 |
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Lead grade (%) |
0.6 |
0.5 |
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Copper recovery (%) |
86 |
88 |
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Zinc recovery (%) |
44.9 |
50 |
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Silver recovery (%) |
73 |
74 |
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Lead recovery (%) |
52.6 |
50 |
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Copper production (million DMT lbs) |
13.9 |
26 |
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Zinc production (million DMT lbs) |
6.8 |
11.3 |
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Silver production ('000 ounces) |
747 |
1,100 |
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Lead production (million DMT lbs) |
3.0 |
4.1 |
Note: Silver reports to all concentrates.
Fourth Quarter Production Highlights
Copper
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Copper in concentrate produced during the quarter was 4.9 million pounds of copper, 37% higher than the previous quarter.
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Copper concentrate sales for the quarter were 8,372 dry metric tons ("DMT"), containing 3.9 million pounds of copper, an increase from the 5,947 DMT sold during the previous quarter, containing 2.9 million pounds of copper.
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The average price for sales of copper in the quarter was $3.34/lb.
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Copper concentrate inventory at August 31, 2007 was 5,447 DMT, an increase in inventory from the 3,842 DMT of concentrate on hand at the end of the previous quarter.
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Silver in the copper concentrate produced during the quarter totaled 205,000 ounces, 44% higher than the previous quarter.
Zinc
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Zinc in concentrate produced during the quarter was 2.1 million pounds of zinc, 31% more than the previous quarter.
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Zinc sales for the quarter were 1,977 DMT, containing 1.6 million pounds of zinc, an increase from the 1,949 DMT sold during the previous quarter, containing 1.5 million pounds of zinc.
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The average price for sales of zinc in the quarter was $1.65/lb.
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Zinc concentrate inventory at August 31, 2007 was 2,413 DMT, an increase in inventory from the 1,820 DMT of concentrate on hand at the end of the previous quarter.
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Silver in the zinc concentrate produced during the quarter totaled 10,000 ounces, 67% higher than the previous quarter.
Lead
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Lead in concentrate produced during the quarter was 1.0 million pounds of lead, 67% more than the previous quarter.
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Lead concentrate sales for the quarter were 498 DMT, containing 0.7 million pounds of lead, equal to the 502 DMT sold during the previous quarter, containing 0.7 million pounds of lead.
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The average price for sales of lead in the quarter was $1.48/lb.
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Lead concentrate inventory at August 31, 2007 was 290 DMT, an increase in inventory from the 120 DMT of concentrate on hand at the end of the previous quarter.
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Silver in the lead concentrate produced during the quarter totaled 49,000 ounces, 63% higher than the previous quarter.
Fourth Quarter Production Results
The following table is a summary of the operating statistics for the year by quarter.
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Total tons mined |
90,281 |
100,620 |
131,325 |
162,415 |
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Tons of ore milled |
93,055 |
95,439 |
112,277 |
161,162 |
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Copper grade (%) |
1.50 |
1.58 |
1.65 |
1.60 |
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Zinc grade (%) |
1.80 |
1.45 |
1.65 |
1.25 |
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Silver grade (g/t) |
72 |
68 |
71 |
71 |
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Lead grade (%) |
0.70 |
0.53 |
0.60 |
0.55 |
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Copper recovery (%) |
85.3 |
84.5 |
85.7 |
86.7 |
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Zinc recovery (%) |
49.3 |
42.6 |
43.0 |
43.4 |
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Silver recovery (%) |
74.6 |
70.0 |
70.4 |
71.5 |
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Lead recovery (%) |
60.3 |
49.0 |
48.0 |
50.4 |
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Copper production (million DMT lbs) |
2.7 |
2.8 |
3.5 |
4.9 |
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Zinc production (million DMT lbs) |
1.9 |
1.2 |
1.6 |
2.1 |
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Silver production ('000 ounces) |
161 |
149 |
174 |
263 |
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Lead production (million DMT lbs) |
0.9 |
0.5 |
0.6 |
1.0 |
Note: Silver reports to all concentrates.
Mill Expansion Project
Tons mined and processed were higher in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007 compared to previous 2007 quarters as expansion start up commenced ahead of schedule in July at the 2200 tpd rate. July and August production rates averaged approximately 94% of design throughput. Capital expenditures were $11 million, with approximately $2 million remaining to be spent on final land payment, underground crusher installation and ramp completion versus $15 million budget.
Labour
There were 11 minor lost time accidents during the year from both operations and construction. The number of personnel at the end of the year was 526, of which approximately 146 were contractors related to the expansion project.
