Southern Cross Gold Consolidated Ltd. press release
Energy Fuels Announces Q3-2022 Results, Including Continued Robust Balance Sheet and Market-Leading U.S. Uranium & Rare Earth Positions
TSX - Toronto Stock Exchange · Australia
Canada NewsWire
Webcast on November 8, 2022
LAKEWOOD, Colo. , Nov. 4, 2022 /CNW/ - Energy Fuels Inc. (NYSE American: UUUU) (TSX: EFR) ("Energy Fuels" or the "Company") today reported its financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2022. The Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (" SEC ") and may be viewed on the Electronic Document Gathering and Retrieval System (" EDGAR ") at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml , on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (" SEDAR ") at www.sedar.com , and on the Company's website at www.energyfuels.com . Unless noted otherwise, all dollar amounts are in U.S. dollars.
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Highlights:
At September 30, 2022 , the Company had a robust balance sheet with $122.3 million of working capital, including $77.1 million of cash and cash equivalents, $11.6 million of marketable securities, $27.3 million of inventory, and no short term (or long term) debt. At current commodity prices, the Company's product inventory has a value of $44.1 million . During the quarter ended September 30, 2022 , the Company incurred a net loss of $9.3 million , which includes increases in development, permitting and land holding costs and selling, general and administration costs associated with the Company's efforts to enhance its business processes and operational readiness for the current and future growth and activity in our uranium and rare earth element (" REE ") operations. With recent uranium market strength and having secured three long-term uranium contracts with major U.S. utilities earlier this year, the Company has hired over 20 new employees and is beginning to perform the work needed to recommence production at one or more of our mines and ISR facilities, starting as soon as 2023. Until such time when the Company has ramped back up to commercial uranium production, we can rely on our significant uranium inventories to fulfill our new contract requirements. In June 2022 , the U.S. Department of Energy (" DOE ") issued a Request for Proposals (" RFP ") to purchase uranium (" U 3 O 8 ") for the new U.S. Uranium Reserve Program. The DOE states that they expect to purchase up to 1 million pounds of U 3 O 8 inventory from up to four (4) qualified U.S. uranium producers with individual awards ranging from 100,000 pounds to 500,000 pounds. The uranium must be physically located at Honeywell's Metropolis Works conversion facility (the " U.S. Converter "). Energy Fuels believes it meets all qualifications to supply the Reserve, and the Company currently holds about 610,000 pounds of U 3 O 8 at the U.S. Converter. The Company has submitted a bid to sell U 3 O 8 to the Reserve, taking into consideration our long-term contract commitments and current and expected market conditions. There are no guarantees the DOE will purchase uranium from the Company under this RFP. Assuming the bid review process is not extended by DOE, the Company expects the DOE to issue the awards by mid-November 2022 , with deliveries expected to occur by the end of 2022 or early 2023. During the first nine months of 2022, the Company produced approximately 205 tonnes of mixed partially separated carbonate (" RE Carbonate "), containing approximately 95 tonnes of total rare earth oxides (" TREO "). Energy Fuels' partially separated RE Carbonate contains a higher concentration of valuable NdPr, roughly 32% - 34% NdPr, compared to our previously produced non-separated RE Concentrate which contained approximately 22% NdPr, and is the most advanced REE material being produced in the U.S. today. During Q4-2022, the Company expects to receive approximately 640 tonnes of monazite, which will be processed into partially separated RE Carbonate during Q4-2022 and Q1-2023. In May 2022 , the Company announced it had entered into agreements to acquire a 58 square mile rare earth land position in Brazil (the " Bahia Project "). The Bahia Project is a well-known heavy mineral sand (" HMS ") deposit that has the potential to feed the Company's White Mesa Mill with REE and uranium-bearing monazite sand for decades. Due diligence on the Bahia Project was completed at the end of August, at which time the Company advised the sellers that it intended to proceed with the purchases and was ready to commence closing procedures. After completion of a number of administrative logistics required in both the U.S. and Brazil , the mineral transfers were initiated in mid-October, and closing is currently expected to occur in late 2022 or early 2023 upon approval of the Brazilian governmental authorities reviewing the pending transfers. Upon acquisition, the Company plans to conduct an extensive exploration program to better define the HMS and monazite resource, including comprehensive sonic drilling (for a total phase 1 program of 2,250 meters) and geophysical mapping, with the intent to undertake an Initial Assessment under SK-1300 (U.S.) and a Technical Report under NI 43-101 ( Canada ) during Q4-2023, to be completed in early Q1-2024. The Company is currently in active discussions with several additional sources of natural monazite sands around the world to significantly increase the supply of feed for our growing REE initiative. The Company continues to