Americas-focused treasured metals producer Pan American Silver (TSX: PAAS; NASDAQ: PAAS) has reported its 2020 manufacturing outcomes and offered steering for 2021.
Final 12 months’s silver and gold output – at 17.3 million silver oz. and 522,400 gold oz. – got here in just under prior forecasts for 18 to 19 million oz. of silver and 525,000 to 575,000 oz. of gold. (Within the fourth quarter of 2020, Pan American generated 4.9 million silver oz. and 152,900 gold oz.) The corporate additionally produced 40,200 tonnes of zinc, 15,700 tonnes of lead and 5,200 tonnes of copper in 2020.
This 12 months’s manufacturing steering requires 22.5 to 24 million oz. of silver and 605,000 to 655,100 oz. of gold, at silver-based on all-in sustaining prices of detrimental US$2.8 to constructive US$2.7 per ounce.
The newest AISC steering for 2020 was at detrimental US$3 to constructive US$75¢ per oz. of silver produced.
“We predict a 35% enhance in silver manufacturing relative to 2020 and file gold manufacturing in 2021, regardless of our assumption that Covid-19 will proceed to have an effect on operations,” Michael Steinmann, president and CEO of Pan American, commented in a information launch. “Below our 2021 steering assumptions, we anticipate to be producing strong ranges of free money stream.”
The 2021 steering numbers incorporate the influence of Covid-19 protocols, that are anticipated to extend prices and cut back throughputs, particularly at underground operations. These impacts are anticipated to minimize all through this 12 months.
In October, the corporate printed an up to date useful resource for the La Colorada skarn close by its La Colorada underground mine in Zacatecas state, Mexico. This residue options an inferred useful resource of 100.4 million tonnes, grading 44 grams silver per tonne, 0.2% copper, 1.77% lead and 4.29% zinc, containing 141 million oz. of silver, 199,000 tonnes of copper, 1.8 million lb. of lead and 4.3 million tonnes of zinc.
Pan American is budgeting US$50 to US$55 million in its 2021 capital forecast for the deposit, with plans for added drilling.
The producer closed out 2020 with US$279.1 million in money and short-term investments and no debt. Pan American holds 9 working mines.
Full fourth-quarter and 2020 monetary outcomes are anticipated on Feb. 17.
