Q3 2025 Gold Resource Corp Earnings Call
Speaker #3: Good morning and welcome to the Gold Resource Corporation . Third quarter 2020 Earnings Conference Call . At this time , all participants are in a listen only mode .
Speaker #3: Following management's presentation , there will be a question and answer session . Instructions will be provided at that time for you to queue up for questions .
Speaker #3: If anyone has any difficulties hearing the conference , please press star followed by the zero for Operator assistance at any time . I would like to remind everyone that this conference is being recorded today , November 5th , 2025 at 12 p.m.
Speaker #3: Eastern Time . I will now turn the conference over to Chet Holyoak Gold Resource Corporation Chief Financial Officer , Mr. Holyoke , you may proceed .
Speaker #4: Thank you , Mike , and good morning to everyone . On behalf of the gold Resource Team , I would like to welcome you to our conference call covering our third quarter 2025 results .
Speaker #4: Before we begin the call, there are a couple of housekeeping matters I would like to address. Please note that certain statements to be made today are forward-looking in nature, and as such, are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties.
Speaker #4: As described in our annual Report on Form 10-K and other SEC filings . Please note all amounts referenced during this presentation are in US dollars unless otherwise stated .
Speaker #4: Joining me on the call today is Allen Palmiere, our President and CEO. Following our prepared remarks, we will be available to answer questions.
Speaker #4: This conference call is being webcast and will be available for replay on our website later today. Yesterday's news release, which was issued following the close of the market, and the accompanying Form 10-Q have been filed with the SEC on EDGAR and are also available on our website at Gold Resource Corp.
Speaker #4: I will now turn the call over to Alan.
Speaker #5: Thank you . Chad , and good morning , everyone . Or afternoon . I guess technically I would like to thank you for joining our third quarter conference call .
Speaker #5: I'd like to address a few points . First . Then I will follow that up by addressing operations , followed by . Chat , adjusting the financials .
Speaker #5: Following these remarks, I'll make a few closing comments, and then we will take questions. I'm pleased to tell you that we are seeing the early signs of a turnaround at our operations in Mexico.
Speaker #5: As you may be aware , a year ago we were facing significant challenges . We knew it was necessary to address these challenges , but we were capital constrained as we are able to raise funds , we began slowly implementing our plans and made some management changes .
Speaker #5: There were major issues to address lack of development , severely constrained our production , our mining fleet needed renewal and availability . Further constrained our production .
Speaker #5: Another issue related to related to the size of our mining equipment , our fleet was sized for wider veins , which resulted in inappropriate mining methods having to be employed and resulted in excessive dilution .
Speaker #5: As part of our fleet renewal process , we have and are acquiring replacement equipment to address aging assets . Several units appropriately sized for our projected mining requirements of already arrived at our operational .
Speaker #5: The previously announced to reduce production risk , we engaged a mining contractor to assist in mine development and to focus on mine development and production from the new Three Sisters area .
Speaker #5: Development by the contractor continues to progress well , with 1435m completed in the Three Sisters area . Their progress is validated . Our expectations revealing good , a good vein widths and high grade mineralization .
Speaker #5: Notably , this work is enabled the commencement of production from the three sisters . Marking marking a significant milestone . The material being extracted from this zone is high in precious metals , reinforcing our confidence in the area's potential with properly sized equipment .
Speaker #5: We are changing our mining methods and narrow vein zones . One key improvement has been the introduction of cut and fill for approximately 40% of our stopes , which is more profitable in narrow vein applications by reducing dilution .
Speaker #5: This method results in Lower Thames mined while delivering the same metal units to the mill . Lower transportation , crushing , grinding and processing costs , coupled with higher recovery results in higher profitability .
Speaker #5: In addition to the operational improvements , we've discussed , we're also benefiting from record high metal prices . While a strategy does not depend on elevated pricing , these market conditions are certainly contributing to a stronger economic position .
Speaker #5: This added momentum supports our efforts as we continue executing on the plans that we laid out earlier in the year . I would like now to provide an update on the operations .
Speaker #5: During the quarter , the operation , unfortunately recorded several loss time , injury incidents which , while concerning , do not reflect our long standing commitment to maintaining a safe and healthy workplace .
Speaker #5: In response , we have engaged an external consultant to conduct a comprehensive safety assessment and audit . This initiative will help us identify operational risks , evaluate , evaluate our current safety , maturity and develop a proactive , plan aligned to our zero accident mindset .
Speaker #5: Despite a challenging quarter driven by extensive mine development activities , our team implemented key adjustments to mining methods , particularly in the narrower risk veins .
Speaker #5: And Three Sisters areas to reduce dilution . These changes yielded measurable results resulted in higher production volumes and enhanced order grades delivered to the plant .
Speaker #5: As a result , metallurgical recoveries across all metals exceeded prior quarters . To support our growth strategy , we successfully acquired specialized , narrow vein mining equipment , which has improved selectivity and operational control .
Speaker #5: While they await the arrival of the third filter press, the dry stack tailings system is being prepared. We completed several upgrades at the filtration plant.
