Contango Announces $19.3 Million in Income from Operations for the Quarter Ended March 31, 2025
PR Newswire
FAIRBANKS, Alaska, May 14, 2025
FAIRBANKS, Alaska, May 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - Contango ORE, Inc. ("Contango" or the "Company") (NYSE American: CTGO) announced today that it filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2025 ("Q1-2025") compared with the quarter ended March 31, 2024 ("Q1-2024").
The Company reported total income for operations of $19.3 M in Q1-2025 compared to a loss of $2.9 M for Q1-2024. For Q1-2025, the Company reported a net loss of $22.3 M, including a non-cash expense of $40.5 M from an unrealized loss on derivative contracts. In Q1-2025, Contango sold 17,382 ounces of gold with cash costs on a by-product basis, per ounce ("Cash Costs") of $1,334 and all-in-sustaining costs per ounce ("AISC") of $1,374. The Company's unrestricted cash position as of March 31, 2025 was $35.0 million ("M") compared to $20.1 M as of December 31, 2024.
Rick Van Nieuwenhuyse, President and CEO of the Company, stated, "The first quarter of 2025 was very successful for the Company with Contango's share of Manh Choh gold production exceeding quarterly guidance with 17,382 ounces sold and AISC coming in at $1,374 per ounce, well below the 2025 target of $1,625 per ounce. Gold production from the first campaign of 2025 continued into the second quarter with a further 3,810 ounces in recoverable inventory at the end of the quarter. During the quarter we delivered almost 12,000 ounces to the hedge contract using the Carry Trade, effectively reducing our hedge balance to 74,800 ounces. As we continue to deliver into the hedge contracts, we will see the derivative liability continue to reduce.
Mining operations at Manh Choh are progressing as planned with ongoing incremental improvements in both the ore transportation and processing at Fort Knox. Guidance for our 30% share of the Peak Gold JV's 2025 production remains at 60,000 ounces of gold, with life-of-mine ("LOM") average annual production expected to be 58,750 ounces of gold per year to 2029 and AISC estimated at $1,400 per ounce of gold sold. In addition, as previously reported, the Company received $24 M in cash distributions in Q1-2025 and an additional $9 M on April 24, 2025 related profits from the first campaign of 2025. On May 14, 2025, the Peak Gold JV started processing Manh Choh project's second campaign of 2025 and are guiding to 15,000 ounces of production to Contango's account for this campaign.
We are pleased to announce that on May 6, 2025 the Committee for Safe Communities ("CSC") dismissed their lawsuit against the State of Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities ("DOT"). The lawsuit related to trucking ore from Manh Choh to Fort Knox. We are pleased with dismissal of the lawsuit and its potential favorable impacts for the Manh Choh project and for trucking related to mining projects in general.
On May 6, 2025, we announced the completion of a Technical Report Summary ("TRS") on the Johnson Tract Project, which summarized the results of an Initial Assessment ("IA") of the potential viability for a seven-year LOM, underground mining operation, utilizing the same direct ship ore ("DSO") approach as the highly successful Manh Choh mine. The results of the IA demonstrate robust economics with an NPV at current gold prices in excess of $400M. The company will remain focused on permitting the underground access tunnel, road transportation corridor and port easement."
Statement of Cash Flows for Q1-2025 compared to Q1-2024:
Net cash provided from operating activities was $28.6 M for Q1-2025, a significant improvement compared to net cash used of $4.4 M for Q1-2024. The increase in net cash provided by operating activities was primarily driven by gold production at the Manh Choh project, the receipt of $24.0 M in cash distributions from the Peak Gold JV and an increase in accounts payable of $7.8 M primarily related to a Peak Gold JV gold shipment at the end of the quarter. Cash used in investing activities was zero for Q1-2025 compared to $15.5 M in Q1-2024, which related to cash invested in the Peak Gold JV to fund Contango's share of Manh Choh development costs in 2024. Cash used in financing activities were $13.7 M for Q1-2025, which primarily related to principal repayments of $13.8 M on the credit facility. This compares to cash inflows of $12.0 M in Q1-2024, primarily related to debt drawdowns of $12.5 M on the credit facility.
Statement of Operations for Q1-2025 compared to Q1-2024:
The Company reported a net loss of $22.3 M, or a loss of $1.86 per basic and diluted share, for Q1-2025. This includes $22.3 M in income from equity investment in Peak Gold, LLC offset by an expense of $40.5 M from an unrealized loss on derivative contracts. In Q1-2025, the Company also recorded $2.7 M in interest and finance expense. This compares to a loss of $20.5 M in Q1-2024, which primarily related to an unrealized loss on derivative contracts of $15.6 M.
During Q1-2025 and subsequent to period end, the Company has the following updates:
-- Manh Choh Project:
-- Production results for Q1-2025:
Contango's Share (30% basis)
Gold ounces sold 17,382 oz
Silver ounces sold 12,770 oz
Recoverable gold inventory 3,810 oz
Total gold sales $51,226,768
Total silver sales $ 412,864
Remaining hedge balance, excluding Carry
Trade 86,739 oz
Gold delivered into April Carry Trade(1)
hedge contracts 11,939 oz
Remaining hedge balance, including Carry
Trade 74,800 oz
Average realized spot gold price $ 2,947 per oz sold
Average realized blended Carry Trade gold
price $ 2,314 per oz sold
Cash distributions received from Peak Gold
JV $24,000,000
Cash costs on By-Product Basis, per Ounce $ 1,334 per oz sold
AISC on By-Product Basis, per Ounce $ 1,374 per oz sold
2025 Guidance (30% Basis)
2025 gold production guidance 60,000 oz
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1. The Carry Trade represents 11,939 ounces of gold that were sold at spot
price during Q1-2025 and simultaneously locked in with a forward price to
settle on the hedge contract that matures on April 30, 2025. The Carry
Trade was settled on April 30, 2025 with a net payment of $11.0 million
from Contango in exchange for the reduction of 11,939 ounces of gold under
the hedge agreement.
--
-- During the Q1-2025 the Peak Gold JV, operated by a subsidiary of
Kinross Gold Corporation ("Kinross"), (on a 100% basis) processed
323,000 tons of ore with an average grade of 0.215 ounces ("oz")
per ton and containing approximately 69,500 oz of gold. Gold
recovery averaged 93.5%, resulting in approximately 65,000 oz of
recovered gold, of which Contango's 30% share amounts to 19,500 oz
of gold. During Q1-2025 17,382 ounces of gold dore were delivered
to Contango and sold during the period and another 3,810 ounces of
gold remain in recoverable inventory at the end of the quarter.
-- Cash costs on a by-product basis per ounce were $1,334, and AISC
on a by-product basis, per ounce was $1,374 per ounce.
-- During Q1-2025, the Peak Gold JV paid cash distributions to the
Company in the amount of $24.0 M and subsequent to period end the
Company received an additional cash distribution of $9.0 M.
-- On October 20, 2023, the CSC, an Alaskan non-profit corporation
inclusive of this same group of objectors and formed for the
purpose of opposing the Manh Choh project, filed suit in the
Superior Court in Fairbanks, Alaska against the State of Alaska
DOT. The Complaint seeks injunctive relief against the DOT with
respect to its oversight of the Peak Gold JV's ore haul plan. The
Complaint alleges that the DOT has approved a haul route and
trucking plan that violates DOT regulations, DOT's actions have
created an unreasonable risk to public safety constituting an
attractive public nuisance, and DOT has aided and abetted the
offense of negligent driving. On May 6, 2025, CSC and the DOT
agreed to dismiss without prejudice the only remaining claim for
relief alleged in the Complaint. All claims in the matter were
dismissed and the trial, which was set for August 11, 2025, and
all pretrial deadlines were vacated by the Court.
-- Johnson Tract Project:
-- During Q1-2025, the Company continued with ongoing work to permit
the underground exploration drift and baseline environmental work.
-- On May 6, 2025, the Company announced that it had completed a
Technical Report Summary ("TRS") on the Johnson Tract Project (the
"Project" or "Johnson Tract"), located in Alaska, U.S.A. The TRS
summarizes the results of an Initial Assessment ("IA"). The IA
demonstrates the potential viability for a 7-year life of mine
("LOM"), underground mining operation, utilizing the same direct
ship ore ("DSO") approach as demonstrated at our highly successful
Manh Choh mine. IA highlights include:
-- Pre-Tax net present value discounted at 5% ("NPV5") of
$359.0 million
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