Hecla Begins Year With Third Highest Reserves In Its History
COEUR D'ALENE, ID - "The COVID pandemic provided significant challenges to Hecla Mining Company and the mining industry; however, due to our people and the jurisdictions we operate in, Hecla exceeded the high end of our pre-COVID silver guidance by 1.4 million ounces," said Phillips S. Baker, Jr., President and CEO. "We saw modest disruptions in Quebec and Mexico; however, these did not materially impact our business. During the year we refinanced our long-term debt now due in 2028, and through solid free cash flow generation, added cash to the balance sheet, reduced our net debt, and increased dividends. As we look to 2021, we see three significant value drivers. First, with Lucky Friday running at full production, positive results from the work at Casa Berardi, and the continued consistency of Greens Creek, we expect to grow silver production and generate significant free cash flow. Silver production from our United States silver mines is expected to go from 8 million ounces in 2018 to almost 15 million ounces by 2023, further increasing Hecla’s position as the most significant US silver producer. Second, we start the year with the 3rd highest reserves in our history despite disruptions to our planned exploration and definition drilling programs due to COVID-19, and we expect reserve growth in 2021 from a normal drilling program. Finally, Hecla’s 2021 exploration program is following up on high-grade intercepts that have the potential to expand existing or develop new high-quality deposits in some of the world’s best mining jurisdictions. Examples of this are Midas’ Green Racer Sinter target where we have made a multi-ounce gold discovery in a never before drilled target and at San Sebastian’s El Bronco vein where we are seeing high-grade over significant widths.
Greens Creek Mine - Alaska: The increase in silver production for the full year resulted from higher grades. The mill operated at an average of 2,236 tons per day (tpd) for the full year. Fourth quarter production was affected by a significant weather event in December when southeast Alaska was impacted by high winds and heavy rains that caused major damage in the area and communities.
The higher cost of sales in 2020 were due to higher sales volumes. The increase in per silver ounce cash costs and AISC was primarily due to higher concentrate treatment costs and lower by-product credits, on a per-ounce basis, with these items partially offset by lower capital spending for AISC.
For the full year of 2020, Greens Creek generated cash provided by operating activities of approximately $182.6 million and spent $23.0 million on additions to properties, plants and equipment, resulting in free cash flow of $159.6 million.
Proven and Probable silver reserves decreased primarily due to COVID-19 limiting drilling to one-third of the amount drilled in 2019, changes to the mine plan, and less favorable smelter terms. This decline compares to average additions of nearly 8 million ounces per year for the past four years. Measured and Indicated resource increased due to reclassification of reserves and Inferred resource. Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources, inclusive of Mineral Reserves is down only 3% from 2019.
Casa Berardi - Quebec: Annual gold production decreased by 10%, compared to 2019, primarily due to the Government of Quebec’s COVID-19 three-week suspension order and the third quarter planned mill repairs. Fourth quarter production increased 8% over the prior year period due to more tons milled and higher grades. The mill operated at an average of 4,129 tpd in the fourth quarter 2020 and 3,699 tpd for the year.
Lower quarterly and annual cost of sales were due to stripping the East Mine Crown Pillar Pit Extension (XCMP) in 2019 partially offset by increased quantities of waste and ore extracted from the pit and higher haulage costs due to deepening of the pit. However, milling and administrative costs were higher due to costs for pre-crushing of ore to allow for increased throughput, and higher costs for mill improvements, maintenance and reagents. These factors impacted mining and milling costs, along with lower gold production, resulting in increased cash costs and AISC, after by-product credits.
For the full year of 2020, Casa Berardi generated cash provided by operating activities of approximately $68.5 million and spent $40.9 million on additions to properties, plants and equipment, resulting in free cash flow of $27.6 million.
Proven and Probable gold reserves decreased approximately 10% to 1.54 million ounces. Most of the decreases were due to mining depletion and engineering changes. The 2020 drilling program at Casa Berardi was also impacted by COVID. Despite the drilling delays, approximately 85 thousand ounces were added to reserve by drilling in 2020.
Measured and Indicated gold resources increased 19% to 1.25 million ounces given exploration additions and some reclassification from reserves given engineering changes. Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources, inclusive of Mineral Reserves, increased 1% over last year.
Lucky Friday Mine - Idaho: At the Lucky Friday Mine, 2.0 million and 0.8 million ounces of silver were produced in 2020 and the fourth quarter, respectively. Lucky Friday returned to full production in the fourth quarter.
The cost of sales for the fourth quarter was $20.9 million, and the cash cost per silver ounce4 was $9.34. AISC5 was $18.22 per silver ounce. Proven and Probable reserves declined 4% due primarily to mining depletion; the current mine plan is unchanged at 16 years (2036). Measured and Indicated resources for silver and lead increased 5%.
San Sebastian - Mexico: At the San Sebastian Mine, 1.0 million ounces of silver and 7,223 ounces of gold were produced. For the fourth quarter, 0.2 million ounces of silver and 1,159 ounces of gold were produced. Mining was completed in the third quarter and milling completed in the fourth quarter of 2020. The mill operated at an average of 474 tpd for the year when in production.
The lower cost of sales and silver per ounce cash costs was primarily due to lower mining costs, higher by-product, partially offset by lower silver production, and for AISC, lower capital and exploration spending.
For the full year of 2020, San Sebastian generated cash provided by operating activities of approximately $14.4 million and spent $0.6 million on additions to properties, plants and equipment, resulting in free cash flow of $13.8 million.
The Company continues to explore this highly prospective land package and will evaluate further mining based on exploration results.