make excellent progress toward installing full REE separation capabilities at the Mill to produce both "light" and "heavy" separated REE oxides in the coming years. The Company plans to initially install a "light" REE separation circuit within the existing Mill facilities in the next 12-18 months with the expected ability to produce between 2,500 – 5,000 tonnes TREO (500 – 1,000 tonnes NdPr oxide or oxalates) per year. As this circuit would be constructed within existing Mill facilities, capital expenditures are expected to be low. The Company is also proceeding with the design, engineering and permitting of a separate crack and leach circuit and a second larger "light" and "heavy" separations circuit with capacity in the order of 10,000 – 15,000 tonnes TREO per year to provide additional REE processing capacity at the Mill in the coming years. During the first nine months of 2022, the Company sold approximately 642,000 pounds of existing inventory of vanadium (" V 2 O 5 ") (as ferrovanadium, " FeV "), for an average weighted net price of $13.69 per pound of V 2 O 5 . Vanadium markets have dropped in recent months. Therefore, the Company has halted sales of its inventory which currently stands at approximately 987,000 pounds of V 2 O 5 . However, the Company expects to resume sales as markets may improve in the future. The Company is evaluating the potential to resume vanadium recovery at the Mill in the future as market conditions may warrant for future sale and to replace sold inventory, where its tailings pond solutions contain an estimated additional 1.0 to 3.0 million recoverable pounds of V 2 O 5 .
Mark S. Chalmers , Energy Fuels' President and CEO, stated:
"Energy Fuels continues to strengthen our U.S. market leading position in uranium and rare earth elements, which are both critical to the clean energy transition. Energy Fuels has 'one-of-a-kind' competencies that are critical to uranium, rare earth elements, medical isotopes, and vanadium markets; namely our ability to process feedstocks that are naturally radioactive and recover critical materials needed for the clean energy transition. No other company in the U.S. can do the things Energy Fuels does. We are committed to advancing each of these initiatives in a disciplined manner, while working toward profitability and sustained cash flow.
"Uranium is the fuel for carbon-free nuclear energy, and nations around the world are embracing nuclear, as it provides reliable, carbon-free, baseload electricity. Governments in numerous countries, including the U.S., are supporting both existing and new nuclear to help solve national security, energy security, and carbon reduction challenges. We are saddened by the continuing atrocities being committed by Russian forces in Ukraine , and we stand by our partners in the U.S. nuclear industry and the U.S. government to shift away from Russian uranium and nuclear fuel imports as soon as practicable. As previously disclosed, Energy Fuels has signed new long-term uranium sales contracts with major U.S. nuclear utilities, with sales – and sales revenues – beginning in 2023. We are also excited to announce that we are making significant investments in a number of our existing mines and production facilities, including hiring people, with an eye toward resuming large-scale uranium production very soon. We have been the only U.S. company to continue to produce uranium over the past several years, while maintaining several of our projects on standby status, which provides an excellent foundation from which we can build our production in the coming years. We look forward to maintaining our position as the largest U.S. uranium producer and being a long-term supplier of secure and responsibly sourced U.S. uranium that is insulated from geopolitical, transport, and other supply chain issues. We are also pleased to have been able to submit a bid to sell uranium to the U.S. government under the new U.S. Uranium Reserve, a program that resulted from the Company's 2018 Section 232 Petition, and we eagerly await the results of that bidding process.
"We also continue to make spectacular progress on rare earth elements. Indeed, we are pleased to announce that we plan to install a commercial-scale "light" rare earth separation circuit within the existing footprint of our White Mesa Mill in Utah that we expect to be operational in the next 12 – 18 months. We are already producing the most advanced rare earth product in the U.S. today, a high-purity, partially separated mixed rare earth carbonate. We expect to go one step further by producing up to 500 – 1,000 tonnes of NdPr oxide (or oxalates) per year by late-2023 or early-2024. If successful, we hope to be the 'first to market' in the U.S. for this high-value, advanced material. We anticipate selling our separated NdPr oxide (or oxalate) to major electric vehicle manufacturers in the U.S. and Europe , with a goal to significantly increase this capacity in coming years. This should position Energy Fuels as one of the 'go to' suppliers of advanced rare earth materials in the U.S. and one of the first companies that electric vehicle (EV) and other clean technology manufacturers look to for the raw materials they need. Ultimately, we plan to install the capacity to produce over 3,000 tonnes of NdPr oxide, plus 250 tonnes of dysprosium oxide and 100 tonnes of terbium oxide per year, in the next 3-4 years, subject to licensing, commissioning, financing, offtake, market conditions, and sufficient monazite feedstock.
