This conference call transcript was computer generated and almost certianly contains errors. This transcript is provided for information purposes only.EarningsCall, LLC makes no representation about the accuracy of the aforementioned transcript, and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the information provided by the transcript.
spk04: Thank you for standing by. This is the conference operator. Welcome to the NOAA Gold 2024 Third Quarter Financial Results Conference Call and Webcast. As a reminder, all participants are in listen-only mode. The conference is being recorded. After the presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask questions. To join the question queue, you may press star, then 1 on your telephone keypad. Should you need assistance during the conference call, you may signal an operator by pressing star then zero. Webcast viewers may submit questions through the text box in the lower right corner of the webcast frame. Should you need assistance during the conference call, you may signal an operator by pressing star then zero. I would now like to turn the conference over to Melanie Hennessy, Vice President, Corporate Communications. Please go ahead.
spk00: Good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining us for Novogold's third quarter financial results and for an update on the Donlon Gold Project. On today's call, we have Novogold's President and CEO, Greg Lang, and Peter Adivac, Novogold's Vice President and CFO. At the end of the webcast, we will take questions by phone. Additionally, we will respond to questions received by email. I would like to remind everyone, as stated on slide three, any statements made today may contain forward-looking information, such as projections and goals, which are likely to involve risks detailed in our various EDGAR and CDAR filings and forward-looking disclaimers included in this presentation. I will now turn the presentation over to our President and CEO, Greg Lang. Greg?
spk03: Thank you, Melanie, and good morning, everyone. To begin today's call, I want to highlight why Donlon Gold is viewed as a Tier 1 asset by us and our shareholders, especially given the scarcity of high-quality projects in safe jurisdictions and the recent surge in the price of gold. Let's examine the impressive features of the Donlon Gold project as detailed on slide 5. Donlin boasts 39 million ounces of gold at an average grade of 2.25 grams per ton, more than double the industry average. With a projected mine life of nearly three decades based on our known resources, Donlin Gold promises a long-term, stable, and low-cost operation that would be one of the leading producers in the industry, with substantial exploration potential for future growth. Acted by an experienced management team with a proven track record in mine development across the Americas, Donlon Gold has secured the necessary federal permits and the majority of the state permits, demonstrating its readiness for successful advancement. Donlon is situated on private land Designated for mining in one of the world's top jurisdictions, this reinforces our social license to operate through our longstanding partnerships with Chalista and TKC. Together, these factors position Donlon Gold as a cornerstone project with significant long-term value and strong potential. One of the standout features of Donovan Gold is its ranking among the largest and highest grade undeveloped open pit reserves worldwide, particularly compared to other gold projects in the Americas, as depicted on slide six. As global gold production continues to decline, the industry faces a shortage of high quality development stage projects. This creates a heightened demand for projects that are characterized by scale, grade, and longevity, qualities that are vital to successfully navigating various gold price cycles. Moreover, with a grade of two and a quarter grams, more than double the industry average for open pit projects, as illustrated on slide seven, Donlan is poised become one of the most cost-effective producers in the gold industry. Currently ranked third out of 120 global jurisdictions and only one of 12 to achieve a AAA rating in the World Risk Report by the Mining Journal, Alaska is renowned for its strong and secure environment, especially in the mining sector, as shown on slide 8. This reputation not only boosts investor confidence, but aligns perfectly with the promising attributes of Donlon Gold. As the second largest gold producer in the United States, Alaska's robust regulatory framework and commitment to responsible development creates a supportive climate.
spk02: On slide nine,
spk03: We highlight the significant contributions of Chalista and TKC as private landowners and key Donland partners. Their commitment closely aligns with the elders' vision of responsible growth, emphasizing job creation, economic prosperity, and the preservation of cultural heritage within the local communities. With land designated for mining activities over 50 years ago, their stewardship exemplifies a strong dedication to sustainable development. Throughout the permitting process, sustainability initiatives and community engagement efforts, Chalista and TKC have provided invaluable experience leveraging their deep understanding of the land's economic importance to enhance community well-being. Their partnership is crucial for the responsible development of the Donlon Gold Project at every phase, reinforcing its potential as a cornerstone of lasting economic development in the YK region for future generations. Moving to slide 10, we outline Donlan's robust permitting status. With federal permits and most of the state permits in hand, we continue to support the agencies in maintaining permits in good standing and defending the permits against legal challenges, ensuring the project's ongoing approval. The permitting process in Alaska involves extensive shareholder engagement, particularly within the local communities. While navigating jurisdictional complexities can be demanding, Alaska's political and social stability provides a reassuring investment environment, reinforcing our commitment to managing the regulatory processes effectively.
