Barrick is progressing its four major organic growth projects: the ramp up of the Goldrush gold mine in Nevada; the Pueblo Viejo expansion; the Super Pit project at the Lumwana copper mine in Zambia; and the development of the giant copper-gold mine at Reko Diq in Pakistan.
TORONTO – Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE:GOLD)(TSX:ABX) today reported its first quarter results which were in line with guidance and position the Company well to meet its full year targets. Gold production is expected to ramp up steadily during the year, supported by the completion of the Pueblo Viejo plant expansion and the resumption of operations at the Porgera mine. Additionally, copper production is also on track to meet the full year’s guidance.
Reporting its Q1 results, Barrick said lower production and the consequent higher costs reflected the delayed ramp up at Pueblo Viejo following reconstruction of the conveyor, which has now been completed, in addition to planned maintenance at Nevada Gold Mines (NGM) and mine sequencing at other sites. In the meantime, the Company was progressing its four major organic growth projects: the ramp up of the Goldrush gold mine in Nevada; the Pueblo Viejo expansion; the Super Pit project at the Lumwana copper mine in Zambia; and the development of the giant copper-gold mine at Reko Diq in Pakistan. Brownfields growth continues to support Barrick’s unique reserve replacement record and greenfields exploration is expanding its portfolio across the world.
Financial results for the quarter show a year-over-year 143% increase in net earnings per share, a 36% rise in adjusted net earnings1, and a 7% increase to $907 million in attributable EBITDA2, with the operations delivering $760 million in operating cash flow for the quarter. The quarterly dividend was maintained at $0.10 per share.
Operational highlights for the quarter also included the accelerated ramp-up of Goldrush in Nevada after its final permitting (Record of Decision) late last year. At the nearby Fourmile project — a potentially world-class asset 100% owned by Barrick — drilling for a prefeasibility study has started to drive it up the value curve. Exploration has identified open-ended high-grade upside at Turquoise Ridge in Nevada, already Barrick’s highest-grade mine, and at Kibali in the Democratic Republic of Congo, geologists have discovered a significant high-grade trend similar to the KCD deposit on which the mine was built.
Commenting on the results, president and chief executive Mark Bristow said Barrick’s ability to grow its gold and copper production from its peerless asset base would amplify its profitability in the rising commodity markets.
“Our focus on exploration has placed Barrick in the unique position of more than replacing the reserves we mine year after year. Our key organic projects, such as the development of Reko Diq, the extension of Pueblo Viejo’s Tier One13 life by more than 20 years and the transformation of Lumwana into one of the world’s major copper mines will secure Barrick’s production profile well into the future,” he said.
Barrick’s holistic sustainability strategy remains foundational to all aspects of its business and continues to deliver real value to stakeholders. Bristow noted that among many other things, the Company had increased its water re-use and recycle rate to 84% last quarter, commissioned the first stage of a 100-megawatt solar array at NGM and had a 16-megawatt solar array permitted at Kibali. Power purchase agreements by NGM have avoided 75% of its emissions. On the biodiversity front, Barrick has a 730-hectare rehabilitation plan for its operating sites for 2024 and also aims to relocate 72 more white rhinos to the Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in conjunction with the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN) and African Parks.
Financial and Operating Highlights
Barrick today announced the declaration of a dividend of $0.10 per share for Q1 2024. The dividend is consistent with the Company’s Performance Dividend Policy announced at the start of 2022.
The Q1 2024 dividend will be paid on June 17, 2024 to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 31, 2024.
“The continued strength of our balance sheet and our global asset base provide us with the ability to maintain the distribution of a robust dividend to our shareholders, whilst still ensuring Barrick has adequate liquidity to invest in growing our business,” said senior executive vice-president and chief financial officer Graham Shuttleworth.
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