Avesoro Resources Inc. - Financial Highlights for the Three Months and Full Year Ended 31 December 2017

TSX: ASO
AIM: ASO

TORONTO, March 5, 2018 /CNW/ - Avesoro Resources Inc. ("Avesoro" or the "Company"), the TSX and AIM listed West African gold producer, is pleased to announce the release of its unaudited financial results for the quarter (the "Quarter" or "Q4") and full year ended 31 December 2017 ("FY 2017").

Q4 Financial Highlights

• Total Company revenues for the Quarter increased quarter on quarter ("QoQ") by 31% to US$33.3 million from record quarterly gold sales of 24,177 ounces from New Liberty and 2,013 ounces from Balogo in the period from 18 December 2017 to 31 December 2017 with an average realised gold price of US$1,272 per ounce sold;
• Operating cash costs of US$790 per ounce sold at New Liberty, a reduction of 10% on the previous quarter;
• Company EBITDA margin of 33%, a 66% improvement on the previous quarter, with EBITDA more than doubling QoQ to US$11.1 million;
• Strong operating cash flow generation of US$7.7 million during the Quarter, with available cash on hand at the end of the Quarter of US$17.8 million;
• Borrowings increased to US$134.1 million, mainly as a result of additional related party financing to procure additional heavy mining equipment to support the increased mining rates planned at New Liberty throughout H1 2018; and
• Completion in December 2017 of the acquisition of the Youga and Balogo Gold Mines in Burkina Faso.

Full Year 2017 Financial Highlights

• Total Company revenues for the full year grew 54% to US$97.8 million, on gold sales of 77,396 ounces at an average realised gold price of US$1,263 per ounce;
• Company EBITDA of US$17.3 million, an increase of US$105.4 million on 2016, demonstrating the scale of the turnaround in operations at New Liberty;
• Operating cash costs of US$918 per ounce sold at New Liberty, a 46% improvement on the previous year; and
• Total capital spend of US$30 million, including upgrades to the process plant and mine site infrastructure at New Liberty, including the Tailings Storage Facility upgrade and US$16 million of waste stripping.

Post Period Highlights

• Annual gold production guidance for 2018 of 220,000 to 240,000 ounces of gold at an operating cash cost of US$620 to US$660 per ounce;
• Board approved US$25.0 million exploration programme for 2018;
• Group exploration diamond drilling budget of 171,000 metres, split between Burkina Faso (139,000 metres) and Liberia (32,000 metres); and
• Finance Agreements entered into for the purchase of heavy mining equipment and additional auxiliary equipment for New Liberty totalling approximately US$10.3 million.

Commenting on the Company's improved quarterly performance, Serhan Umurhan, Chief Executive Officer of Avesoro Resources, said: "The year has seen materially increased revenues from higher gold sales, growth in EBITDA levels and a fall in operational costs, achievements that demonstrate our ability to optimise mines and extract inherent value.  I am delighted with the continued improvements in operational performance quarter on quarter throughout the year, resulting in a strong performance in the final Quarter of 2017, with record cash flow and revenues.

The operational turnaround at New Liberty is substantially complete and it is now delivering to the revised mining schedule with further productivity and cost improvements expected throughout the year ahead together with added value to come from our near term exploration programme.

The acquisition of the Youga and Balogo Gold Mines in Burkina Faso represents an exciting step in our journey that complement Avesoro's asset portfolio with two high-quality gold producing mines, as well as offering geographic diversity within West Africa.

Year to date performance at each of our mines has been in line with our published guidance and we believe the investment we have made in the Youga and Balogo Gold Mines will significantly improve our operational and financial performance in 2018. We are well positioned for further growth and remain focused on achieving our medium term gold production target of 500koz per year."

Table 1: Financial Highlights

* Post declaration of Commercial Production at New Liberty on March 1, 2016.

** The Company changed its definition of EBITDA during the year ended 31 December 2017 to include impairment charges of long-lived assets. Accordingly, FY 2016 EBITDA has been restated from negative US$45.6 million to negative US$88.1 million to include the impairment of New Liberty of US$42.5 million.

Analyst and Investor Call

The company will be hosting a conference call for investors and analysts on March 5, 2018 at 08:00 EST / 13:00 GMT.