"On the monazite feedstock front, we continue to make excellent progress. With regard to our Bahia Project in Brazil , we continue to move diligently toward closing. The mineral transfers were initiated in mid-October after a number of administrative logistics required for closing were completed in both the U.S. and Brazil . Closing is scheduled to occur as soon as the transfers have been approved by the Brazilian governmental authorities reviewing the pending transfers, which we expect by the end of 2022 or in early 2023. Upon acquisition, the Company plans to conduct an initial phase of exploration drilling on the properties, totaling 2,250 meters, in order to maintain expected production timelines. In addition, we continue discussions with a number of monazite suppliers from around the world interested in partnering with Energy Fuels, and we are confident in our ability to secure monazite supply deals that ensure a 'win-win' for both Energy Fuels and our partners.
"Finally, we continue to make progress on medical isotopes with major players in the space. If we can successfully recover radioactive isotopes needed for emerging cancer treatments from our existing process streams, we will have secured yet another opportunity to generate significant cash flows in the next 5 to 10 years. We also continue to track vanadium markets to determine when to resume sales of our existing inventories and when to resume production."
Webcast at 4:00 pm ET on November 8, 2022 :
Energy Fuels will be hosting a video webcast on November 8, 2022 at 4:00 pm ET ( 2:00 pm MT ) to discuss its Q3-2022 financial results, the outlook for 2022, uranium, rare earths, vanadium, and medical isotopes. To join the webcast and access the presentation and viewer-controlled webcast slides, please click on the link below:
Webcast Link
If you would like to participate in the webcast and ask questions, please dial in to 1-888-664-6392 (toll free in the U.S. and Canada ).
A link to a recorded version of the proceedings will be available on the Company's website shortly after the webcast by calling 1-888-390-0541 (toll free in the U.S. and Canada ) and by entering the code 619525#. The recording will be available until November 22, 2022 .
Selected Summary Financial Information:
| | Three months ended | | Nine months ended | | | | | | | September 30, | | September 30, | | | | | | $000's, except per share data | 2022 | | 2021 | | 2022 | | 2021 | | Results of Operations: | | | | | | | | | Total revenues | $ 2,933 | | $ 715 | | $ 12,337 | | $ 1,524 | | Gross profit (loss) | 1,404 | | (13) | | 4,497 | | 796 | | Operating loss | (13,664) | | (8,381) | | (30,584) | | (25,570) | | Net loss attributable to the company | (9,167) | | (7,870) | | (41,950) | | (29,562) | | Basic and diluted net loss per common share | (0.06) | | (0.05) | | (0.27) | | (0.21) |
| | As at | | As at | | $000's | September 30, 2022 | | December 31, 2021 | | Financial Position: | | | | | Working capital | $ 122,334 | | $ 143,190 | | Property, plant and equipment, net | 20,899 | | 21,983 | | Mineral properties | 83,539 | | 83,539 | | Total assets | 279,084 | | 315,446 | | Total long-term liabilities | 14,531 | | 13,805 |
Financial Discussion:
At September 30, 2022, the Company had $122.3 million of working capital, including $88.7 million of cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities and $27.3 million of inventory, including approximately 692,000 pounds of uranium and 987,000 pounds of high-purity vanadium, both in the form of immediately marketable product. The current spot price of U 3 O 8 , according to TradeTech, is $52.50 per pound, and the current mid-point spot price of V 2 O 5 , according to Metal Bulletin, is $7.80 per pound. Based on those spot prices, the Company's uranium and vanadium inventories have a current market value of $36.3 million and $7.7 million , respectively, totaling $44.0 million . The Company also holds RE Carbonate inventory with a current value of $0.1 million , for total product inventory of $44.1 million at current commodity prices.