Fourth Quarter Actual Sales Compared to Previous Quarters
Actual sales and costs for the year are tabulated below.
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|
Q1 (A) |
Q2 (A) |
Q3 (A) |
Q4 (A) |
Fiscal |
|
Copper (million lbs) |
2.9 |
2.1 |
2.9 |
3.9 |
11.8 |
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Zinc (million lbs) |
1.9 |
Nil |
1.5 |
1.6 |
5.0 |
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Lead (million lbs) |
Nil |
1.4 |
0.7 |
0.7 |
2.8 |
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Silver ('000 ounces) |
120 |
169 |
143 |
209 |
641 |
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Copper production costs, net of by product credits, per lb of copper |
$(0.04) |
$(0.02) |
$0.20 |
$0.25 |
$0.12 |
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Off property costs for transport, smelting and refining per lb of copper |
$0.48 |
$0.41 |
$0.41 |
$0.38 |
$0.42 |
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Total cash costs of production per lb of copper |
$0.44 |
$0.39 |
$0.61 |
$0.63 |
$0.54 |
Copper production costs in the fourth quarter were $0.05 above plan reflecting the impact of the company having sold all its silver production to Silverstone Resources Corp. at $8.40 per ounce.
Mineral Reserves and Resources
An updated reserve and resource estimate has been completed for the Cozamin mine, as of August 31, 2007. The new reserve and resource estimate increases both the tonnage and contained metal within all of the reserve and resource categories, while maintaining its high grade. The Company completed 5 surface and 70 underground NQ-core drill holes totaling 26,266 metres. Modeling also included channel samples from mined areas.
The exploration drilling program was carried out in 2006/7 to upgrade and expand the mineral resources. The program resulted in an increase of mineable reserves of 65% after allowing for ore production during the year shown below, at a $40 cut-off.
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Classification |
Tonnes |
Cu (%) |
Ag (g/t) |
Pb (%) |
Zn (%) |
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Proven |
1,809,719 |
2.32 |
84 |
0.45 |
1.17 |
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Probable |
1,915,248 |
2.42 |
81 |
0.34 |
1.19 |
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Total |
3,724,967 |
2.37 |
82 |
0.40 |
1.18 |
The resources shown below indicate the successful conversion from inferred resources to measured and indicated resources, while maintaining a similar tonnage in the inferred category. Overall resources increased 47% after allowing for mined out tonnage.
The resource and reserve estimation was completed by Cozamin mine staff under the supervision of Michelle Stone and Bob Barnes, Qualified Persons under National Instrument 43-101. The estimates used long term metal prices of $2.25/lb for copper, $1.00/lb for zinc, $0.60/lb for lead and $8.50/oz for silver. A technical report will be filed on www.sedar.com in November 2007.
In addition to the above reserves, the mineral resources which include the reserves are estimated to be:
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Resource Category* |
Tonnes (1% Cu Cut-off) |
Cu (%) |
Ag (g/t) |
Pb (%) |
Zn (%) |
Au (g/t) |
Million lbs** |
Million ozs** | ||
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Cu |
Pb |
Zn |
Ag | |||||||
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Measured |
2,591,705 |
2.48 |
87.11 |
0.43 |
1.18 |
0.03 |
141.7 |
24.6 |
67.4 |
7.3 |
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Indicated |
2,896,158 |
2.59 |
86.37 |
0.32 |
1.14 |
0.04 |
165.4 |
20.4 |
72.8 |
8.0 |
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M & Ind. |
5,487,863 |
2.54 |
86.56 |
0.37 |
1.15 |
0.04 |
307.1 |
45.0 |
140.2 |
15.3 |
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Inferred |
3,162,838 |
2.36 |
80.50 |
0.18 |
1.03 |
0.04 |
164.6 |
12.6 |
71.8 |
8.2 |
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Total |
8,650,702 |
2.47 |
84.35 |
0.30 |
1.11 |
0.04 |
471.7 |
57.6 |
212.0 |
23.5 |
*These resources included a non-material update to the resources released October 15, 2007.
** 1 kilogram = 2.2 lbs; 31.103 grams = 1 oz. Troy.
The Company has already commenced a program of underground infill drilling to further expand and upgrade the inferred resources. Priority will be on inferred resources within established mining block areas. In addition, the Company plans to undertake both surface and underground drilling in 2008 to explore along strike and down dip of the updated resources.
With the promising results encountered in the 2006/7 drilling program, the company is managing a focused program to further expand the Cozamin mineral reserves.