spk02: Turning to slide 11,
spk03: Novigold is backed by a veteran management team with proven track records in mine development throughout the Americas. Our team brings extensive experience with leading gold producers and possesses deep knowledge in building and operating large-scale open pit and underground mines. Significant exploration opportunities exist well beyond the defined resources in the ACMA and Lewis pits, as illustrated in the graphic on the corner of slide 12. Covering only three kilometers of an approximate eight kilometer gold-bearing trend, the resource underscores the substantial potential to increase ounces and extend the mine life through ongoing exploration.
spk02: On slide 13,
spk03: The chart illustrates the post-tax net present value at various gold prices. With today's gold price approaching the upper end of the chart, this reflects a value of over $30 billion at a zero discount rate, or approximately $11 billion at a 5% discount rate. This projection underscores Donlan's substantial economic potential in the current gold price environment. I will now discuss the third quarter milestones reached and the ongoing project activities. During the third quarter, we advanced several key activities as outlined on slide 15. First, our resource model is actively being updated and nearing conclusion. We have made substantial advancements in our metallurgical testing at a pilot plant in Ontario, Canada, aimed at validating optimizations to the flow sheet, which we anticipate completing toward the end of this year. Additionally, our work on the dam safety certification is moving forward, with most preliminary design packages already submitted to the Alaska Department of Natural Resources in June and expected to be finalized by year-end. We anticipate receiving feedback on these packages in 2025. Furthermore, we are updating our groundwater and surface water models by incorporating the latest field data from geoscience hydrology and gathering data to refine the geochemical characteristics for future operational planning. These technical activities and ongoing efforts have delivered highly valuable insights for the Donlin Board and its owners and will continue to contribute critical data to guide our strategy in advancing the project. As we move to slide 16, I'd like to highlight our ongoing collaborations with CHLISTA, TKC, and local leaders in education, community health, cultural preservation, and environmental stewardship across the 62 Yukon-Kuskokwim communities. Our enduring partnerships with CHELISTA and TKC have been essential for advancing project development and permitting. Through our commitment to engaging with these communities, we have built meaningful relationships, enhanced investments, and strengthened our social license. In July, we hosted a site tour for residents of Crooked Creek and the native village of Georgetown. Along with Chalista and TKC, we held a public open house in Anchorage, Alaska, providing local Alaskans the chance to learn more about the project and engage in open discussions. The Donlan team continues to actively monitor and survey salmon fisheries in the Yukon and Kuskokwim watersheds. Notably, during the third quarter, we partnered with the village of Nepimute and launched a salmon smolt monitoring program on the George River, which is a tributary of the Kuskokwim River, to assess smolt health and migration patterns. We proudly supported in it for the long haul backhaul program for the seventh year, removing and recycling over 140,000 pounds of hazardous household materials and electronic waste for a total of almost 800,000 pounds since the program began in 2018. Turning to slide 17, progress on the dam safety certification continued in Q3. with the majority of the preliminary design packages submitted to the Alaska Department of Natural Resources in June. We anticipate completing this process by year-end. In terms of state litigation regarding Donlan's water rights, permits, and the state pipeline right-of-way lease, briefing has been completed, and oral arguments have been issued and scheduled for November 12th. All other state cases have been fully briefed. In federal litigation on the joint record of decision, including the 404 permit and the Bureau of Land Management right-of-way, subsequent quarter end on September 30th, the court issued a decision upholding the federal agency's analysis of two of the three issues raised in the litigation. However, the court agreed with the plaintiffs that the federal agency's took too narrow a view in analyzing the impact of a theoretical release from the storage tailings facility. The court did not vacate the permits and ordered a supplemental briefing on the appropriate remedy, which is scheduled to be completed in early November. With a deep understanding of the regulatory landscape, Donlan and its partners are dedicated to supporting federal and state agencies in overcoming the various challenges to the project's permits. We recognize the importance of meticulous preparation and organization in navigating the rigorous permitting processes in both the United States and Alaska. Our steadfast commitment drives us to collaborate closely with these agencies. We greatly value the bipartisan support and engagement the down and gold project both in alaska and in washington dc with that i will now turn the call over to peter adamant to review the q3 financial results peter thank you greg slide 19 highlights our operating performance
spk01: We reported a net loss of 10.7 million in the third quarter of 2024, a 0.4 million decrease from the comparative prior year quarter, primarily due to lower stock-based compensation expense related to forfeiture of options and performance share units and lower Donlan Gold project costs with no field program this year. This was partially offset by increased interest expense on the promissory note lower interest income on cash and term deposits and increased general and administrative costs due to hiring of additional staff, along with higher professional and consulting fees. Slide 20 highlights our cash flows. In the third quarter of 2024, Cash and term deposits decreased by $7 million primarily due to corporate administrative expenses and our share of Donalyn Gold funding, partially offset by interest income and changes in working capital. On slide 21, we highlight our strong treasury. Our financial position includes cash and cash equivalents of $45.6 million and term deposits of $60 million. Year to date, NOVA Gold's corporate G&A costs and Donalyn Gold funding are in line with our 2024 budget. For the full year, we continue to expect to spend approximately $31 million, including approximately $17 million for corporate G&A and $14 million for Donalyn Gold. With that, I will now turn the presentation back over to Greg.