The access details for the conference call are as follows:

Password: 58982845#

Event Conference Title: Avesoro Resources Results Call

Notes

Non-GAAP Financial Measures: The Company has included certain non-GAAP financial measures in this press release, including operating cash costs and all-in sustaining costs ("AISC") per ounce of gold produced. These non-GAAP financial measures do not have any standardised meaning. Accordingly, these financial 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 International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS").

Operating cash costs and all-in-sustaining cash costs are a common financial performance measure in the mining industry but have no standard definition under IFRS. Operating cash costs are reflective of the cost of production and include a net-smelter royalty of 3%.

AISC include operating cash costs, corporate costs, sustaining capital expenditure, sustaining exploration expenditure and capitalised stripping costs.

Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Disclosure

Certain information contained in this announcement would have been deemed inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 until the release of this announcement.

About Avesoro Resources Inc.

Avesoro Resources is a West Africa focused gold producer and development company that operates three gold mines across West Africa and is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX") and the AIM market operated by the London Stock Exchange ("AIM"). The Company's assets include the New Liberty Gold Mine in Liberia (the "New Liberty Gold Mine" or "New Liberty") and the Youga and Balogo Gold mines in Burkina Faso ("Youga" and "Balogo").

New Liberty has an estimated proven and probable mineral reserve of 7.4Mt with 717,000 ounces of gold grading 3.03g/t and an estimated measured and indicated mineral resource of 9.6Mt with 985,000 ounces of gold grading 3.2g/t and an estimated inferred mineral resource of 6.4Mt with 620,000 ounces of gold grading 3.0g/t. The foregoing Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource estimates and additional information in connection therewith is set out in an NI 43-101 compliant Technical Report dated November 1, 2017 and entitled "New Liberty Gold Mine, Bea Mountain Mining Licence Southern Block, Liberia, West Africa" and is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Youga and Balogo have a combined estimated proven and probable mineral reserve of 9.3Mt with 513,000 ounces of gold grading 1.7g/t and a combined estimated indicated mineral resource of 16.05Mt with 801,600 ounces of gold grading 1.55g/t and a combined inferred mineral resource of 13Mt with 655,000 ounces of gold grading 1.57g/t. The foregoing Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource estimates and additional information in connection therewith is set out in two NI 43-101 compliant Technical Reports, dated June 16, 2017 entitled "Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve Update for the Balogo Project" and dated June 19, 2017 and entitled "Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve Update for the Youga and Ouaré Projects" and are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

For more information, please visit www.avesoro.com

Qualified Persons

The Company's Qualified Person is Mark J. Pryor, who holds a BSc (Hons) in Geology & Mineralogy from Aberdeen University, United Kingdom and is a Fellow of the Geological Society of London, a Fellow of the Society of Economic Geologists and a registered Professional Natural Scientist (Pr.Sci.Nat) of the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions.  Mark Pryor is an independent technical consultant with over 25 years of global experience in exploration, mining and mine development and is a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43 -101 "Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects" of the Canadian Securities Administrators and has reviewed and approved this press release. Mr. Pryor has verified the underlying technical data disclosed in this press release.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain information contained in this press release constitutes forward looking information or forward looking statements with the meaning of applicable securities laws. This information or statements may relate to future events, facts, or circumstances or the Company's future financial or operating performance or other future events or circumstances. All information other than historical fact is forward looking information and involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results or performance to be materially different from any future results, performance, events or circumstances expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "would", "project", "should", "believe", "target", "predict" and "potential".  No assurance can be given that this information will prove to be correct and such forward looking information included in this press release should not be unduly relied upon.  Forward looking information and statements speaks only as of the date of this press release. 

Forward looking statements or information in this press release include, among other things, statements of annual gold production guidance for 2018 of 220,000 to 240,000 ounces of gold at an operating cash cost of US$620 to US$660 per ounce produced; statements regarding the allocation of US$25 million to exploration with 171,000 metres of drilling budgeted for 2018, and statements regarding the expected operational and financial performance of each of the foregoing for the Company's New Liberty, Youga and Balogo mines.

