Aura Minerals Announces Q3 2017 Financial and Operating Results

ROAD TOWN, British Virgin Islands, Nov. 09, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aura Minerals Inc. (“Aura Minerals” or the “Company”) (TSX:ORA) announces financial and operating results for the third quarter of 2017.

This release does not constitute the management's discussion and analysis (“MD&A”) as contemplated by applicable securities laws and should be read in conjunction with the MD&A and the Company's condensed interim consolidated financial statements for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the Company's website. Unless otherwise noted, references herein to "$" are to thousands of United States dollar. References to "C$" are to thousands of Canadian dollars. Tables are expressed in thousands of United States dollars, except where otherwise noted.

Highlights:

• Income of $4,594 or $0.14 per share for the three months ended (“three months ended” or “the third quarter of”) September 30, 2017 compared to income of $734 or $0.03 per share for the third quarter of 2016;
  
  
• Net sales revenue in the third quarter of 2017 decreased by 0.47% over the third quarter of 2016. Details are as follows:

• Gold production for the third quarter of 2017 was 2% higher than the comparable period of 2016. Gold production and cash operating costs per ounce produced¹ for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 were as follows:

• Effective January 1, 2017, Lavrinha achieved commercial production. As a result, both revenue and operating costs for Lavrinha are recognized in the condensed interim consolidated statements of loss and comprehensive loss. In addition, the mine development related to Lavrinha is reclassified to property, plant and equipment and depletion commences;
  
  
• The Pau-a-Pique mine declared commercial production on August 1, 2017 after achieving certain milestones set by management. Pre-commercial production achieved 2,209 ounces during the third quarter of 2017 and 3,212 ounces during the first nine months of the year; during the third quarter of 2017 Pau-a-Pique reached a total ore mined of 32,846 tonnes and a production of 3,032 ounces. As a result of commercial production, both revenue and operating cost for PPQ are recognized in the condensed interim consolidated statements of loss and comprehensive loss. In addition, the mine development related to PPQ is reclassified to property, plant and equipment and depletion commences.
  
  
• During the third quarter of 2017, cash operating costs per ounce produced¹ were 2.4% higher, comparable with the same period in 2016 due to higher cost of production at San Andres due to weather conditions (primarily heavy rainfall), offset by lower cost of production from the Brazilian mines.
  

¹ Please see “Non-GAAP measures” at the end of this press release.

For further information, please visit Aura Minerals’ web site at www.auraminerals.com or contact:

Aura Minerals Inc.
Email: info@auraminerals.com

Cautionary Note

This news release contains certain “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements”, as defined in applicable securities laws (collectively, “forward-looking statements”). All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect the Company’s current estimates, predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, without limitation, statements with respect to: the amount of mineral reserves and mineral resources; the amount of future production over any period; the amount of waste tonnes mined; the amount of mining and haulage costs; cash costs; operating costs; strip ratios and mining rates; expected grades and ounces of metals and minerals; expected processing recoveries; expected time frames; prices of metals and minerals; mine life; and gold hedge programs. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “plans”, “projects”, “estimates”, “assumes”, “intends”, “strategy”, “goals”, “objectives” or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Forward-looking statements in this news release and related MD&A are based upon, without limitation, the following estimates and assumptions: the presence of and continuity of metals at the Company’s Mines at modeled grades; the capacities of various machinery and equipment; the availability of personnel, machinery and equipment at estimated prices; exchange rates; metals and minerals sales prices; appropriate discount rates; tax rates and royalty rates applicable to the mining operations; cash costs; anticipated mining losses and dilution; metals recovery rates, reasonable contingency requirements; and receipt of regulatory approvals on acceptable terms.

Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the Company’s ability to predict or control could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Specific reference is made to the most recent Annual Information Form on file with certain Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities for a discussion of some of the factors underlying forward-looking statements, which include, without limitation, gold and copper or certain other commodity price volatility, changes in debt and equity markets, the uncertainties involved in interpreting geological data, increases in costs, environmental compliance and changes in environmental legislation and regulation, interest rate and exchange rate fluctuations, general economic conditions and other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect the forward-looking statements.

All forward-looking statements herein are qualified by this cautionary statement. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. If the Company does update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that it will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.

Non-GAPP Measures

The Company has included earnings before interest and tax (“EBIT”), earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”), realized average gold price per ounce sold, net realized average gold price per ounce sold, cash operating cost per ounce produced, cash operating costs per ounce sold and all-in costs per ounce sold which are non-GAAP performance measures. These non-GAAP measures do not have any standardized meaning within IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. The Company believes that these measures provide investors with additional information which is useful in evaluating the Company’s performance and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS.