CHICAGO, Jan. 11, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Coeur Mining, Inc. (the "Company" or "Coeur") (NYSE:CDE) today announced fourth quarter production of 4.0 million ounces of silver and 91,551 ounces of gold, or 9.5 million silver equivalent1 ounces.
Full-year 2015 production was 15.9 million silver ounces, at the high-end of Company guidance of 15.2 - 16.1 million ounces, and 327,908 gold ounces, in-line with Company guidance of 309,000 - 338,000 ounces. Full-year silver equivalent1 production totaled 35.6 million ounces, at the high-end of Company guidance of 33.7 - 36.4 million ounces.
In 2016, Coeur expects to produce 14.6 - 16.0 million ounces of silver and 320,000 - 347,000 ounces of gold, or 33.8 - 36.8 million silver equivalent1 ounces.
Quarterly Production Results
Click here for quarterly production results: http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8b5b4ad1-b222-49af-aa44-84e1548609a4
2015 Production Results
Coeur's 2015 silver and gold production results are shown below, along with the Company's most recent production guidance as of November 2, 2015.
| (silver ounces in thousands) | Silver | Gold | Silver Equivalent1 | |||
| 2015 Guidance | 2015 Result | 2015 Guidance | 2015 Result | 2015 Guidance | 2015 Result | |
| Palmarejo | 4,700 - 5,000 | 5,149 | 65,000 - 70,000 | 70,922 | 8,600 - 9,200 | 9,404 |
| San Bartolomé | 5,300 - 5,500 | 5,436 | — | — | 5,300 - 5,500 | 5,436 |
| Rochester | 4,700 - 5,000 | 4,631 | 55,000 - 65,000 | 52,588 | 8,000 - 8,900 | 7,786 |
| Endeavor | 500 - 600 | 629 | — | — | 500 - 600 | 629 |
| Kensington | — | — | 115,000 - 125,000 | 126,266 | 6,900 - 7,500 | 7,576 |
| Wharf | — | 56 | 74,000 - 78,000 | 78,132 | 4,440 - 4,680 | 4,744 |
| Total | 15,200 - 16,100 | 15,901 | 309,000 - 338,000 | 327,908 | 33,740 - 36,380 | 35,575 |
2016 Production Outlook
Coeur's 2016 silver and gold production guidance is shown below.
| (silver and silver equivalent ounces in thousands) | Silver | Gold | Silver Equivalent1 |
| Palmarejo | 3,800 - 4,300 | 67,000 - 72,000 | 7,820 - 8,620 |
| San Bartolomé | 5,700 - 6,000 | — | 5,700 - 6,000 |
| Rochester | 4,700 - 5,200 | 48,000 - 55,000 | 7,580 - 8,500 |
| Endeavor | 350 - 400 | — | 350 - 400 |
| Kensington | — | 115,000 - 125,000 | 6,900 - 7,500 |
| Wharf | 80 - 100 | 90,000 - 95,000 | 5,480 - 5,800 |
| Total | 14,630 - 16,000 | 320,000 - 347,000 | 33,830 - 36,820 |
4Q 2015 Operational Results
Fourth quarter operational highlights for each of Coeur's operations are provided below.
| Palmarejo, Mexico | 4Q 2015 | 3Q 2015 | 2Q 2015 | 1Q 2015 | 4Q 2014 | ||||||||||
| Underground Operations: | |||||||||||||||
| Tons mined | 189,383 | 190,399 | 172,730 | 149,150 | 187,729 | ||||||||||
| Average silver grade (oz/t) | 3.96 | 4.11 | 3.90 | 4.34 | 4.49 | ||||||||||
| Average gold grade (oz/t) | 0.06 | 0.10 | 0.09 | 0.07 | 0.06 | ||||||||||
| Surface Operations: | |||||||||||||||
| Tons mined | 102,019 | 247,071 | 257,862 | 281,481 | 320,802 | ||||||||||
| Average silver grade (oz/t) | 3.86 | 3.56 | 3.47 | 3.79 | 2.90 | ||||||||||
| Average gold grade (oz/t) | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.04 | 0.03 | ||||||||||
| Processing: | |||||||||||||||
| Total tons milled | 301,274 | 427,635 | 435,841 | 451,918 | 510,813 | ||||||||||
| Average recovery rate – Ag | 95.4 | % | 87.9 | % | 78.5 | % | 78.7 | % | 80.2 | % | |||||
| Average recovery rate – Au | 88.8 | % | 84.7 | % | 76.2 | % | 73.9 | % | 78.7 | % | |||||
| Silver production ounces (000's) | 1,126 | 1,422 | 1,247 | 1,354 | 1,444 | ||||||||||
| Gold production ounces | 14,326 | 22,974 | 18,127 | 15,495 | 15,237 | ||||||||||
| Silver-equivalent1 production ounces (000's) | 1,986 | 2,800 | 2,335 | 2,284 | 2,358 | | |||||||||
- Transition to higher-grade, higher-margin underground operations from two ore sources - Guadalupe and Independencia - remains on-track.
