Chicago, Illinois – February 10, 2016 – Coeur Mining, Inc. (“Coeur” or the “Company”) (NYSE: CDE) announced year-end contained proven and probable mineral reserves of approximately 302.2 million silver equivalent ounces, a decrease of 88.5 million silver equivalent ounces compared to year-end 2014, primarily due to the reclassification of silver reserves at La Preciosa to resources and from the production of 35.6 million silver equivalent ounces, comprised of 15.9 million silver ounces and 327,908 gold ounces, during 2015. In addition to these reserves, Coeur announced measured and indicated mineral resources totaling approximately 414.7 million silver equivalent ounces, and inferred mineral resources totaling 120.3 million silver equivalent ounces, a 42% increase and 5% decrease, respectively, compared to year-end 2014.
To reflect the current volatile metals price environment, Coeur has implemented short and long-term pricing assumptions in determining mineral reserves. Short-term reserve price assumptions for 2016 – 2017 are $15.50 per silver ounce and $1,150 per gold ounce, an 18% and 10% decrease, respectively, from year-end 2014 reserve price assumptions. Long-term reserve price assumptions for 2018 and beyond are $17.50 per silver ounce and $1,250 per gold ounce, an 8% and 2% decrease, respectively, compared to year-end 2014 reserve prices.
Highlights
All comparisons below refer to year-end 2015 compared with year-end 2014.
“Year-end 2015 reserves reflect the continuing theme of ‘quality over quantity’ of silver and gold ounces and align with our strategy to produce higher-grade, higher-margin ounces to maximize free cash flow across our operations,” said Mitchell J. Krebs, Coeur’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We removed the lower-grade material that was not economical at these lower metals prices, primarily from La Preciosa, using silver and gold reserve prices over the next two years that are 18% and 10% lower, respectively, than year-end 2014. Companywide gold reserves increased by over 600,000 ounces at 33% higher grade compared with last year, primarily due to the addition of Independencia Este, Wharf, and higher grade material at Kensington.
“Our exploration efforts are driven by the discovery of high-grade deposits near our existing operations, and in 2016, will focus on expanding the resource in the Guadalupe-Independencia corridor, infill drilling of the high-grade East Rochester discovery, and expansion of the Jualin deposit at Kensington.”
Year-end 2014 mineral reserves and resources are effective December 31, 2014 except Endeavor, which is effective June 30, 2014. Year-end 2015 mineral reserves and resources are effective December 31, 2015 except Endeavor, which is effective June 30, 2015. Please refer to the tables in the Appendix for tons and average grades associated 2 with references of contained ounces in each category in this news release. All reserves and resources reported herein comply with Canadian National Instrument 43-101 (“NI 43-101”).
About Coeur
Coeur Mining is the largest U.S.-based silver producer and a significant gold producer with five precious metals mines in the Americas employing approximately 2,000 people. Coeur produces from its wholly owned operations: the Palmarejo silver-gold mine in Mexico, the San Bartolomé silver mine in Bolivia, the Rochester silver-gold mine in Nevada, the Kensington gold mine in Alaska, and the Wharf gold mine in South Dakota. The Company also has a non-operating interest in the Endeavor mine in Australia in addition to royalties on the Cerro Bayo mine in Chile, the El Gallo complex in Mexico, the Zaruma mine in Ecuador, and the Correnso mine in New Zealand. In addition, the Company has two silver-gold exploration projects – the La Preciosa project in Mexico and the Joaquin project in Argentina. The Company also conducts ongoing exploration activities in Alaska, Argentina, Bolivia, Mexico, and Nevada. The Company owns strategic investment positions in several silver and gold development companies with projects in North and South America.
Cautionary Statement
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of securities legislation in the United States and Canada, including statements regarding mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates, and expectations regarding grades, production, and exploration efforts. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause Coeur's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the risks and hazards inherent in the mining business (including risks inherent in developing large-scale mining projects, environmental hazards, industrial accidents, weather or geologically related conditions), changes in the market prices of gold and silver and a sustained lower price environment, the uncertainties inherent in Coeur's production, exploratory and developmental activities, including risks relating to permitting and regulatory delays, ground conditions, grade variability, any future labor disputes or work stoppages, the uncertainties inherent in the estimation of gold and silver ore reserves, changes that could result from Coeur's future acquisition of new mining properties or businesses, reliance on third parties to operate certain mines where Coeur owns silver production and reserves and the absence of control over mining operations in which Coeur or its subsidiaries hold royalty or streaming interests and risks related to these mining operations including results of mining and exploration activities, environmental, economic and political risks of the jurisdiction in which the mining operations are located, the loss of any third-party smelter to which Coeur markets silver and gold, the effects of environmental and other governmental regulations, the risks inherent in the ownership or operation of or investment in mining properties or businesses in foreign countries, Coeur's ability to raise additional financing necessary to conduct its business, make payments or refinance its debt, as well as other uncertainties and risk factors set out in filings made from time to time with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Canadian securities regulators, including, without limitation, Coeur's most recent reports on Form 10-K. Actual results, developments and timetables could vary significantly from the estimates presented. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Coeur disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly such forwardlooking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additionally, Coeur undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third parties in respect of Coeur, its financial or operating results or its securities.
Dana Willis, Coeur’s Director, Resource Geology and a qualified person under Canadian National Instrument 43-101, supervised the preparation of the scientific and technical information concerning Coeur's mineral projects in this news release. Mineral resources are in addition to mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Inferred mineral resources are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be considered for estimation of mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the inferred mineral resources will be realized. For a description of the key assumptions, parameters and methods used to estimate mineral reserves and resources, as well as data verification procedures and a general discussion of the extent to which the estimates may be affected by any known environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-political, marketing or other relevant factors, Canadian investors should refer to the relevant NI 43-101 Technical Report on file at www.sedar.com.
Cautionary Note to U.S. Investors – The United States Securities and Exchange Commission permits U.S. mining companies, in their filings with the SEC, to disclose only those mineral deposits that a company can economically and legally extract or produce. We may use certain terms in public disclosures, such as "measured," "indicated," "inferred,” and “resources," that are recognized by Canadian regulations, but that SEC guidelines generally prohibit U.S. registered companies from including in their filings with the SEC. U.S. investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 10-K which may be secured from us, or from the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov.
Silver equivalence assumes silver to gold ratio of 60:1. 3
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