Speaker #5: These enhancements have increased productivity per cycle, allowing us to maintain a steady milling rate of approximately 1,350 tonnes per day on the days that we operate, permitting and rehabilitation efforts resumed at the mine with commissioning targeted for early Q1 of 2026.
Speaker #5: Mine development and exploration drilling remain critical to sustain production and expand our resource base. Continued support from our mine development contractor and two diamond drilling contractors is essential to advance a reserved resource to reserve conversion pipeline.
Speaker #5: I'll now pass the presentation over to Chet to discuss the financial results .
Speaker #4: Thank you . Allen . As we've mentioned in the past , and as you can see when reading our current form 10-q , 2025 has been a difficult year .
Speaker #4: I do not want to rehash all the information in the filed report , but there are a couple of points that I would like to make .
Speaker #4: We concluded the third quarter with a strong cash position of over 9 million , reflecting both our success in capital raising efforts and disciplined cash management .
Speaker #4: In addition to this , cash balance , as previously noted , our production ramped up significantly towards the end of Q3 . We completed multiple shipments in late September , which were still in transit at quarter end .
Speaker #4: As a result , the associated revenue was recorded under accounts receivable , with cash collections occurring in the first few weeks of October .
Speaker #4: Importantly , we also showed mining gross profit during the quarter , a key milestone that signals meaningful progress on our path back to profitability .
Speaker #4: While our cash cost per gold equivalent ounce and all in sustaining cost per gold equivalent ounce remain above our long term targets , we are encouraged by the downward trend that was shown during the third quarter , as production efficiency improves and the quality of mined material increases .
Speaker #4: We are seeing a corresponding reduction in related costs per equivalent ounce. It is also worth highlighting that the current environment of elevated precious metal prices is positively impacting our operations.
Speaker #4: The precious metal content in our material , especially in silver , has increased , which is contributing meaningful meaningfully to our cash flow and overall financial performance .
Speaker #4: As previously discussed , many of the operational challenges we faced earlier this year stemmed from insufficient underground development , which limited access to multiple mining faces and higher grade zones .
Speaker #4: To mitigate these issues and support long term growth , we made significant capital investments in both underground development and exploration throughout the year , specifically , we invested over $2.6 million in underground development and more than $6.5 million in underground exploration development , mainly in the Three Sisters area .
Speaker #4: These investments are already yielding results. As noted, we now have access to multiple mining faces, and production has commenced from the Three Sisters area.
Speaker #4: We will continue to invest in developing and exploring these areas to meet the long-term plans that we have for the mine. I will now pass the presentation back to Alan for his concluding remarks.
Speaker #5: Thank you Chuck , and thank you all once again for joining us today and your continued support . It's encouraging to be able to share positive developments , and we're optimistic that the momentum we're experiencing will not only continue , but strengthen through the remainder of this year and into next .
Speaker #5: We're beginning to see the tangible benefits of executing the strategic plans we outlined earlier this year . I would also like to take a moment to address the back 40 project .
Speaker #5: As you're aware , lack of capital has presented prevented us from advancing the project with the improvements that our mine in Mexico . We are now able to fund the permitting process and complete feasibility study advancing this exceptional project towards a production decision .
Speaker #5: We expect this work will commence in the next couple of months, and we will keep you posted on a regular basis.
Speaker #5: With that , I'll turn the call over to the operator for questions .
Speaker #3: Thank you , ladies and gentlemen . We will now conduct the question and answer session . If you do wish to ask a question , please press star one on your telephone keypad .
Speaker #3: If you are on a speaker phone , please lift your handset before doing so . If you wish to withdraw your question , you may do so by pressing star two once again , if you wish to ask a question , please press star one now .
Speaker #3: Your first question comes from the line of Jake Sakowski from Alliance Global Partners . Your line is now open .
Speaker #6: Hi Alan, thanks for taking my questions.
Speaker #5: Hi , Jake , good to hear from you .
Speaker #6: So, just starting with the development work at Three Sisters, you were just talking about, are you able to quantify the level of throughput you're targeting from here?
Speaker #6: I guess as we head into 2026 .
Speaker #5: We're heading into 2026 . We're anticipating that between 40 and 50% of our total production will be coming from the three sisters . The balance will be split roughly equally between Arista and Switchback .
Speaker #6: Okay . That's helpful . Do you think you'll hit that 50% balance from three sisters in Q1 , or do you have a timeline to kind of get to that ?
Speaker #5: We're anticipating it actually being at least 40% in Q1 , potentially higher with the progress of the contractor is making , and certainly by Q2 , we'll be at that run rate at the latest .
Speaker #5: I'm anticipating it earlier .
Speaker #6: Got it . Okay . And then just from a high level , I mean , we've seen base metals rally the last few months .
Speaker #6: Any thoughts on hedging to kind of lock in some of those higher credits at these levels?
Speaker #5: It's something that we consider on a regular basis . Jake . You know , on a fairly regular basis , we go out and get quotes for callers primarily .
Speaker #5: We've been reticent to hedge in the past, but with metal prices where they are, it's something that we are actively considering.