Nevada Operations: During the second half of 2020, all ore mined at Nevada Operations was stockpiled, with no ore milled and no production reported during the period. Mining of refractory ore at Fire Creek in areas with existing development was completed in the fourth quarter with most of the material shipped to a third-party processor by February 2021. The bulk test demonstrated that larger scale, more productive mining methods could be applied successfully to this material. Ground conditions were as good or better than expected and water in the test area was readily managed. The bulk test refractory ore is being processed by a third party through a tolling agreement. While the processing is not yet complete, the recovery information to date follows the grade-recovery curve established through bench testing. Metal prices increased significantly since the tolling agreement was signed, and it is no longer attractive for the third party to displace their own feed to toll. Discussions are underway with another processor with surplus capacity. Fire Creek is expected to be placed on care and maintenance in the second quarter of 2021.
Proven and Probable silver and gold reserves dropped 11% for the year to 188 million ounces of silver and 2.4 million ounces of gold. Lead and zinc reserves dropped 9% and 12% to 740 thousand tons of lead and 886 thousand tons of zinc. Due to the Company's focus on essential mining during implemented COVID-19 protocols, the 2020 exploration programs were disrupted company-wide with approximately one-third less drilling achieved at Greens Creek than in 2019 coupled with significant third-party assay laboratory delays.
Measured and Indicated silver ounces increased 5% to a record 228 million ounces, an increase of 10.3 million ounces over 2019 with increases due to limited drilling and reclassification of reserve at Greens Creek and remodeling at Lucky Friday. Measured and Indicated gold ounces decreased 37% to 3.7 million ounces, a reduction of 2.1 million ounces, due to reclassification of resources in Nevada and the Heva Hosco project, respectively. Measured and Indicated base metals increased overall, with lead increasing 5% for a total of 921 thousand tons and zinc increasing 2% at 1,132 thousand tons.
Inferred silver resources are essentially unchanged from last year with a slight drop of 1% to 454 million ounces. Inferred gold resources increased 12% to 5.5 million ounces due to reclassification of higher resource classes in Nevada and the increased Inferred resource overall at the Heva Hosco Project. Inferred base metal resources are down slightly with a 3% change in lead to 467.6 thousand tons and a 5% change in zinc to 425.1 thousand tons. Base metal changes are mostly due to small losses and reclassification to higher classes at Greens Creek and remodeling of the Hugh Zone polymetallic zone at San Sebastian.
Fourth quarter exploration (including corporate development) expenses were $8.0 million, over half of the full year expenditures and an increase of $5.6 million compared to the fourth quarter 2019 primarily due to increased activity and focus on Midas, Casa Berardi, and San Sebastian.
During the quarter, there were two new discoveries: Green Racer Sinter at Midas and the 160 Zone eastern extension at Casa Berardi.
At Midas, four core rigs intersected mineralization in five of seven targets. At the Green Racer Sinter, a target with no previous drilling located two miles east of the main mine, detailed surface mapping identified an outcrop of spicular geyserite sinter with anomalous gold. The deeper holes are encountering the same favorable host rocks as those of the historic Midas mine where mineralization had an average grade of 0.81 oz/ton gold and 11.3 oz/ton silver over an average width of 4.0 feet.
Exploration: At Casa Berardi, a new discovery was made in the 160 Zone 500 feet east of the current resource blocks and the zone open in all directions. The discovery drillhole intersected 0.32 oz/ton gold over 9.5 feet estimated true width including 1.16 oz/ton gold over 2.0 feet estimated true width.
San Sebastian exploration focused on the El Tigre and El Bronco veins discovered under thick soil cover this year. So far, the veins are strong structures that in places have over 28 feet of true thickness, almost a mile of strike length down to 1,000 feet below the surface and are open. The best results to date include 44.5 oz/ton silver and 0.22 oz/ton gold over 9.5 feet estimated true width in the El Bronco vein and 16.2 oz/ton silver and 0.09 oz/ton gold over 3.5 feet estimated true width in the El Tigre vein. Exploration expenditures for 2021 are estimated to be $30 million. Greens Creek and Casa Berardi programs should each be about 15% of the total expenditures with surface programs in addition to their normal underground exploration. San Sebastian should also represent 15% of the exploration spend, building on the developing resources of the El Bronco, El Tigre, and El Toro veins. Nevada exploration is targeted at 25% of the total, with the majority spent at Midas. At Hollister, exploration of the Hatter Graben is expected to be advanced by further developing the decline in order to test a portion of the Hatter Graben resource and explore additional Hatter Graben veins further to the south. At Fire Creek and Aurora, any drilling programs will occur later in the year following further target definition.
Almost 10% of the exploration budget is targeted for Kinskuch in an effort to expand the 2018 discoveries that established a strike length of 2.2 miles of silver, zinc, and lead mineralization offsetting drillhole intercepts such as 9.3 oz/ton silver, 6.5% zinc, and 2.3% lead over 8.2 feet that is open in all directions. The Heva Hosco program will spend about 5% of the total with the majority of the drilling offsetting a 2018 intercept in a high-grade quartz vein grading 0.84 oz/ton gold over 7.6 feet (drilled length).
Pre-development - Montanore/Rock Creek: Pre-development spending was $0.6 million in the fourth quarter and $2.4 million for the full year 2020, principally to advance the permitting at Montanore/Rock Creek. At Montanore, the Kootenai National Forest’s (KNF) final Supplemental Environment Impact Study (SEIS) and Record of Decision (ROD) are expected later in 2021. At Rock Creek, the KNF partially approved the Plan of Operation to reflect the ROD and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality approved modifications to the existing Exploration License to match the ROD. Decisions on litigation challenging decisions of the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the KNF are expected later in the year.