Financial Results
The information in this news release and the selected financial information contained in the following pages should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements and Management Discussion and Analysis for the year ended August 31, 2007, which will be available at Capstone's website at www.capstonemining.com and at www.sedar.com.
The Company's earnings before future income tax accruals for the year ended August 31, 2007 increased to $25.2 million or $0.31 per share compared to a loss of $2.6 million or ($0.04) per share for the year ended August 31, 2006. The Company's net earnings for August 31, 2007 increased to $22.7 million or $0.28 per share, compared to $(2.6) million or $(0.04) per share for August 31, 2006.
The Company reported revenues of $55.3 million (2006 - $Nil). Revenues consisted of copper concentrate sales of $37.7 million, zinc concentrate sales of $8.0 million, lead concentrate sales of $2.7 million and silver in concentrate sales of $6.9 million.
Cost of sales for the year was $14.2 million (2006 - $Nil), treatment and transportation charges were $10.1 million (2006 - $Nil), royalty charges were $1.4 million (2006 - $Nil) and depletion was $1.7 million (2006 - $Nil).
The increased general and administrative expenditures for the year ended August 31, 2007 compared to the year ended August 31, 2006 are due to the Company attaining commercial production as well as professional fees related to the sale of the Company's silver.
A future income tax provision of $2.5 million was recorded in 2007 compared to $Nil in 2006. The increase in the income tax provision is mainly due to the excess of book value of capital assets over tax values.
Glencore International AG purchases the concentrates produced by the Cozamin mine pursuant to the terms of a written contract. The Company has also agreed to terms with Trafigura Beheer B.V. to purchase additional copper concentrates from the expansion pursuant to the terms of a written contract.
Capstone Mining Corp.
Selected Financial Information
Consolidated Balance Sheets
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|
Aug 31, |
Aug 31, |
|
|
2007 |
2006 |
|
|
|
|
|
Cash |
$ 35,988,166 |
$ 20,614,359 |
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Investment in Silverstone Resources Corp. |
28,498,044 |
- |
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Property, plant and equipment |
44,616,033 |
31,479,079 |
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Other assets |
24,888,492 |
6,739,335 |
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|
|
|
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Total assets |
133,990,735 |
58,832,773 |
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|
|
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Deferred revenue |
43,056,390 |
- |
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Other liabilities |
15,561,814 |
6,474,770 |
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|
|
|
|
Total liabilities |
58,618,204 |
6,474,770 |
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Shareholder's equity |
75,372,531 |
52,358,003 |
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|
|
|
|
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity |
133,990,735 |
58,832,773 |
Consolidated Statements of Operations
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|
Aug 31, |
Aug 31, |
|
|
2007 |
2006 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total revenues |
$ 55,335,647 |
$ - |
|
Total cost of sales |
(27,304,725) |
- |
|
Operating profit |
28,030,922 |
- |
|
G&A and other expenses |
(4,607,226) |
(2,879,614) |
|
Other items |
1,726,946 |
255,013 |
|
Earnings (loss) before income taxes |
25,150,642 |
(2,624,601) |
|
Future income tax |
(2,479,593) |
- |
|
Earnings (loss) for the year |
22,671,049 |
(2,624,601) |
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|
|
|
|
EPS - Basic |
0.28 |
(0.04) |
|
EPS - Diluted |
0.27 |
(0.04) |
Capstone will host a conference call on Thursday, November 15 at 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time (11:30 AM Eastern Time) to discuss these results. The conference call may be accessed by dialing 1.866.365.1119 in North America or 1.416.849.7329 internationally, please ask for the Capstone Mining Corp. conference call. The conference call will be archived for later playback until November 29, 2007 and can be accessed by dialing 1.866.501.5559 and the passcode is 21253140#.
ABOUT CAPSTONE
Capstone is a Canadian based mining company currently operating the 100% owned Cozamin copper-silver-lead-zinc mine located in Zacatecas State, Mexico. Capstone has approximately 81.8 million shares outstanding and is well financed with no bank debt. More information is available online at: www.capstonemining.com.
For further information about the Company, please contact:
Chris Tomanik, Telephone: (604) 684-8894 / Facsimile: (604) 688-2180
Email:
You can view the Next News Releases item: Thu Jan 10, 2008, Capstone Highlights Production and Sales for the Four Months Ended December 31, 2007
You can view the Previous News Releases item: Wed Nov 7, 2007, Capstone To Release 2007 Year End Results On Wednesday November 14, 2007
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