Speaker #5: And I'm not I'm not going to say we're going to hedge all of our precious metal by any stretch of the imagination . But , you know , zinc is pretty strong .
Speaker #5: Copper is pretty strong . And by underpinning those , it will help us with surety and achieving our cash flows .
Speaker #6: Got it . Okay . That's helpful . That's all for me . Thanks again .
Speaker #5: Thanks , Jake .
Speaker #3: Thank you. Your next question comes from the line of Heiko. Your line is now open.
Speaker #7: Hey , Alan . Hey , team . Can you guys hear me ? All right .
Speaker #5: You're perfectly clear, Heiko. Good to hear from you.
Speaker #7: Perfect . I'm standing in the lobby of an office building waiting to go into a one on one . Apologize to the background noise in your press release .
Speaker #7: You talked a bit about receiving some used equipment at the site. Can you elaborate on what exactly has been received? What are you still waiting for? How much did you pay for it, and how were you paid for it?
Speaker #7: And also maybe , just maybe , quantify the uptime delta that you had compared to what you had before .
Speaker #5: The what delta ? Heiko , sorry .
Speaker #7: The difference in uptime that you have now versus what you had before with the older ability.
Speaker #5: Okay. I don't know if you have the expenditures at your fingertips. Do you?
Speaker #4: I do not have them right at my fingertips .
Speaker #5: Okay . Directionally , Heiko , we've spent probably 4 million on new . It's not new equipment . There's a blend of new used equipment .
Speaker #5: We've received two , two and a half yard scoops . And that's specifically for narrow vein . We received a six , acquired a six yard scoop to replace one of the old ones .
Speaker #5: And we have a jumbo that we have received . We're still waiting for a narrow profile jumbo for the narrow vein mining applications , but I would anticipate that by the end of the end of this month , we should have most of our mining equipment operational , on site and operational .
Speaker #7: Okay. Fair enough, fair enough.
Speaker #5: But one thing we sorry , I just want to elaborate a little bit more . Heiko , the contractor of course , brought all of their own equipment in and it's a blend between narrow Vein and long haul equipment .
Speaker #5: So they've got a couple of small scoops in the balance. Are six, six-yard scoops, and they've got quite a large inventory of equipment.
Speaker #5: So they're able to bring in what they need on demand. That is freed up our equipment to focus on Arista and Switchback.
Speaker #7: Fair enough . Okay . That makes sense . You talked a little bit in the go ahead .
Speaker #5: I forgot to mention the availability on the new equipment , and it's running north of 80% .
Speaker #7: Oh , okay . So it's probably quite a big change to what it was before . And I assume he old stuff like at least some of the spare parts can be , you know , scavenged and like three loaders turned into one .
Speaker #7: Right .
Speaker #5: It's exactly what we're doing. The old stuff is parked, and then we salvage all usable parts from it and scrap the frame and anything that's unusable.
Speaker #7: Yeah . Fair enough . Can you walk us through the impact of cut and fill mining like the method on on cost per ton ?
Speaker #7: I mean, obviously dilution improves, but do you need to make any amendments to our model based on that change?
Speaker #5: If you have to make amendments , cycle the net result would be an increase in revenue per tonne mined . The the cost , you know , historically , long haul is running in the low 40s .
Speaker #5: Cotton fill is running low to mid $50s per ton. But the big change, of course, when we were long hauling the narrow veins, was that we were unfortunately experiencing dilution in excess of 40% by properly constraining the cut and fill.
Speaker #5: And we are throwing in a bit of rescuing just to ensure that we get a lower dilution . We've managed to bring dilution in those areas down to .
Speaker #5: 13 to 17% . So , you know , we're we're moving 25% less material to the mill , but we're producing moving all of the mill credits .
Speaker #5: You're mining costs is up directionally 1,015% . But the volume moved is down by 25 for the same revenue generation or better generation , because the delivered head grade is higher .
Speaker #5: So our recoveries correlate with grade. We're getting better recoveries as well. Net net, it's a significant improvement.
Speaker #7: Awesome . I'll get back to you . Thank you guys very much .
Speaker #5: Thanks , Michael .
Speaker #3: Thank you. At this time, there are no further questions. I'd like to turn it back over to management for closing remarks.
Speaker #5: Thank you, Mike. I do want to thank everybody for joining us today. I do want to stress the importance of what we are seeing in terms of a turnaround at the Don David Mine.
Speaker #5: I'll put it in context . A little bit in that July was a terrible month . It was terrible because we were in the midst of converting from long haul to cut and fill in a number of areas of the mine , necessitating additional development .
Speaker #5: But as we got into August, things improved. In September, we significantly exceeded our forecast in terms of times produced. I'm happy to tell you that in October we significantly exceeded our forecast in terms of times produced, and I'm expecting that to continue for the balance of the year.
Speaker #5: So, the turnaround is very much enhanced, and I expect to be able to tell you when we next talk that we've seen very significant improvement, sustained, and looking forward to additional improvements in the future.
Speaker #5: With that , I will thank you once more for joining us and look forward to speaking to you . If not sooner . For a year end results .
Speaker #5: Thank you .