In making the forward looking information or statements contained in this press release, assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: general business, economic and mining industry conditions; interest rates and foreign exchange rates; the continuing accuracy of Mineral Resource and Reserve estimates; geological and metallurgical conditions (including with respect to the size, grade and recoverability of Mineral Resources and Reserves) and cost estimates on which the Mineral Resource and Reserve estimates are based; the supply and demand for commodities and precious and base metals and the level and volatility of the prices of gold; market competition; the ability of the Company to raise sufficient funds from capital markets and/or debt to meet its future obligations and planned activities and that unforeseen events do not impact the ability of the Company to use existing funds to fund future plans and projects as currently contemplated; the stability and predictability of the political environments and legal and regulatory frameworks including with respect to, among other things, the ability of the Company to obtain, maintain, renew and/or extend required permits, licences, authorizations and/or approvals from the appropriate regulatory authorities; that contractual counterparties perform as agreed; and the ability of the Company to continue to obtain qualified staff and equipment in a timely and cost-efficient manner to meet its demand.

Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward looking information or statements contained in this press release as a result of risks and uncertainties (both foreseen and unforeseen), and should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indicators of whether or not such results will be achieved. These risks and uncertainties include the risks normally incidental to exploration and development of mineral projects and the conduct of mining operations (including exploration failure, cost overruns or increases, and operational difficulties resulting from plant or equipment failure, among others); the inability of the Company to obtain required financing when needed and/or on acceptable terms or at all; risks related to operating in West Africa, including potentially more limited infrastructure and/or less developed legal and regulatory regimes; health risks associated with the mining workforce in West Africa; risks related to the Company's title to its mineral properties; the risk of adverse changes in commodity prices; the risk that the Company's exploration for and development of mineral deposits may not be successful; the inability of the Company to obtain, maintain, renew and/or extend required licences, permits, authorizations and/or approvals from the appropriate regulatory authorities and other risks relating to the legal and regulatory frameworks in jurisdictions where the Company operates, including adverse or arbitrary changes in applicable laws or regulations or in their enforcement; competitive conditions in the mineral exploration and mining industry; risks related to obtaining insurance or adequate levels of insurance for the Company's operations; that Mineral Resource and Reserve estimates are only estimates and actual metal produced may be less than estimated in a Mineral Resource or Reserve estimate; the risk that the Company will be unable to delineate additional Mineral Resources; risks related to environmental regulations and cost of compliance, as well as costs associated with possible breaches of such regulations; uncertainties in the interpretation of results from drilling; risks related to the tax residency of the Company; the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with expectations; the risk of delays in construction resulting from, among others, the failure to obtain materials in a timely manner or on a delayed schedule; inflation pressures which may increase the cost of production or of consumables beyond what is estimated in studies and forecasts; changes in exchange and interest rates; risks related to the activities of artisanal miners, whose activities could delay or hinder exploration or mining operations; the risk that third parties to contracts may not perform as contracted or may breach their agreements; the risk that plant, equipment or labour may not be available at a reasonable cost or at all, or cease to be available, or in the case of labour, may undertake strike or other labour actions; the inability to attract and retain key management and personnel; and the risk of political uncertainty, terrorism, civil strife, or war in the jurisdictions in which the Company operates, or in neighbouring jurisdictions which could impact on the Company's exploration, development and operating activities.

This press release also contains Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimates. Information relating to Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve contained in this press release is considered forward looking information in nature, as such estimates are estimates only, and that involve the implied assessment of the amount of minerals that may be economically extracted in a given area based on certain judgments and assumptions made by qualified persons, including the future economic viability of the deposit based on, among other things, future estimates of commodity prices.  Such estimates are expressions of judgment and opinion based on the knowledge, mining experience, analysis of drilling results and industry practices of the qualified persons making the estimate.  Valid estimates made at a given time may significantly change when new information becomes available, and may have to change as a result of numerous factors, including changes in the prevailing price of gold. By their nature, Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimates are imprecise and depend, to a certain extent, upon statistical inferences which may ultimately prove unreliable. If such Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimates are inaccurate or are reduced in the future (including through changes in grade or tonnage), this could have a material adverse impact on the Company and its operating and financial performance.  Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.  Due to the uncertainty that may be attached to inferred mineral resources, it cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will be upgraded to an indicated or measured mineral resource as a result of continued exploration.

Although the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon what management believes are reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot provide assurance that actual results or performance will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. The forward looking information and statements included in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and are made only as of the date of this press release.  The Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward looking information except as required by applicable securities laws.

SOURCE Avesoro Resources Inc.