During the quarter ended September 30, 2022, the Company incurred a net loss of $9.3 million , compared to a net loss of $8.0 million for the third quarter of 2021, and a net loss of $42.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 compared to a net loss of $29.7 million during the first nine months of 2021. The increased net losses in 2022 are due primarily to a non-cash mark-to-market decrease in the value of investments accounted for at fair value of $13.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 .
Operations Update and Outlook for 2022:
Overview
The Company continues to believe that uranium supply and demand fundamentals point to higher sustained uranium prices in the future. In addition, Russia's recent invasion of Ukraine and the recent entry into the uranium market by financial entities purchasing uranium on the spot market to hold for the long-term has the potential to result in higher sustained spot and term prices and, perhaps, induce utilities to enter into more long-term contracts with non-Russian producers like Energy Fuels to ensure security of supply and more certain pricing. Having recently secured three long-term uranium contracts with major U.S. utilities, the Company is beginning to perform the work needed to recommence production at one or more of its mines and ISR facilities, starting as soon as 2023. Until such time when the Company has ramped back up to commercial uranium production, it can rely on its significant uranium inventories to fulfill its new contract requirements. To that end, the Company purchased an additional 68,552 pounds of U. S. origin U 3 O 8 on the spot market in October 2022 . The Company also continues to evaluate selling a portion of its inventories on the spot market in response to future upside price volatility, into the newly created U.S. Uranium Reserve Program, or for delivery into additional long-term supply contracts if procured. During the nine months ended September 30, 2022 , the Company also sold a portion of its vanadium inventory into then strengthening markets.
The Company will also continue to seek new sources of revenue, including through its emerging REE business, as well as new sources of Alternate Feed Materials and new fee processing opportunities at the Mill that can be processed without reliance on current uranium sales prices. The Company is also seeking new sources of natural monazite sands (in addition to the pending acquisition of the Bahia Project) for its emerging REE business, is evaluating the potential to recover radioisotopes for use in the development of targeted alpha therapy medical isotopes for the treatment of cancer, and continues its support of U.S. governmental activities to assist the U.S. uranium mining industry, including the new U.S. Uranium Reserve Program and other efforts to restore domestic nuclear fuel capabilities.
Extraction and Recovery Activities Overview
During 2022, the Company plans to recover 130,000 to 140,000 pounds of uranium, which is an increase over our previous guidance of 100,000 to 120,000 pounds of uranium in 2022. This increased uranium production in 2022, combined with other factors, has resulted in a delayed start of our second REE processing campaign in 2022, which is now expected to commence in November 2022 and carry over into Q1 2023. As a result, the Company now expects to produce approximately 205 tonnes of partially separated RE Carbonate in 2022 containing approximately 95 tonnes of high-value partially separated TREO, with the remaining production from the second 2022 REE processing campaign of approximately 410 tonnes of partially separated RE Carbonate containing approximately 200 tonnes of high-value partially separated TREO being packaged in and attributable to Q1 2023. The total expected production from this second 2022 campaign plus production to date in 2022 is equivalent to approximately 831 tons of non-separated RE Carbonate containing approximately 400 tonnes of non-separated TREO, which falls within our 2022 guidance of 650-1,000 tons of non-separated RE Carbonate containing 300-650 tonnes of non-separated TREO, although a portion of that total expected production will carry over into 2023.
No vanadium production is currently planned during 2022, though the Company sold some of its existing vanadium inventory into recent strong markets and is evaluating the potential to recommence vanadium production in 2023 or later years as market conditions may warrant for future sale and to replace sold inventory.
The Company secured three new long-term sales contracts with U.S. nuclear utilities in May 2022 and is continuing to strategically pursue additional uranium sales commitments with pricing expected to have both fixed and market-related components. The Company believes that recent price increases, volatility and focus on security of supply in light of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine have increased the potential for the Company to make uranium sales and procure additional term sales contracts with utilities at pricing that sustains production and covers corporate overhead. Therefore, existing inventories may increase from 760,000 pounds of U 3 O 8 (692,000 pounds as of September 30, 2022 plus 68,552 pounds acquired after quarter end) to 890,000 to 900,000 pounds of U 3 O 8 at year-end 2022 or may increase to a lesser extent, or be reduced, in the event the Company sells a portion of its inventory on the spot market, to the U.S. Uranium Reserve Program, or pursuant to term contracts in 2022.