spk02: Thank you, Peter. Thank you.
spk03: Subsequent to the quarter, ERIC and Novigold held their annual workshop in Alaska to review the work completed to date, discuss the related 2025 activities, and look at the next steps for the project. We remain on budget, focused on completing project-related activities and advancing the Donlon Gold project to an updated feasibility study to be optimally positioned to maximize the benefits for all stakeholders and shareholders. With total confidence, Novigold views the Donlon Gold Project as a prime investment in the gold market, an exceptional opportunity to leverage scarce, high-quality assets in safe jurisdictions. We deeply appreciate the unwavering support and trust of our long-term shareholders whose commitments and guidance have been instrumental in the company's success. Their decision to invest in their ongoing engagement are invaluable to us. We remain focused on executing our strategy with the highest standards of safety and social responsibility. all while delivering progress to enhance shareholder and stakeholder value. Thank you. Operator, we are now prepared to take questions.
spk04: Thank you. We will now begin the question and answer session. To join the question queue, you may press star, then 1 on your telephone keypad. You will hear a tone acknowledging your request. If you're using a speakerphone, please pick up your handset before pressing any keys. To withdraw your question, please press star, then two. The first question comes from Lucas Pipes with B-Riley Securities. Please go ahead.
spk05: Thank you very much, operator. This is Fedor Shebelin asking a question on behalf of Lucas Pipes. Greg, you mentioned that the final documents expected to be submitted by the year end, and comments on dam safety anticipated in 2025. So is this the only major permit left for you? And if so, do you have an estimate of when in 2025 you would expect to receive it? Thank you.
spk03: All right. Well, thank you for joining the call on behalf of Lucas. The tailings dam and related water retention structures are the last remaining permit that the project needs of all the major permits. And, you know, we have waited deliberately until this stage to do this permit because it's fairly costly undertaking with a lot of geotechnical drilling, and it really is not on the critical path. So, you know, now that we're, you know, nearing decision points, we felt it appropriate to advance the dam safety certifications. You know, it's a pretty rigorous process in Alaska. You know, we're filing all the preliminary design packages now. They'll be reviewed by the state, and we anticipate approval probably in a year, year and a half, you know, well in advance of, you know, our decisions on the project. So, you know, the permits are in hand. We're moving forward, and it's not on the critical path for development. Thank you.
spk05: Got you. Thanks a lot. And my second one is on... your update on feasibility study in the future. So with current gold prices, with current high gold prices, would you consider reflecting these in the updated feasibility study?
spk03: Well, we've, you know, we're working, we just completed our annual workshop with our partner up in Alaska. Mark Bristow and I attended that. And that's the time of year where we lay out the plans for 2025. And that will, you know, certainly the price of gold is intriguing right now and helps projects like Donlin move forward. So we will be guiding on our 2025 work plan toward the end of this year and in early next year with our ongoing budget presentation. So, you know, expect more from us early in the new year or late this year on the 2025 planned activities.
spk05: Got you. Thank you so much. And the last one, if you allow me to squeeze, regarding 2025 on CapEx. So it's a clear picture for the rest of 2024, but what about 2025 and what's the current cash burn rate? And, yeah, when we would expect guidance for CapEx for the next year? Thank you very much.
spk03: All right. Well, as Peter highlighted in his presentation, our Treasury is – still very strong with over $100 million. And our burn rate, I would anticipate it going up next year with the increased activity. This year it was about $30 million. You might see that up a little higher next year. But at any rate, we have sufficient cash on hand to continue to advance the Donnan project.
spk02: Thanks, Greg. I appreciate all the details and continue. Best of luck. Thank you.
spk00: We have one question coming from the webcast, Greg. And can you speak to the different studies that have been done and the staged approach for the advancement of Donlin? Sure.
spk03: Yeah, Donlin, as originally envisioned and as permitted, was a large-scale open pit project with the no rate of approximately 53,000 ton a day. Over the years, we have considered various scenarios for Donlon, which including building the project in stages to minimize the upfront capital burden. We would look at it as a build it in two stages, maybe half now, half later. So we've considered many alternatives, and we will continue to advance various alternatives to optimize our investment in the project. when we go to update our feasibility study.
spk00: Great. No further questions from the webcast.
spk03: Everyone, thank you for taking the time to get an update on NOVA Gold. We look forward to providing continued updates as the year progresses.
spk02: Have a good day.
spk04: This brings to a close today's conference call. You may disconnect your lines. Thank you for participating and have a pleasant day.
Disclaimer