- Full-year 2015 production of 5.1 million silver ounces and 70,922 gold ounces (9.4 million silver equivalent1 ounces) exceeded the high-end of the Company's guidance range.
- Achieved mining rate of 2,000 tons per day from the Guadalupe deposit, and averaged a mining rate of approximately 1,700 tons per day over the entire quarter.
- Reached the Independencia deposit in early January as planned and expect to achieve first production from the ore body later in the first quarter.
- Recovery rates continue to climb as a result of several process enhancements that were implemented during 2015 and due to a higher amount of ore coming from underground operations.
- Open-pit operations are expected to end in the first quarter of 2016 and mining in the legacy Palmarejo underground is expected to cease in mid-2016.
| Rochester, Nevada | 4Q 2015 | 3Q 2015 | 2Q 2015 | 1Q 2015 | 4Q 2014 |
| Tons placed | 4,411,590 | 4,128,868 | 3,859,965 | 4,013,879 | 3,876,944 |
| Average silver grade (oz/t) | 0.60 | 0.59 | 0.61 | 0.74 | 0.60 |
| Average gold grade (oz/t) | 0.003 | 0.003 | 0.003 | 0.004 | 0.004 |
| Silver production ounces (000's) | 1,107 | 1,086 | 1,294 | 1,144 | 1,170 |
| Gold production ounces | 11,564 | 10,892 | 16,411 | 13,721 | 15,764 |
| Silver equivalent1 production ounces (000's) | 1,800 | 1,740 | 2,279 | 1,967 | 2,116 |
- Full-year silver equivalent1 production of 7.8 million ounces increased 13% over 2014, the second year of double-digit production growth, and was slightly below the Company's 2015 guidance range due to numerous snow storms in December and timing of leaching on the Stage III leach pad.
- Placed an average of 47,000 tons per day on the leach pad in the fourth quarter, and expect to average 50,000 tons per day by mid-2016, once ramp up of the recently expanded crusher is complete.
| Kensington, Alaska | 4Q 2015 | 3Q 2015 | 2Q 2015 | 1Q 2015 | 4Q 2014 | ||||||||||
| Tons milled | 161,927 | 165,198 | 170,649 | 164,951 | 167,417 | ||||||||||
| Average gold grade (oz/t) | 0.22 | 0.19 | 0.18 | 0.24 | 0.21 | ||||||||||
| Average recovery rate | 96.0 | % | 93.9 | % | 94.9 | % | 94.8 | % | 94.2 | % | |||||
| Gold production ounces | 33,714 | 28,799 | 29,845 | 33,909 | 33,533 | ||||||||||
- Full-year gold production of 126,266 ounces was 7% higher than 2014 production and represents highest level since operations began in 2010. Record operating results were due to a 16% increase in the average grade as well as a higher recovery rate.
- Development of the Jualin decline has advanced approximately 1,500 feet and remains on-schedule. Underground drilling of the high-grade Jualin deposit, which is designed to increase confidence levels of existing resources and to expand the size of the ore body, is expected to begin during the first quarter of 2016.
| Wharf, South Dakota | 4Q 2015 | 3Q 2015 | 2Q 2015 | 1Q 2015 | 4Q 2014 | ||||||||
| Tons placed | 1,147,130 | 1,149,744 | 887,409 | 415,996 | — | ||||||||
| Average gold grade (oz/t) | 0.032 | 0.035 | 0.025 | 0.020 | — | ||||||||
| Average plant recovery rate - Au | 97.3 | % | 92.8 | % | 76.7 | % | 85.9 | % | — | ||||
| Gold production ounces | 31,947 | 23,104 | 16,472 | 6,609 | — | ||||||||
| Silver production ounces | 17,043 | 19,365 | 19,336 | — | — | ||||||||
| Gold equivalent1 production ounces | 32,231 | 23,427 | 16,794 | 6,609 | — | ||||||||
- Full-year production of 79,061 gold equivalent1 ounces exceeded the Company's guidance range and reflects Coeur's ownership since February of 2015.
- Strong crushing rates and process plant improvements led to a 38% increase in gold equivalent production during the fourth quarter compared with the third quarter.
- Improved process plant efficiencies have led to a significant increase in the average plant recovery rate since acquiring the operation in early 2015.
- Full-year 2016 production is expected to be approximately 20% higher than 2015 production.
| San Bartolomé, Bolivia | 4Q 2015 | 3Q 2015 | 2Q 2015 | 1Q 2015 | 4Q 2014 | ||||||||||
| Tons milled | 475,695 | 373,201 | 457,232 | 406,951 | 454,136 | ||||||||||
| Average silver grade (oz/t) | 3.84 | 3.76 | 3.73 | 3.65 | 3.77 | ||||||||||
| Average recovery rate | 84.9 | % | 84.0 | % | 87.6 | % | 81.6 | % | 88.0 | % | |||||
| Silver production ounces (000's) | 1,551 | 1,178 | 1,495 | &
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